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GorgeKite.com
Since 17 Mar 2008
226 Posts
Hood River
Stoked
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skideeppow
Since 26 Aug 2011
521 Posts
Addicted
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 Sun Jun 17, 18 3:42 am |
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| Just a terrible name. duotone? Sounds like a sunscreen product.
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eric
Since 13 Jan 2006
1840 Posts
XTreme Poster
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| Sun Jun 17, 18 6:31 am |
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I don't care what they call themselves so long as they stay in the kite business. I fly another brand, but I think Ken Winner pushes all kite designers to stay current, and innovate. Talented designer.
Eric
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wylieflyote
Since 30 Jun 2006
1647 Posts
Puget Sound & Wa. Coast
XTreme Poster
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| Sun Jun 17, 18 8:50 am |
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There are so many bad names they could have chosen. Like: Epic (not), Best (meh), Rise (fell).
Apple Genius Bar (filled with idiots).
more?.....
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CGKA Member
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Kip Wylie |
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consumer
Since 28 Nov 2010
406 Posts
banned
Obsessed
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| Sun Jun 17, 18 11:01 am |
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| Confused- it makes it sound like the kite and windsurf lines will be called “TRUE”?
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knotwindy
Since 25 Sep 2011
607 Posts
Addicted
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| Sun Jun 17, 18 12:40 pm |
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| Yea, it’s confusing right now but that generates its own type of buzz. We’ll see if it helps or hurts the overall marketing.
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Nak
Since 19 May 2005
4240 Posts
Camas
Site Lackey
CGKA Member
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| Sun Jun 17, 18 5:40 pm |
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This name just makes me think of a one hit wonder band from the late 50's... I know it's not, but still. "The Duotones!"  "I was out for a date, Friday night; Kitesurfing girl held me tight"...
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Moto
Since 03 Sep 2006
2698 Posts
Still a gojo pimp!
Moto Mouth
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| Mon Jun 18, 18 9:14 am |
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| Nak wrote: | | This name just makes me think of a one hit wonder band from the late 50's... I know it's not, but still. "The Duotones!" "I was out for a date, Friday night; Kitesurfing girl held me tight"... |
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Still rockin gojos, *ssless chaps, and ankle weights! |
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shred_da_gorge
Since 12 Nov 2008
1308 Posts
Da Hood & Da Wood
XTreme Poster
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| Mon Jun 18, 18 8:49 pm |
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| Pretty sure I played an old Telecaster knockoff by that name back in high school. (I couldn't afford three pickups).
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1surfer
Since 20 Apr 2010
354 Posts
'Ualapu'e / High Rockies
Obsessed
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| Wed Jun 20, 18 10:05 am Maybe not end but beginning |
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Does not really seem like the end of an era to me. While I do not ride North kites at this time, it is one of the few brands that I respect. If I were to switch off of Ozone I would go to North. It seems to me like its only a name change. If they need to ditch the North name to get rid of the Oakley component, I get it. It never seemed like they were part of the North Sails brand any way. So from where I am sitting it seems like it's for the better. I am looking forward to see how Duotone shapes up. Whats in name ? Its the people behind the name that count.
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Ozone Reo's. C&k Beach Boy Service, Windsurfing Waikiki, Hawaiian Windriders, NSRN. |
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Pepi
Since 16 Jun 2006
1831 Posts
Pure Stoke Sports
Shop Owner
CGKA Member
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lubomm
Since 15 Aug 2007
248 Posts
Hood
Stoked
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| Fri Jun 22, 18 9:18 am |
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Let's vote:
a) great kites under a crappy name
b) crappy kites under a great name
I know my choice
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toddjb
Since 16 Oct 2007
271 Posts
MD
Obsessed
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| Fri Jun 22, 18 9:31 am |
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Have any North reps chimed in on this?
Is it just Boards & More starting their own brand?
I had heard North was continuing unchanged, it was just an issue with the relationship with B&M.
There has been a good bit of gossip on the topic, though, so I'm not sure what is accurate. Obviously B&M are only going to promote their new brand. Haven't heard anyone speaking yet from North Sails.
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knotwindy
Since 25 Sep 2011
607 Posts
Addicted
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| Fri Jun 22, 18 5:54 pm |
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| Same designers, same riders, only a name change due to ‘irreconcilable differences’ at the bean counter level. Basically, same gear, new (better/worse pick one) name.
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Sella
Since 21 Apr 2007
1794 Posts
Doin' The Dalles
FLY'IN HIGH PIE GUY
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| Sat Jun 23, 18 10:14 am |
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| knotwindy wrote: | | Same designers, same riders, only a name change due to ‘irreconcilable differences’ at the bean counter level. Basically, same gear, new (better/worse pick one) name. |
Bean counters value is they only see the math........and since numbers are perfect and cannot lie once the finance guys get involved in the decision making process most likely the ship has already been taking on water and Oakley Capital brought the hammer to the party.
The kiting business is brutal and they have to constantly re-invent to excite. 2016 was a big year for bar changes.....all hilariously marketed as "gamechangers"....within weeks of each other and that time consumption made North miss the current foil frenzy. Strike 1.
North forecasted to sell 10k + Click bars @ $750 after 3+ years of R&D expense only to find out everyday users were snapping front lines < 10 sessions in.  Strike 2. (The line snapped at the same place; just below the iron heart. (something 5 line users also experience with the older bars) which meant a sharp internal abrasion rub of the line sleeve. It is a design fault, which has been solved in the 2018 model but not until 2 years after the release. North brushed it off as normal "wear and tear" but you could buy another line set for an additional $150 as their "solution". Yeah!
The word "litigation" and "class action lawsuit" are frequent when searching other kite forums for click bar insight fyi so a layman could deduce that gamechanger brought on the namechanger but doesn't DuoTone sound like another marketing masterpiece? Strike 3. Great kites, shit name. They should have went with "True".
It's quite sad 18+ years of local Gorge based innovation by Ken Winner is being flushed for a new start in Germany so if "irreconcilable differences" is the phrase of the day hopefully the non golden parachute staffing remains intact and they produce a big win that actually is game changing. Time will tell.
RIP North. 
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