The following is not a joke and is a press release from the News page of www.undergroundkiteboards.com

Disaster hits Underground

As the result of a suspected arson attack, Underground's Christchurch board-building factory and Groundswell, an adjoining windsurf, kiteboard shop and sail loft were completely burned to the ground early on Saturday morning.

The fire is believed to have been started at the Groundswell end of the building at 4.30am. Whilst the loss is catastrophic for all concerned, Underground Business Manager Aaron Smith says "it's not the end of the world and we will put it all back together elsewhere". Rocker and outline templates for the boards were saved as well as some computer records, and 20 or so boards that escaped the fire in a partially burned laminating bay.

Hundreds of boards in other stages of the construction process were lost however and this will obviously affect supply of some orders. If you are affected by this, or unsure, please contact Aaron Smith or Adrian Roper directly.

The teams at Underground and Groundswell are working to ensure both businesses get operational as quickly as practical with the minimum of inconvenience for their customers.

As the boys at Underground sift through the ashes of their own ground zero, and ponder the enormity of the tasks ahead of them, our thoughts must go out to them wherever we are and whatever we ride.

I've only heard one eyewitness account so far of the scene but can well imagine the devastation of seeing what was once the livelihood of a solid bunch of people smouldering on the ground with only a few scraps of carbon surviving. To put it into perspective: Adrian, Aaron, Steve, Kane, Alan, Moshe, Blair plus a handful of others whose names I can't immediately recall but are equally important have effectively lost their jobs for the time being. All their families are directly affected. Then there's the suppliers and kiters who had kit in the building - many, many burnt personal toys. Hundreds of us have spent time at the factory, freeloading on sausages and beers at barbies over the years.

Then there's unimaginable amounts of boards and board-making materials that will never be ridden, several businesses records and histories, networks of computers packed with data and contacts, not to mention a damn good coffee machine. Maybe none of us will mourn the loss of a couple a hundred grand worth of windsurfing gear - but some poor fools owned it all and they too will be severely gutted. At least they'll be able to buy kites if they get insurance!

Ask yourself: Imagine if the same thing happened to your home or business. It's taken 12 hours for that concept to sink in with me.

So, on behalf of all New Zealand's great unwashed kiting community, we at kiteforum.co.nz offer our sincere condolences to Adrian and all affected by this unprecedented meltdown. Virtually all of us have spent time riding Underground boards and they remain an integral part of the saga of kiteboarding in this country.

We are sure the southern men will stand tall and put the pieces back together. It won't be easy but it will be worth it. I propose the next board range should be called Phoenix to commemorate the proud brand's rising from the ashes.

Aaron: this better not be an elaborate practical joke you bastard - I almost wept as I wrote that last line.

And another thing, don't be another kiwi who puts his head in the sand when disaster strikes (Do kiwis do that or is it emus? If so whatever people group claim the emu as their national bird - abo's perhaps?). Don't do as the aboriginals do who run around in loincloths jabbering to each other, burying their heads in mounds of emu dung, without first sending smoke signals of condolence to their tribesmen whose ancestral hunting ground just got flattened by a meteor.

Let them know, in whatever way is your style that you are aware of their cruel deal and if you're a team rider you won't turn your nose up at slightly singed sticks for a while, y'know what I mean?

And another thing, to the sick puppy who did this - I promise you hell hath no fury like a bunch of unemployed resin addicts who can't get their hit of estuary chemicals because some pretzel atomised their toys. You better pray they find you on a calm day, not when it's blowing a steady 25 from the Northeast.

The crew at Kiteworks are greatly disturbed by what has happened to the Underground factory. We are very sad to hear the news.The only good thing to come out of this will be a great new factory, twice as bitchin as the old one. If it is the work of an ass-onist, i can only pray they are caught and severly dealt to. Either by the law or by the team at Underground. ( We have a gas torche, large hammer, pliers, and Hacksaw we are willing to lend!!) Wishing the team at Underground a speedy recovery. Kent & Perrin

For the skeptics or interested rubberneckers out there - photos of the disaster site have now been posted at:

www.undergroundkiteboards.com/images.php...RY+FIRE+June%2C+2003

or:

www.undergroundkiteboards.com/news.php?nid=15

Open the three fire-related news stories to see the photos. :shock:

How about some personal accounts from the affected people?

