May 4th, 2020.
Dear Kiteracing community,
It is with regret we would like to inform you that the International Kiteboarding Association has rejected our application for the registration of the Bullet 6 and the re-registration of the Bullet 3.
This has occurred because Mikeslab is not willing to disclose certain information that we consider our intellectual property and part of our proprietary processes. We feel that disclosing such information puts our competitive advantage in producing the worlds best foils at risk and therefore our livelihood.
We feel what IKA is asking goes beyond what is actually needed to guarantee availability, repeatability and quality, considering IKA will have actual pieces for qualitative and quantitative comparison. Unfortunately we have not been able to come to a resolution where we feel comfortable in continuing with the registration process.
This is an unfortunate outcome for athletes that enjoy using our products, the sport as a whole, and for us as we have invested considerable time and resources in the last year and a half scaling up with our third party manufacturer.
For the last four years Mikeslab has been the industry leader in foil innovation and race results with the majority of top racers on our foils. We are proud of our part in helping this sport grow to where it is today and will continue to be avid supporters of the sport and the individual competitors.
We wish the IKA, manufacturers, and athletes all the best as they continue on their Olympic track to Paris 2024.
Mikeslab will continue to develop our open class racing foils and give the quality of service and support we are known for.
As the Bullet 6 will now be for open class racing only, we invite all clients on our waiting list to either confirm or cancel their order.
We would also like to remind everyone that the Bullet 3 can be raced at all IKA events through December 2021. (IKA Formula Kite Class Rules B.1.4 d).
-mike and stef