by John Bryja
Ever pondered about the global sales figures for kites and boards? I certainly have. When I was the editor of SBC Kiteboard magazine in 2006, I initiated the maiden industry-wide survey encompassing all brands. It was no small feat. To gather this data, I had to utilize my connections, liaise directly with CEOs, and in certain instances, sign confidentiality agreements. A primary concern was the reluctance of some brands to disclose their highly confidential sales data. There was also apprehension about smaller brands inflating their numbers for an improved image.
To mitigate potential exaggeration from certain brands, I meticulously compiled a comprehensive spreadsheet. This sheet detailed sales from each brand alongside CEO estimates of the global market size. Astonishingly, the cumulative total from individual brands closely mirrored the average CEO market estimations.
Thanks to this endeavor, both industry insiders and the general public gained a genuine insight into the size of the kitesurfing industry. According to the findings, around 115,000 kitesurfing kites were sold globally in 2006. The numbers have shown a steady rise since then. As per the ISAF Technical Report of 2012, the sales figures stood at approximately 180,000 kites and 75,000 kiteboards.
Global Kite Sales Data:
- 1999: 29,000
- 2006: 114,465
- 2008: 140,000
- 2012: 180,000
Fast forward to 2021, industry insights valued the kitesurfing market at a whopping $860 million. The market has matured to such an extent that detailed market trend reports spanning over 100 pages are available for purchase at around $3,500. While these reports might offer a wealth of information, The report wouldn’t be much use to me as I could not share the details with you. However, I’ll be diving deeper into this at the AWSI Tradeshow soon and hope to provide an updated estimate. Meanwhile, I’d love to hear your estimates! Drop your predictions in the comments.
