LF and Obrien done?

thatnamealreadyinuse · Posted: Feb 11, 2003 8:49 pm Post subject:

I was planning on buying my new lf balance today - is this now a stupid idea? What's the deal with warranties and stuff if the company has folded?

FacePlant2Blind · Posted: Feb 11, 2003 9:03 pm Post subject:

I would try to call direct or ask your local shop.

quigglymaster · Posted: Feb 11, 2003 9:10 pm Post subject:

dude! if LF goes down, i'm either screwed on the warrenty or i'm dumb b/c the prices will go down. i'm gonna snap if they do! man this really sucks. i have no idea what to feel right now

Mariognarly · Addict Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Posts: 853

Watarski · Posted: Feb 11, 2003 9:24 pm Post subject:

on the main page of this website...

quigglymaster · Posted: Feb 11, 2003 9:26 pm Post subject:

of what site?

Mariognarly · Addict Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Posts: 853

Thanks watarski, guess I should have looked harder before I asked.

Watarski · Posted: Feb 11, 2003 9:29 pm Post subject:

not a problem...I was pretty vague with 'the main page'

JRock*Girl · Wakeboarder.Commie Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 1340

Daymn, this sucks. I personally though O'brien and Lf came out with some sick shapes this year. I love Lf, so much for selling my trip for a good amount of $$$. Hopefully they will be bought soon. But ust because they closed there doors doesn't mean you have to jump on the bandwagon and feel limited to Hl, im sure they make great boards, but CWB, Gator, and Origionare gonna blow up this summer Very Happy

thatnamealreadyinuse · Posted: Feb 11, 2003 9:46 pm Post subject:

I just called Masterline (the dealer for Liquid Force here in Australia) and the guy told me that it was business as usual as far as they were concerned. They are still shipping boards and gear etc as we speak/type.

On the other hand, he obviously knew that something was going on, and had already had "50 million" other people on the phone before me.

He did make the point (as someone else already has on this thread) that if they were to fold they would probably be bought out by another company straight away and so liquid force would continue, for the most part, as normal.

Then again, he did ask me if i was a member of the public or a dealer. I told him i am a regular joe, and asked if that would change his answer, of course he said no.

Overall though, it was pretty reassuring, I think i'll still get my lf board.

FacePlant2Blind · Posted: Feb 11, 2003 9:51 pm Post subject:

It's your $300 bones. I'de invest my $ in a company that I know will be here tommorrow or wait and see what happens. Although LF had some sick shapes last year they also had a high # of defects

Mariognarly · Addict Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Posts: 853

Im still going to get my ultras, and if I have to, ride my LF and OBrien setup for the rest of my wakeboarding career....there is no way I am switching to HL, I strongly dislike their whole product line ever since Ive known they made wakeboarding gear. I really hope LF and Obrien stick around.

fuel · Outlaw Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Posts: 110 City: Gatesville

You people are forgetting Double Up. I'm sure they will do well if this is true. Oh well, I've been dying to try the new Nelson shape as well as Gator's boards. Too bad no dealer I know sells them... Evil or Very Mad

King of the Tigers · Posted: Feb 11, 2003 9:58 pm Post subject:

Right on Mario! I think O'Brien was the most underated company. I've ridden boards form both HL and O'Brien and honestly prefer O'Brien. I called my LF and O'Brien dealer today and they said both companies were being sold and that it would be business as normal. I hope they don't go under for good. Both have great boards and (in my humble opinion) by far the best graphics.

Mariognarly · Addict Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Posts: 853

For sure KotT...I wouldn't trade my 2001 Obrien Answer for any other HL board out there...I wonder what the sponsered riders are doing right now....Shapiro, Watson, S. Bonifay, and the Sovens are some huge names to just be up in the air....

Mariognarly · Addict Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Posts: 853

sorry for the excessive posts, but does anyone know what has happened to Free Motion? They were a division off of LF, same base products without the brand name, little different design on gear, but based on the LF product line.

FacePlant2Blind · Posted: Feb 11, 2003 10:12 pm Post subject:

Shapiro, Watson, S. Bonifay...... hmmmmm GATOR BOARDS

Pat McCarthy · Posted: Feb 11, 2003 10:13 pm Post subject:

Liquid Force stopped doing their Free Motion brand a couple of years ago.

Mariognarly · Addict Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Posts: 853

Oh really? Well that shows how much I have been paying attention. Shocked

derrick lenz · Posted: Feb 11, 2003 10:19 pm Post subject:

i beg to differ pat. a little trip to wakeworld.com and you can see Free Motions 2003 line. however that's probably over now too.

Mariognarly · Addict Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Posts: 853

Ya I just went their to check that as well....but I guess derrick is right, prob over now.

