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 Post subject: Hey Hobie
PostPosted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 6:00 pm 
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Joined: Mon Aug 28, 2006 8:09 am
Posts: 28
Location: Ottawa Canada
I downloaded the Spitfire video that John Eaton linked on the Racing Stakes thread and showed it to one person at my work. The video spread like wild fire thru my workplace.
People were interested, the video is really, really cool.
Does Hobie have one for the Tiger? If so where? If not, why not?

Shhhhh, careful now....theres' a tiger in my garage!!!


moyra


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 6:05 pm 
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Joined: Wed May 17, 2006 7:49 am
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Location: North Carolina
Find the Nissan Tiger clip and show them that. The kite on waves is soo cool!!!


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 7:08 pm 
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Location: Norman, OK
Yeah, it is cool but it is long and kinda boring to watch the whole thing, hobie should make a promotional video like that Nissan hobie Video, but with the boring parts cut out and the cool parts added to.

I have used the Trench pitchpoll video to get people into sailing, it works on a college age group of people or people that are looking for a adreneline rush.

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Nacra 5.2 "Elsies"
Hobie 14T, "Blazin" I guess I am keeping her!


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 Post subject: Re: Hey Hobie
PostPosted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 8:19 pm 
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Location: Clinton Lake Lawrence, KS
moyra wrote:
I downloaded the Spitfire video that John Eaton linked on the Racing Stakes thread and showed it to one person at my work. The video spread like wild fire thru my workplace.
People were interested, the video is really, really cool.
Does Hobie have one for the Tiger? If so where? If not, why not?

Shhhhh, careful now....theres' a tiger in my garage!!!


moyra


If I had a dollar for everytime I've heard

"So, why doesn't Hobie have a video that cool?"

or "Hobie has a Bravo video :roll: tee-hee"

I'd have enough to money to produce AND AIR the video myself!!!

Ya...so why not? :x

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 Post subject: Videos
PostPosted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 9:36 am 
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Location: Oceanside, California
When we get our website rework completed we hope to add more videos.

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Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 11:43 am 
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Location: North Carolina
Gree,
It only seems boring because you don't sail a spin boat. Watching the crew work the boat, balance, timing, etc is a learning experience. The guys driving those boats are some of the best in the world. Do you realize how close to complete destruction those boats are, notice the boat tumble like a toy in the surf when capsized. Only pros would take that kind of chances with their equipment.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 12:05 pm 
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Location: Norman, OK
I think it is an awesome video, but just like you said it is a little boring to someone that doesn't sail a spin boat.
I am thinking that Hobie needs more video's out there to draw in people that don't sail, the Spitfire video would help do that. New people to the sport are not going to be sailing a spin boat, there needs to be some really cool videos that appeal to everyone, even people that have no clue what is going on.

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Nacra 5.2 "Elsies"
Hobie 14T, "Blazin" I guess I am keeping her!


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Nov 29, 2006 9:10 am 
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Location: North Carolina
This subject has been argued several times. Hobie is focused on plastic sailboats and kayaks as those markets are strongest. They don't seem to have any interest in pursuing the younger extreme crowd. I got into cat sailing after my dad found out he could pick up girls by owning a cat. We used our 16 for that purpose exclusively, never raced. I have now owned and sailed Hobies for almost 30 years, thats hard to believe. I agree with you that the extreme crowd could be brought to cat sailing with a little properly directed advertising. I see Hobie advertise the kayaks in several magazines but never see adds for cats, especially not glass cats. I believe Nacra or Capricorn will wake up and go after this market but Hobie may miss the train. F16's are taking off and Hobie has nothing, F18s are strong and the Tiger is the oldest design. Hobie doesn't see profits coming from your generation and chooses to ignore you and your adrenaline starved bretheren. They are too focused on the aging baby-boomer market and soccer moms, look at the age poll on this site for confirmation of that statement.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Nov 29, 2006 9:17 am 
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Joined: Fri Jul 07, 2006 9:40 am
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Location: Dallas, TX
Seems to me that the young, extreme crew that wants to sail is into kiteboarding... That's an ugly business, and a lot of the riders eventually end up getting hurt (hospital visit kind of hurt).

Brian C


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Nov 29, 2006 9:32 am 
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Location: Norman, OK
I mentioned in the above post that I have gotten some of my friends into sailing. I had my little 14T that I used to give them rides on, that worked great but only one of them bought a 14, the rest went with 16's. This shows that my generation is looking for something fast that they can take friends out on.

I know that this was discussed not that long ago on this website. Hobie is missing the 18-25 crowd that needs a cheap, fast, and simple boat. I have never seen a Hobie add for a cat. I have seen a couple of Kayak adds and have even seen one at the local bass pro shop. That suggested to me that they already have a connection with Bass pro, why do they not have a cat sitting inside the giant space availible. Plus there are tv's everywhere in there showing promotional videos or different boats. Just think if Hobie had a 16 or some other fairly fast boat sitting there with a tv playing a video of some hardcore racers flying a hull. I know alot of my friends who hang out in bass pro on the weekends would be interested. They might not buy a new one but they might buy a used one, and that could lead to a life long hobby of sailing.

