Comments for Survey Results at http://www.surfski.info , comment 0 to 17 out of 17 comments http://www.surfski.info Thu, 20 Nov 2008 01:59:26 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.surfski.info/content/view/726/147/#pc_2475 Hi Jeff. Agree with you 100%. The reality is that I think we all wish that there was more content. I could not care if a Fenn / Red 7 / Icon / Huki rider sends in a report - I just want to read the story & see the sport extended. Once this happens SS.I can hire real jorno's to travel the World & you & I get to read much higher quality content. Glickers writing is so much better than O's as that is what he does for a job. Anyway - we as a sport are getting there & SS.I do a great job - with the means at their disposal. Support them!! Cheers Jeff - hope to buy you a beer at the US champs. Gavin - Gavin Dickinson Tue, 10 Jun 2008 02:02:29 +0100 http://www.surfski.info/content/view/726/147/#pc_2474 Yep, ready I am. Point 5 wetsuits for example are getting good value from their advert - they were our first advertiser and have kept renewing each and every time their account runs low. Why? Because their increased revenues more than cover the costs. It works, give it a try. The nice thing is we can geo-target the advert so that is only shows in the country you want to sell in. We can tailor an advertising package that is right for you. Payment is easy using either paypal or credit card on a secure payment gateway. And it helps us pay the bills.... - Alain Jaques Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:51:01 +0100 http://www.surfski.info/content/view/726/147/#pc_2473 Hey Jeff, thanks for expanding on your original comments. I'd just note that we always publish the author's name at the top of the article so anyone reading about Oscar's trip to Japan must know that it came from Oscar! I understand that those articles could be seen as infomercials - but as you say, Oscar makes a good read anyway! And a good read is really what we're about - so we'll continue to consider any articles to do with paddling that we think are of interest to our readers... And guys, Epic (and our other advertisers) are clearly getting value for money with their ads, otherwise they wouldn't keep renewing their contract - what works for them would work for you - anyone can advertise on the site - Alain is ready and waiting to send our rate card! - Rob Mousley Mon, 09 Jun 2008 20:56:22 +0100 http://www.surfski.info/content/view/726/147/#pc_2472 Hi Gavin, I appreciate your responses and actually think we agree on many things: Epic is a business that should promote itself, readers benefit when surfski.info has revenue to expand and improve their coverage, and Rob and Alain do a top notch job. Where I think my original post was not altogether clear enough is that there is a difference between content (what Rob and Alain supply in their writing and pics), advertising (the banners on the site), and advertorial/infomercials (the "stories" that can be equated to unpaid advertising.) That is what my original comment meant to acknowledge (not "warn" because that's just not the tone I'm using). The first two I list are obvious, I think, and wholly appropriate and expected. The last is a gray area, though, because even infomercials are interesting – if they weren't they wouldn't work – but they're still ads. So when readers see articles titled "Oscar goes to..." written by an Epic rep (known or unknown), then it leads to comments like, "we hear so much more of Epic than..," and a misalignment between what brands readers see on the site and what brands they see on the water. Now the challenge is that to acknowledge a problem also usually begs a solution. To which my first stab was to publicly acknowledge that ads are ads (Epic or otherwise), content is king (stories that Rob, Alain, and unaffiliated writers supply), and infomercials can be entertaining (Oscar really is interesting) but are advertising nonetheless. That's all. Perhaps a better solution is as simple as identifying the story authors as "staff writer, manufacturer rep, etc" in the story headers on the site, but that's only for me to comment and for Rob and Alain to judge. - Jeff Ransdell Mon, 09 Jun 2008 20:04:04 +0100 http://www.surfski.info/content/view/726/147/#pc_2471 Hi Guest, Re read the comment Jeff made. Still cannot see the issue: The survey matches his experience on the beach in the US. Epic have a strong presence in this media others 'we hear so much more about Epic' They make pretty boats. Mark Lewin comments on the global growth of Epic - as shown by the survey. I am saying it is not an accident - that is my point. Warning readers of the source of 'infomation' through a site that has done so much for the growth of the sport is unfair. The sooner all involved in this sport stop the petty fights about ski brands and really drive to grow the base of the sport & the formation of a sustainable World Tour the better. Think big & paddle the ski that suits you. ;D - Gavin Dickinson Sun, 08 Jun 2008 17:19:34 +0100 http://www.surfski.info/content/view/726/147/#pc_2470 