Aaron Rathy signs with Byerly Boards

(alevitt) · (alevitt) **Join Date: Aug 2006** 12-10-2008, 12:35 PM

Saw the rumor on Facebook of all places and just talked to him this morning.

http://www.sbcwakeboard.com/news?news_id=221&uniqid=96

(wakerider111) · (wakerider111) **Join Date: Jul 2006** 12-10-2008, 12:43 PM

Good for Byerly and Rathy!

Aaron will fill in nicely in Rob's place

(cavlxenvy) · (cavlxenvy) **Join Date: Aug 2007** 12-10-2008, 3:10 PM

This was a natural part of the process and only makes sense. I think it would have happened from the onset of the establishment of the Byerly brand except for his contract with Hyperlite.

Congrats Rathy.

(dnp33) · (dnp33) **Join Date: Jan 2007** 12-10-2008, 5:52 PM

isn't byerly boards the same as hyperlite?
i mean i know its supposed to be a separate company and stuff but the 08 byerly gear was all in the 08 hyperlite catalogue.
i'm just a little bit confused.

(wakerider111) · (wakerider111) **Join Date: Jul 2006** 12-10-2008, 6:27 PM

The Byerly line is the same as hyperlite, but at the same time it is seperate, kinda like the LF kite division vs the wake line... sorta. Or maybe it will one day break off further kinda like how cassete got its beginings?

(chrism4668) · (chrism4668) **Join Date: Sep 2007** 12-10-2008, 6:34 PM

seems to me to be like Nike and Air Jordan in the early days it was just another line from nike but slowly has built and moved further and further to being its own company.

(snowman89) · (snowman89) **Join Date: Mar 2007** 12-10-2008, 6:41 PM

I noticed in an interview Brian Grubb said that he can't wait for the catalyst brand to go big. I don't understand that stuff at all it makes no sense.

(snowman89) · (snowman89) **Join Date: Mar 2007** 12-10-2008, 6:49 PM

One of my friends just told me it's probably like anon and analog is to burton. It's a group of people closely affiliated with the company (Scott Byerly in this case) who want to start their own company but use the support of their parent company until they make enough money to kind of buy the company to own it exclusively.

(mtownrydr) · (mtownrydr) **Join Date: Apr 2008** 12-10-2008, 7:24 PM

Bout time Rathy got a pro model! Dude is a pitbull. Lariche is next!

(srh00z) · (srh00z) **Join Date: Jun 2003** 12-10-2008, 7:41 PM

Sounds like a nice combination. Especially given Rathy's versatility. He brings a lot to a team in that he has great style, amplitude, technical proficiency, free riding and contest level abilities. On top of that, he is great on a skate and I am sure that appeals to Byerly.
As far as the Byerly brand, I think that it is good that companies are moving towards having prominent riders being more heavily involved. Gator Boards and Cassette are examples of great rider owned companies that might have done better if they had some of the financial backing and stability that the Byerly brand has. Also, I would imagine that the Byerly/Hyperlite association allows him to focus on the areas of the business that he is good at as opposed to some of the day to day stuff that goes along with running a stand alone board company.

(spin2win) · (spin2win) **Join Date: Feb 2006** 12-10-2008, 8:31 PM

If you ride for anon your paycheck still comes from burton. So wil rathys check come from HO then? Its a subsidiary of HO.

(adam_balon) · (adam_balon) **Join Date: Jul 2003** 12-10-2008, 8:52 PM

so he still rides for hyperlite? i hope they arent just shifting him around. hopefully he stuck it to em with a super strong $$$$$$ making contract.

(matteoh) · (matteoh) **Join Date: Jul 2008** 12-10-2008, 11:10 PM

yea i wouldn't blame rathy for going to byerly. Byerly is under hyperlite but they are still there own company which makes it kinda sick to have a bunch of companies competing against each other and rathy can only straighten the team. But seriously, its about time they got someone that can compete cuz byerly brand was really lacking in that department.

(knarbar) · (knarbar) **Join Date: Nov 2006** 12-11-2008, 12:22 AM

I wana see a new board with the old wake tech flight 69 graphic. That would be one throw back board. Byerly used to shred those boards back in the day. And the byerly blunt was sweet too. Sorry for my mummblings. Congrats Rathy on ridin for the godfather!

(cavlxenvy) · (cavlxenvy) **Join Date: Aug 2007** 12-11-2008, 7:36 AM

Hyperlite backs Byerly until it is completely off the ground. Hyperlite has some influence in Byerly but Byerly makes the majority of the decisions. One day, they will be completely separate. Expect something like this for Murray one day soon.

