Best @ WSW
 

Been slammed in the past for pimpin. So I will keep it short. We carry Best as of today. This makes Cabrinha, Slinshot, Best, Monkey, Flexi, GK Sonic and Liquid Force as our selection. Still pushin to get more.

Thanks to everyone for your support of the local shop!!!

See ya on the water,
Steve-O

2007 yarga demos are when?

Great question Brian. Not sure if that style of kite is going to take off as usually kites that have all sorts of connection options are not big hits, but the Yarga may be different. I'll talk to the staff and see if we can't get two different sizes in for demo. Very interested to fly the kite myself as well. If there is alot of interest....that may help the cause. We got two LF Havoc's last fall and not too many folks were even that interested to give it a try. Still sitting on them. Again, interest will drive a demo to reality. Will keep you posted.

im interested in trying one :)

Do you have any of the limited edition white waroos Im looking for an 11 or 13

If the forum is going to allow pimping I would like to remind all the local riders that Randy has a Best Pro Kiteboarding Center and is a certified Retailer with Cindy. Randy has been around from the beginning, is a great instructor, and has always gone out of his way to help the individual riders at the beach as well as the entire local crew. Randy's #727-430-1379. I have no financial interests in any kiteboarding business.

nobodies pimp'd anything in this thread.....
we just stated that they sell best...

I doubt Bruce was pimping he was just letting us know that Randy has been teaching on, selling, and demoing Best products for several months now. He is at the Skyway practically every day. I have seen him demo kites and boards every time I am out there.

pimping?
 

If we are going to allow pimp'n on here, does that mean someone can get pimp slapped? Remember pimp slap is using the back of the hand:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/defin...term=pimp+slap

Steve-0, please keep some replacement parts for the waroos in stock. Ordering through Best's website is a joke... 2+ weeks and counting and the order is still "pending fullfillment." For BRIDLES!!!??? I haven't received any notice of delays, backorders, etc. and no response to my emails... Maybe they will respond to the voicemail I left? Great customer service Best!!! It's gonna be a month, minimum, before I get the parts. One could argue that maybe they're outgrowing themselves, but if they can't fill orders....they shouldn't accept them. I hope you and WSW have much better luck dealing with them then I have. Oh well, maybe we'll get some 18knot+ wind here in the next few days and I can put my 9m up. yeah....

TB-Noob the best thing to do in that situation is contact the shop where you bought the kite, they should take care of you

I would tell them you're reprezentin the Slappaho Tribe and then Bitch Slap 'em with yo d!ck hand, dawg....Fo real YO!

Codder,
Yeah I would def. do something like that in this situation. Hence lies our problem, for waroo owners, in the tampa/st. pete area. Until now, there hasn't been any retailers for Best so I can't go to a shop. I had to buy the kite locally from someone. I can't go through WSW because my money is already floating out there. Sure Randy is a dealer, but I don't imagine he carries parts for the '06 line since he sells new gear and mostly the basics. I'll call best again tomorrow....

or as danimal would put it....pimp slap the bitch. Of course, you have to use the outside of your hand or it doesn't count. lol

This is a good example of why you should buy locally from a shop.(WSW pimpline). Although I dont own the latest and greatest kites on the market like most of you guys, my local shop has never let me down. If I have a problem with a kite, they help me resolve the issue quickly, and do whatever it takes to keep me on the water.I know that Best is smashing the other brands with their marketing tactics and low price points, but taking care of the customer is not at the top of their list, and thats why I am hesitant to purchase a new Best kite.
I had a SS Machine that was heavily ridden for almost a year, the canopy had stretched out, causing a flap in the wingtip area, and affected how the kite was flying. My boys at WSW (and Neil H.)were right there for me, contacting the warranty dept. at Slingshot and getting me a brand new kite, bar and lines, in a hurry. I had to twist the shop owner's arm to take 50 bucks to cover the shipping costs.They could have said that I flew the kite outside of the recomended wind range and shot me a birdie finger. They could have kept the new bar and lines, slapped a price tag on it and made some money out of the deal(approx. 300 bucks), but, instead Steve L. said "That new kite is too pretty to fly on an old bar and lines, take this brand new one and keep the old for a spare, and BTW, thanks for your business". That 300 dollar bar could have bought them a few Martinis, and that moment showed me that WSW looks out for their customer, no matter what. Between WSW and Slingshot, they had all impressed me beyond belief and will always get my businesss.
If anyone plans on being a kite retailer, they should have plenty of extra accesories on hand to replace the stuff that breaks or wears out. If not, they are selling a disposable kite-We want to get on the water NOW, not a month from now...
Support your LOCAL SHOPS............................................. ..........