Whats yr point Gavin, besides doing another Epic add? Jeff is reasonably clear, just read it again slowly. - Guest Sun, 08 Jun 2008 04:02:30 +0100 http://www.surfski.info/content/view/726/147/#pc_2469 Hi Jeff, I have no idea what point you are trying to make in your comment? I, with my partner Ian Kingon run the european & middle east operations for EPIC Kayaks & am witness to the drive at Epic to grow the sport, it's participants & commercial players. Surf Ski.info is a business - as is the reality of trying to run races & Epic belive in giving back to the sport. The suppliers should always be the 1st to support the base of the sport - as you correctly commend Epic on doing. The survey is the survey - the ads are a commercial transaction & the stories free for all to supply the editor for publishing consideration. You hear a lot more from Epic as the company pushes those buttons. It is a business. Craft & paddle innovation, team riders, race sponsorships and origination, global partners selling the product to paddlers who are ready to pay for the best (which is a subjective view). - Gavin Dickinson Sat, 07 Jun 2008 02:41:09 +0100 http://www.surfski.info/content/view/726/147/#pc_2467 Regarding the first comment and the sentence, "After all we hear so much more about Epic than Fenn," as readers we need to be very aware of the source of our information. My race experience in California mirrors the survey results regarding the dominant presence of Fenn and Huki in the US, and does not mirror the predominant presence of Epic on the surfski.info site. I am sure Epic is well served by it's advertising and it's product (man, those carbon skis with the white tips sure are pretty), as I am sure Fenn is well served by it's product and this year's Molokai results. Clearly Epic is a tremendous sponsor (if not #1) of surfski.info, based upon the Epic ads on the site, the stories submitted by Oscar and Greg, and Epic's sponsorship of Rob and others to cover Molokai. That's not a knock on anyone, far from it - good for Epic for stepping up, and good for surfski.info to have sponsorship to do the great job that they do. - Jeff Ransdell Fri, 06 Jun 2008 17:11:42 +0100 http://www.surfski.info/content/view/726/147/#pc_2466 Wasn't Burton sold a few years ago? You see very few Burtons around these days. Hayden don't seem as popular even. As Dave said, Dolphin and Gibbins are probably the biggest now here in Oz when it comes to spec skis. From a personal point of view, the percentages for Think are very encouraging for such new skis in the market. Will be interesting to see the results in 12 months time. - Stewart Fri, 06 Jun 2008 14:21:28 +0100 http://www.surfski.info/content/view/726/147/#pc_2465 I wonder why Burton, et al, haven't gone into producing a range of long-distance ocean surfskis? - Gary Kroukamp Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:35:49 +0100 http://www.surfski.info/content/view/726/147/#pc_2461 . I think that if you took a poll of all the surfski disciplines by far the biggest manufacturers of surfski?s in the World would be Hayden and Burton. may have been in 80s the top ski in nz and oz is now dolphin surf skis then gibbons and then hayden have not seen a burton in nz for close to 5 years - dave Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:05:52 +0100 http://www.surfski.info/content/view/726/147/#pc_2456 As a woman paddler, I have tried every ski I can get my butt into. I'm too tall for the S1-A, though it was much livelier than many other skis. The Epic Sport gives me more confidence in rougher water. But I primarily paddle a Huki S1-X, (not the S1-X Special) which, time after time, has given me the best overall speed. Though it's still not the "perfect boat" for my height and weight. - Elaine Baden Thu, 05 Jun 2008 06:02:17 +0100 http://www.surfski.info/content/view/726/147/#pc_2452 Hi Mark, I can always count on you to keep us on our toes - and quite right too! As we have by far the biggest concentration of open ocean paddlers anywhere in the world (over 400 at some local races) and all the represented manufacturers craft are accessible to this market Up to a point of course - the overseas guys can't compete here on price. I agree perhaps "most popular" was open to misinterpretation - as you say, it depends on what brands are available, where. So "most used" might be a better way of putting it. I also think that your survey reaches and covers one specific discipline of surfski use, "Open Ocean racing single surfski's". You're absolutely right – but that's the sport as far as we're concerned. To us, surf lifesaving, while it's the origin of our sport, is a different discipline – most of our readers don't do surf lifesaving. So you could be right and Burton/Hayden might well be the biggest manufacturers of spec skis – but clearly they're not widely known as builders of open ocean skis. On the other hand, I'm of the opinion that this was a pretty good representation of the long distance surfski market around the world! Even in South Africa – if I look at the skis in races and places where I've paddled, the