Monday, December 30, 2013

Best Kitesurfing Brand of 2013 | Free Kitesurfing Magazine Online | IKSURFMAG

Vote for your best brand

Best Kitesurfing Brand of 2013 | Free Kitesurfing Magazine Online | IKSURFMAG

+SwitchKites

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Marc Jacobs - Vice Champion 2013

Congratulation to Marc Jacobs & his sponsor +SwitchKites

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Switchkites Element 2 : Kitesurfing in the caribbean!

Control Bar V2 - Videos Instructions

Pictures of New Control Bar V2

New Control Bar V2
Pictures from Michele Caramia
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10201823698412290&set=pcb.660981203923755&type=1&theater

Thursday, December 12, 2013

PKRA 2013 - MJ finishes 2nd

Congratulations to Marc Jacobs on finishing 2nd in 2013 at the PKRA World Tour

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Nitro V3 - Review

http://switchkites.com/headquarters/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2539

Nitro v3, probably the best kite you will own. Reviewed

by matt » Wed Nov 27, 2013 4:35 am

NItro V3 Tested 8,10,12,16

As usual from Switch the build quality does not even need to be mentioned, Its great!
I have been lucky enough to have been riding the new nitro's all through the spring down here in NZ and it has to be said they are a sick Kite, I am a 84kg rider and usually ride a 136x41 board.

First impressions the nitro V3 is a good looking kite and attracts plenty of attention when laying on the back of the beach. There is a really good consistency through the sizes on the V3's they all perform the same, apart from the fact the bigger kites fly slower than the smaller ones. There are the usual safety features, the kite re-launches easily which has been a problem in the past for the nitro's but not this time, the depower is great and for me better then the Element 2. Also what Switch have managed to do is lose the slight jelly fishing that the older nitro's used to do, even in gusty conditions these kites still hold their shape nicely, the nitro has become a better all round kite due to the fact it drifts so much better back in the window making it easier to wave ride and you are able to run towards the kite when landboarding without it falling out the sky which I was doing deliberately to see how much I could push it. So for me huge improvements all round.
The wind ranges I have written are the winds that I have ridden these kites in.

8m, 35knots +
The best session I had on this kite was one of the first times I flew it and I have to say I was a little nervous as it was really windy! With some solid gust coming through, but as soon as I rode out onto the water this kite feels comfortable because it has such good depower it rides gusty conditions real well feeling smooth throughout, it has bar pressure but not overly. And as with the rest of Switch kites it trucks up wind, I also like the fact that this kite is quick but not too fast I sometimes find this with small kites that they whip around so fast you just wish they were a touch slower and smoother.

So Far the kite was feeling good so obviously time to start throwing it, Man its like nothing else, so smooth in the air really wicked boost but not an aggressive launch you just go up! And for an 8m you come down smooth as, this kite is more comfortable in the air than on the water you feel immortal. Again and again huge boosty jumps nothing going wrong kite always where you wanted it to be and never doing anything you don't expect!

After being out on this kite for couple of hours I was buzzing, I came in and some of the guys in the launch area saw the new kite and were asking questions so instead of just answering them even though it was not conditions I would usually hand over a kite, we passed it around another 5 kiter's. Everyone was jumping and coming back in beaming without fault and that was a stand out day for me the fact you can pass a brand new kite round lots of guys in strong wind conditions and everyone gets on with it straight away need I say more.

10m 23 to 28knots
Once again another spring day with lots of wind I started this session on an 11m Element V2 which I like but wouldn't ride all the time as its just not for me. Its a kite with good depower which performs well in the gusty conditions we get with our west wind. I had this for an hour or so and was actually having a good session. Then I swapped to the 10m nitro V3. The kite is a little smaller so felt abit lighter and quicker and once again as soon as you start jumping you cannot not like this kite, same as the 8m just awesome smooth launch and landing and riding the conditions really well.

12m 17 to 25knots
I have ridden this kite on the flat water and in 2 to 3ft of surf this kite feels a little bigger and is a true size 12m. It has great low end in the lighter winds. On the Flat once again the kite feels great and very similar to the other kites, it turns well and jumps awesome, probably with more hang time which you would expect for the bigger size kites once again so stable in the air.
On the beach in the waves kite performance is same but I was pleased with the fact that the kite drifts down the line so much better than the old ones which used to stall and fall out the air, it still wouldn't be close to a dedicated wave kite but just the fact that it allows you to do this with out falling out the sky or yanking you out the wave as the power comes on is much better.

16m 12 to 19knots
The 16 is a big kite and for the bigger rider and I personally wouldn't have one in my quiver as I would not need to go this big, 14m is my biggest. But hey if the kite is there I will have a go, First go was on a landboard in low wind 12knots I was surprised that I was able to run down wind towards the kite and stayed in the sky again underlining the much improved drift capability of the new v3, for a big kite on land aswell very smooth and comfortable which gives you a lot of confidence. I was able to jump easily.
On the water much of the same I am not going to go on as I just keep repeating myself.

So over all a very enjoyable kite which would be great for any rider in my opinion. And yes you may ask how do I get to ride all the new kites before they are out and that I have been asked to write a nice review. Yes I am good friends with Ralph and do hang out with the switch crew, and am very fortunate that I get to test the new kites. But if I didn't like the kites I wouldn't write a review. These are great kites and good value for money which I like! And the only way you will know for sure is to buy one, I promise you won't be disappointed.
Happy Days Matt

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

New Switch web site is live !!

http://switchkites.com/

Interesting comments from Bill Hansen

http://www.kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2382668&start=10

Interesting comments from Bill Hansen :

I cannot comment on what other brands do, have or haven't done. I either no longer work for them or never did so I simply do not know. Surely Switch are not the first to do some level of failure analysis. Some products like paragliders require certification and the factories who make them have dedicated testing facilities. Some also make kites for most popular brands. I have personally been involved in this regard and can honestly say the extent and expertise of the testing varied greatly from extremely competent to rudimentary. What I can say is the technical level and extent of testing at Switch Labs is refreshing. It shows the sort of independent planning, resource dedication and engineering to be the market leader.

