Kitesurfing Under The Shroud Of The Corona Virus
Issue 80 / Thu 16th Apr, 2020
Rou Chater looks at the effect of the Corona Virus on the global kitesurfing industry and how it has decimated production, sales and tourism at a time when the business side of the sport is usually booming. Click here to read it!
Rou Chater takes an in-depth look at how our world got flipped on its head in the space of a few months, and the fall out this has had on our sport. From riders locked up at home going a little crazy, to entire factories shut down, and everything between. Will the world as we know it ever get back to normal or will it change kitesurfing forever?
The purpose of this article isn't to look at the rights and wrongs of the situation we find ourselves in globally, the mainstream media seemingly spends all day doing that at the moment. It is to highlight how this has affected the industry, which provides us with the sport we all love. I often talk about the kite industry and what they are up to, and I have just about everyone on my phone and available for a catch-up.
I'm going to keep names out of this as I'm fortunate to be privy to information I am sure is best kept out of the public domain, but I'll do my best to explain how the coronavirus is affecting our sport, probably in more ways than you might imagine. Let's remind ourselves of the positives first though…
This virus isn't going to kill us all, there is a good chance many of us have had it and shown no symptoms, and this situation won't last forever. Looking to China who's been through all this already and Wuhan, which is now no longer on lockdown, we can expect 10-12 weeks of initial disruption. That's not so bad, but depending on your situation, those 10-12 weeks may be easier or harder.
I've spoken to just about every brand owner and manager over the last three weeks and discussed the issues they are facing at length. We've done our best to help to support our partners and have hugely appreciated the support they are offering back. The overwhelming vibe from everyone is, we are ALL in this together! The goal is to ensure we are all here when the dust settles, and we can get back to the beaches.
For the kite brands, the problems are numerous. Initially, when China was dealing with the crisis, the immediate issue was production. While kite brands produce all over the world, Asia dominates a few major brands, which manufacture in China, felt the pressure first. The apparent fall out is no factory means no production.
It goes deeper than that though, no production means no prototypes, and this was happening in January, a prime testing time for many brands working on 2021 products. Just from a few factories closing in China, the reach of this issue is already extending far into the future, and we're only at the beginning. Other brands around the world who produce elsewhere, like Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Europe, for example, were arguably sitting in a better position. Even if you don't produce in China, there is a good chance some of the components to make kites come from there.
The kite industry is very global, and parts are sourced from all over the world. Even things like paint can be an issue, you might have all your boards ready to go, but the paint you need to finish them off just isn't available. This is the issue with a global supply chain. When it's working, it allows you to source parts from all over the world and hunt for the best prices. When one small part of it breaks down, then the domino effect can be felt right through the industry.
Fortunately, as China dealt with the virus, it managed to get some factories open reasonably quickly. For the brands that produced there, by mid-February, it looked like things might be looking up. Was the whole issue a mere blip in the timescale of production that could easily be overcome?
Sadly, it was around this time that things started going wrong elsewhere around the world. With a global world comes a global problem and while China struggled to contain the virus inside its own borders, outbreaks started cropping up in Europe. Italy and Spain were looking at the number of deaths and infections rise exponentially, and the decision was to lock the countries down and follow in China's footsteps.
First, Italy in part and then as a whole, then Spain. For most of us watching from the outside, this still felt very surreal, yet for those living in those countries, it was very real. From a kitesurfers point of view, this was the first time in our sport where kiters couldn't actually get to the beach to kite.
Both Italy and Spain have large numbers of kitesurfers, anyone who has ever been to Tarifa on a windy day in the summer can testify to that. Brands based in those countries found they had to work from home, shops selling kites had to close at what is traditionally the busiest point of the 2020 sales season; Spring.
At this stage, the reality of what was coming hadn't really sunk in, as the virus spread through Europe, France was the next victim in a considerable rise in cases and quickly closed all non-essential business, the end of the ski season was effectively marked right here. In a few days, the whole country was locked down, it was a strange time, I was there when it happened and made the decision to head home to the UK just before things got really bad. The sport in France is huge, and its home to a good few brands too, sadly, even more kitesurfers became stuck at home.
It escalated very quickly in Europe, and more and more countries locked down and closed borders; something that we thought would never happen in our lifetimes. The market in Europe is massive, it's the backbone of the world kite industry and the number of kitesurfers now effectively shut off from their favourite sport was huge. Shops have been selling online, but when you can't go to the beach, what the point of buying new gear?