(denverd1)

Nice to see. Natural fit, i would agree. Its also nice to the core group of riders using their heads to create and run companies. Definitely adds a little longevity to the pro rider gig and will keep solid riders/people involved with the sport for years to come. I guess its nice to know these guys wont leave wake b/c they're too old to compete.

I'm sure Rathy's skate skillz played a part.

"so he still rides for hyperlite?" ummm... no. He rides for Byerly, a subsidiary/division of hyperlite, eventually to be a stand-alone company.

(steezyshots) · (steezyshots) **Join Date: Feb 2008** 12-11-2008, 10:16 AM

HO Sports is the Parent company and Hyperlite, Byerly, HO, Accurate and WakeKite, are all divisions of that parent company. Each division works on it's own and gets it's input from leaders of each team.

Obviously working together for the growth of the parent company.

Probably a lot like the CWB/Connely/And isn't proline their Rope and Handle Division?

(knarbar) · (knarbar) **Join Date: Nov 2006** 12-11-2008, 10:30 AM

yes proline is their rope and handle division.

(adam_balon) · (adam_balon) **Join Date: Jul 2003** 12-11-2008, 10:58 PM

i get it.... it's still hyperlite. much like burton owns analog, anon, gravis, red....etc. but in the end it's still burton. parent company or not.

all i was saying is... i hope he got a decent contract and not shifted around due to the •••••••• economy.

(petew) · (petew) **Join Date: Dec 2008** 12-12-2008, 3:57 AM

most of the board companys have sprouted from sumwhere 'HO' was herb obrien which from hyperlite and obrien came from jobe is a by product of hyperlite as well as byerly. obrien and liquid force are made in the same factory now! there all linked somehow?!?!?!?!?!?!? put me down where ever im wrong its only my perception!
are there any true stand alone wakeboard only companys out there??????

(lfxstar) · (lfxstar) **Join Date: Jul 2001** 12-12-2008, 4:46 AM

HO obviously had Rathy switch over to Byerly to help them get some boards sold. I am sure his contract will be IDENTICAL as it would be to his hyperlite contract. Something gives me the feeling a board very similar to the Merek will be coming out with Rathy's name on it. He loves that board

(steezyshots) · (steezyshots) **Join Date: Feb 2008** 12-12-2008, 9:06 AM

Gator is a stand alone company.

(petew) · (petew) **Join Date: Dec 2008** 12-12-2008, 10:19 AM

didnt they do a simillar thing with gerry nunn to jobe as well a while back!

gator rock! yeah i heard they were the only company to still have there boards made in the US as well??!?!?

(steezyshots) · (steezyshots) **Join Date: Feb 2008** 12-12-2008, 10:24 AM

Byerly is all made in the USA that is why the measurements are in Inches rather than using the metric system.

Hyperlite has a handful of boards made in USA

Im sure LF, OBrien and CWB have boards made in the USA as well.

(wakebrdr38) · (wakebrdr38) **Join Date: Sep 2006** 12-12-2008, 10:27 AM

several companies make their boards in the US. Some only make certain boards here. Slingshot and Company make their boards here. Hyperlites high end models are too. not sure about ronix and liquid force

(xistential) · (xistential) **Join Date: Jul 2007** 12-14-2008, 3:43 PM

"HO obviously had Rathy switch over to Byerly to help them get some boards sold. I am sure his contract will be IDENTICAL as it would be to his hyperlite contract. Something gives me the feeling a board very similar to the Merek will be coming out with Rathy's name on it. He loves that board"

Lol Kyle. You been talking to him?

(wakeboardern1) · (wakeboardern1) **Join Date: Aug 2007** 12-14-2008, 3:56 PM

Liquid Force makes their boards in the U.A.E., Dubai specifically. I feel like I read something about high end Ronix and CWB boards being made here in the U.S. as well.

(lfxstar) · (lfxstar) **Join Date: Jul 2001** 12-14-2008, 4:19 PM

Chris, no but I'm friends with some of his friends and got da' inside scoop lol. I was told not to really talk about it though so....
I will say no more

(xistential) · (xistential) **Join Date: Jul 2007** 12-14-2008, 4:35 PM

You're pretty much spot on

(lfxstar) · (lfxstar) **Join Date: Jul 2001** 12-14-2008, 4:49 PM

When am I not? lol