Neil Pryde

WINDSURFING EQUIPMENT 2000

INTRODUCTION
As we reach the end of this decade and the end of a century, it’s natural
to look back over the past. At Neil Pryde, we’re fortunate enough to have a
successful past to look back on. Obviously, we’ve been very lucky along
the way, but we like to think there’s been some planning and some
deliberate moves on our part too. " Back in 1986, when we
set a new direction for the company, we
decided that we wanted our brand
to be “Number One on the Water”.
Winning designs
Windsurfing is a performance
sport, and people rate products
by how well they perform. There’s
no better way of establishing the
performance of products than through
results. Somehow, results always
speak for themselves. " After we
made this decision, everything else
has flowed from that. The desire
to have the best sailors in the
world to provide us with
feedback and the will to
build a team of worldclass
designers to work
alongside those athletes.
We invested in a design
centre in Maui, we
provided our design
team with the best tools
and the best facilities.
And for more than a
decade now, we’ve
continued to invest in
order to achieve our
2

O
INTRODUCTION
leadership position
in the sport. " This
leadership position is not
O O
only a matter of winning
on the water, winning the
loyal support of our
customers is something
we hold as a top priority.
Over the years, Neil Pryde
has developed an avid
O
following from boardsailing
enthusiasts all around the
world. Once again, I believe that
O O
the development work we’ve
done as part of our World Cup
programme has helped reward
our customers’ loyalty."The
sails and rigs we make today
are all the time getting lighter
Results that count
O
and faster. They’re easy to rig
and handle and they offer an
unprecedented level of performance to
O
all windsurfers – World Cup stars and weekend warriors
alike."Recent additions to our range such as the Diablo
or RAF Supersonic are clearly just one step removed from
O O
products in use on the World Tour. Our customers have greeted
these products warmly and clearly their rapidly growing popularity
reflects the fact that they give sailors the kind of easy fun and excitement
they’ve all been looking for."In fact, experience has shown us, our professional
O
team riders are looking for the same thing in their equipment as regular weekend sailors.
Easy-to-handle, powerful, equipment that goes fast. A pro rider, no matter how good he is
O
– in extreme conditions – has to be able to handle the gear, otherwise he’ll fall over like anybody
3

INTRODUCTION
else. If something works well for a
professional sailor, it’s going to work
well for the man on the street. Clearly,
there’s a very direct relationship
between the development work we
do for the World Tour, and the
products we make and sell to our
customers."Enjoying the sport today,
means it must be easy. Everyone wants
to be able to rig-up quickly, and get out
on the water. Everyone wants to have
trouble-free equipment. So today’s rig
products have to be easy to use and they
must be reliable. I think you’ll be able to see
from our new Matrix 2000 rig programme that
we’ve made many improvements in this area. "
Away from our core rig business, we have continued
to grow our range of wetsuits and accessories. So much
so in fact, that these products now merit entire brochures
of their own. Even in these relatively new enterprises
however, we’ve still worked hard to maintain our
“Performance-First” credo. " As the sport of
windsurfing continues to grow so do people’s needs,
and at Neil Pryde we intend to ensure we stay at the
Number one on the water
forefront in developing equipment to meet our customers’
growing requirements. " At the World Cup event in Sylt this year, I spent some
time talking with our Team Riders and with many customers. There was a common
theme, that kept cropping up in all our conversations and that was simply the love of the
sport itself. That’s probably the most important force that’s driven this company through all our
success. We’re truly lucky to have found a business that we all love to be part of. I’d like conclude this
introduction by thanking all the people who through the years have helped make this brand and the sport of
windsurfing something truly special. Many thanks to you all.
Neil Pryde – Founder, Managing Director.
4

INTRODUCTION
“ There’s no better way of establishing the performance of products than through results. ”
5