Author Topic: Corran Addison SUP Kickstarter in Trouble  (Read 17839 times)

Ichabod Spoonbill

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Corran Addison SUP Kickstarter in Trouble
« on: April 14, 2015, 08:08:23 PM »
You guys probably remember the buzz about the Corran Addison take-apart board about a year ago. There was a Kickstarter to get the molds done, and the whole project was supposed to be completed by July 2014.

It's still not. Corran delayed the project several times. Once for improvements on the model. Another time because he found a source for a better material for the boards. Another time because he didn't want to start manufacturing at the end of the year and then have to sit on a couple of hundred boards for a few months before the spring season. We all accommodated him, but the wait was getting frustrating.

The bad turn came when Corran sold his company Corran Sup to Kayak Distributing. While Corran obviously profited from this sale, he clearly did not negotiate with KD about the terms of the Kickstarter. We, the supporters of the Kickstarter, got squirrelly when we heard this news and Corran assured us that the new owners would take care of all of us and provide us with the boards like we had invested in in December 2013. Then KD said (these conversations are all on the Kickstarter) very clearly that while they would be manufacturing the Hydra, were not taking responsibility for fulfilling the Kickstarter and that the contract of sale clearly said so.

This puts the Kickstarter investors, including me, in a really crappy place. There are some lawsuits starting up, and I haven't attached myself to one yet, but I may. I'm very disappointed in Corran. I think he's being pretty sleazy. While there may be disagreements between him and KD, everybody invested in the board because they believed in Corran Addison. As well, Corran benefitted from the sale of his company, which includes the Hydra molds, but didn't make sure his investors got taken care of. His last update to the Kickstarter states that he's working on an agreement, but that was almost two weeks ago.

What do you guys think? Here's the link to the project. I'm not sure what to do. I thought Corran was a pretty reliable guy, but I'm not buying it anymore. He posts on Facebook new board designs and updates on his Dusi race, but nothing taking care of the people who believed in him.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1747259538/take-appart-paddleboard
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melonhead

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Re: Corran Addison SUP Kickstarter in Trouble
« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2015, 08:24:47 PM »
Not surprising at all - Corran used to run a kayaking company called Riot Kayaks, which he basically ran into the ground and then took off (according to industry insiders). Ironically, I believe a restructured Riot ended up purchasing one of his SUP companies!

Bean

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Re: Corran Addison SUP Kickstarter in Trouble
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2015, 08:25:31 PM »
Since this was an asset sale, as opposed to a stock sale, the issue might be whether or not KD actually assumed this or any liability in the transaction.


spookini

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Re: Corran Addison SUP Kickstarter in Trouble
« Reply #3 on: April 14, 2015, 08:40:34 PM »
Military intelligence
Jumbo shrimp
Kickstarter investors      ;D
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Biggreen

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Re: Corran Addison SUP Kickstarter in Trouble
« Reply #4 on: April 14, 2015, 09:21:40 PM »
Not surprising at all - Corran used to run a kayaking company called Riot Kayaks, which he basically ran into the ground and then took off (according to industry insiders). Ironically, I believe a restructured Riot ended up purchasing one of his SUP companies!

And before that Savage kayaks. I have a number of friends that know Corran from way back. Sadly, I'm not surprised.  Hope get comes through

Ichabod Spoonbill

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Re: Corran Addison SUP Kickstarter in Trouble
« Reply #5 on: April 15, 2015, 02:53:19 AM »
Too bad. I hadn't realized he was so unreliable. Well, his reputation is taking a nosedive, that's for sure. And he's still liable.

I was considering having him make me a custom innegra board for touring. No longer.
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spookini

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Re: Corran Addison SUP Kickstarter in Trouble
« Reply #6 on: April 15, 2015, 04:18:19 AM »
Since I've never made a bad investment (google: webvan, freemarkets, barnes & noble...), Ich I'm curious what excited you about this concept?  It seems it's only advantage over existing inflatable technology was for hi-performance surfing -- and you're not really a surfer, are you?