"why would you risk your life to a cheap best kite made in china.. think about it like sky diving: why risk life on 100 dollar lines and a 600 dollar kite when you could have 300 dollar lines and a 1500 dollar kite. thats why we dont sell best"

WSW 2005

so now you sell it after all.

Muchacho- Its easy to run your mouth when you dont have to back it up.Identify yourself or keep your mouth shut.

Noob's problem is not WSW's, its Best's. Its a warranty issue. You just jumped on the chance to bash the shop, maybe they said something stupid in 2005, you said something stupid TODAY.

You are bagging on THE SHOP THAT ALWAYS SPONSORS EVERY KITING EVENT IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA AND DONATES THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN PRODUCT EVERY TIME. You and many others buy elsewhere trying to save a few bucks. Take your savings and buy some class you F'N CHEAPSKATE. (And make sure to wear a helmet when butting heads with a billy goat.)

I have bashed Best for years, its kinda fun(and really easy). The fact is that I like the Waroos a lot, but I dont have the slightest bit of confidence in their customer service dept. and I have chosen not to buy their product. I am really glad that WSW is carrying them now, because I know that they are a solid shop and will carry everything you need for those kites. They will end up being a savior to those Best owners(Noob, for example) who need parts to get back on the water, but only after the manufacturer SUPPLIES them with the goods. They(WSW) have jumped through the hoops of becoming a Best retailer, and now its up to Best to provide them with necessary items to fully service ALL of their customers, both past and present. If Best can't do that, they are selling disposable kites and should advertise as such. Until then, I will stick with the brands and SHOPS who have proven themselves to respect their customers.

***OFFICIAL SCORECARD***

Team Stevil Kenevil.......1

Muchacho and the Moaners........0

Next batter please....

Geezus, talk about not backing up your words.

Steve, you just "bought" a used waroo, did you not? It wasn't a new one from WSW.
Buy from the local shop and stop talking about it. They save you money, earn your respect, and then you save by getting a kite used instead of buying one new off of them.
Don't throw stones unless you want some thrown back.
Keeping score? What is this?

Let me just go on the record and say that when I first entered this sport 2 months ago I like many others getting into this sport looked at e-bay and craigslist for a good deal. It wasn't until I wandered into WSW and was given about 2.5 hours of personal time and service that I bought my entire set up from them.

During a water relaunch something went wrong and I snapped 2 of my lines.

I went to the shop and I had 2 new lines overnighted. Was up and riding again a day later when the wind picked up. You have to give it to them on the service aspect, they take care of their customers.

Yes, best is easy to bash. I took lessons on a Waroo and had no problem with it, its a nice setup. I also am aware that they did have problems with their kites in 06 with the leading edge. Those problems seem to be addressed for 2007. Plus, WSW has the right to change their mind anytime they want, including over a 2 year period as we have all seen great improvements in gear.

My point is that if you want a good experience as a kiter and great support, then the shop is where you need to go.

As Stevil said, the shop will probably be a blessing for best...

Stevil gets my support and he is the kind of customer I will always support and bend over backwards for. Cheers Neil

Sounds exceptionally reasonable given your information, Danimal.
I have to ask this one question. Who locally had an '06 leading edge problem on a Waroo? In other words, where did you get this 06 LE issue info?

I have to say Steve, I think you are exceptionally misinformed on Best customer service. While working at EK, I had SO much confidence in Best and their customer service, I would mail out a replacement kite the moment I got a warranty issue from a customer and then call Best secondarily to get a kite mailed to the shop for "reimbursement". I did this about 6 times. That was out of hundreds of kites sold. (low failuire rate)
Extreme always covered the customer when I was at Extreme and Best always had our back. It was impressive.
I suspect some of this is the result of Daryl showing faith in the company from very early on.

SKyway, I had two sources:

1) I discussed my purchase with Randy, my kiting instructor and he mentioned on a fw occasions that the quality of the 06's were not up to that of the 07's, this could be because he may have been trying to pursude me to buy from him????

