Ken Climo leaving Innova

[dehaas]

Man, this makes me sad. Started playing in 2001 while in college and KC just dominated absolutely everything. Had the chance to meet him right after winning the Des Moines Challenge on Father's Day in either 2004 or 2005. He was a cool dude.

We'll see soon enough what this opportunity turns out being and who else is involved. We're already seeing some ripple effects after the Covid boom started slowing down, dunno if we need another manufacturer repped by somebody who hasn't been competitively playing in quite some time. Hopefully this isn't all knock offs of the OG Innova classics.

Dude is super knowledgeable about the game and I think his commentary has been well received. I can't imagine a full time commentary gig with DGN would make him give up his Innova deal. Only way I could see him wanting to leave Innova for a new company would be for an ownership stake and design input on molds. It would be pretty cool to have some old school design inspiration backed with modern plastics and manufacturing processes.

I just fear in an over saturated market and being so far removed from his dominant playing days the brand just won't have the immediate traction he thinks it will.

 

[Fistymcbuttpuncher]

Hopefully this isn't all knock offs of the OG Innova classics.

Legacy has done pretty well despite starting out as literally that.

It would be pretty cool to have some old school design inspiration backed with modern plastics and manufacturing processes.

Again, Legacy exists arleady.

I just fear in an over saturated market and being so far removed from his dominant playing days the brand just won't have the immediate traction he thinks it will.

This is the main sticking point. Even if everything lines up behind the curtain, I just don't see his name being enough of a draw for continued success. I fully expect that the first disc released will sell like GANGBUSTERS on release. It will be a literal piece of DG history after all.
After that initial release though? Could end up like Discmania(start small and build the brand gradually) or like Lone Star(make a big splash then immediately vanish).
I selfishly hope its a 'Innova glory days clone' kind of thing. Imagine a clone of a Classic Roc but in modern plastic? Or an exact copy of 11x Eagles/Teebirds/Firebirds? Now, I know those already exist in many forms(the market is massive) but none of them have the direct blessings of THE CHAMP(ignoring of course the aforementioned lack of name traction) like these would. It may be a very small segment of the market that still cares about KC, but it might be just big enough to eke out a viable marketshare.

Who knows though, we'll find out eventually. Hopefully its not some lame ass crypto shit and is something actually tangible and/or beneficial for the hobby.

 

[dehaas]

It would be kinda funny if they pitched the brand as "all the stuff I asked Dave D to make for me but he didn't".

 

[DanJon]

If it's his own company, who is backing financially? Sounds like he doesn't have his own fortune to work with.

Who is molding the discs then? Based on his reply that he left Innova, sounds like there is some salt on that relationship.

Will his name still mean something to new players or players in general 3-5 years from now?

Since he doesn't tour anymore, he will need to become a media personality to maintain his relevance.

 

[dehaas]

If it's his own company, who is backing financially? Sounds like he doesn't have his own fortune to work with.

Yeah, that's why this doesn't make sense. Unless it was somebody who saw the early Covid growth, thought it was an easy slam dunk investment and they're finally coming to market too late. Dunno if anybody in the dg space already would have the balls to try to lure Kenny away from Innova.

Who is molding the discs then? Based on his reply that he left Innova, sounds like there is some salt on that relationship.

I'd agree here. Nobody seems to make sense.

Will his name still mean something to new players or players in general 3-5 years from now?

I don't think it will, and only reason it's semi relevant now is because it's on popular Innova discs. Those molds sell because they're solid and, every company has been trying to copy the teebird unsuccessfully.

Since he doesn't tour anymore, he will need to become a media personality to maintain his relevance.

I agree here too. Just weird because Innova is who got him in the booth at USDGC. Doesn't mean he couldn't commentate all the other DGPT stops, but if he's left Innova probably zero chance of him doing another USDGC again, and that sucks.

 

[TheOtherBill]

WILD SPECULATION ALERT!

Lone Star is rebranding as Climo Discs with him as the face of the company, like Charter rebranding as Spectrum so everyone forgot how shitty they are.

 

[Fistymcbuttpuncher]

That's just crazy enough to turn out to be true in today's world lol

 

[ejvogie]

WILD SPECULATION ALERT REDUX!

Nike is finally getting into the game

 

[foxdawg10]

I can't imagine it will be another disc manufacturer. It's been five years, and much longer than that since he has been competitive. Any Innova sales were likely out of nostalgia. I think this is Innova's way of being classy instead of saying they let him go.

 

[Hampstead]

KC yelled at me to be quiet before a putt during the Final 9 at Pittsburgh Worlds. So I got that going for me. Which is nice.



*I was whispering to a friend while in his line of sight*

 

[Fistymcbuttpuncher]

[Sidenote]
Always cracks me up when players get pissy about crowd noise. As long as its not some jackass with an air horn or deliberately trying to disrupt play, they need to learn to deal with random noises. Especially talking, people are gonna talk/murmur/whisper no matter what. You'd figure they would put some time into desensitizing themselves to little noises like that.
Add in that a lot of courses are in full view of busy roads, its kind of shocking how easily razzed a lot of players are.
[/Sidenote]

 

[biscoe]

According to Ken's Joint Facebook account with his lady. He says that he ended the relationship with Innova.

Is that account actually Ken? I have no way to verify. But... Being that ken strikes me as one of those guys who could care less about social media, but still wants a chance here and there to see/talk or make statements.... *shrugs*

yes

 

[Sheep]

[Sidenote]
Always cracks me up when players get pissy about crowd noise. As long as its not some jackass with an air horn or deliberately trying to disrupt play, they need to learn to deal with random noises. Especially talking, people are gonna talk/murmur/whisper no matter what. You'd figure they would put some time into desensitizing themselves to little noises like that.
Add in that a lot of courses are in full view of busy roads, its kind of shocking how easily razzed a lot of players are.
[/Sidenote]

I wish I could get Derrick to post the video of Paige screaming like a child at MCO a few years ago.

 

[biscoe]

i don't know the particulars of Florida law over the past 25 years but i believe there were several states who had potential life sentences for all drug charges. i would definitely have given up those nickles for a free ride VS possible hard time. now is a completely different time and attitude than say 20 yrs ago.

Arrest was in Georgia iirc.

 

[HyooMac]

Can't imagine this split being initiated by Innova now. I mean, why would they drop him? They probably only pay him royalties, and they've been "baked in" to their costs for years. He's an important player in the history of the game, and he's become a bit more visible through commentating in recent years.

Gotta think this split was initiated by Kenny, and papered over with good PR by Innova.

 

[Fistymcbuttpuncher]

Maybe initiated by KC, but on Innova's side, they've gotten nothing but good from the deal so wouldn't have any hard feelings(at least on the public facing side of things).
Could be a 100% amicable split, maybe one side was mulling it over longer than the other, but seems like its just a 'sign of the times' kind of ending of the relationship.
I try to be a hopeful person though.

 

[2naphish]

Arrest was in Georgia iirc.

i don't know if that is better or worse than Florida.

 

[TheOtherBill]

It was in Rock Hill IIRC, Brad was in the car too.

 

[2naphish]

just checked the newspaper articles about it. Millen Ga. local news. it is about halfway between Augusta and Savannah.

 

[2naphish]

It was in Rock Hill IIRC, Brad was in the car too.

i have some NSFW stories (multiples) about Brad. i have a feeling that would require its own thread and perhaps a wait for the statute of limitations to expire.