Virus 1 wrote:Regards Frank
Ah it's you, Frank!?
It's strange that you think that I'm fighting. I prefer to spend my energy on the snow. I have just given some truths that needed to be written somewhere at least once, after all what I have heard and read.
Please, don't change the reality and the facts.
Investments imply not only money for the molds! There are also our own special materials that we buy ourselves and send to the factory. For example, we provided you the cores and the top sheets. With Nidecker we have also other specific things for our model. We want the best and have particular demands. No compromise.
At Swoard we make many prototypes before starting the production. Development and perfectionism take time on the snow. This summer we have made more than 10 prototypes, and we often went on the glaciers (BTW: which brand does the same, with the best specialists??). That's also a big investment. But we are passionate and want the best for ourselves first.
The huge amount of time we spend for the community, the Web site, the events, the promotion of alpine snowboarding in general, etc. is another form of investment. We are working hard for our passion besides our full time jobs.
Virus 1, who finally reveals to be Frank, wrote:If you look on the drawing from the 3 D we got from you and compare it to the 2D we produced you will see a lot of changes which nobody of you realized to make the board work!
But you told me that the board works great!
In two years I only get 1 call from you or Jaques nothing else.
Not true again. Jacques has phoned you more often than once! At least 10 times. It's surrealist to read this. Of course he has also written you many times to give you the specifications, drawings, corrections, etc.
Nils was following the production closer with you. He is the most diplomat person that I know, but you were sometimes not polite with him at phone. You even shout at your own Virus customers! Several German riders have made me confidences about this and the big delays.
Jacques is a sensitive person (and a sensitive shaper). He needs harmonious relationship. No future developments are possible with a rude person who is not polite and respects nobody.
We gave you tight specifications. You followed most of them but you also took some initiatives, in making the first prototypes, which we didn't ask for. Some of them didn't work on the snow. At least 3 prototypes were lost for nothing. However the urethane insertion that you made in the tail was good. The finishing of the boards was nice too. Congratulations!
7 months delay and other facts about trust (that I won't explain on the public place) pushed Swoard to break the relationship. A better collaboration would have been great for all the alpine snowboarders in the future. The consolation is that, at least, the 2nd generation was better than the 1st one. So not everything is black
As I wrote you by private e-mail on 26th January 2007:
"Our goal is to promote alpine snowboarding. The small alpine companies should work together, hand in hand, with good mood and spirit."
It's bad that the relationship is broken. But I'm not really sad because we are now so happy with our new partner.
I wish you also the best for the future with your good boards and a nice season.
Patrice Fivat
And open another one where we can talk about all sorts of (carving) boards, riding and stuff 
