Changes to Hyperlite Skates

kento911 · Kickflip Joined: 29 Mar 2004 Posts: 3657 City: Phoenix

BTW, thanks Dave, I basically took the complaints I have heard on the numerous forums here and tried to put them to constructive use, I will definately post here when they respond.

scott a · "a" is for angel Joined: 17 Feb 2004 Posts: 4126

hahaha i had a weird feeling this thread might take a turn...

kento, there are things that people hear that really shouldnt be repeated. things that shouldnt be told to consumers such as yourself who are kept happy by being sent 4 fins that probably only cost hyperlite 5 bucks to make when in reality they just made one hell of a profit on your ass.

oh yeah, and the customer sales rep you called over at hyperlite doesnt count as a source.

kento911 · Kickflip Joined: 29 Mar 2004 Posts: 3657 City: Phoenix

hey fuktard, Im a retailer(not that thats anything special; I just don't like being misrepresented), and the customer reps at hyperlite are interns they give a little book of responses to, they know less about their product than I do, so yeah there a source of a good laugh. My fins came directly from Greg like I said to Electric snow don't assume you know me or whom I am Affiliated with.

JankyZep · Frontside 180 Joined: 30 May 2004 Posts: 414

I was wondering if all you wakeskaters hate all Hyperlite products. As in wakeboards, bindings, wakeskates, and whatever else? I think the skates are light and the eva grip is crappy but I really like my Hyperlite bindings and wakeboard. I could understand why many of you would hate Hyperlite because they are making things for the wrong reason but one, how would you know unless you were the owner and two, why do a bunch of good pros still ride for them if their company they are riding for just wants money. Does this mean their pros are just into the sport of money also? I don't think so... Confused

kento911, I can't wait untill you get a response and hopefully they take your advice.

Oh ya and rukus, why do you always sh it on me? You enjoy wakeskating and so do I, so why can't we both be happy and enjoy this awesome sport at peace not fighting. Neutral

electricsnow · cassette Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 10756 City: Jefferton

I don't feel as though it's bad to allude to things...at the very least, it will encourage people to question things, as opposed to sitting back and not giving a poop and buying something because it has two inch kicktails, or because it's promoted as the latest and greatest advancement in (enter watersport here). I never felt as though you were calling me a liar, but I just said what I did to illustrate that I don't have anything to win by making things up on a message board.

And I never said it was bad to make money--I don't think I even mentioned cash in any of my posts. If you don't make money, you can't create and you can't do what you love to do. It's more about how you make your mark in the industry...are you going to walk into another company's booth and take measurments from one of their boards (true story, by the way, and guess who did it?) or are you going to come up with your own designs and make people want to copy you? That's seriously just one example from the very beginning (early 90s). By now everyone knows about the badass/premier incident, and I'll end it by saying "some things never change."

And just to clarify, some of those reasons above are why I dislike liquid/jobe/484. Is it really progressive (and in the best interest of wakeskating) to either take someone else's hard earned designs (that sounds funny), or to take the designs from your sister company and slap a different graphic on it? HORAY!! HORAY FOR THE ABSENSE OF CREATIVITY! Look at me, now I'm all bitter...cough market share cough cough. Wakeskating is far too young for me to accept something like that.

JankyZep · Frontside 180 Joined: 30 May 2004 Posts: 414

I do see what you mean by saying that once Hyperlite goes and makes a new "advancement" in wakeskating a bunch of people will go and buy it just because it seems to by the best thing on the market at the moment. But from what you said about taking measurments from another companys doesn't seem bad, it was just something to think about when designing a board. All this crap talking about Hyperlite just doesn't make totally sence when you got Liquid Force and Cassette, doing bascically the same thing. In my own opinion that is a lot worse then what Hyperlite did. I do like cassette its just that I don't like it when I see a Liquid Force with a Cassette logo on it because it seems as they are almost trying to trick people. Because when someone with no knowledge of wakeskating becomes involved many think of their most reconized companys, Hyperlite, Cassette. They go want to buy a Cassette and see the Liquid Force they think wow I will get that one, I mean it is the same as Cassette just a lot cheaper.