numbers feel about right – your skis are more popular in Durban for example, but there are not many of them down here in Cape Town. In East London there's almost nothing but Fenns and Red7 are more visible in Port Elizabeth than anywhere else. In fact Cape Town, being the only city without an incumbent manufacturer, is probably more representative than anywhere else! However, as with any survey, there will always be a margin of error. One way of getting more accurate figures would be to get race organizers to register everyone's ski when they enter – this is starting to happen with some of the bigger races. One other thing we didn't tackle was double-skis. A question (or two) for our next survey, definitely. - Rob Mousley Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:47:02 +0100 http://www.surfski.info/content/view/726/147/#pc_2451 Comment from Mark Lewin of Custom Kayaks: Thanks for the survey results. "Which is the most popular surfski in the World". I find it very interesting and do have a few comments and observations, which I think are relevant. Something I have noticed is that not nearly as many S.A. paddlers follow the news on your site or anybody else’s for that matter. I think that this throws your percentages out a bit and I think the figures would be quite a bit different if a better percentage of S.A. paddlers responded to your survey. I told a stalwart KZN paddler yesterday that there was a picture of him on surfski.info from the Hansa 5 beaches race and he told me he had never heard of the site. I laughed and gave him the web address. He called me back and said, how long has this site been going. I know it is an isolated case, but I think in S.A. paddlers are surrounded by paddlers, craft and a lot of local info and probably do not visit the surfski sites as much. Even some of my own customers are surprised when I tell them that we do an article on our own site each week. As we have by far the biggest concentration of open ocean paddlers anywhere in the world (over 400 at some local races) and all the represented manufacturers craft are accessible to this market, the S.A. market will give you a better ratio of "Popularity" of craft, as opposed to a lot of areas world wide where it is not so much a case of choice, but accessibility to a particular brand. I think this is clearly seen in the growth of Epic who have placed themselves globally and have the clout to distribute World wide. I also think that your survey reaches and covers one specific discipline of surfski use, "Open Ocean racing single surfskis". A very big part of our production is lifesaving spec surfskis, where presently the World Champs takes place in Germany in a few weeks time. A lot of your Australian readers include brands like Burton and Hayden etc. For the past few weeks we have been manufacturing spec ski's to order for all of the top paddlers in S.A. going to the worlds "Jasper mocke" "Hank McGregor" and a few top overseas paddlers. I think that if you took a poll of all the surfski disciplines by far the biggest manufacturers of surfskis in the World would be Hayden and Burton. I think you will find at the world lifesaving Champs the leading three skis by far will be our TITAN, Burtons and Haydens. The U.S. lifesaving surfski title has been won and dominated by the TITAN surfski for some time. - Rob Mousley Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:43:20 +0100 http://www.surfski.info/content/view/726/147/#pc_2434 Well i really think for women paddlers that the epic V10L is a great boat. I know there should be more choice but i have had my epic since march and am very happy with it. My problem at the moment is which paddle to buy.( I use it for ocean and still water comp.) I missed the survey somehow sorry but i think it was very interesting. You guys do a great job, thanks. - teresa Sun, 01 Jun 2008 11:25:24 +0100 http://www.surfski.info/content/view/726/147/#pc_2433 [quote]I have assumed that this dominance translates into more sales of Fenn than Epic? If this is the case what is the difference with Fenn skis versus Epic? [/quote] I'd hesitate to draw that conclusion. Don't forget that Fenn has been around far longer than Epic. The only way to see trends is to compare current with historical data - which we'll only be able to do when we repeat this part of the survey in a year's time! - Rob Mousley Sun, 01 Jun 2008 09:28:48 +0100 http://www.surfski.info/content/view/726/147/#pc_2432 Great to see the results come out. It's great to be involved with a site that is so proactive. I don't know what I expected in terms of manufacturers dominance but I was surprised to see that Fenn was so dominant in the three countries shown versus Epic. After all we hear so much more about Epic than Fenn! I have assumed that this dominance translates into more sales of Fenn than Epic? If this is the case what is the difference with Fenn skis versus Epic? What the results don't show is what were the relative positions a year or more ago so we don't know if Fenn is losing ground to Epic etc. Cheers John - John Sanderson Sun, 01 Jun 2008 01:45:01 +0100