This week the second of what was once three Kitepower Australia stores has closed it’s doors, citing poor weather this season and fierce competition in the kiteboarding industry as the reason business owners Jon and Jo Ashmore have called it quits.

Since opening in 2008, Kitepower Australia (QLD) has operated both a school and store from Redcliffe, a suburb on the north side of Brisbane close to the Brighton/Sandgate, one of QLD’s most popular kiting locations.

With fierce competition from 3 other kiteboarding stores in the area, Brisbane is a pretty tough place to make a living out of kites and kiteboarding gear. Kitepower’s point of difference was a diverse product range including kids kites and land based kite sports, choosing to focus on the ‘kite’ in ‘Kitepower’ rather than follow many others in the industry down the stand up paddling path.

Their other point of difference was those red shirts – you know the ones if you’ve ever kited in Brisbane. Bright red with the Kitepower brand name on the back - worn by proud kiters whether they were at the beach, at work or cleaning the house.

In an email to their customers late this week, owner Jon Ashmore said:

“It's been a tough couple of years for the shop and for the kiting industry as a whole, so Jo and I have decided to close the shop and move on to other endeavours. We have made lifelong friends through Kitepower and we want to thank you for all your support and the friendship you have extended to our whole family. You guys made it worth all the hard work.”

Leaving the largest store in the Kitepower chain Sydney (Sans Souci), now standing on it’s own, the closure leaves long standing stores Briskites (also operating as Brisbane SUP Centre), Surfconnect and Goodtime battling for Brisbane’s walk-in kiteboarding customer base and instruction market.

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