Thats pretty true Frant, it,s not easy, but in the case of Windsurfing there are OZ companies that if not manufacturing here are at least doing local design development and employ some Australians.
KA, owned and designed here and built in China .Likewise Severne
Boards- SSD, OES, Manta all built here or in Peter Ross's case here and Maui (but by him when he is over there)
Hydrodynamix booms ect. Flying Objects. I am sure there are more.
It,s a personal choice. Being a designer and passionate about Australian design I have chosen to take that route to support it. Thats my thing, but sure it,s not the way everybody looks at it.
It would be nice though that when people make a buying decision that at least consider an Australian developed ( and hopefully manufactured) item.
Now I will jump off my soapbox.
Aren't we lucky that the most popular course-racing board in the country (Windsurfer One Design) is made in Sydney!
No nasty surprises with the exchange rates, and you're supporting local industry when you buy one!
Windgenuity are the guys who put them together; the actual hulls are moulded in a company in western Sydney. Get them through Sam at Long Reef.
Current retail price is $1690, IIRC - complete and ready to sail. Last year's national champ was built about 1985, so on a dollar-per-sailing-hour basis they look even better!
I imagine that Bonds will still be conceived and designed here.
Cant imagine that they will just ring China and say send us a container of jocks-be an enormous coincidence if they looked anything like Bonds present range!
whenever I buy a T shirt that was made in China you have to go two sizes bigger - there mediums are equal to our smalls - larges are just enough for a 180cm 90kilo frame - and all the work shirts are 2" short and ya can't tuck them in!
Either that or I'm just expanding
