Important News

[nils]

Time has come to give you info about what is going on on our side too.

Season’s news:

We have had an impressive success with the website, which had a max of 1400 visitors per day a few times, from worldwide areas. It means people want to have fun and learn another way to ride, but also want to share their passion with others.

The Zinal Extreme carving session was a blast! For its first time we had almost 60 people coming, and we know that many more are planning to come next season! So we look forward to it!! It was a great moment, and we intend to participate to other sessions next year of course, such as SES and the Pureboarding carving sessions.

The Extremecarver has had a great success too, despite its small available quantities! People trusted us on the board and they have not been disappointed since they tend to like their purchase. Demo boards were available in large quantitites and showed many people how different the ride can be from a race board to the Swoard!

However:

We are facing a major difficulty with the closing of the factory that was producing the boards for us.
In other words it means the production is fully stopped for now.
The manufacturing company was established in 1925, and since then had a few bankrupts, in the 90’s especially, and it was on a survival mode since.

They weren’t competitive enough for the market. The past winter was for us very complicated in our work with them, since they had a lot of production issues we had to solve ( despite a lot of good will on their side ), and which caused a lot of rejected boards, and of course a lot of delay for orders that were taken..We want here again to apology and thank you all for your patience on that too !

Choosing this factory was for us the only way to make the board at once, since we had to make sure the protos were replicable on a larger scale, so we will not look back and regret anything on that matter, even if it now puts us on difficult hold.

What’s next?:

We are now looking at other solutions of productions, but are not able to say if it is going to be positive soon, and if we will be making the board at the beginning of next season...It means for now there is no more boards in the presses!

I want a Swoard!?

That is still possible of course!
We do have a small amount of boards left, and they all come with a small to larger rebate.

We have still a few perfect boards and also a few boards that have small defects that do not affect their riding of course. We are going to publish online an availability list so people can order the model they want.
All sizes are not available too, so make sure you check or inquire fast on availability !

The list of boards is posted here (click!) on the forum as well as on the website. It is updated as much as possible, but please do inquire by email each time to be sure...
We also want to make it clear that Swoard is NOT dying, closing, nor flying away... We just have to work on that factory issue for sure, and also work a bit on how we will make it possible for Swoard to carry on, delivering the performance and versatile boards we have begin producing with the Swoard Extremecarver.

We will keep you informed of course on how it will go in the near future, and in the meantime, ask you to be careful with your existing board!! We do keep pristine ones for warranty issues of course, just in case! But remember your existing boards are as rare as Caviar, so you might want to keep an eye on them for the moment until we make new series!

Thank you again for your interest and support throughout those past two years, it is having people having fun because of our board or because they are learning something new that keeps us motivated!

Your Swoard team

[harald]

Nils,
The closing down of the Swoard production was not good news. As a very satisfied Swoard owner I hope you will find a solution to the production problems and also that you will be able to sell enough Swoards to make a decent profit in order to stay in business.
Your initiative with both the website and development of Swoard deserves also economic rewards, not only honour and nice words.

[nils]

We are working on it!
N.

[Hans]

To the SWOARDteam

I want to congratulate the SWOARDteam with their company and product untill so far. I am also a very satisfied SWOARDowner. I hope you will
stay in business for more reasons:

- you are serious people who listen to their customers: I have heard of
your plans for the future. I hope you will succeed in them. May be it will
not be next season, then it will be after that.

- realize that you are the only ones in the world with this unique concept,
don't let it die if the risks are reasonable to you. May be you can seek
for some businesspartners which want to finance you or the factory.
May be your wholesale/retailbank has some relations/investors or
network where you can take some advantage of.

- try to stay on your own if possible.

- stay in business, some one has to compete with Virus snowboards
(just kidding Skywalker)

- last possibility: sell your concept for a large amount to Virus
snowboards, these guys need it.

Anyway, I don't want to be the expert here to tell you what to do or don't. Just wish you all the luck and health that you guys can get. If SWOARD will not be existing any more in the future, there must be reason. Future will tell. I and several others did also, had and have their extremecarvingblast of their life. No one can take that away. I am thanking you guys for that . Keep on smiling, life is too short. See you guys.

Greets, Hans.

[Malecky]

OMFG

I'm saving money for a swoard and waiting for Slovenia to get its ass in the EU and now this happens.... I checked the date and its not 1. april

I hope I can get a leftover board... or else I am doomed for next season...I even sold my Scott

[pokkis]

What is your worry with EU? Swiss is not part of EU so delivery would not be inside EU anyway.

Whole thing sucks, but i hope all best for SWORD guys and hope that you find alternative manufacturer for great product

[Malecky]

Shipping customs.... I would have to pay 20-30% more...after 1.may I will not

Maybe I will go to CH to get it myself....I realy want a Swoard and my brother too but his broke

[audacium]

Good luck to the Swoard team!!!

Ride low,

Eduard.

[Jack Michaud]

Would you consider having them made in the states? I could put you in touch with someone I know with a medium-small factory. He knows what he's doing. He was an apprentice to John Howe, a famous name in ski engineering.

[nils]

Well its too complicated, since most customers are in europe, and also we need to be able to look over the production quite often ( improve boards etc...)
We are looking for a factory within 1000 km from our base so its easier for us to go there!.
(wondering how the Madd team does make it possible to produce in Italy and be located in USA...if they just replicate their model its ok, but for improving, new models etc its kinda tricky, especially if its not your permanent activity)

Stay tuned : )

Nils

[István]

There is a small, privately owned company in Hungary, producing surfs and boards for more than 10 years.

I know that the surfs they produced were kind good quality, but it was a long time ago.

My first alpine board was also produced by them, it served me well. I'm not saying that it was the best board I ever head, but it lasted long. I've seen a couple of models this year in Austria on the Hungarian Snowboard Champ that was produced by him, I could not test them, but looked OK.

I have checked the web for the guy's contact, but could not find anything, yet. If you are interested, I can surely find him. Let me know.

Although Budapest is a bit more far from your place than 1000 km. I think it is around 1300-1400 km.


Cheers,

István

[István]

This is it:

Kucséber Ferenc, +36-88-450-026. Do not know his e-mail or website, but can also find that if needed.

Cheers,

István

[Malecky]

I can put you in touch with a factory in Austria (Klagenfurt) but I dont know what they are making lately becouse I was last there back in 1999

They made Hoogers, Elan, Nitros...

for more I will ask my father and my brother becouse they both know these guys and could ask. I know a few guys that would love your concept as much as the Swoard team does and I think that production there would be in best possilble hands.

malecky@muha.cc

[Nico (Venice)]

Humm I think that if you look foor you have the solution "under your feet".
I mean in Italy, I know ther are some famous custom factories, that use to build custom boards for the athletes, I've heard about Tropical Tube from Lui Holzinger, was located in Trentino, Nothern Lake Garda. I know there would be others in Alto Adige. You can ask alpine riders from nationals team (I know one of Italy).
Best wishes for your search, and keep on with the alpine revenge!

[nils]

Know we can produce in almost all countries in europe
We'll keep you informed on how things go right after summer!
Cross fingers!

Nils