Speaking to some of the shops, the sales have dropped by up to 70% and in some cases even higher. That's devastating. The issue now is, hardly anyone is allowed to kitesurf, and consequently, the shops have been forced to close or are running at a skeleton of capacity. That means no orders for the brands at the time they traditionally ship most of their product.
There are a few situations out there now for the brands. Those who have produced all their stock, but can't ship it or sell it. Brands who can't produce as the factories are closed, and therefore can't sell any product, and those who can produce, but equally can't sell it.
In the middle of this, you have the distributors who serve the brands and the shops. They can neither get gear nor sell it; the whole model has ground to a halt. What initially affected the few brands who produced in China now affects the entire kitesurfing industry, from the brands, distributors, shops and even you, the riders.
To say it's a scary time for the kite industry would be an understatement. There is further fall out too, it's traditionally the time to photoshoot for the 2021 product season, but we're all locked down, and overseas travel is finished for the foreseeable future. Pro riders who were being paid to kite and travel the world are stuck at home. Kitesurfing competitions are cancelled worldwide, and even Instagram feels a little redundant now unless you want to watch another 'here's my favourite home workout routine'.
Arguably the biggest casualties in all of this will be the kite schools and travel destinations that rely on kite tourism to survive. Dakhla is closed for business, just like everywhere else. All those staff members are out of work and no real end in sight. It's the same story the world over.
However, before we descend into a spiral of doom, let's remember THIS IS NOT FOREVER. It will end, and we will bounce back. Businesses who are dynamic and innovative will survive and thrive. Those who stick in their ways and don't adapt may not. We could be a looking at a real trimming of the kite industry as we know it.
Perhaps that isn't a bad thing in an industry bloated with kite brands all fighting for the same dollars. On the media side, we have seen some crazy growth in recent years in terms of the number of outlets. Seemingly every Tom Dick or Harry has been launching a website, magazine or channel. With brands fearing missing out they throw more money at the problem and it self-perpetuates.
When the dust settles, this could be an opportunity for the kite industry to take a long hard look at itself and to become more responsible and more profitable as a whole. Fewer expenses on riders, magazines and other outlets could be passed onto you the consumer, although considering most brands are running at a major loss at the moment expect that to be recouped in the coming years. There is a real opportunity here, though, let's hope we seize it.
Personally, and from talking to everyone at length, I see many positives in all of this. As kiteboarders, we are a highly engaged, addicted and loyal consumer base. The governments of the world are throwing money at this problem in a way we have never seen before. Remember 2008, that hit the industry hard, and it took years to recover from as the banks were bailed out, and the public and businesses were left to hang out to dry.
This time it's the public and businesses that are seeing the support, and with no outlets to actually spend money I'm seeing many people actually saving for the first time in their lives. It is also likely that these lockdowns will be lifted in reverse order. Going to the beach and kitesurfing will be one of the first things we are allowed to do, concerts, mass gatherings and the pub will no doubt take a little longer.
This means that when we do get through this initial 10-12 week lockdown, if the response in China is to be looked at, then kitesurfing will be on the cards for most of us. Imagine the thrill of that first session, what a buzz it will be after weeks of not wanting to look at the weather forecasts and see what we are missing.
The industry will recover, there will still be a demand for new kites, especially as some of us might be forced into saving a bit of cash right now with nowhere to spend our money aside from on food. That said, my expenditure on beer is seemingly through the roof. At the end of all this, if you are in a position to invest in some new gear then grab the opportunity, there will arguably be some good deals going around.
The biggest casualty though, will be the travel industry; I can't really sugar coat this one. It's unlikely we will be allowed to travel freely between countries for some time after this is all over. However, one ray of light is that kitesurfers are pretty resilient. The windy spots around the world will still be windy, and we'll always want to go there, so as soon as the travel restrictions are lifted, I have no doubt we'll be meeting on far-flung beaches around the world.
For now, though I've got my eye firmly on that first-ever session back at the beach near my house, throwing shakas at my kite buddies and having a beer afterwards from a distance of 2m in the car park at the end of the session… the high fives will probably have to wait.
That session will feel better than the first, better than the last and perhaps better than all the sessions I've ever had in the past. Together, we will get through this, we will kite again, and we will fall in love all over again with this incredible sport!
#kitersinisolation
#wewillshredagain
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By Rou Chater
Rou has been kiting since the sports inception and has been working as an editor and tester for magazines since 2004. He started IKSURFMAG with his brother in 2006 and has tested hundreds of different kites and travelled all over the world to kitesurf. He's a walking encyclopedia of all things kite and is just as passionate about the sport today as he was when he first started!
