Last Thursday a group of us were up at Tapuatahi in the Bay of Islands the subject of Switch Kites came up in the conversation, as our gear is dating, 2007/2008/2009

They say the prices should be good, I looked up the web site it launches proper 1st June, any one know about these, there seems a strong kiwi connection.

Or is it a matter of wait and see..

Yep, NZ owners, I hope they are successful in what is a pretty competitive marketplace.
Pre-production kites have been available in NZ for a while, they seem to fly pretty well.
Production kites and the launch party can't be too far away.

The owner kites around here lots and hence a great deal of people ride them. for around 1200 complete it seems pretty reasonable. Don't quote me on that price though but i think it will be close to that. Which model are you thinking, the wave kite is meant to be mean!

Online store went live today http://www.switchkites.com/
All very Flash

Certainly cheap kites. But with buying direct, no chance to demo and with a "if you pump it up you own it" policy i guess its a bit of a lottery. If the kite doesn't suit your needs then i guess yourl be selling on trademe. But at close to half the price of other kites a role of the dice might be worth while.

Plummet,
I'd suggest asking for a demo on their facebook page.
I don't know if the Switch guys even know that this forum exists, it is dominated by land-boarders
Aren't you down Taranaki way? It should be pretty easily to persuade someone to come over for some real West Coast waves.

Nah i'm not in the market right now for new kites. just pointing out the inherent risks in buying online.

I'm in the position of wanting to support bricks and mortor shops but cant afford the retail prices. so i end up buy S/h off these guys. Still gives them some business. Even if it is only moving on a s/h kite.


Ps get your kitesurfing mates to use the forum more often! then it wont be dominated by the land guys! it would be a shame to loose the local forum due to lack of use.

ps i'm a bit slow today....

So this is a NZ owned company?

If so good on them. But i'm not sure buying direct is the method of world domination.

Plummet - Shayne at kitesurfnelson is a decent bloke and his prices are not that much more expensive than this brand once you have put on the nearly $400 for the bar and lines. When looking to buy new have a chat with him you will be pleasantly surprised

Hi guys,
I'm part of the Switch Kites team and I can confirm its 100% Kiwi owned.
The team is international with designers, riders, factories spread across the globe but the core of the company is based right here.

How many factories and where are they located - any in NZ?

All gear is manufactured off shore.

Hey Simon I've got a 11m combat for you try out next time your around.

off shore? can you be a bit more specific?

Factories Asia and Australia.

I've just read the Switch kites propaganda and was saddened to see that they want to sacrifice the middle man i.e the local (kiwi) kite shop, which means putting kiwi business'out in the cold. Some of the nicest people I know happen to have kite shops and I can tell you that they are struggling to survive in the this economic climate. I whole heartedly endorse Plummet’s comments about supporting kiwi retailers.

Daniel. wrote:
[quote]Hi guys,
I'm part of the Switch Kites team and I can confirm its 100% Kiwi owned.

what about for tax purpose are switch kites still kiwi owned? - i.e paying kiwi taxes me thinks probably not!

Daniel, as the spokesperson for Switch kites, can you please advise me as to why there is no company called Switch Kites registered with Companies House?

Yes you’re right, its tough economic times and kite store owners, like a lot of businesses, are finding times hard.
Our goal is not to put people out of business, but to bring kiteboarders, who are also finding times tough, an economic alternative.

Our company is a New Zealand registered company.

sweet, what is the trading name?

Sorry guys I couldn’t find any record at companiesoffice.gov.nz of a company called Switch Kites that's why i was wondering if the company is registered in NZ.

Theres a small group here in Paihia, we now getting into wave riding, no waves in Paihia head to Matauri Bay / Tapuatahi. I now find I need a smaller kite my Nemi 10m being my smallest.

We use to all have Best gear from Lee, I have prefered to buy from someone I know and am aware of the difficult trading times of the local traders.

