Fedor Gorst and the Viking Sponsorship

staticfire98

staticfire98

New member
With the recent events I'm ready to jump on the Gorst bandwagon. I remember reading a thread a while back speculating on his change in sponsorship and with him ultimately choosing Viking. In a clip he mentioned plans on launching a signature line with Viking. I used to bike around Madison, WI and remember riding through their parking in Middleton by the beltline. So with Gorst representing a Wisconsin company, I headed over to the site. I have not ever looked at a Viking product but I'm ready to see if something there is interesting.

My Suggestions to Viking:
1. Start with a very high end jump cue. I would make this the first signature Gorst product. I think the latest trend is the 3 piece (the new mezz and predator as examples) that allows for short / high and long / lower jumps. A high end jump cue would appeal to a certain marketable broad audience and maybe start to generate some buzz. Play videos of Gorst jumping over and over again. It is beautiful. It will sell if you make it cost competitive. Price it under the Air Rush. People will start talking.

2. DO NOT PUT HIS SIGNATURE ON THE CUE! Did Miki put Mika Immonen's name on his Exceed? Why did Cuetec make SVB's cue stick so ugly? Sorry if that offends anyone. I love the cynergy shaft. I bet the cue plays very well. I don't have an interest in test hitting it let alone possessing one. This is weird becuase Cuetec seams to do quite well with marketing. They should make the SVB cue subtle and white if that's the intent. The large signature on the forearm is not good.

3. Viking is middle curving the Whyte carbon shaft at $600. They should think in razor and razor blades with the shaft and adapters. This is where I think Cuetec hit a home run with the Cynergy on pricing and options. At $400 I bought a 11.8mm and a 12.5mm in 5/16-14. I have a lot of fun playing with those shafts and am happy owning both. At $600 I cannot convince myself to buy one Whyte carbon shaft. I like practicing with the 11.8mm and playing with the 12.5mm. If the Whyte shaft was $450 or $475 I would probably own 2 with at least 3 diferent joint adapters. Right now, I can't justify spending $600 on one shaft and commiting to one tip diameter and then paying $70 more for each adapter.

4. There are too many tip sizes increasing by 0.25mm. I think 3 options would be better from a business standpoint. 11.75mm, 12.0mm, 12.25mm, 12.5mm and 12.75mm. Think 80/20.
 
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I like the looks of the kit he's currently playing with...and as for SVB's cue, I sure do see a lot of them out around my area...kind of like the CueTec Pearl cue they had Earl endorse back in the day. I hated that cue, but saw them everywhere. I'm with you on the Whyte carbon shaft...too pricey for me; and I currently carry two Cynergy shafts, just in case I throw a tip during a match (which has happened).

I think Gorst's set up is simple and classy. I really dig the overall color scheme. I really hope they don't glam it all up in a new signature line. I'll bet he prefers his old Propel jump cue, though. His jumps seemed so much smoother and controlled before.
 
Yeah, I haven't got a good look at his setup but I'd like to see them move forward with something along those lines. Maybe add a signature emblem somewhere subtly.

Interesting take on the Propel. I accidentally left that out. People seem to love that jumper. Viking should get to work.
 
i haven't checked recently, but when fedor made the switch i looked them through. it was the same ugly stained wood and MOP abominations
 
The Two Feathers cues had potential, but wat to expensive iNHO. Wanted one, didn’t pay my cost as a dealer
 
As a young kid in the early 90s, I can remember thinking the Viking cues we cool looking. if I recall, they advertised on ESPN a lot and that was my early exposure to competitive pool. Fast forward to the mid 2000s when I started playing more (the first time) and I could finally afford a cue in that range…. I felt like their designs were dated and I didn’t even consider spending my money with them.

nothing has really changed IMO. There are no designs that peak my interest. Granted, the only production cue I have is mainly for traveling and is a Cuetec truewood. I think Viking would be best suited to do a basic cue like the one Fedor is playing with now or something like the truewood.

if Viking gets too far outside of the box, it won’t matter what name goes on it, it will be a tough sale. viking is already fighting an uphill battle against predator, Cuetec, Becue, bull carbon and tiger.
 