I'm surprised TallDude hasn't replied yet.  He'd blame the kayak unions.    :D
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TallDude

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Re: Corran Addison SUP Kickstarter in Trouble
« Reply #7 on: April 15, 2015, 07:52:26 AM »
Sorry Bra, I was on Island time. Too much poke, Ya.
Corran was my neighbor up to the end of March. I'd see him paddling here and there, but he never said anything about his business. I just noticed that he had moved out. Then I read some news about him moving to Canada, selling, and apparently leaving the business behind. I wasn't aware of his Kickstarter deal. He's a shaper and a good one, but he doesn't strike me as an entrepreneur .....
It's not overhead to me!
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Ichabod Spoonbill

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Re: Corran Addison SUP Kickstarter in Trouble
« Reply #8 on: April 15, 2015, 08:05:39 AM »
Spook, I was attracted to the idea of having a board I could keep in my car without all the shlepping that I usually need to do. It meant I could make a mire spontaneous decision about paddling. My son is learning to paddle too, and he's on the small side, so a nine foot board would be good for him. I also liked the construction.

That said, I feel pretty foolish now.
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Ichabod Spoonbill

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Re: Corran Addison SUP Kickstarter in Trouble
« Reply #9 on: April 15, 2015, 08:06:57 AM »
You're right that I don't do that much surfing. This is more of a puddle-paddler than a wave board.
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MtnSUPSKI

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Re: Corran Addison SUP Kickstarter in Trouble
« Reply #10 on: April 15, 2015, 09:25:35 AM »
Reading Corran's last comment on the kickstarter pages, its sounds like he is trying at least. He could just move to Canada and never hear from him again.

I have had multiple emails to him about my Streetfighter board a year+ ago and he was always super timely with responses and gave me some great info. The company I bought board from in Colorado had some shipping issues, and boards where held up for a few weeks. Corran sent hoodies to company to give out to everyone who was waiting on a Streetfighter. I received hoodie a few weeks after board, and ironically am wearing it today. Corran did not have to do this, it was a shipping issue, but he went above and beyond to get us some swag. Thats pretty cool for someone who has been in industry for so long and given so much to the world of kayak, surf, and sup.

I have no connection to him other then a few emails and owning one of his boards, which by the way is a killer whitewater SUP, so only slightly biased. Rotomolded and bomb proof!

PonoBill

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Re: Corran Addison SUP Kickstarter in Trouble
« Reply #11 on: April 15, 2015, 10:01:15 AM »
Kickstarter creates an obligation that some "entrepreneurs" aren't equipped to fulfill. Moving from drawing board to production is a big step, and it's easy to spend the money before you complete the jump. It's a risk people take who support kickstarter projects that a lot of folks don't realize they are taking. Those risks are supposed to be spelled out in the product description, and they usually are, but who reads that crap?

The bottom line is that you aren't buying a product, you're supporting the attempt to bring a product to the market.
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baddog

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Re: Corran Addison SUP Kickstarter in Trouble
« Reply #12 on: April 15, 2015, 10:57:39 AM »
No surprise, as just trying to get a quick demo out of those guys when they were in San Clemente was a joke.  "No problem", "sure" and "we'll call you right back" was all I got.

Really baffled at the money my friends throw at Kickstarter; only to be disappointed with nothing or something that pales in comparison to what they were expecting.

SUPJorge

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Re: Corran Addison SUP Kickstarter in Trouble
« Reply #13 on: April 15, 2015, 11:34:02 AM »
"The bottom line is that you aren't buying a product, you're supporting the attempt to bring a product to the market." +1
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Bean

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Re: Corran Addison SUP Kickstarter in Trouble
« Reply #14 on: April 15, 2015, 12:47:09 PM »
Yes SJ, but in this case the product has actually come to market, just under new ownership.  The question that should interest the Kickstarter investors is whether the Kickstarter liability transferred to the new owner?  Corran says the liability did transfer...but, he also says that KD owes him money from the sale of the Company.

 


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