Best In The Business!

I am new to the sport and have absolutely fallen in love! I am ready to upgrade my LF Custom board and was fortunate to find Matt @ Lake Effect Supply. I live in AZ, pretty far away from WI...yet I will buy from this Co. anytime. First he is very prompt and curtious with his time and knowledge of the sport. 2nd he was able to speak intelligently about his entire inventory, knew riding styles, boat specs, and was able to help me dial in the exact board that I would love. I am usually underwhelmed by most peoples/stores customer service...I am here to say that Matt with Lake Effect Supply is the real deal! The best part is I am getting a brand new Walzer board for a smoking price. If you are in the market for a high end wake surf board and want the best support out there look up www.lakeeffectsupply.com

Not bashing anything, but want to state the facts.

All Walzer models are now available only thru wakeoutlaws.com or direct at 877-332-4703.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: wakeoutlaws@wakeoutlaws.com
Company Name: www.WakeOutlaws.com
Telephone Number: 877-332-4703
Fax Number: 952-960-1432
Email Address: wakeoutlaws@wakeoutlaws.com
Web site address: http://www.wakeoutlaws.com

Walzer Boards are now available exclusively at www.WakeOutlaws.com

Headquartered in Houston with sister offices in Dallas/Fort Worth; http://www.wakeoutlaws.com announces exclusivity rights with Walzer Skim Boards as of Tuesday September 11th 2007.

Sean Walzer of Walzer Skim Boards one of the premier board shapers and manufacturers of skim style wakesurf boards. Walzer, born in San Diego California, grew up near a two mile stretch of sand know as Mission Beach. Growing up in a coastal area like Mission Beach, Sean quickly learned the beach is not somewhere you go, it is a culture you experience and adapt to. Walzer, a former Pro Skimboarder himself has encompassed this culture as a rider, shaper and manufacturer of world-class wakesurf boards and skim boards.

With new 2008 shapes and designs around the corner from Walzer, http://www.wakeoutlaws.com is now the source for the two existing wakesurf models from Walzer. All Walzer boards distributed by Wake Outlaws are custom made in the USA using the best materials available, 100% epoxy resins, E-glass fiberglass, and ultra high-density foam cores; recently introducing a carbon fiber upgrade for all models details at http://www.wakeoutlaws.com. Each board comes standard with twin (2-3/8") Future fins and specially designed EVA traction pads with unique full-body archbars. Walzer is manufacturing high performance boards for riders who demand more.

The “Walzer Alpha” a surf/skim hybrid ranging in riders from groms, up to 130lbs up to larger 240lb riders. (XL Available)

The “Walzer Skim Pin” which is a skim ranging in riders from groms, up to 160lbs up to larger 240lb riders. (XL Available)

www.WakeOutlaws.com is more than an online retailer; it hosts a community rich in content and ready for your exploration and contribution. From general forums and discussion, to reviews, knowledge articles, exclusive WakeCamp 20 Q’s, and the "Word of the Wake" Press that features riders, shapers, interviews, and staff articles.

Put on your vest, grab your board, call your crew http://www.wakeoutlaws.com this is a maximum wake zone!

I got my walzer through wakeoutlaws a few months ago and they were great to work with. I wouldn't buy a board anywhere else after having such a good experience.

Love the Walzer by the way!

well there are other great board manufacturers too...

Inland Surfer
The Walker Project
Shredd Stixx
Extreme Board Company
Area 53

the above companies are huge supporters of wakesurfing thru donations to wakesurfing tournaments and clinics.

Loc,
Are you trying to say that www.lakeeffectsupply.com has to buy them through you? If not, then I am totally confused on your post.

No, I am saying that LES is no longer authorized to carry the Walzer line. Wake Outlaws is the exclusive retailer of Walzer now.

Oh! I see, so they still have them listed on their site but technically aren't allowed...

I smell what you're steppin in now!

WOW.

Six months ago when my riding buddies and I decided to try and bring the boards people are riding out west to the rest of the country, we never would have thought the wakesurf industry was so cut-throat.

We are just a bunch of riders like all of you trying to build the biggest wave and throw the coolest tricks behind our old 1985 Supra Sunsport DD with 3,000 lbs in it (we are now in the market for a 1995-2000 V-drive if you know someone selling). We didn't have the coolest boat but we wanted the coolest boards and we wanted to find a way to get them out to everyone. So we went to work building the site. Since then we have been moving a few boards here and there, but the real joy has been finding out what everyone else is riding, what they are doing, why they like wakesurfing and everything else about them.

Since we started the site we have made friends all across the country - to the board makers out west, to a semi-pro rider from Ohio who needed a board as fast as I could get it to him so he could practice for Nationals, to a guy setting up his X-9 in Massachusetts, to a new surfer in Michigan's UP, to all the kids competing in the Franklin Freestyle wakeboard event in Northern Wisconsin a couple weeks ago, to guys like Jason who started this topic. I can spend an hour on the phone just talking water and waves and it is always well spent. The people we have met truly make the experience.