The Switch kite seems a good price point option. Theres a couple of us looking at their surf 7m Method kite. As theres no gear to demo will have to judge from user feedback. What I've read so far they seem to do the job.

I was looking at a decent used unit now I can consider a crispy new unit. If they are a hit, man what will hapen to 2nd hand prices.

yeh i'm looking a new kite quiver and the Ozone Reo wave kite also looks a good bet. my local Kite retailer is willing to sell me two new (not Reo) kites for $3000 dollars, which is in the same price league as Switch but with the reassurance of being tried and tested with regards build quality! I suggest people ask their retailers, you will always get a much better deal than the RRP

For example, a friend of mine recently got two new kites for $2000 - bar and lines included from NZBoardstore - interest free for six months. So don’t just believe that you’re getting a good deal because there’s the “middleman being sacrificed” as you might get more established brands at cheaper prices from a kiteshop.

Well its good to see some Kiwi's taking on the world.

Deano,
A lot of people live nowhere near a kite shop. If I lived in Nelson I would buy my stuff through Shane or Warren because they're both good guys and it's in no-one's interest if they go out of business. I support my local shop for the same reason, the sport would die out without them.
Most kite brands are owned by companies with other names; e.g. North kiteboarding is owned by a German comany called Boards and More and Cabrinha is owned by Neil Pryde Ltd. Neil Pryde is also a Kiwi, although he lives in Hong Kong (I think).
The IRD would notice if you repatriated large profits to NZ without paying tax, their systems are pretty sophisticated.

Simon, the researcher in me was attempting to clarify the veracity of the claim that Switch kites are a NZ company, which naturally led me to seek clarification. Thanks for the information about the trading names of Cabrina and North, which although of some interest, does not really answer the question asked! Similar to other comments, I’ll wait and get user feedback before considering this brand, in terms build quality, but I’ll be happier buying from “bricks and mortar shops” and supporting kiwi kite shops during this difficult economic time. Peace

A few guys around here have switch kites,the build quality looks good,iv'e ridden the 12 nitro and it has a very impressive bottom end,too much bar for my liking though and way slower to turn than my current kites,so not my cuppa tea but the guys who ride them seem to like them and they will appeal to others,the combat looks interesting and i'd be keen on a fly.
I also have a similar pricepoint kite range but am not gonna pimp it here,so deals are out there,switch will obviously get their fair share of the market but i would try before i buy with any brand, most retailers will try to do the best by their customers so demo as much as poss.
Also i dont understand the thread of the NZ reg company,the kites are imported just like everything else here so?????????????

The thread got pulled into nationality/ownership strand when Plummet asked if this is a kiwi company to which Daniel stated that it was 100% Kiwi owned. This seems to be appealing to the mantra - Pure Kiwi etc. However, as Stafford rightly points out, most products are actually imported. The market place currently abounds with nationalistic sentiment about foreign ownership of NZ assets by people not from here. Indeed, the government has stepped in to prevent sales of kiwi businesses to overseas companies. The claim that a kite company is 100% kiwi can therefore be seen as an issue of interest and one able to stand to up to scrutiny. A test of that claim was to see if Switch Kites were registered in NZ. In my book the only kite company which can honestly claim to be 100% kiwi is Peter Lynn.

"Also i dont understand the thread of the NZ reg company,the kites are imported just like everything else here so?????????????"
HaHa. yes correctly stated... I think you'll find the the "Kiwi" owner is in fact an import himself!!
Yes at least Peter Lynn is Kiwi thru and thru although you'll find that even their kites are now produced offshore.

Agreed i think the only kite company that can claim it was orig 100% kiwi is P-Lynn's,Switch will be just another player in the market who will get their share of the market,it was always gonna be on the cards that they would direct market rather than use a dealer distribution network,keeping prices low and direct marketing is shrewd buisness,i would say its gonna impact heavily on the newbie market,its a 2011 range though as far as i understand it so why launch a 011 line now when most other importers are just about to launch their 2012 range,