D.S.S.R. · Criminal Joined: 11 Feb 2003 Posts: 61 City: Austin, TX

Fuel - We'll be bringing Gator and the GB team to Texas in April. Look for clinics & demos in Dallas and Austin for sure. I'll post the dates when they are for sure.

D.S.S.R. · Criminal Joined: 11 Feb 2003 Posts: 61 City: Austin, TX

wow Pat I thought Free Motion had been gone for a couple years too

Pat McCarthy · Posted: Feb 11, 2003 11:42 pm Post subject:

Ah, I guess I was wrong. I had heard that they had shut down, and hadn't seen their boards anywhere or any advertising for the Free Motion brand.

Sean_Brinston · Posted: Feb 12, 2003 5:13 am Post subject:

so are obrien and Lf boards gonna go real cheap now, bu they wont have a warranty? I love my obrien rail. I am seriously gonna be checking out GB, collins company, and Cwb.

Any one think it is worth it to buy a lf or obrien board if they really come down in price? Confused

fuel · Outlaw Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Posts: 110 City: Gatesville

Thanks, DSSR. I'd really like to try them out. Do you know when Randy's new pro model will be coming out and if Jeremy from Krown will do the graphics again? Those graphics on his model from Obrien were killer. Best graphics of alll time, IMO.

Sean, I'd get another one if they were cheap enough.

mellow24 · Outlaw Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 134 City: Tampa Bay Area

Correct info! I own a board shop in Tarpon Springs Florida and are set to open our second location in Tampa, here in the next few weeks....when our LF and Obrien orders come in!.....need less to say Obrien has shut its doors due to serious financial complications, thus taking LF with them. they are in the works of restructuring/resale of tooling and product line. The bank that funds Earth and Ocean pulled its financing early this week, this is a real indication of impending war and a serious look into the direction of our sport. this same situation happened last year with Hyperlite and they were refinanced in the same week so only a small percentage even knew it happened, and Hyperlit emerged even stronger.

This is not good in any way for our lifestyle and business, as well as it shows the real effects of what the direction the world we live in is headed.
I will try to update as I hear more..Gator boards is rockin strong and has a few new models out this season. lets hope this all pans out and some more people will show some support for what we all love to do and why we are all here!

skireel · Newbie Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Posts: 44 City: Houston Texas

Too bad about LF. I still see ads for there tour this summer!

jibn-it-all · Outlaw Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 248 City: apopka

lf was/is the best board company ever Puppy Eyes

christy · Posted: Feb 12, 2003 9:30 am Post subject:

I'm sure someone will come along and invest in LF and O'brien, and production will most likely resume. It's the sponsored riders who are going to be feeling the pain, along with the employees losing their jobs. I just hope this doesn't impact the growth of our sport too badly.
I wouldn't be surprised if Darin gets picked up pretty quickly by another board company.

Pat McCarthy · Posted: Feb 12, 2003 10:26 am Post subject:

It's possible someone buys Liquid Force at this point, but most likely Liquid Force will lose employees, team riders, some dealers, etc. because of this. I hope things get straightened out for them.

Also, please don't copy and paste articles from other web sites, that's a copyright violation. You can link to an article on another web site if you want, just don't copy and paste it here. Thanks.

B-rad · Posted: Feb 12, 2003 10:31 am Post subject:

I heard that Hyperlite was in the works of taking on Shane B and Shawn W, but no one else had any offers from Hyperlite, including Shapiro. That leaves a lot of good riders out there to land some deals with the companies that are left. Wonder who is going to snatch up Jimmy red and the rest of the shape and design team?

Dave W · Posted: Feb 12, 2003 10:47 am Post subject:

Not sure what else to say besides "this sucks". I guess I should take really good care of my harris 141. Could be a collectors item some day. Everyone is talking about which board companies are going to take off in the absence of Obrien and LF. I'm surprised that Fuel is the only guy who mentioned anything about double up. Has anyone seen the new Greg Nelson model? It looks sick. I agree with the general thoughts that no matter what your personal opinions of LF and Obrien, it's really a loss for the sport. Given the current state of the economy it's unlikely that the rest of the board companies left out there have the funds to pick up all the riders that have been lost by Obrien and LF. Free boards maybe, but I'm guessing this is going to mean some drastic lifestyle changes for some of our favorite pros. Hopefully these companies will be bought quickly. If they decided to make them publicly traded companies I would probably invest. No matter what it all comes down to, I will never ever use the HL claw system to attach bindings to my board. Just my $.02

Sean_Brinston · Posted: Feb 12, 2003 11:22 am Post subject:

Mellow24, any chance you will be open by march 7th? if ya are il come drop by while im down south, and check out ur deals.

Like people are saying hopefully someone will come along and invest in them. I wonder what the wroth of those 2 companies are?

chubby · Soul Rider Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 487 City: NC