KiteFix welcomes Matthieu Ribet to the KiteFix team as out new French distributor.  We are very excited about this arrangement as we seek to offer better service and support to our French ‘cousins’.  Matthieu can be reached at the following coordinates which are also posted on our global website:

Matthieu Ribat
IDK Distribution
Phone:  06 26 31 15 57
Email:  matthieu.ribat@kitefix.com
Martigues, France

KiteFix is proud to be the leading and reference DYI kite repair solution in the world, trusted by over 220 dealers and distributors.  Check out our website to find a dealer or distributor near you.

There has been some talk in the market place about GluFix being simply a private label version of Seam Grip® and we want to make things clear.  Simply put this is not the case.  Seam Grip® is a great product for what it is made for, namely sealing seams on tents and the like.  I have used it on my tent and it works well, but it is not the same as GluFix and is not made to fix your kite.  Seam Grip® is almost liquid in consistency and takes anywhere from 8-12 hours minimum to dry (more depending on humidity).

GluFix is formulated for kite repairs to dry fast, be applied easily and quickly, resist UV and be water proof.  GluFix applies easily, does not run and dries in 30 minutes to approximately 90% strength.  Kite canopy repairs up to 2 feet can easily be made with GluFix and FiberFix within 30 minutes and under 4 feet within one hour.

We welcome you to compare the two products side by side.  We are sure you will find the same thing we have already found….that when it comes to saving sessions, and your kite, GluFix is the choice.  Don’t be fooled by other companies lies, cheap imitations and promises of money saved.  KiteFix products have been field tested around the world for over seven years.  Trust your DYI products to those who specialize in DYI Permanent Kite Repair Products.

We know KiteFix is strong and can hold up against any repair, but some people still need to be convinced, so we decided to put a video together to show once again how amazing this product really is.  Take a couple minutes and check out how we blow up a kite (and I mean using a compressor until it goes BANG), repair the bladder with our new Ultra-Adhesive MONSTER Bladder patch, and the leading edge with GluFix, FiberFix and Dacron and then blow it up again.  Can you guess where it blew up the second time?  The video is fun to watch and really drives home the fact that KiteFix products offer simple and fast, do-it-yourself permanent kite repair solutions.

You can check out our updated dealer website for a dealer near you, or purchase online.

Thanks for watching.

KiteFix Team

P.S.  Check out more videos on the video section of our website or on our YouTube Site

The new teaser video for the KiteFix Monster Bladder Patch is up and running on our YouTube channel…check it out and stay tuned for the full video.

See:  http://www.youtube.com/user/kitefix

Mark

KiteFix Solutions is proud to announce a new partnership with BEST Kiteboarding (www.bestkiteboarding.com).  Beginning in 2010, all BEST Kiteboarding kites will come equipped with a repair kit supplied by KiteFix which will allow a rider to fix a canopy tear up to 12″ in length or make multiple bladder repairs, on the spot, and never miss another session.
Ian Huschle, President and CEO of BEST states:  “We want to do everything we can to make sure our customers get the most time and enjoyment possible on the water.  So we’re extremely happy with the on-the beach repair solution offered by KiteFix.  Naturally we hope our customers will never need it!  But if they do, we know we’ve got them covered.”

I received a call the other day from a customer who had been riding in some pretty strong fall winds, had a problem and ended up releasing his kite and got pulled by a buddy 1/2 mile to shore.  He found his kite parked against a fence with a 2 foot tear in the middle of the canopy (lucky for him it was only a 2 foot tear).  Being an engineer he wanted to make sure that the tear was properly fixed so he dried his kite, cleaned the area, put some painters tape on the back of the tear to join the tear, and proceeded to put the FiberFix and GluFix.  Being a bigger guy, he wanted to make sure that the tear would hold so by the time he was finished, he used the full 1 oz. tube of GluFix on his 2 foot repair.  He thought the repair looked a bit thick so he gave me a call and told me his story.

I confirmed to him that it was probably too thick and realized that other people may have the same thought, which is why I wrote this blog.  Essentially the GluFix needs to completely cover the FibeFix but without excess.  The first image below shows the FiberFix without any GluFix.  The second and third image shows the FiberFix with the proper amount of GlueFix.  When applying the GluFix, use the applicator to apply a generous amount of GluFix to the FiberFix to ensure total coverage.  Then, as a second step, run the applicator over the FiberFix a second time to remove the excess GluFix.  When applied properly the GluFix should be dry to the touch in about 15-20 minutes.

As a guideline, a 1 oz. tube of GluFix should easily fix a 4 foot tear.

Mark Rivers

Sales and Marketing Manager

Well, kite repair is not normally that sexy, but the Kiteboarder mag has somehow managed to do it with the help of a very cute model and the KiteFix Complete Kit.  Check out page 92 of the August 09 Edition of The Kiteboarder magazine.  

Also, you can check out additional photos of the model at our Picasa Web Album.

Mark Rivers

Sales and Marketing Manager

Great posting on our Quebec kiteboard forum Kitezone.ca (in French).  A local rider lost her board in the sea and thought it was gone for good.  She received a telephone call the next day from someone who found her board and had gotten her name and number off the “KiteFix Lost Board” sticker (found in the KiteFix Complete Repair Kit).

Thanks Fafou for the posting.  You can check out the original posting here:  Kitezone.ca lost board blog posting.

Mark Rivers

Sales and Marketing Manager

KiteFix gets a thumbs up from the guys at SBC Kiteboard.  Pick up the summer 09 issue and check out page 22. 

Don’t miss another session with the KiteFix Complete Repair Kit.

In early June we received an email from a KiteFix customer in the Boston area wondering whether our products could fix his 2007 Cabrinha Switchblade that he had trashed the season before.  We knew we could fix it, but we thought it might be an interesting project to compare the cost and downtime you would experience given the various options out there. 

Here are a couple of the pictures of the kite before it was fixed:

For more pictures of the damaged kite check out our Picasa web album.

We sent the above pictures to the most popular sewing based kite repair shops in the country.  We received estimates on how much it would cost and how long it would take.  We then estimated shipping charges using Boston, Mass as our “From” shipping address.  You can see the results below.

As you can see, a KiteFix solution is at least 3.5x times less expensive and 20x faster than sending your kite away to get fixed!

To repair this kite, we used 2 Ripstop Refill Kits, 1 GluFix, and one roll of Dacron.  Total time working on the kite, including drying time, was about 1/2 day.

Here are a couple pictures of the kite after it was repaired:

To see all the pictures of this repaired kite, check out our Picasa web album.

We decided to write this post not to bash other companies, but rather to hit home the point that if you have “Do it yourself” tendencies, want to save money, and don’t want to miss sessions, than KiteFix is a fantastic solution for permanent, aesthetic kite repairs, even on the most damaged of kites.

Mark Rivers

Sales and Marketing Manager