[Electric-Mayhem]

Hello All,

I am giving thought to repping for DraggoRossi in the Colorado area, and am intersested to find out how interested people are with these boats. Pricing aside, how interested are you in trying out these boats? Would you like you local dealer to carry them? If got a bunch of Demo's in for people to try, would you come to a session at your local playspot?
I must say that after paddling these boats for a few weeks now, that I am quite impressed. The Building quality is quite good, and I the designs work quite well, even for Colorado. I currently have a Fish (carvy and fast playboat) and the Mafia( Do the knar Creeker) and have been totally digging them thus far. The Fish paddles like no other boat I have used. It doesn't really butt bounce like modern boats, but you can get so much energy from carving it that it totally makes up for it. They will also have a few new boats coming soon, one a butt bouncy looper, and the other a nice begginer boat that can still shred.
So yeah, I would just like to find out how much interest there is in these boats. If you are a dealer and want to set up a meeting to check them out, let me know and I will try to make it happen. Front Range and Central Colorado is easy to set up, southern and western Colorado a bit harder. They are doing some pretty cool incentives to get their boats in your store, so feel free to e-mail or call me for info. Thanks for your input.

Josh Hallenbeck
[email protected]
303-263-3111

p.s. I suppose you could also comment on the price, though its not my primary concern. To be honest these kayaks are only going to cater to certain people, primarily those who are willing to not get instant gratification from their boat and who might be willing to pay extra for a bit of refinement of design and higher quality materials. JH

P.S.S. If you are certain you want any of these boats, let me know and I can set you up with something. JH

 

[Camiona]

website for the boats:

http://www.dragorossi.com/

That may help bc i know that I, for one, had never heard of this brand.

Iif I were in the market for a boat i'd try it out...

 

[Caspian]

Corran's outiftting always has felt too low to me, like I was hardly even in the boat. He has seldom put out designs that are comfortable for tall guys and the hype associated with the product is near unfathomable - so much hoo-hah that you can't tell what's real and what's not. I clearly recall him stating in a post several years ago on the Riot board that the Disco would cartwheel in six inches of water. Total BS. He might be the most visionary kayak designer ever - and I think he is -- think Corsica, Fury, Disco...but how the heck can I trust a guy who posts something like that? This isn't a referendum on Corran - I've owned a few Riot boats - but I'm saying that his rep will follow him to DR and that will affect YOUR income if you sell for them.

I for one would be only be marginally interested in a boat that, as Corran says, would make me work three times as hard but take me to that much higher of a level. Why? Not because I don't like to get better. Because to REALLY utilize any boat to the fullest, you need a truly sick feature. I don't have Lachine down the road, I have Confluence. That is assuming a DR boat might enable me to do that.

And oh yes, $1400? I know they operate on the same margin as everyone else, but I promise you the market will not support that anytime soon.

 

[benrodda]

I am dumbfounded by this marketing strategy. Its the Kayak that caters to people who dont mind spending more for quality. I agree with the other fellow that this is bound to flop.

At the end of the day it is still a peice of plastic. Reguardless of shape or whatever. The day I pay a 40% markup over industry average to get the same prduct that everyone else is offering is the day I want one of you to take me out to the river and beat me.

So the creek boat has a breather tube... Looks like it might work better as a cathader. The thigh hooks are cool in the play boat untill you try to get out of the boat. But other than that I think the New Liquid Logic boat has cooler lines on it.

I would pass the opportunity to rep the boat. Because of its nitch appeal its going to either sell if self or fade away.

 

[Electric-Mayhem]

Not sure where you got 40% margin between other companies and the Drago boats. Lets take Liquid Logic, which is the most comparable company to Drago as its all in house with the molding contracted to a professional molder with a smaller distribution capability.

Now, if it was indeed 40% more for a drago boat, that would equate more around 1600 bucks, which is quite a bit more then the drago retail price. Its more like a 25% margin from LL, or for boats like Dagger, which retail for 1150 its even less of a margin. For your extra money, you get a more refined design, better plastic (and yes its just plastic, but quality does count and drago plastic is higher in quality then everyone but Prijon and Eskimo) inovative thinking with outfitting and some cool features that others don't currently provide but probably will in the future (such as a hatch in the stern of creek boats, which Riot started, but Drago has taken on as has Fluid kayaks). I think the mixture of R and D expenses, better material, and different style all add up to a boat that is worth the extra price.

As for the kayaks being 3 times harder to paddle, thats definetly not true, or at least not for the Fish and Mafia. It may be true for the Squashtail, but that is an ultra specialized boat that won't work for most. The Fish is much more all around. Its an all river kayak for sure. It will loop and carthwheel with the best of them. The main difference between it and the other companies boats, is that it airs on waves differently. Its designed to get air primarily by using your edges to build speed and the change of direction pops you into the air, rather then the bouncing movement most use. It requires some different styles of paddling to take advantage of, but its really quite fun and cool feeling.

The more people I talk to in the kayaking world, the more I realize that kayakers are heavily biased to one brand of boat. It is really hard to get someone to consider a new brand once they pick one they like. Some brands gain that easily. For Colorado its Dagger and Wavesport. I can't count the times that I have talked to people who didn't even try other brands before buying the newest greatest Dagger or Wavesport boat. Its why Necky, Riot, and now DragoRossi have a hard time making their presence known here. People assume that these boats are only good for big features like lachine, but in reality they have no idea since they haven't tried them at extensively.

I guess all I am saying is that perhaps you should withhold judgement till you try it. I do honestly think that these boats are worth the money you pay for them. But obviously you aren't just gonna take my word for it. I have a coupe boats in my possesion and might be getting a few more to loan out. If you wanna put it to the test, let me know. Feel free to stop me in the eddy and ask to try it out. I think I am about the only person with their boats in Colorado right now, though I think CKS is carrying them too.

 

[mvhyde]

ummmmmmmmmmmmm

I want to see one, paddle one, play with one first. Trust me, it will get the review it deserves.

$1,400.00 is very very pricey. the avg. Wave Sport boat can be had for arounf $1,050.00, same for Dagger boats. Ok, so we have a $350.00 discrepancy here. While they may not mean something to someone like me or others, I think most boats would agree that that little $350.00 difference is half their rent, house payment, or their car payment.

The breathing tube is a nice (albeit possibly worthless) idea. You can buy an American-made creeker for around a grand and something more reliable and easier use like the Rapid-Air device.

Anyway, show me the boats.....let me play with it. I will be absolutely honest and fair with the review.... Can Corran and DR handle that? Let's get past the hype

:twisted: