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Favorite Brand and Worst Brand thread

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elguapo
Posts: 149 - Karma: 90
Ok,
thought it would be fun to start a thread to list your current fav brands and most hated brands.

For me Favs:
Proof Wood Sunglasses- Wood sunglasses that are dope. Got a pair.
www.iwantproof.com
panda poles-Bamboo ski poles wanting to get a pair.
www.pandapoles.com
Trew- I dig their outerwear. Cool stuff.


least favs:
Neff-
Is anyone else tired of seeing huge neon smiling faces on shirts and hats. Hate this brand with a passion don't know why. I just never have gotten it and have a hard time understanding why they are so popular. Maybe its just because its worn by 13 year old who usually drive me crazy anyways. Not sure but this brand bugs

Nike 6.0-
Don't get me wrong they have great gear I just hate how they have moved in and taken over ski, surf, snowboarding, skate without it being core to who they are. And they just throw money at pros who can't refuse it because it is so good and all the sudden they are a core brand. They are hurting some of the core brands that have been in the struggle since the beginning and I think its lame. They get so deep into the sport you almost feel that they are legit, but Come on if they start making ski boots next i'm boycotting Nike all together. Wish they would stick to basketball and track. They haven't done anything to advance any of the sports they have jumped into. Just bought their way into it. They even bought Hurley to legitimize themselves and now Nike 6.0 is probably bigger than Hurley. A few years back the sports weren't mainstream so they didn't care. Now that these sports are mainstream they jump all over it. Not digging this much.

Fox-
They need to stick with motorcross.

Ok what are yours?


Feb 27 2012 11:22AM
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Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,809
nice idea, i hate to be negative but i cant think of any companies i like much more than others so I'm just gonna say my 1 negative, k2 inc. solely for the reason that i dont feel they hould have suc a large monopoly over the ski industry a a whole.
Feb 27 2012 11:29AM
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elguapo
Posts: 149 - Karma: 90
Yeah, seems like all the core companies get bought up. I think K2 is owned by Coleman the camping company now.
Feb 27 2012 11:44AM
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Mr_pretzel
Posts: 4616 - Karma: 1,289
I love smith.

i hate surface.
Feb 27 2012 12:35PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,404
i love on3p

i hate surface/9thward
Feb 27 2012 12:40PM
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elguapo
Posts: 149 - Karma: 90
ya gotta give a reason for the hate and love.

Interesting takes so far.
Feb 27 2012 12:42PM
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Mr_pretzel
Posts: 4616 - Karma: 1,289
Awesome goggles.

Shitty skis.
Feb 27 2012 12:43PM
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*SNO*
Posts: 2575 - Karma: 925
Love- K2, Durable, cheap skis
LINE- Fun guys, good skis and nice clothing line
ON3P- sick skis and real nice guys running it

Hate- FD- Have a FD and the back is ripped after I wear it once
Ninthward- the whole not paying Vanular thing, I think it was Vanular anyway
Salomon- Horrible quality and everyone owns them.
Feb 27 2012 1:11PM
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EC-Skier
Posts: 3899 - Karma: 668
it was vanular. but i aint saying who, but there are other riders who didn't get paid
Feb 27 2012 1:14PM
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elguapo
Posts: 149 - Karma: 90
Nintward-

that's actually a good one. They were a weird company. Huge in Europe and then they kind of fell off.
I talked a lot with those guys. They were super sketchy. Did some design work for them and they kept telling me to do more and finally said are we going to do something or am i getting paid or gear or something and they just stopped talking to me.

I talked to some of the other brands and they said the Ninthward guys would show up to SIA with now skis because they didn't pay the factory or something like that.

also a lot of their skiers they didn't pay. They would give them stock in the company and the company was basically worthless.

too bad they couldn't get it together. They were the "it" company on newschoolers for a minute.
Feb 27 2012 1:16PM
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*SNO*
Posts: 2575 - Karma: 925
I never really knew they were big in Europe, they had a distributor who I asked through email about getting ninthward skis in Europe a while ago and he was really unhelpful and I just thought I wouldn't even try to buy from them.

That sucks about the design work too, did you actually design some of their skis?

also didn't they have like a thing a little while ago where they kind of joined with FD? and made a few edits?


