Liquid Force Not Dead!?

Stephan · Guest

I was at the LA Boat Show on Saturday, I was told by the more reputable dealers in the area that they expected Liquid Force to be purchased relatively soon (week or two) and back in the mix (minus O'brien), I'm sorry but I must fan the flames of gossip. I know the Connelly Dealer sure wanted to fan those flames, but he's kind of a dork and tells you what ever he thinks you want to hear.

billm · Soul Rider Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 476 City: TX

Thats interesteing i want to see how they are going to make boards without the use of Obriens Molds..Obrien was pressing the LF line on there Molds and molds arent cheap or easy to make so whoever buys the LF name are going to have to start from scratch which will set them back some time and a lot of money..I could be wrong but thats what i hear though.....

Chris · Outlaw Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 188 City: Spokane

Bill,

The EOS manufacturing site pressed both O'Brien & Liquid Force boards. I think the confusion stems from the fact that the O'Brien head office was in Redmond (where the boards were made) and the Liquid Force head office was in Oceanside, CA -

riverfreak · Posted: Feb 24, 2003 11:09 am Post subject:

I've heard just the opposite, Obrien will have to come first then LF, but the problem is a lot more complicated than peeps think, whoever buys will take on a ton of debt. I've heard maybe in a year.....I would like to think it would be sooner, but the process is not a simple as some of you may think......

Stephan · Guest

From what I heard, it was O' briens debt that forced the close of both of em.I think Darin's salary was a little steep, especially for how many boards he sold. I guess LF was doing well, just EOM couldn't keep them both.

Stephan · Guest

Ps Im joking about one guys salary ruining the company, you know this weekend I was checking out all the boards and companies at the LA Boat Show, they were all well represented except O'brien. I go to their booth and ask to check out the System, they go "is that a board?", they had one of their 15 models of board there and only three crappy bindings. I know that Southern CA is one of the best markets for watersports, becasue there is a lot of $ flowin. Do you think that maybe O'briens dealers sucked? I've never seen their boardsin any place but a sports store.

Pyroboy76 · Newbie Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Posts: 40 City: Hellhole, Utah

O well they sucked anyway Twisted Evil

Sean_Brinston · Posted: Feb 24, 2003 1:52 pm Post subject:

what was darin making?

Benz · Outlaw Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 158

I called Liquid Force today to see what was going on and they where pricks. No one wanted to help or say anything.

Mike · Addict Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Posts: 536 City: Orlando

Yeah, I talked to a guy at Boarders Paradise Customer service and he said that Liquid Force was trying to get back up. I still cant believe they are in the much debt. I thought they were a huge company. Was it just poor business managment or what?

Jim · Newbie Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 6 City: Orlando

Darin inked a deal for 330k for three years. That contract ran out in 2001. He recieved only board royalties in 02 as did Daniel, Cobe, Randall, and Josh.
You have no idea the kind of debt that accumulated between the two. It is staggering. LF spent a ton of cash on ads, videos, and the TAA. With such a small industry, and 200 team riders, it caught up with them.
Obrien had the market on combos, and wakeboard packages. When you sell a wakeboard package for $169, you are not making money.
It caught up with them as well.

I find it hard to believe that someone is going to step in and buy a tank of a company.

derrick lenz · Posted: Feb 24, 2003 4:30 pm Post subject:

jeff i'm sure that they were pricks because they most likely get swamped with that same phone call day in and day out.

jim i find it hard to believe that all of obriens top pros recieved only board royalties as their income from obrien. if that's true then why would they need to fire randy harris. i've heard the argument about how he didn't fit in with obrien but the fact is he brought instant credibility and coverage to them. you'd think they'd want to keep that type of thing around. also for the short time his board was on the market it seemed to do better that watkins in my opinion.

Chris · Outlaw Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 188 City: Spokane

Jim doesn't know WTF he's talking about. I should know.

Butta Seeka · Posted: Feb 24, 2003 5:00 pm Post subject:

dude the new obrien boards seemed really badass i was hoping to get one i cant rember the name i hope obrien is saved to though they are a good company

NAW · Posted: Feb 25, 2003 10:44 am Post subject:

Debt is part of acquisition. After seeing LTV Steel close with hundreds of millions in legacy costs and additional hundreds of millions in other debt and then be bought and now turning a substantial profit...anything is possible! Especially in big business. IMO they will be bought and get back in the game....they just need to do asap so they don't lose too much market share.

Dirty$outhRida · Addict Joined: 24 Feb 2003 Posts: 665 City: Austin, Tx.

that sucks that there not doing well i dont think anyone in the wakeboarding community wants to see them go

Krashr31 · Outlaw Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 238 City: Florida

Yeah plus O'brien made tubes.

Krashr31 · Outlaw Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 238 City: Florida

By the way does HO own Hyperlite?

Jim · Newbie Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 6 City: Orlando

Kent Sporting Goods owns HO/Hyperlite.

riverfreak · Posted: Feb 26, 2003 6:39 am Post subject:

Also heard from a good souce the LF had a ton of delams a couple of years back that really hurt on the $$$ side of things.....lots of unpaid bills and too many credits too count...... Crying or Very sad

still think they make some of the best boards....I've always been a huge LF fan, were they or were they not the first co. to make a mulitfin board 1998 trip! Thank you very much!!!! Twisted Evil

B-rad · Posted: Feb 26, 2003 6:40 am Post subject:

Jim is Full of $hit when he is talking about O'brien and LF. Chris is/ was a dir at O'brien. He is the same guy that gave us the designs and the cad files for the new O'brien boards way before they were released. I think I would belive him before just about anyone else on here. Untill I hear that same story from someone reputible I will chalk that one up to grapevine BS

riverfreak · Posted: Feb 26, 2003 6:43 am Post subject:

and for all these post about Obrien, guys Obrien is a lot more than just wakeboards, they sponsor some of the top skiers and high jumpers, kneeboards, probably sell more tubes than HL does wakeboards so it is really stupid to say it was Obrien's low wakeboard sales that caused this...... Crazy Eyes

seven20 · Posted: Feb 26, 2003 6:47 am Post subject:

I agree with river freak. Any of you ever heard of a guy named Andy Mapple....