2) In researching kites I found a number of forum threads and researching kite repairs I found other threads about a number of examples where there were problems with the LE giving out.

Here is a thread from the best site itself: http://forum.bestkiteboarding.com/vi...3d31fbc80b5357

If you feel this is the exception rather than the rule, it was enough for me not to buy an 06 waroo, and of course is my own opinion.

Keep in mind though that I learned how to kite on a waroo and have no problems with them, and I see alot of ppl flying them.

just because you dont know wsw history doesnt mean everyone else forgot it.

which new kites have u bought at wsw stevil?

Wow been away for awhile and didn't even know they were selling Best now!

It's probably true that the shop has a history of bashing best and it's retailers (who doesn't?)... etc, but hey so what, that's how it works if you are trying to sell another product right!

I say it's a good thing they started selling Monkey and now Best. Honestly, Best's gear hardly ever fails and when it does they are quick to replace it (unless they are back ordered of course, but every company has that issue now and then). Since I ride Best gear myself, I would love to see a few more people selling it locally.

I usually order my stuff from http://www.oceanextremesports.com because as far as I know they sell more best gear than best themselves so the prices are good. When I called they had 300 bars in stock. Best had none in stock because they shipped them all to extreme... that gives you an idea of how much Best gear extreme sells.

Problem is, they are on the east coast so I can't see or hold what I'm buying...

Randy sells and demos Best gear, and St. Pete Kite Sport has been dealing and demo'ing best gear for YEARS now... longer than anyone else in the area. He was the first guy with a hellfish...remember that?

It's no surprise that WSW would *FINALLY* start selling Best instead of fighting it... fact is Best has the one of the best warranties in the industry and the gear is excellent. Face it they became popular despite the bashing because their customer service really IS as good as the products. Yeah they screw up now and then...

Personally, I've never seen a best kite rupture, explode, or otherwise self destruct. The 06 seam problem hasn't popped up on any of the 06 waroos locally (we have a lot of them here) so it is a non-issue. I have two 06 waroos myself.

Guys, competition means lower prices... and if WSW can beat extreme's prices (they say they beat any price on their website), then we are gonna get kites ultra cheap :) No point in dredging up harsh words from the past... I say let their actions speak and see where they leads us.

I think I just pimped every shop. Do I need to pay an advertising fee?

-tom

ahhh i can see we are getting to another lull in the winds.. tempers are begining to flare.

:)

between myself and Dan B. we have 7 2006 waroos and all have been well used. I pump my LE to rock solid pressure (CrazyJay once told me he'd never launched a kite so infated before) and I've never had an issue that was not my own fault.. damn trees... so that exploding leading edge thing is probably blown way out of proportion. maybe.

Ive had my kites for well over a year and ride them constantly.. never had a problem with a bridle and never have had to change my pulleys.

Ive read stories of riders w/ failed pulleys after 2 sessions.

who knows .. might be someone telling stories to bash a company.. maybe not. Ive NEVER seen this issue locally and there are a f*cking sh*tload of waroos around here.

then again.. telling stories like that scared you out of buying a BEST kite.. guess it worked.

New riders will all find their preferences .. thats why i think they should always try to get a good used kite at first until they get some experience to lay down the cash for a kite they really know they want. my 2 cents.

I am very happy for WSW to be selling BEST.. think that is going to be a great venture for them as BESTs kites are popular as hell.. and how great to buy local and know you will be taken care of by the folks there.

I purchased most all my stuff from Extreme Kites because they sold what I wanted and they have been there for me when I've needed warranty help..

This is GREAT thing for our area. I hope they sell more and more kite brands. I would love to have the option to demo all sorts of brands when I am ready to update my quiver. I do love my waroos, but I am always on the lookout..

Extreme Kites has only done good for me and the guys at WSW have only done good for me.. this pissing match is pointless.

FYI, MYWAY SCOTT- I have purchased all 2 of my NEW kites from WSW, as well as 2 boards, in my kiting existence. I also have a Skywalker board that WSW doesnt carry.