Feb 27 2012 1:56PM
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Tucks
Posts: 2120 - Karma: 161
Good:
Flylow: amazing quality good shit
Causwell: ""
Rossi/look pivot: the best binding plus unreal warranty
Bad:
Never really had a bad experience, most of my shit breaks eventually but that happens to anyone who skis hard. Hence the reason warranty service is very important to me even if the premium is a little higher
Feb 27 2012 2:05PM
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max...
Posts: 1379 - Karma: 802
I have no idea what would make you think this, but it's simply not the truth
Feb 27 2012 2:13PM
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Mr_pretzel
Posts: 4616 - Karma: 1,289
They kinda do.
Feb 27 2012 2:14PM
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*SNO*
Posts: 2575 - Karma: 925
I agree, K2 are pretty good to us in the UK, most of the brands that are sold in the UK mainly (except for at Freeze) all come under the K2 umbrella
e.g Full Tilt, LINE, Orage I think.

Also all the brands that are part of the K2 family are all top quality companies who you probably buy stuff from, so even if they do own such a large proportion of the ski industry they're not really doing anything wrong.
Feb 27 2012 2:20PM
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max...
Posts: 1379 - Karma: 802
please explain how k2 has a monopoly
Feb 27 2012 2:23PM
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elguapo
Posts: 149 - Karma: 90
Yeah, I think like over 1/2 their business was in the Europe. THey had Henrik H. riding for them when he was just first coming on. I think Europe was/is their bread and butter. Guess they were into the whole thug/hip hop/gangster thing over there.

I got a pair of Rory Silvas on a deal early on and they were super dope. Real good flex, built well. I skied them a season and sold them because I thought the guys at 9th were going to hook me up for some of the work I had done.

They kept having me do more and more designs for them shirts and i even sent some ski designs over and they just kind of fell off the face of the earth and stopped responding to me. I thought I was helping them out, because I liked their skis and wanted to se them do good.

I odn't know who FD is. Kinda a noob here, but i did see this year that they were coming back and going to make their mark again. But haven't heard anything from them.


Feb 27 2012 2:27PM
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*SNO*
Posts: 2575 - Karma: 925
they really haven't made their mark.
I bought from them because of the promises they made that all the stuff would be better quality this year, now im sat typing this with a fd tee with rips along back. I still wear it but I wont buy from them again.
Feb 27 2012 2:30PM
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Mr_pretzel
Posts: 4616 - Karma: 1,289
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K2_Sports

plus full tilt and a there parent company owns even more.
Feb 27 2012 2:32PM
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Woodhouse
Posts: 390 - Karma: 160
+: Trew, Saga, Line, Atomic, 4FRNT, Joystick, Voleurz, Discrete, FT, Dalbello, Look, Moment, Dakine, Hestra, ON3P, Rime, Flylow, Nocta, Klint

-: Salomon (PERSONAL OPINION), Head, Monster, Rockstar, Surface, Hart, Fischer, Elan, Coreupt


Yeah, I might get a bit of hate for Coreupt and Salomon, but I dislike damn near all of their skis.
Feb 27 2012 2:54PM
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k-fred
Posts: 5363 - Karma: 1,598
like: k2- great quality and design for a cheap price
hate:salomon- shitty quality and I don't like how every single gaper buy suspect when it's such a bad ski.
Feb 27 2012 3:02PM
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jdubbs.
Posts: 728 - Karma: 119
Favs: Majesty, Spy, Salomon, Smith

Least Favs: Surface, Nike 6.0 (im with you in this)
Feb 27 2012 3:04PM
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max...
Posts: 1379 - Karma: 802
large company does =/= monopoly

just because k2 is a large company and jarden (the company that owns k2) is even larger doesn't mean it's a monopoly. there are so many companies in the ski industry that can all compete fairly that it's insane to classify k2 as a monopoly. the fact that small companies like on3p can enter the industry and compete with k2 and rossy and salomon and fischer or any other big name is just a testament to that fact
Feb 27 2012 3:10PM
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elguapo
Posts: 149 - Karma: 90
coreupt is a new one.


Feb 27 2012 3:11PM
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Mr_pretzel
Posts: 4616 - Karma: 1,289
on3p does not at all compete with the large companies. Sure they concurred a small niche market, but gapers are the ones that run skiing.
Feb 27 2012 3:14PM
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Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,809
Maybe so, but they have the ability to make the ski industry, jarden closed all there companies down a LOT would happen to the ski industry, not necessarily for the better.
Feb 27 2012 3:18PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,404
im gonna expand on this, but just skis

Love:

on3p (best skis for under a grand hands down, that is a fact, quality of materials can't be beat)
pm gear (great skis, fun shapes, splat has blem sales on tgr all the time)
igneous (these are works of art)
kingswood (amazing craftsmanship)
praxis (pow boards are a shit load of fun in deeeeep snow)