wakeriderof87 · Frontside 180 Joined: 02 Oct 2003 Posts: 495 City: cen fla

yes and nobodoy likes what lf did either, thats why lf catches so much heat. So no ppl say don't buy hyperlite and dont buy lf either. If cassette had the choice lf wouldn't be making the same boards as them.

kento911 · Kickflip Joined: 29 Mar 2004 Posts: 3657 City: Phoenix

I agree completely about LF Jobe and 484, but If we are going to bring up bad ass lets head on down to our local Gator retailer, and lets not forget CWB who said molded fins are useless in (i think it was) their 99/00 press release now look at their boards, Im not sure if you are aware, but stuff like this goes on in every industry, except skateboarding, because there boards are often times pressed in the same factory as their competitors, of course they still say it's better for some intangible, thats life and one thing I will say for hyperlite is that they are the only company I have ever encountered with a true no questions asked policy towards warrantys, what about the Obrien, Harris deal or better yet every Randy Harris board since Thruster, Im not touting Hyperlite as the second coming of Jesus to wakeboarding, Im just saying every company does that type of thing, and Im not very well aquainted with Cassette but mark my words as soon as they get sucessful enough one of two things will happen, they will start doing the same stuff to maintain their competitive edge, or the will go "mutiny status" the purest board out there is the homemade backyard board and in a close second Integrity for now, but we'll see because money ruins everything pure.

electricsnow · cassette Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 10756 City: Jefferton

Actually, gator partnered up with herbie and purchased those molds fair and square. They didn't steal them.

Would you expect anything more from waterskiiers/ex-three eventers (re: cwb).

And I don't doubt that at some point, wakeskate design will standardize, but commericalized wakeskating as we know it is six years old. Don't you think that's a little early to accept some rip-off design? I do.

I would bet on my life that cassette would not stoop to the levels that other companies are willing to drop themselves down to. I've spoken with thomas a number of times and he's sincerely passionate about wakeskating (and he isn't willing to give it up anytime soon), and he knows what he's talking about. Stealing someone else's designs couldn't be farther from what thomas is all about. As a business man and as a person, Thomas has my utmost respect and I can only hope that some day, you can understand his perspective and feel the same way I do.

On a side note, the same thing goes for erich schmaltz.

Also, I think this discussion is somehow being twisted. I personally never said anything about purity (as far as I can interpret it, in the "core" sense). If it was about purity, I wouldn't buy a cassette because they've been making boards since 99, which would make them the second oldest wakeskating company that is still making boards (hyperlite made foam covered waterskates in 1998 and the now defunct fwt started their wakeskate production the same year). It's more about supporting something good, something that's genuinely progressive, and something that looks out for the best interest of wakeskating in general. Right now, there are three companies (in my personal opinion) that would qualify through the aforementioned characteristics. But that's just me. I can see that some either don't understand where I'm coming from, or they just don't care. Whatever. But don't be afraid to think about it.

And I realize that things may not be like this forever, but wakeskating is young and I feel like it's important to support something good to ensure the success and well-being of wakeskating's future. But like I said, that's just where I'm coming from.

Grouch · Kickflip Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 3146 City: The OC

You guys need to stop fricken writing ESSAY's. Seriously, I cant speak for everyone here, but I only make it through the first few sentences.

Schmaltz · Backside 180 Joined: 16 Sep 2003 Posts: 721 City: San Jose

wow ... i'm try so hard to stay out this... Very Happy

Kento NO amount of money can or ever will change me in what i feel is right it's just the lack of money that prevents me from doing it often times.

my 2 Cents ...and i'll leave it at this with a little comedy relief...

Cent # 1.) Support what you believe in, but don't falsely convince yourself to believe in something you haven't fully questioned or educated yourself on in an unbiased manner.

