lets not forget the starboard 2011 catalogue with Connor on a jimmy lewis custom depicted as a starboard pro

Interesting debate I started

It's a tough one after reading the posts I see + and - to all sides of the debate.
Starboard are in a tough position where he is there rider so they will claim that all the way to the bank, sic seem happy for anyone to be riding there boards and winning as its all money in the bank to them, Connor just wants to win races and be the best he can be if I was a professional athlete It would be pretty hard if you knew you had the talent to win but the sponsored company didn't have the product to let you be the best you can be I think I would also be trying to get my hands on the best board for the job..

Im still confused on how a "so it sounds thriving company" can't produce a custom starboard board for Connor that will see win unlimited races.. Which in turn would spark consumer interest in the ever increasingly popular unlimited downwind boards in Hawaii.. Build a better board than sic and I'm sure the sales will come in that area

I just hope KAI wins in the morning on his new Naish unlimited
Would really stir things up against these un beatable sic unlimited's
(But what paddle will Kai be using Naish or one of the dedicated brands) ??

Jeroensurf said..

To win races where you can compete on stockgear. I don,t get the point wanting Starboard to build a unlimited prototype to let compete Baxter on.
As long as its a prototype and won,t make the production people might believe as well that they can perform like that on there stock board. I would rather see them putting that energy in stuff that will make it up to the shops (instead of updating shapes almost each year).

That's pretty much exactly what I think too, but you said it a whole lot better. I don't give a rats tossbag if Connor paddles a custom board that I can never buy - he may just as well be on a SIC. Putting Starboard stickers on a SIC is obviously upsetting a lot of folks so he probably needs to stop doing that. But insisting that every rider at M2O be on a prototype built by their board sponsor - I just don't see how that helps anyone.

Many of these riders have stickers of other brands on their boards such as GoPro or a sunglasses brand. How is that different?

If Starboard hasnt actually said that he is riding a starboard board then he is just promoting one of his sponsors same as wearing a starboard t shirt.

I think the issue would come if Connor (or Starbaord) was going around saying that it was a Starboard. Connor has been very clear in saying what the unlimited boards are

camharvey said..

So Travis won on a board that was not shaped by dale or nsp. Where does the argument head now???

That would depend upon how NSP or DC handled it wouldnt it?? You may read on the actual thread I already said who made the board and thanked them for it.

This thread is about misrepresentation.

Here's a cryptic response for you.

Some one said above its about misrepresenation , no problem to have your main sponsors sticker or t,shirt on while riding a custom board at all. The problem arises when one party or the other claim or make it seem as their rider won on their board.Its called False advertising in Aus and the laws preventing it are strict and getting stricter all the time.As far as consumer taking no notice of the boards the champs ride and it not influencing the buying decision , thats baloney. Why do you think most companys use movie starts or high profile athletes to spruke their goods

CMC said...
Here's a cryptic response for you.

Pfffft. If I was a salesmen I would do the same as you cmc,that is what you are paid to do.

CMC said...

camharvey said..

So Travis won on a board that was not shaped by dale or nsp. Where does the argument head now???

That would depend upon how NSP or DC handled it wouldnt it?? You may read on the actual thread I already said who made the board and thanked them for it.

This thread is about misrepresentation.

Agreed cmc... From my eyes over time starboard have misrepresented with the Connor issue.. Haven't seen that with the Travis situation yet.

I'm just glade as a novice I'm more aware of how it all happens at the top now, I do see changes as the sport grows and more money comes into it..

I know some pro wakeboarders Aus and US well , and had a chat to them about this topic yesterday and they tell me they have had to sign on contracts that at no stage will they ever ride compete and be photographed with another manufactures gear under there feet or even clothing, they get given 100k wake board boats to promote by manufactures and the only time they are allowed to ride behind a different boat is when competing and the event boat sponsor is different to their personal boat sponsor. If they break these rules risk contract being torn up.. Wake boarding is also a relatively new sport but has some massive money for contests and free ride movies being made and these lads are getting paid big dollars by sponsors so they know even if a competitor has a better style board that could give them an edge they have to find other ways to close the gap. Granted custom boards ant in the sport of wakeboarding as I'm sure moulds are a lot cheaper being smaller so they produce exactly what the top pro rider wants in a signature model and put them on the shelves for the public..

Also interesting one of the lads told me, have very tight contracts with the energy drink company's for example sponsored by rock star energy drinks if ever photographed with any redbull branding ie drink in his hand, hat on etc contract torn up.. He says well worth the strict guidelines when they are letting him live the lifestyle he lives on tour around the world..

teatrea said..

laceys lane said..

the unlimited debate. well i've had a few unlimited boards including a bullet.

in the right aussie conditions they are unreal.

now thats the hard part. you can have two days of pretty much the same conditions. one day the bullet is like a tanker, next its like a bullet.

it was unpredictable as to how it would go.

a 14'er in oz is much more versatile. unless your loaded with money and can afford to have a unlimited board lying around for 'those days' or a doing epic long dw runs, i can't see how what connor rides in m2o has a rats arse to do with what most of us are going to buy.


they aren't really practical in australia. most of the top guys who go to hawaii don't believe you need a unlimited board here

I think you guys are missing the pontjust because a top rider wins on an unlilited board which may not suit Ausie conditions , yes that does not mean you will go out and buy an ulimited SIC or Starboard. But if the average joe jumps on NSP or Starboard website or sees advertising and sees the top guys winning on their brands , they are way more likely to go buy a Starboard 14 or 12,6 or surf sup ect ect. Think about it , Keahi deaboitz posts a few radical cool vids of him ripping on a JSP , guess how many average joes are now on JSP,s.If you dont think consumers are tricked or influenced by clever advertising you dead wrongEven the smart ones

think we are talking about the same point i would bet your life(note, not mine) that you won't see the connor kiddie on another brand 14'er

so demo, demo, demo, find what works for you,



then get what connor,dannyand travis are riding

Do see your point..

Conditions change dramatically in wakeboarding.. Every different boat manufacture puts out a different style wake.. More lip less lip more rounded very steep etc, and you do notice the difference and your board reacts differently to that. could be Riding a completely flat glass water to ridiculously rough chop hours later.. So a signature board for a rider that is tied to a boat company will design his board closely to that style wake as when making movies that's the boat he's behind and thats their main income maker..so then come competition will just have to adjust his style etc for a different style boat wake.. He wouldn't even be allowed to change to a different board same brand as if he has a signature model that is what he must be seen riding at all times..

I understand sup is vastly different, just interesting how other sports handle this tricky situation..

It's a fair guess.. I don't know enough about sup yet and how it all works hence posting the question

Looks like Connor put on the wrong stickers today.....

HumanCartoon said..

First world problems...


Seriously...who's really getting hurt? Anyone? No-one here, as far as I can tell. This sort of caper's been going on for years, in all sorts of sports. it's not like these are well-kept secrets and it's not like these guys invented it.

Exactly ! Its happens with everything from cricket bats and bikes to skis and cars.