5. We are hearing that the useable range of boards is increasing, so why are we are not seeing much sign of the number of boards offered in your ranges decreasing?

SW. It will happen, but you have to stay competitive and as a global brand we have to serve all markets and they all have different needs….when you introduce a new concept like the Gecko for ex. You cannot drop the Shark immediately… you need to see how the market reacts first…once a certain concept is accepted you can go back and check your overall range and see what is maybe not relevant any longer.

OH. Well, Simmer has a very slim range with only one freemove range and then the freerace Monster and Godzilla. But generally, I think many brands do not want to remove old classic board ranges since they have many fans and still when new ideas comes along it’s easier to add a range. I reckon the number of ranges is therefore quite unrelated to the range of individual models.

TY. Because the diversity of our range isn’t about closing gaps in usability. It’s about matching the performance criteria to different styles of riders, and it’s as diverse as it has always been.

FG. It takes time for the riders to experience something new but it is coming, we are seeing people choosing bigger gaps on their equipment, adding a lot more days in the water = smiles.

WG. We always increase the range of use in every line. Nevertheless we have to deal with “specialists” and experienced customers who want to have the “perfect” board for their requirements, ability to sail and obviously for their spot. You can see this in all sports, look at skiing, I have never seen so many different models. This is a phenomenon of our time and the urge of individuality and forfilling their dream.

FV. Ask marketing guy’s. I’m R&D guy. But every brand who have try to reduce boards went of market while the one who increased are on top of it. So the customer must need this!