Cent # 2.) Drink Mountain Dew, Snap into a Slim Jim, wear a bandana, and get sponsored by as many companies you possibly can, and make sure they pay you big bucks cause really isn't that what it's all about ?

Grouch · Kickflip Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 3146 City: The OC

Schmaltz, LMAO!!!Classic!!!

You forgot about raising your truck, wearing black socks and Famous Stars. Laughing

kento911 · Kickflip Joined: 29 Mar 2004 Posts: 3657 City: Phoenix

first off I never, repeat NEVER said anything about Integrity, I fully respect Erich for picking himself up and starting a whole new company with an even better product behind it, in fact he is pretty much the only company owner in this industry I respect(and I've said it before), 484 bought there molds fair and square too but they are still douche bags the point Im trying to make is that unless your building skates and giving them out for Free to kids who can't afford them don't lecture me about doing it for the love, I scrimped and saved last year to buy my cousin a wake skate just so he could go ride, and I've given away and sold for rediculously cheap sooooo much of my equipment for my friends and strangers alike, because I love seeing someone getting stoked on the sport I love but if your going to get involved with buiness be ready to have people do stuff just like 484 and hyperlite and obrien and any other company in any other industry, thats life in the buisness world and I think it's pure hypocracy to single out one specific company(Hyperlite) for the same thing every body is doing to each other within the same industy

kento911 · Kickflip Joined: 29 Mar 2004 Posts: 3657 City: Phoenix

BTW I hate fiznackling Slim Jims

freerider4 · Backside 180 Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 2462

Grouch, I'm with you on that I just can't pay attention for the life of me. We need some summarization here.

jack cav · Posted: Jul 14, 2004 8:08 pm Post subject:

as much as you guys might hate to admit it it is the hyperlites and burtons of the world that make our sports easier to do... the big dogs have way more r&d funds wich leaves them able to make more advancements in technology than thier competitors. and as far as the "heart" goes brian grubb, and scott byerly have no lack..hyperlite is doing what thier riders want with the byerly and the catalyst and i ride with a guy who favors the catalyst to any other board on the market (and it will be interesting to see if the gate can get the kinks worked out)

so that being said if hyperlite comes out with a wakeskate that i think is going to help me finally land a friggin kickflip i will be the first one to buy it but until then ill be stickin with liquid force or cassette concave grip decks because as of right now i feel that wood is the best option on the market

Vance Collins · Guest

I honestly dont think theres a board that will help you land a kickflip. I mean just becasue i go out and get a parks biolite board doesnt mean im gonna land a double half cab roll.

Bottom line is this --
t
Its the rider, not the skate. ride whatever the F you want to.

Schmaltz · Backside 180 Joined: 16 Sep 2003 Posts: 721 City: San Jose

electricsnow · cassette Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 10756 City: Jefferton

I'll say this to end it on my part because this discussion is basically going around in circles. There are a number of companies I've called out for various reasons, but I specifically called out hype in this discussion because they (at times) take shadiness to new levels. And this goes beyond borrowing a design aspect like the 4trac fin set up. Like I mentioned before, they stole the bad ass design from herbie, and unfortunately, that will not be the end of it. Disregard that statement due to a lack of specifics (if you must) but as erich said, "don't falsely convince yourself to believe in something you haven't fully questioned or educated yourself on in an unbiased manner. "

also, 484 did buy their molds, but I find it completely lame because two other companies are already using that shape. And as I said, I really don't see any excuse for any company to do that at this point in time, when there's so much more to explore when it comes to board design. I guess at that point, I just question one's motives for entering the market; is it a sincere attempt to bring something new and positive to wakeskating, or is it just a way to get money and a share of the market?

And I don't know where you're getting some of this from, but nobody questioned your reasoning for wakeskating...

Vance, my mom can do double half cab rolls on that parks board...while eating a slim jim.

Vance Collins · Guest

electricsnow,

yea but if she had parks bindings to she could have a mountain dew in her hand at the same time also.