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STANG KILLA SS
Wakeboarder.Commie
Joined: 16 Feb 2008
Posts: 2086
City: Killeen TX
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 Posted: Jan 08, 2012 7:25 am Post subject: Congrats to Obrien for Top 3 in Alliance Board test |
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We just got the new alliance magazine and it has the 2012 Board Test. they tested 3 boards from every manufacture. i was really suprised to see that every single test rider listed the Obrien Paradigm as one of their top 3 boards.
Obrien has always kinda been like moomba. since its not considered a "cool" brand most folks never give them a look/chance(guilty myself), but they seem to be making great products/advances especially in the last few years.
any way just thought it was suprising and cool to see the obrien (paradigm) picked as a top 3. i may have to give it a look.
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wakechick13
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Joined: 13 Dec 2011
Posts: 918
City: Lake Lewisville, Texas
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| Posted: Jan 08, 2012 7:33 am Post subject: |
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I have never heard of that board...but then again Im still a newby.
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TheHebrewHammer
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Joined: 03 Dec 2010
Posts: 526
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| Posted: Jan 08, 2012 10:14 am Post subject: |
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| wakechick13 wrote: | | I have never heard of that board...but then again Im still a newby. |
A lot of people have never heard of this board because O'brien does a pathetic job of marketing their product and their riders. They put out a great product though!
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wakechick13
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City: Lake Lewisville, Texas
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| Posted: Jan 08, 2012 12:26 pm Post subject: |
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I have heard of Obrien riders sorta but I will have to look closer at my local wakeshop for their products!
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TheHebrewHammer
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| Posted: Jan 08, 2012 2:59 pm Post subject: |
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Good luck. Most shops don't carry O'brien, except for maybe their shitty Sports Authority boards.
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wakechick13
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Joined: 13 Dec 2011
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City: Lake Lewisville, Texas
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| Posted: Jan 08, 2012 3:55 pm Post subject: |
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Lol...good to know! Then my little wakeshop probably wont have their brand...its a good but small shop.
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GnarShredd
Wakeboarder.Commie
Joined: 16 Jun 2009
Posts: 2310
City: St Pete.
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| Posted: Jan 09, 2012 11:21 am Post subject: |
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Good to hear one of the "lesser" brands getting some credit. I've used Obrien gear here and there for a while, but unfortunately mostly the low-end stuff (when I was a ski instructor the camp had a deal with Obrien but pretty much only sent us the low end wakeboards/mid-range ski sets). The low-end gear as of 4 years ago or so seemed pretty cheap but would be ok for a beginner's first board I guess.
I think CWB deserves some more recognition too. Great people and a decent product.
Both brands have seemed to be making an effort in the last few seasons to catch-up a bit with new tech like flex. Hopefully the board quality holds up. I'd like to see a solid team video from Obrien. Something like that could make people think twice before immediately hitting one of the bigger/"cooler" brands. |
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matt1808
Wakeboarder.Commie
Joined: 05 Feb 2004
Posts: 1981
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| Posted: Jan 09, 2012 5:39 pm Post subject: |
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| As long as I have been around wakeboarding Obrien has had as good of a board lineup as anybody. The bindings have often been lacking, but there has never been any "catching up" needed with their boards. |
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flixmaster
Site Owner
Joined: 30 Oct 2003
Posts: 7488
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| Posted: Jan 09, 2012 5:44 pm Post subject: |
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The Obrien bindings actually have looked really good the past few seasons.. We have looked at Obrien a few times but have just not pulled the trigger on it.
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matt1808
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Joined: 05 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Jan 09, 2012 5:57 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah they seem to have turned their bindings around. As everybody abandoned the rubber bindings it seemed like both CWB and Obrien were behind the other big companies for a few years.
Any ideas why they have struggled to gain customers? Their team has been comparable to CWBs. Maybe just because they focus more of their marketing on their ski line. |
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TheHebrewHammer
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| Posted: Jan 10, 2012 7:52 am Post subject: |
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| matt1808 wrote: | | Any ideas why they have struggled to gain customers? Their team has been comparable to CWBs. Maybe just because they focus more of their marketing on their ski line. |
Marketing, marketing, marketing. When was the last time you saw an O'brien team video? How many of their team riders can you name? How many of them have you met? How many of their demos have you been to? How many of their pro model boards can you name/recognize? When was the last time you saw a MALE O'brien rider in the pro tour finals or killing it in some other contest?
That's the stuff that sells boards. Product quality is important but secondary. O'brien is under the same Kent umbrella as LF, CWB, Hyperlite, and Byerly, but for whatever reason, it seems like Mr. Archer and his team give them no love and don't spend advertising money on them like they do with those other brands.
Maybe, as you suggested, it's because O'brien was marketed as mainly a ski company for so long that they've come to look old-fashioned and the Kent people have decided to leave that brand behind and forge ahead with LF/others as they embraced wakeboarding. I've also heard that O'brien today makes most of its money from selling inflatables, and wakeboarding is secondary.
Whatever the reason, it's a damn shame, because O'brien has one of the best shapers in the game, some sick product that's unlike anything else out there, and riders like Dallas Friday and Sean O'brien who absolutely crush it. They have all the ingredients for success, but until they start marketing aggressively to the younger crowd, they'll never take that next step. Getting a new graphic design team wouldn't hurt either. Let's face it: a lot of kids choose their boards at least partly based on graphics.
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wakechick13
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City: Lake Lewisville, Texas
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| Posted: Jan 10, 2012 3:28 pm Post subject: |
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Guilty on picking a board based off graphics sometimes:)
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wtwdevil
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Joined: 10 May 2011
Posts: 61
City: Pensacola/Deland
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| Posted: Jan 14, 2012 6:16 pm Post subject: |
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Another Obrien rider here love my Decade and just ordered some new Nomad bindings cant wait to get them after all the good reviews I've heard. Its too bad Obrien doesn't get much attention out of all the company's out there but its there own fault, look at there website Its not even updated with this years gear and if you look at the news on there site you get an article from 2010, sad  |
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TheHebrewHammer
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Joined: 03 Dec 2010
Posts: 526
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| Posted: Jan 15, 2012 12:20 am Post subject: |
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The Nomads are insanely comfortable. Enjoy!
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