For that we thank all of you.

I'm sure the guys over at wakeoutlaws.com are just as helpful, I'm sure they sell a ton of boards, I'm sure they get out riding nearly every day, and I am sure they have great deals. They have a great website, and once we at www.lakeeffectsupply.com get a new manufacturer, they add them a day after us. It's the game we play.

On that note, I have contacted Walzer to verify the claims stated by Loc (we have not been given notice of the change and as you can see by the date of the press release the change DID NOT occur until after someone posted their comments about www.lakeeffectsupply.com) and if true all Walzer products will be removed from www.lakeeffectsupply.com. In the mean time the boards will still be available on the site and I guess will be discounted to closeout rates since we may not be carrying them any more they are just extra inventory. Also as Ed G points out there are many other manufacturers out there making great products, some of which are represented on the www.lakeeffectsupply.com website. No matter what happens www.lakeeffectsupply.com is here to stay and will be a part of the wakesurfing community.

We do have a short season up here in Wisconsin (we are getting the snowmobiles ready check the site soon for a little facelift to match our interests boards are still available but sledding gear will be available as well), but we always have time to talk surfing. If you're ever in the mood, give us a call or drop us an email we can talk water, waves, boards, boats, or whatever it's the people you meet not the deals you make that make life interesting.

Hope to hear from you soon,
Matt
www.lakeeffectsupply.com
sales@lakeeffectsupply.com
414-217-6725

(Message edited by LakeEffect on September 11, 2007)

thats really nice of walzer to contact LES and let them know what is going down! way to be a stand up company.

on a side note i canceled my order with walzer a while back cause they were a pain to deal with, they make a great product but are very small time and cant offer what the bigger companies can

I am very reluctant to respond, but since it's painting a negative picture I am forced to. Maybe the press release should have had it’s own thread, I’ll own that. But I fear where ever it was posted LES would not be pleased.

The business decision that Walzer made has nothing to do with LES volume, reputation or customer service. It actually has nothing to do with LES. By making this change, Walzer gained a toll-free number and a staff to handle support and sales. Thinking purely from a business perspective, this made sense for Walzer as the manufacturer.

This isn’t some cutthroat attempt at attacking LES. To be clear, it has nothing to do with LES as a retailer for Walzer. This exclusivity was long in the making. The initial attempt at exclusivity was postponed as both companies sorted out details until we could finalize this deal. The first engagement with Walzer was October of 2006, when we made the initial dealer agreement. In fact, we’ve previously engaged Wake World staff to delete a post at the second attempt at Walzer & Wake Outlaws exclusivity back on May 1st (pre-LES).

As I told you in our previous conversations Matt, I respect what you are doing. Note, I am not discussing the issues prompting our conversations. But since we are now “cutthroat”. I just need you to understand that this began much longer than 6 months ago, see Walzer directly, previous Walzer reps, or Wake Outlaws directly. It’s not a new plan, it’s just solidified.

I apologize for hi-jacking Walzer thread with the news around new Walzer distribution. But I didn’t want the OP misinforming anyone as the boards are no longer available from LES.

a simple phone call from walzer would have saved alot of mixed emotions

like i said walzer makes a great product but they are small time and can't back up the product with much in the way of support, so i agree this is a smart thing for them to do

but at the same time others that supported them and bought their product and helped keep them in business got left in the dark, i.e. LES

and that is just not cool!

Loc how would you feel if tomorrow i posted on here saying i was the exclusive dealer for inland surfer and you didn't know anything about it? id be stoked and you would be upset and rightly so

(Message edited by entrustclothing on September 11, 2007)

Sean - To answer your question about posting your exclusive rights to IS and I didn't know anything about it? There probably isn't anything I could do about that decision making. I would assume the decision was made in the best interest for IS, not mine.

But that's what we have all learned about any business. It's business and not emotion based actions. In this scenario we worked hard with Walzer since last year to solidify this, there isn't much more I can say about it.

For the record, a personal phone call was made to LES today when the press release went out. So in behalf of the Walzer camp, an attempt was made.

If we want to go back and forth we can, I assure you that this wasn't aimed at/for LES in anyway.

Walzer needed an outlet to handle his customer service, support, sales and that's all that was provided from us.

Loc- You were straight up out of line to make this public with out 1st contacting Matt! How long have you been in business...? Ever heard of professional ethics? Posting private business details on a public site in a small world that is the wake world, just makes you look like a fool!

I feel you are arrogant and very disrespectful within your dealings of this matter...You are prlly just some trust fund punk who never had to work for anything in your life so this is just the way you roll...

I am no one, but a customer/consumer with many friends, many friends that will never buy from your Co even if you were giving your merchandise away for free!

As for you all needing to buy some great wake gear, call Matt aka- LES he has respect, knowledge, great support and kick ass gear... www.lakeeffectsupply.com or call him (414-217-6725) he will go out of his was to give you a great experience as a customer without the b_ llsh_t none of us need!