What you witnessed the other day and HAD NO BUSINESS posting about was, a conversation between two friends about helping each other out. He asked for help with repairing his bladder and I offered to help him. In return, he offered a kite for a good price, because my friend understands that I do not have an endless kite budget like some of you guys, and he doesnt throw that in my face as you are trying to do.... If I had the money I would drive straight to WSW and buy a whole quiver of kites because the HAVE earned my RESPECT, and they HAVE come through for me many times over. I have seen that dealing with a local shop is well worth the few extra bucks when you're in a pinch and need some parts. My original point was about buying NEW kites from a shop instead of online and I used my dealings with the shop as an example of good customer service from SS and WSW. Yes, MYWAY, I might purchase the used kite from my friend to update my old 2004 Fuel 11m. Thank you for pointing that out.
Now its my turn.........


Next batter up- Stevil Kenevil


Now, be honest MYWAY, whats your annual kiting budget and how much of that has been spent locally to support your local scene?(# of kites and boards purchased and where will be sufficient)
How much swag do you have from attending WSW sponsored event parties in which you did not participate?
Were you and Tomuchacho at any of the beach cleanups to help build positive relations with us and park officials? As I recall, there were 42 volunteers there that didn't see either one of you. Every one of those people earned my respect that day, most of them non kiters or newbies. It saddened me to see that 99.9% of the kiting community didn't even bother showing up.

Tom- wasn't it a Best quick release that failed you a few years ago at East Beach, sending you on a trip down the "Muchacho Memorial Highway"?(Thats the NORTH/SOUTH road at EB, perpendicular to the main road, ending in the mangroves) Now if WSW had carried Best back then, you could have drove right to the shop and picked up a new QR (complete with instructions), some band aids and a clean pair of shorts, and not have had all the hassles that you had, right? Why bash the shop? You didnt buy there.

This forum happens to have more than just one opinion and no censor button(unlike the last one), shall we continue? This is FUN!!!!

Since there are no fees for entering this pissing match, I am getting a little closer to getting that shiny new kitethingamajigger.....
Is there any prize money involved? This could help my kite budget increase very quickly!

My feelings about Best's customer service are merely from my observations with situations like Noob's. I am confident that if purchased at WSW, Noob would be out riding with me and his buddies, instead of staring at his mailbox waiting for a bridle. If they didn't have one, I think that they would pull a bridle off a display kite or give him a loaner until the parts arrived, because WSW looks out for their homies, and that was my point.
Thanks Neil!- I will now buy you a martini (since I am apparently too damn cheap to buy a new kite) and a few shots of local shop loyalty for my friends here.

(cleaned up)

Glad to see WSW selling BEST but I think they should hire a new sales team.... you are not doing a very good job of representing them. You are bound to have a few guys out there that are still sore with WSW over things they've done in the past (muchaco?).

But as I said in my post, so what! The more people selling kites here locally the better. It means better prices for all of us.

BTW, best sent me a quick release the next day... I didn't even have to drive all the way to clearwater to pick it up. It showed up right at my door for free. I'm not sure what your point is? Are you saying I am bashing best, or the shop, over that quick release or what? I guess I don't understand what you are saying.

Chill Out
 

Guys, chill out. Say something positive or don't say anything at all. Bad vibes suck. We're all bros here, share the stoke, you never know when the shop or person you are bashing will save your ass one day or have an extra kite or board or harness one day when yours breaks and its nuking all day long...just my $0.02.

Ohhhhhhh I get it. You think I am Muchaco. No.... my new nick is invisible but I forgot the stupid password so I am using my old one. So no, I am not muchaco.

I would try to resist using personal attacks though guys... if someone doesn't agree with you, it's no reason to start insulting them personally with ridiculous name calling, etc. I mean really, grow up.

If someone didn't do the cleanup that's their choice. You can't pretend to know what's happening in someone else's life. Do you have kids? Weddings to go to? Sick family members? Vacations planned? Give it a rest.

It is hard to convey/get across emotions and tones correctly on these forums sometimes so just to add a little humor to this situation:

Can't we all just get along?

Nope, I just like messin with you guys and all your aliases. Its a form of entertainment much like your WSW bashing for no reason earlier in this thread, or Popeye's weak attempt at insulting me.Now Popeye- identify yourself or quit runnin' your d!cklicker....I was originally giving my opinion about buying local vs. buying online and the advantage of buying local, but have gotten sidetracked with all the insults...And if someone insults me, I dont get my feelings hurt, I cut them down twice as hard, its all entertainment and I have said that from the start.
I said before that WSW sponsors every kite event in Tampa Bay, which we all attend, and take something home. Why would we ALL not support them? Its a 2 way street. They will not keep sponsoring events if we dont appreciate their contributions, why would they? Its a waste of their money.