....it's the end of an era....(sob)

Actually one of the major spin off effects, personally, has been my subsequent eviction from the matrimonial bed on account of the stench of soot oozing from my every pore. Hard to rid the grime of the clean-up.

I wonder what the set up will be with the new factory. Probably it will be distant from the water, so we'll get more work done, spending less time idlely gazing at the kiting action on the estuary. Also not much talk of the retail side of things at this point and I'm concerned where the windmeter's gonna go. It's the little things.

Don't you worry Kane we start moving in next week, very close to the old setup but nice solid tilt slab, character free, but non burning factory.
We will have the retail store going again after the factory get going.
Had a kitesurf last night after a very hard week, started to make sense after that.
WE WILL BE BACK!!!
See YA Adrian

Adrian,good to see your back on track and hope things move along smoothly for ya.A chance for "Underground" to go Bigger! and Better! and hopefully slightly fire proof.
The building / boards / kites / and gear may be a smouldering mess;
But you can never destroy{or in this case, burn down} a dam good brand name!
PS~Hurry up and sort your shit out,I need to order a Carbon Pro< :wink:

At risk of making you all cry with soppy sentimentality, here is a quote from Kent M. Keith (1968) called Paradoxical Commandments. There are a couple of lines that are particularly relevant to Underground's situation.

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone may destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, others may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it's all between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

Dry your eyes - Bubba. At risk of making you all cry with bitter irony, here is a quote from Shaan Soul Surfer (2003) called Paradoxical Commandments. There are a couple of lines that are particularly relevant to kiteboarding in general.

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered;
Forgive windsurfers anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Launch the young lady's kite anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Have a go at baton-twirling anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Advertise your secondhand kit on the internet anyway.
What you spend years building, someone may destroy overnight;
Go night-kiting anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, others may be jealous;
Sell them some of your stash.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do a bit of bad as well - so they remember you.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give your credit card company the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it's all between you and God;
And God loves a trier.

Nice one SSS, Nice!!
Obviously no wind around or you would be out getting some.

Island Stylz

This quote from a seppo named 'rolltide' on kiteforum.com (he has a picture of the retarded kid from Deliverance strumming his guitar as an avatar)
Medium Poster
Joined: 19 Feb 2003
Posts: 107
Location: way down yonder in the land of cotton
Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2003 1:56 pm Post subject: Underground fire
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I'm sure the profit gained slingin' a $700+ polished plank will get 'em back in business real quick....
Hell maybe theres hella insurance on the biz that would make a mighty fine purse to upgrade, expand and dominate the kite plank industry......
Suspicious fires often are the result of "Jewish Lightning"
Time will tell and the intent and intelligence of the fire starter will be determined through fire science and arson investigators..
Hell maybe I'm just suspicious 'cause of my firefighting experience...
Hell back in the day when I was on a volunteer department- every yee haw hillbilly in the county with a Motorola Minitor pager and turnout gear would show up at your house and if it was too far gone, we'd let it burn and break out the Budweiser......... That's what us country folks refer to as an accidental bonfire gitogether.

does anyone klnow how the fire started yet? :twisted:

Any news on arson investigation? A direct quote from Underground Business Manager Aaron Smith: Basically the source and reason can't be identified.

What do you mean basically?

We don't know, at first the claims investigators and forensic scientists thought it was arson, then they thought it was an electrical fire starting in the retail shop. The spot they think it started had nothing electrical?
So I have moved on from trying to find out how it started, interesting to note it was not from the factory as many speculated??
Bull dozer went through the lot this afternoon, no more watertower!!
See YA Adrian

Latest update and new address details for Underground @ www.undergroundkiteboards.com/news.php?nid=20

Standby for photos of new factory which will be posted shortly.