My other favorite online retailer is Shawn from www.wakegiant.com 760-249-6048 These guys will handle themselves like a professional should and give you the best service you can expect.

Jason - as I mentioned above, I probably should have started a new thread for the press release. I cannot change that now, I don't believe the response would be different but if I could move it to a new thread, I would. I apologized for the thread hi-jack above. Nothing more I can say.

As far as posting private business details on a public site, I guess you failed to realize that I posted a press release. It's news, not private. Private details were withheld from this post I assure you.

I have spoken with Matt directly, as I posted earlier, a call was made to LES the same day the press release went out as well as last night since the change of distribution.

I hope that Matt can respond as the only ones with the facts are WO, Walzer and LES.

Simple...you just lack respect and sensitivity in this very small world!

Matt will move on, I am certain of it and just do business with the other manufactures that he carries, but I can assure you I will never support WO and will go out of my way to share my opinions of you to others I come in contact with.

I think you just fail to realize the "point" here...

Jason, I don't get the "point". WO certainly has the right to post a press release, being the sole source for Wazlers is big news. So no one is slamming them for that, are they? Maybe it should have been posted in a different thread? Seems minor to me.

Walzer is making the change for management reasons, not anything to do with LES's marketing and sales efforts. So...there isn't an issue there. Even if there was in anyone's mind, isn't that STILL between Walzer and LES? I don't see how WO is part of that issue. Certainly LES could have proposed the same sort of deal that WO did with Walzer - LES chose not to. That isn't WO's concern.

I can't see that WO has an obligation to call any of Walzers former retailers...isn't that an obligation of Walzer, if there is one? It seems to me that if Walzer wanted to maintain the relationship with LES, they would make that contact - and no doubt there was some attempt, at least that is how I interpreted the "a call was made" reference. Again, I don't think that WO has that responsibility, they had no contractual relationship or business relationship with those folks...sort of like the new boyfriend calling the old one to say - listen your girlfriend just broke up with you. Personally, I wouldn't want someone else handling that "divorce" for me, if I was Walzer. As a former retailer, I'd want to hear it from Walzer directly, anyway.

Maybe there is a timing deal in here? Wait for the contact from Walzer to LES, before the press release? That wouldn't have hurt...Anyway, I'm really struggling with any wrong doing or unethical practices here by WO, or any obligation they had in connection with LES.

I agree with Jeff! This is Walzer's responsibility.

chill out and remember we are all in it for the pure pleasure of riding first and forehand, the buisness part should be second. Now everyone just go out and ride. Oh yea and listen to surfdad, thats we call him dad.

I've heard great things about both companies. Wouldn't have reservations about buying from either company. Agree that Walzer should be responsible for contacting LES. If you read the original post, it really had nothing to do with Walzer boards. Jason was giving props to LES for being a great company. Loc stated that "Maybe" the press release should have had it’s own thread. The word "Maybe" might give the impression of insincerity. The reply definitely should have been made in another thread which would have been a great opportunity to make this good announcements for WakeOutlaws in a better light. Forums like WW can be great most of the time but they are also very impersonal and thing can get blown out of proportion very quickly. I find that sometimes the best emails or posts that I write are the ones I delete before sending.

(Message edited by norris_laker on September 12, 2007)

here is my 2 cents. buy local not off the web!!!!!!!!! support your local shops that are there to help spread the stoke in that local area. that should be the first place you go, then look online if you can not find it.

Wake Outlaws now being the sole distributor is great news.

After some research and a little bit of exploring, I have a warm fuzzy feeling that Walzer boards will now be showing up as donated prizes at wakesurfing events

Why would anyone buy a board that you can’t demo? Every time I do, it ends up as shelf in my shed. It doesn’t take to many $450 shelves to get the demo bug. Were I live there are only a few shops and they all sell the same boards. I would love to try some hi end boards like Walzer, Walker or Calibrated. I have purchased a few boards on line and none of them have really worked out. I always get the same thing “O this board rips man you will be amazed”. I am not going to drop names; I don’t really care if I buy it local or online. I am just like everyone else; I want my riding to progress. My point is without local distribution it is hard to get your product to the general public. I may be wrong but I do not know of any online dealers that have trial periods or demos. So you tell me who the real loser is the rider, local dealer or the manufacturer?

I believe Trick Boardz offers a 30 day money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the their board.

Hey Chet,
If you have any local board shops I would be happy to contact them about becoming a dealer for The Walker Project. Then you would be able to demo Walker boards at least.

Dennis
I will send you names and #’s to all the shops. I have been asking all of them to pick up some new lines. I appreciate the offer; we are starting to get a decent sized surf community here, limited to two manufactures of boards. I have been trying to get a demo/contest together, maybe by spring I can make it reality. Thanks again

Hey Chet,
I sent you a PM