What Surfstore offers the Kitesurfer

Our Kiteboarding roots...

Kitesurfing began for us back in 1995 when some of the watersport pioneers in Hawaii introduced our travelling staff to what seemed an odd looking sport; half kite flying, half surfing. One demonstration of their jumping ability and we started to pay attention. Two years later we negotiated the purchase of a strange French kite powered catamaran, called a "wipi-kat", which used the world's first inflatable kite as a power source. Now we had a kite that we could get back out of the water; this was the practical start of the sport. Over the years we have been involved in all aspects; one of our team, Mike, was the first ever UK kiteboarding champion, all very basic when we look back now. Big John was quite possibly the first in the UK to get up and cover distance with that first Wipi-kat monster. Since then we have participated in equipment development for manufacturers, testing for magazines, and we even had our own kiteboard brand in the early days. Kitesurfing in 2008 is a vastly different sport in comparison to those first few years. We have seen the sport move in many different directions, with technological and rider differentiation that has pushed the sport into safer, more practical and infinitely more enjoyable activity that it is today.

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The Road Forward

The experience we have amassed over the years gives our staff a very broad base of kiteboarding knowledge. From beginners to freestyle, strapless to old school we have staff and customers who span all abilities and styles. We are big enough to enjoy all dealerships, which is a great blessing as if there is one thing that sets us apart it's our impartiality. We are not restricted by brands in the way many shops are; we are not specific dealers trying to sell you one brand. Those of you who have experience of the kiteboarding industry will know only too well that it is absolutely full of unethical marketing and hype. Many manufacturers are businesses before enthusiasts, and more concerned with the sale than the quality of the equipment they can offer. Many retailers focus on clearing old product which doesn't work so well. Internet forums are over-run with polarized views of individuals directly connected to brands, and without access to advice you can trust there are plenty of expensive mistakes to make. Experience has taught us that beyond the supply and sale of equipment, some manufacturers are better at looking after their customers long term than others. Service, warranty and problem solving varies massively between companies, and it's something that people rarely consider. Last year we bought one of every kite on the market specifically to let our staff test everything first hand. This year we used the Shinn centre in Tenerife for our kite tests, (www.theshinncentre.com) and it gives us invaluable knowledge about the product. If you want to buy a kite with the knowledge that it will suit you then we can help. Our customers value the fact that we are honest, and we have long term relationships with many for this exact reason.

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Learning can be Fast!

As a customer we aim to offer you the best service and knowledge we can provide. Years of experience, with unbiased impartiality in all apects. Kiteboarding can be hard on kit and so it's not just the equipment you are buying from us, it is the service to back it up. If you are a customer of Surfstore we will go the extra mile for you;

- You have access to a 7 day a week business that is here to help you if you get caught out.

- We have an in house seamstress (kite repair professional) with over 20 years experience and fast turnaround.

- We have excellent relationships with all the UK brand contacts ensuring we can push to get any problems sorted as soon as possible, as well as helping you avoid them in the first place.

- We have next day delivery on a huge range of product, and can ship anywhere in the world; including vat free export and airshipments; check page 2 for details.

- We offer preferential trade in to existing customers.

- We can talk to you and help you make the right decision for yourself, not just tell you what you need but give you the information to enable you to figure out exactly what you want, and tune your purchase.

- Over the years we have built relationships with many valued customers, clients who trust us to look after them and give them the info they need to get the most from their sport. We work hard at what we do, aiming to make our work as positive an experience as possible.

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