The plastic boats are great but my generation is looking for something fast! Some people are gettting into windsurfing but you can't pick up chicks on one of those. Hobie needs to look into the market and realize that their current buyers are getting older and soon won't be around, if they want to stay in business they need to get some younger people into sailing!

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Nacra 5.2 "Elsies"
Hobie 14T, "Blazin" I guess I am keeping her!


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 Post subject: Age and Income?
PostPosted: Wed Nov 29, 2006 9:36 am 
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Location: Oceanside, California
I think you would all be quite surprised at the amount of advertising we actually do these days... Lots! The Hobie 16 and the Tiger appear in many ads.

I think there are a few practical reasons that the age poll shows a strong older following. It is more than just what market Hobie advertises to.

#1 - "We" older people have been into Hobie for a long long time and still love it. The last time the sailing market was actually big (late 70's to mid 80's), a huge number of people got into sailing through Hobie. There are a LOT of us still at it. The age scale will keep sliding higher regardless of what we do.

#2 - The income factor is strong. Older folks have the buying power.

Hobie does concentrate on the young crowd too. We have done a lot of things with US Sailing and Hobie racing World wide to promote youth sailing. I think most of our plastic products are better suited to younger entry level sailors without huge buying power. High performance is a relative thing. To entry level people... the Wave and Getaway ARE high performance and exciting. I think it is us experienced sailors who may find the most thrill at looking a an F18 screaming as being more exciting that a Getaway screaming. To a lay person... they are the same thing. Perhaps the F18 is actually intimidating and out of reach too. Both at price and skill required.

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Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Nov 29, 2006 9:38 am 
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Joined: Wed May 17, 2006 7:49 am
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Location: North Carolina
Dog,
Your right! But look at all the exposure kiteboarding gets, plus its really a spectator friendly sport much like surfing. Look at the number of females involved in surfing after a movie about girl surfers came out. A movie based around high tech catamarans would have the same effect on the youths of today. I was also drawn to kiteboarding, but at 42 the learning curve and possibility of serious injury quickly ended those thoughts. I have several friends that love it, all have suffered some fairly severe injuries. In 30 years of sailing, in big wind and waves, I have never been injured. The boats have been injured but never me.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Nov 29, 2006 9:52 am 
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Location: Norman, OK
Matt, I have to disagree a little with you previous statement. I am relatively new to cat sailing and I know the difference between a wave and lets say the Tiger. I could tell just by looking at them which one I would like to have. The higher performance boats have a look to them that the plastic boats don't. The tiger or even the 16 look badass, I mean you can tell that they are going to be fast. While the plastic boats although they look nice, they don't have the same appeal, they kinda look like toys.

My generation is looking for something that looks cool and performs the same way. If everyone had Waves or bravos it would be fine, but if one person from a group of friends buys a 16 or another boat that hauls ass, everyone is going to want one. My friends and I are perfect examples. I had my 14 and they all got 16's so I wanted to upgrade to keep up, the 16 seemed to much like the 14 so I started looking for something bigger and with boards. The 17 was my first idea but there aren't many of them around, then I thought about an 18, but they are no longer made and I didn't want another boat that wasn't made and it was to much boat. So what did I do, I ended up buying another companies boat, granted it is no longer made either but it was cheap and in amazing shape. Now my friends are all jealous because I have the sharper looking boat. This is one of the flaws of my generation, we all want to have something as nice or nicer than what the other guys have.

What would happen if hobie made a 15-17 foot boat, one or two man, sharp wave piercing design like all the high performance boats out there. How cheap could something like this be made, under $8000, that would make it accessible to some, there are alot of rich parents out there who help their kids out alot. Maybe I am looking at this wrong but in my mind something like that would sell really well across a large age group.

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Nacra 5.2 "Elsies"
Hobie 14T, "Blazin" I guess I am keeping her!


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Nov 29, 2006 10:12 am 
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Location: Turks and Caicos Islands
My first decision concerning a Hobie product was to get their 9'2" board, or one by Dewey Weber. I chose the Weber because they had cooler T-shirts and decals. and the fin, too.

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PostPosted: Wed Nov 29, 2006 10:20 am 
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Location: Oceanside, California
Fiberglass is the problem.

We cannot make a reasonably priced hand laid fiberglass boat. That is why we make plastic ones. The labor costs are killer.

A Getaway is running at $6,399 now and a Hobie 16 is $8,699. The Hobie 17 Sport is $11,899. These are existing designs with tooling already on hand. A start up project is VERY expensive. A new model would surly cost much more to make than the 16. So... $8,000? Not likely.

Don't take this the wrong way. We certainly have interest in the high performance end. We have been relying on Hobie Cat Europe to take the lead there. We have to make decisions based on marketability. Hobie Cat USA is slowly developing the market again. That takes time, but we are seeing a resurgence of interest and a whole new following. We are building the market again through base volume. Kayaks and Plastic sailboats by the tens of thousands. These new sailors are entering the sailing market for the first time. They will be slowly moving up the model chain just as you and your buddies are. What we are doing is working.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)


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