I said something about the beach cleanups because it was a shocker to only have 2 or 3 veteran kiters out of over 40 people. I was hoping to see our kiting community pull together as a group and pull off something positive for the park. Don't we owe that to them for us all using and abusing the park year after year?
Or will we just take them for granted until were banned for good?

wow. way too much animosity and not enough wind. Sounds like the preschool i used to work at. Temper tantrums! This thread was not posted in order to lead to negativity like this. (right steve-o?) Not much is black/white in this sport. (OR LIFE!!)There are many kite/board companies for many consumers. We're not all supposed to love the same thing! Many shops to sell the kites/boards to the many customers. No need to fight over resources that aren't in danger. Last time i checked there were PLENTY of new/veteran riders to buy plenty of gear. Share the wealth.

with the amount of drama that this forum creates, you'd think it was a cheesy mexican soap opera (the one with erick's sister).

Shut up, ride, relax and look out for one another. You never know when you're gonna be the guy getting dragged down the beach and someone is going to have to save your a$$. Can you say Karma?

42 people sounds like a pretty good turnout to me! Not bad at all.

-tom

I picked up a used 06' 15M Flexifoil that I'm excited about. Its my first bow. I feel so lucky!

Cant we all just get along???
 

i just came from wsw today. Imagine my pleasant surprise to walk out of the store with a brand new ocean rodeo harness that is both seat and waist harness in one. and they even had the nsi straps stick on straps so i can put some footpads and staps on my surfboard. I feel very lucky to walk into a local kite store and find those items that i thought they would never stock actually on the shelf. Very cool. Also John took the time to put on the underground footpads and straps on a board i borrowed from the matt sexton.
Can you say excellent customer service??? I can, thank you John.
Steve-O has been a great addition to the kiting community, and he is always cheerful and ready to let you demo a board or whatever gear you might need.

I am also glad for randy is selling best and teaching on their products. I wish him continued success. I am sure he will continue to prosper by teaching folks and then sell them gear good for him.

Bottom line is this sport is growing. I am sure there is room for all of us

I just picked up an 11m GK Sonic orange/black. I'm excited too, no more kite gap for me. Now if I can just get that 16 up and running I'll be money. I haven't been around long enough to know what WSW "did in the past," but I CAN say this... I went out to EB recently with only a 9m bow, which I wasn't able to fly until about 5:30pm. I saw steve-o in the morning and started bullshiting with him, as we ride quite a bit up north together. He had no problem letting me demo a 15m omega and 12m sbII all day. I can't thank steve-o and WSW enough for making my afternoon for me as well as for giving me advice (lots of it) when I was trying to get into the sport. I haven't been on the water since but am thankfull they were generous enough to let me ride there gear. They know full well I buy used kites too! So I think that says quit a bit about their character. I, personally, could care less what "bashing" they did in the past, I'm excited about their new arrival (Best) and the great customer service all us waroo guys will now receive. I do buy everything else from the shop though, so I'm not a total bum. ;) Scott, I also appreciate the 13m fuel you offered me that day! Stevil, i appreciate the lessons you NEVER CHARGED ME FOR! I'd say we have a decent crew in this community....shops included.
-sean

I KNOW!!! I did the same thing a few weeks ago. After john told me, I turned into a little kid again. "I"M COMING!!!!!!!, SAVE ONE FOR ME!!!" lol

Al, you forgot to mention they have gone the extra mile to send their instructors to get certified (congrats Steve-O and Gabe) and that we have all helped each other in the past and the future, and always will....

All of you guys are friends of mine, even Scott, Tom, and the many alias @ssholes out there. I would gladly save any one of your asses in a heartbeat if that was the situation.
My frustration does not come from lack of wind, its from the lack of positive actions when its not.(take this thread, for example) We are blessed to have so much knowledge, talent, and style in our little kiteboarding world, but we waste our time pointing fingers instead of taking action when it comes to getting things accomplished. My friend Noob still has the Bridle issue, and with so many Best kites in this town, a loaner shouldn't be too hard to find.(hint, hint anyone) Hell, someone loan him a kite so he can quit stressin' over a missed session.....