Hate:

surface (terrible skis, terrible quality, shitty materials, can't own up to their mistakes)
9 (straight up stole money from a mag on tgr, the joke of the ski industry, they need to stop)
k2 (wrapping shitty cores in fiberglass then slapping terrible bases on them does not make a good ski, made in china, huge mark up on price)
line (terrible materials in all their skis, made in china, big mark up, skis ride like shit)
salomon (anything from before the suspect was great, now everything sucks)
armada (buying up patents to force out the little guys, becoming the burton of skiing)
lib tech (you are a snowboard company, stop making shitty skis please)
boone (lol)
Feb 27 2012 3:23PM
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SkiBum31
Posts: 81 - Karma: 58
Love ON3P, and Armada

Hate Surface and Line
Feb 27 2012 3:37PM
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momentz
Posts: 875 - Karma: 285
I completely agree with everything balto said here, although I think surfaces skis may have not the greatest quality but they are loads of fun!
Feb 27 2012 3:46PM
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Kman000
Posts: 93 - Karma: 14
+ Armada, Head, Rossi, Smith

-9, Salomon, Oakley
Feb 27 2012 3:48PM
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coffinparty
Posts: 231 - Karma: 11
Shut the fuck up and take your "holier than thou" attitude somewhere else. You're a cocky fucking teenager who hasn't had the experience to talk as much shit as you do. All you do is regurgitate what your older idols say without making your own opinion.. Tone down on your bullshit hate and relax and go make your own experiences.
Feb 27 2012 4:04PM
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Tucks
Posts: 2120 - Karma: 161
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monopoly

K2 is by no means the only single supplier of skis which is the definition of a monopoly. Max... has the idea down right, in a monopolist market the monopoly power does not allow entry into the market by having barriers to entry such as lowering prices so smaller companies cannot compete and therefore drop out of the market. You must look at the larger picture of skiing and split it into different groupings. Fischer, Atomic, Rossignol, Head all dominate the race market where there is not a single K2 ski because they dropped racing. Ok fine Volkl, an entity of the larger K2 company does have a market share but it is by no means a majority. Backcountry, So we have K2, Volkl, and Line...Ok what about Salomon, Atomic, Armada etc; park is the same. Boots, come on Full tilt and technica (I assume is under the same parent group due to technica marker volkl partnership ) are only a small grouping of boot sales.

Even in subgroupings K2 is by no means an monopoly in any of these markets
Feb 27 2012 4:08PM
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-GL-
Posts: 1696 - Karma: 37
favorites : surface, line, armada, joystick, causwell, bloom, saga, holden, k2, orage, airblaster, rossi, volkl

least favorites : scott and thats about all, salomon also gets on my nerves sometimes though


Feb 27 2012 4:10PM
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lukewalnuts
Posts: 2730 - Karma: 152
I agree with everything said in this statement
Feb 27 2012 4:10PM
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Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,809
very well put. +K
Feb 27 2012 4:54PM
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kvan
Posts: 3085 - Karma: 1,225
Like: rmu, ldc, line (probably could think of a ton more)
Dislike: Fd wear, salomon bindings (again probably could think of more but those are just off the top of my head)
Feb 27 2012 4:57PM
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*SNO*
Posts: 2575 - Karma: 925
LDC would be good for me! except I ordered some stickers from them in january and they never showed up.
Feb 27 2012 4:59PM
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andrew95
Posts: 2090 - Karma: 124
favorites-

saga (amazingly fast responses with warrantee issues and that stuff and i love how they have the scavenger hunts all over the place i also like how they use ever social media resource available)

k2 (been good to me, enjoy the skis and they have put up with my rail use)

ninthward (ya i know the company sucks and they owed people money but i had the chance to pick up a
pair of TL's for a good price and they make a nice product)


ones i hate-

first drop first drop first drop (hate the company, hate the product and more so i hate lesh and the other idiots that run it. and the whole thread thing that happened....)

salomon (love the bindings but hate the skis, ive seen many pairs turn to dust)

other than that i haven't had much experience with core brands
Feb 27 2012 5:06PM
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Dr.Gonzo
Posts: 2552 - Karma: 87
love

- Lib tech, iv'e had the same skiis for three years and we've been thorough a lot together, i love how light they are and how much effort i think the guys who designed them put into it. the company as a whole also just seems to be really sincere and into what their doing

- Full tilt, now this might not be a problem for you guys, but i have some of the widest feet known to man, this is a huge problem when it comes to ski boots and FT's are the first boot i have ever tried on that truly fit me properly, i didn't even know what i was missing. thanks for the great job ft!!!

