VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

Has anyone priced out 2009 windsurfing boards? A new Twinfin from Starboard (wood carbon) will retail for nearly $3000 (Windspirit in Quebec). INSANE! A custom Quatro shaped by one of the world's top shapers will cost you less by about 600 bucks. Who will pay this price on new gear?? The industry will suffer charging these exhorbatant prices, especially with the financial crisis going on now. Rant rant rant....

Could be tough on used gear consumers like myself if people start hanging onto boards longer too, or expecting more in the used market. great motivation to work on your ding repair skills, keep those old unfashionable boards going.

Headline news........"clients of a local massage therapy clinic are stunned by a sudden, unexplained price hike."

Well, if boards lasted nearly three times as long, maybe 3000 bucks seems reasonable. Wood-carbon, I wish I could quit you.

What's the rationale?? Higher production costs?? Import costs?? Desperate vendors??
A market will typically dictate the appropriate price anyways. If they are indeed too high, their sales will drop and they'll adjust accordingly. New gear isn't a staple like food or gasoline so they can't hose us too much.

Isn't Cobra the only factory actually making boards now? Can't be good not having any competition.

that extra finbox and fin don't come cheap! do you want to be hardcore or not.

winddoctor wrote:Has anyone priced out 2009 windsurfing boards? A new Twinfin from Starboard (wood carbon) will retail for nearly $3000 (Windspirit in Quebec). INSANE!

Those are ridiculous prices. For that price it should come with one week of wavesailing lessons from McKercher and a 5 year warranty. Lighter and stronger would be good, but for twice the price? My limit is 1500 for a new board after taxes, I always thought that was reasonable. The other problem is that people are generally pretty cheap in the used market and complain if a board is more than $600 so the original buyer will lose even more. I plan to hang onto my boards for a few more years now, although I'd love to try a twin fin...

Damn - same prices on JP boards; that's some great markups all around! Let's see in US dollars for a carbon/kevlar/wood/EPS board - under $300 in materials and about $50 - 75 in Cobra labour, less than $400 manufacturers cost, plus their markup, Wow! somebody should go marry that Polakow guy, he's doing well!

ok i sort of understand the twin fin concept but whats the deal with that weird third thing?

downwind dave wrote:ok i sort of understand the twin fin concept but whats the deal with that weird third thing?

Dave, I think thats one of the new experimental Flettner rotor cylendrical forward fins, used to go directly to windward while doing backwards slidey freestyle tricks

Just as Starboard rejuvenated the beginner market with the Go Board....
With pricing like that, they will likely have a glut in 09 boards being sold at "blow out" pricing at the end of next season. WD, just wait till next fall - you can have your pick of a new on at used board pricing.... LOL

Maybe that's why they named that board the "Evil Twin" :evil

And that's why I have to look for a 'new' 04-06 board.

Twin Fin yeah, a bit more loose and carvey......whatever "so boss, I came up with this idea on how to justify increased pricing AND sell twice as many fins as we have in the past.....it goes like this:...." As I recall hifly came up with the twin fin system years and years ago and all the other manufacturers laughed at them whatever, even if it works

And I think $1000 is a good ceiling for a new board...on sale in the fall, right J-man I so concur with Dave tho, everyone wants a spotless used board and they want it for $200 and then complain you don't include a new fin, well screw that, I'll keep 10 spares in the garage

possibly the posting about crushing your tail, soft deck repair, pressure valve mishaps etc, not to mention youre a big guy that logs more sessions than anyone - all have something to do with the resale of your boards?