What are we or have we tested?
1) Components - Switch bar components are designed in-house in NZ and manufactured exclusively for Switch. They are stress tested to failure and repetitively under higher working loads for wear and degradation. We want to know exactly when and where failures might occur. Simply actuating a quick release on the beach is an irrelevant test when the forces might far exceed your weight.
2) Fabric - Switch works with several fabric suppliers and is constantly searching for new ones. They are happy to charge us for new test fabrics and even provide numbers for weight, tear, puncture, elongation, elasticity, UV resistance, etc. However, we have found that our own sophisticated in-house testing with consistent procedures, allows us to directly compare them with confidence. With our test numbers, when we make a kite out of new fabric that performs differently, we then know exactly why by checking our test data. Example: if reduced or increased stretch is changing the dynamic shape, we can adjust our patterns to compensate (or reject or change the fabric accordingly.)
3) Construction - In sail and kite production, proven construction is mostly from experience as to what does or doesn't work. Most modern-day kites adhere to these tried and true ways. We can and do build test kites and send them out for abusive testing by team riders. But, our lab testing shows conclusively what is strong and what is not. We have found profound differences in seam strength related to stitch type and width, substrate gluing procedures, reinforcements and thread type which would be unobvious to the casual observer and unlikely to show quickly (or even after a year) in a test kite. Sometimes removing a bar tack or switching from 3-step to two rows of 1-step zig-zag makes a huge difference in failure and the forces required to cause it. Some constructions may prove to be OK but a slight change may make them 'bombproof.' Our lab testing actually shows the difference so we can make it so.

Future Switch Labs projects - real world numbers for bar pressure, sheeting/steering loads, real and apparent wind velocity, total force, lift vs drag, VMG, turning speed, etc.
Exciting isn't it?

TVNZ-NZ Marketing Awards

tvnz-nz-marketing-awards-some-emerging-businessnew-brand-inverno-trading

TVNZ-NZ Marketing Awards: &Some Emerging business/New Brand, Inverno Trading

Awards
November 25th, 2013
By StopPress Team
0 comments

By selling its Switch Kites brand direct to consumers online, Inverno Trading has disrupted the industry’s traditional distributor/retailer model. And it’s gained legions of fans in the process.

The challenge

Inverno Trading, a Kiwi kite surfing company that first took flight in June 2011, is the only kite surfing brand to sell directly to consumers via its online shop. Its business model was about removing the middle-men. The trouble is that those middle-men—and the brands they sold—had earned the trust of consumers and, unsurprisingly, a new entrant telling consumers that its products were as good as the very best AND were half the price was met with cynicism.

Gaining credibility was the biggest challenge for the company. And, up against big spending competitors—and without a retail presence—it probably always will be.

The response

The best way to confound the cynics was with the product itself. So it contracted a world-famous aeronautics engineer based in San Francisco to design exclusively for the company and then incorporated his personal brand and credibility to alleviate concerns. It also sponsored New Zealand’s best kite surfer, Marc Jacobs, and put him on the professional kite boarding world tour (he was previously unranked, but is now #2). And while many of the global brands are all white sand and bikinis, Switch wanted to promote its rebellious, ‘pro-choice’ streak so it created more of a youthful, cheeky, “skate park” vibe.

Instead of stores, Switch relied on a team of riders/sales advocates located at all the world’s major kite surfing locations who can be contacted via the website to arrange a meeting. This concept was tested in New Zealand and Australia several years prior to the creation of the company. And it worked, with the word of mouth on the beach backing up the story experienced online, or vice versa.

Switch relied exclusively on online marketing, with an emphasis on video content, social media engagement and consumer tracking. And it also recently developed ‘Switch Labs’, online videos that show its gear being tested to destruction.

The results

The goal was to create a globally recognised brand synonymous with rebellion, freedom and performance. It wanted active online commentary and debate. The response from the distributor/retail system was aggressive and it worked to validate the challenger model in the minds of customers. Supporters and detractors of the brand duked it out on social media forums all around the world, every day, and many customers went in to bat for the brand against the big boys.

A number of nationalities have created Facebook sites for Switch Kite surfers in their respective countries; the Switch Facebook page now has the most friends of any kite surfing company in the world; and the rider team has grown from 80 in June 2011 to over 500 now.

It is closing in on 4,000 registered customers in 65 countries (70 percent of its market is in Europe) and it averaged 23 new customers a week in 2013, with 53 percent of sales repeat customers. It also sold a heap of new branded clothing, showing the power of the brand.

Clients regularly create and post Switch video online, some have had their cars custom stickered with Switch signage, a few spent their own money getting flags and signs made to put on the beach, and one team rider was even talking about getting a Switch tattoo. All prime examples of the strong consumer advocacy among the global ‘Switch Tribe’.

Award: &Some Emerging business/New Brand

Winner: Inverno Trading

Judge’s comment: “They’ve disrupted a market. It’s an ideal fit for the category. Doing all the right things from a marketing perspective and driven by passion.”

Finalists: TAB Sport ‘The Weekend’s for Calls; Vend’Filling the Funnel: Disruptive Online Marketing a B2B SAAS’; Z Energy ‘Z Espress’.