HATE >:C

- Solomon, not necessarily their products but they are just so bad to all the kids they sponsor. im glad Jp left and created armada. it finally seems like their loosing their grip on the freeskiing industry! which is good in my opinion
Feb 27 2012 5:10PM
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-ShredTheGnar-
Posts: 2038 - Karma: 111
Love:
Ninthward
K2
Oakley
Giro
AG

Hate:
Salomon (sept bindings)
Rossignol
Scott.
Feb 27 2012 5:10PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,404
Come at me bro, I have skied everything I comment on, and have more experience then you ever will, and everything I say I can back up, unlike you
Feb 27 2012 5:37PM
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natty.
Posts: 857 - Karma: 34
like:
smith
rmu
on3p
line
k2
surface
moment
rossignol


dislike:
ninthward
marker
Feb 27 2012 5:53PM
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rareison
Posts: 10263 - Karma: 219
LOVE: Saga: Great quality, awesome designs

Armada: Same thing, awesome quality, sweet designs, good prices

Full Tilt: No shinbang, make me the best skier on the mountain

Rossignol: Great skis and bindings

Dalbello: Great boots

Oakley: Amazing goggles and outerwear



HATE: Salomon: Shit quality, dropping all their athletes, only have good boots and bindings

Marker: Ugly ass and shitty bindings (cheaper ones)

Scott: Shitty ski's and goggles

FD: Ugly ass designs and colors, bad quality, only like the fit and the plain colors

Feb 27 2012 5:55PM
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mode2n
Posts: 2856 - Karma: 255
Love: Armada, Oakley, Nordica, Jiberish

Dislike: Very much so Saga lately, especially since sooo many kids have it this year. Really wanna get rid of all my stuff. Salomon, nuff said, Spy, Von Zipper, Ninthward, FD
Feb 27 2012 6:00PM
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max...
Posts: 1379 - Karma: 802
again you are defining terms incorrectly. competition is not defined by a percentage of market share, but rather being able to sell comparable goods at comparable prices. if i could make a television in my basement for $50 less than sony can, i would be competing with them because a consumer (assuming my tv is the same quality as sony's and the consumer knows that) is in fact more likely to buy from me than sony. it doesn't matter if i produce and sell 3 televisions or 3 thousand televisions. I'm competing. since the cost of on3p pillowfights is comparable to that of hellbents, the two companies are in competition despite their size.

that being said, it doesn't matter that gapers are the ones that run ski markets anyway, you are just as likely to see a gaper on k2's, as you would on fischers, rossies, salomons, etc.
Feb 27 2012 6:02PM
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kvan
Posts: 3085 - Karma: 1,225
They have good socks too
Feb 27 2012 6:02PM
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rozboon
Posts: 1642 - Karma: 868

Like: K2 Group - Innovation, value, legit warranty service

Rossignol/Look - The turntable is pretty much king of bindings

Smith - Great helmets and goggles

Dislike: Hmmmmm.... yeah that Neff stuff just doesn't float my boat.

Feb 27 2012 6:12PM
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coffinparty
Posts: 231 - Karma: 11
Sorry bruv, but no 17, 18 year old reeeeally knows what they're talking. No offense I was the same way when I was younger. Not denying your knowledge or ability of skiing, just its a little early for you to become the "expert" you seem to think you are. Take a step back, you don't know everything yet!
Feb 27 2012 6:35PM
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.squirrely.
Posts: 7563 - Karma: 7,546
like:
Line- all their riders are cool and unlike everyone else i relly liked my a bangs
On3p- never rode a pair but they seem really legit and all the guys are on ns and help kids out
saga- their stuff is just so good and they have awesome customer service
ski the east/ meatheads- they show what east skiing is really like and i have some ste tall tees and they're quality
outdoor tech- yowies are the best
bloom- theyre the next saga, awesome customer interactions always holding contests and stuff, a lot of communication with the customers which is cool

dislike:
salomon- dropping all park/ urban skiers, awful skis, overpriced
ninthward- havent heard anything good about them and i dont like the vibe of their company
Feb 27 2012 6:40PM
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Twig
Posts: 6407 - Karma: 60,032
Click for larger image

Feb 27 2012 7:03PM
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Stose
Posts: 7109 - Karma: 4,123
like:
outdoor tech
atomic
oakley googles

hate:
oakley outerwear
moment
Feb 27 2012 7:13PM
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