Curious Question for Board Companies

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Just curious as to why at this time of year that if your catalog is 90% done and photos are popping up of your new products daily in other countries on other wakeboarding sites, why can't we see it here in the good 'ole US of A?

Please remember that all of us are not privy enough to be able to attend Expo, so please keep us in the loop. The suspense is killing me (I hate surprises). Anyone else bothered by this as well?

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I just noticed that Dave has posted the entire line of O'Brien products on the site already. Thank you to Dave and O'brien, you are now excluded from responding.

not really a rant, but its a good questio. ill be interested to see what responses you get

I can speak for O'brien at least. We like to get the product shots out as soon as our link is completed and finalized. That being said, most of the stuff that comes out this time of year is in very limited runs, enough good for the pro's to have new decks and boots, and enough stuff for Expo. Usually we dont see masses of gear showing up until after the season is over usually early octoberish....Hope that helps some what!

Thanks Andy! BTW - I never really considered an O'brien wakeboard or can I say that I have ever seen one personally, but you guys have some nice looking stuff for 2010. Awesome work.

I am not saying I want the product physically right now. Here in the Midwest, we won't see any of it arrive in the local shops until the boat show season anyway (late January/early February). I would simply like to be able to see the pictures of what to expect for next year.

I guess this is why I was never good at Christmas when I was younger.

Their season is different from ours.

J-Rod nailed it.


There is a lot of work that goes in to making sure everything is ready for expo too so that may take up a lot of time for manufacturers. Most of the companies are big companies in a small industry so they don't have the man power like other companies in other industries like skate surf and snow.

I agree that their seasons may be different. So a couple of things have crossed my mind.

So the Aussies are coming out of winter and going into their Spring. A lot of parts of North America are coming out of Summer and going into fall. If it was truly based on season, wouldn't J-Rod be receiving and providing awesome product reviews of the new Faction in the middle of Winter 2010? Loved the post/review J-Rod. Tell CM we still got love for him out here.

I am simply saying that if the photos are popping up over there on the same calendar day, regardless of season, shouldn't we be entitled to see them at the same time. I would assume that we are the larger customer base.

Just sayin... More butt dimple pictures pleeze!

So your saying that a company should do all the work to get their product ready for the Aussie season and make sure that nothing is released stateside until Winter? It makes it kind of tough when all the design is done in the states. Spy shots will come out and things will start appearing.

I think a lot of why the board companies get their gear ready is that it needs to be good to go for the Aussie shops to place orders for the season that is ramping up. This also gives the American retailers a chance to start preparing for the winter and closing out old gear so they can get ready to place their orders for the next season.

This isn't bothersome, this is the exciting time. We get to see what the companies have been working for. Think about it as Christmas in August.

Wah wah wah...

Did you whine about this before you had the internet, too?

The main reason the manufacturers try to keep the wraps on their new stuff for as long as possible is to keep the dealers happy. Many dealers have stores/warehouses full of 2009 product that instantly becomes less valuable when the 2010 images/specs/etc. hit the public. They don't want to hear their dealers complaining, so they do what they can to make them happy.

On the other hand, I think that when something (2010 product) is scarce and there is a demand for it, smart companies will take advantage of that. In the case of 2010 product, O'Brien beat everyone to the punch and is getting a ton of free love, publicity, etc. from their shrewd marketing move and it's costing them nothing. That's smart in a normal economy, but it's downright brilliant in this economy. Props to O'Brien for making their customers happy and doing what they need to do behind the scenes to make their dealers happy.

Another reason I believe is that the companies release their product in Australia to see if there is stuff that needs to be changed or "tweaked" prior to the US season. An example of this was the plastic inserts for the eyelets in the watson boots a few seasons back where all the laces kept getting cut up.

Looks like some companies were listening... Props to CWB for keeping us in the loop.

Dave - I never thought about it the way you described, but I would assume that's pretty accurate.

Hello wakeboardSTL,

I am in the Midwest as well, mostly riding Bull Shoals and Norfork. Your lake wouldn't be "Lake St. Louis" by any chance would it? (grin)

Anyway about O'Brien, I did not consider any of their boards for quite awhile and then this spring I bought two, one was the Natural and the other one a Player.

My wife rides the Player and I ride the Natural.
I had a warranty issue and O'Brien was absolutely amazing in how they handled it for me!

Besides that IMHO the Natural may just be the best all around wakeboard ever produced!

Props to O'Brien all the way around for, keeping the riders in the loop about new product, "Smart Marketing", customer service, and for putting out some of the best if not the very best wakeboard ever, the "Natty"!!!

Way to go O'Brien!!!
a.k.a.
The Wakeboard Geezer

Nope... No lake St. Louis for me. That place is terrible.

Also, a booth at Surf Expo is not cheap, nor the time it takes to setup the booth samples, etc. I can totally understand where a company wants to utilize the cost of the expo booth for a great lasting first impression to the media.