trob said:
30 plus years of playing and if you asked me who makes the uglies cues in pool in any one of those years it would be Viking lol I’ve never seen one I’d want to own.
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oh i'll change your mind! i present to you:

the frog

Tree_Hugger__16562.png


the pavement pizza

Viking_B3264_Gallery__94799.jpg


weird geometry special

B3336_gallery__22158.jpg


the menopause art class

Viking_B3881_Gallery__22557.jpg
 
Viking has recently brought on Paul Drexler as a consultant and they've introduced a limited edition PFD line so they're at least trying to be a bit more visually pleasing. Jayson Shaw had been playing with one briefly before signing with J Flowers.
 
staticfire98 said:
With the recent events I'm ready to jump on the Gorst bandwagon. I remember reading a thread a while back speculating on his change in sponsorship and with him ultimately choosing Viking. In a clip he mentioned plans on launching a signature line with Viking. I used to bike around Madison, WI and remember riding through their parking in Middleton by the beltline. So with Gorst representing a Wisconsin company, I headed over to the site. I have not ever looked at a Viking product but I'm ready to see if something there is interesting.

My Suggestions to Viking:
1. Start with a very high end jump cue. I would make this the first signature Gorst product. I think the latest trend is the 3 piece (the new mezz and predator as examples) that allows for short / high and long / lower jumps. A high end jump cue would appeal to a certain marketable broad audience and maybe start to generate some buzz. Play videos of Gorst jumping over and over again. It is beautiful. It will sell if you make it cost competitive. Price it under the Air Rush. People will start talking.

2. DO NOT PUT HIS SIGNATURE ON THE CUE! Did Miki put Mika Immonen's name on his Exceed? Why did Cuetec make SVB's cue stick so ugly? Sorry if that offends anyone. I love the cynergy shaft. I bet the cue plays very well. I don't have an interest in test hitting it let alone possessing one. This is weird becuase Cuetec seams to do quite well with marketing. They should make the SVB cue subtle and white if that's the intent. The large signature on the forearm is not good.

3. Viking is middle curving the Whyte carbon shaft at $600. They should think in razor and razor blades with the shaft and adapters. This is where I think Cuetec hit a home run with the Cynergy on pricing and options. At $400 I bought a 11.8mm and a 12.5mm in 5/16-14. I have a lot of fun playing with those shafts and am happy owning both. At $600 I cannot convince myself to buy one Whyte carbon shaft. I like practicing with the 11.8mm and playing with the 12.5mm. If the Whyte shaft was $450 or $475 I would probably own 2 with at least 3 diferent joint adapters. Right now, I can't justify spending $600 on one shaft and commiting to one tip diameter and then paying $70 more for each adapter.

4. There are too many tip sizes increasing by 0.25mm. I think 3 options would be better from a business standpoint. 11.75mm, 12.0mm, 12.25mm, 12.5mm and 12.75mm. Think 80/20.
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Is this post to us, or to Viking?

I love Viking cues, i've always liked them...I remember owning a brown one that hits very beuatifully back in the 90's.

I also like your suggestions, especially about the SIGNATURE...I will never own a cue that is signed by a 24 year old player, lmao...but these suggestions should be sent Vikings way, not here...so Email them and ill sign a petition to agree with you on these points.
 
smoochie said:
Is this post to us, or to Viking?

I love Viking cues, i've always liked them...I remember owning a brown one that hits very beuatifully back in the 90's.

I also like your suggestions, especially about the SIGNATURE...I will never own a cue that is signed by a 24 year old player, lmao...but these suggestions should be sent Vikings way, not here...so Email them and ill sign a petition to agree with you on these points.
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agree. telling us will accomplish nothing. send it to Viking. i'll count the minutes waiting for their reply. i've msg'd them in the past. results? crickets. well made but butt-ugly cues.
 
I agree with a lot of that. I'm fine with the Whyte pricing, they're making a premium product and pricing it as such. It is what it is.

My first cue was a Viking so I've always had a soft spot for them but as someone else said...god they make a lot of ugly cues. Like a lot. Gorst picked one of only a handful of cues from them I'd consider playing. They really need to revamp their line IMO. Clean it up, make it classic.

They also need a better rear extension system. Their current one is just not great IMO. Look at Predator, look at Jacoby quick release. Lots of examples of well done extensions....make one like that.

I'm a Madison local and would love to want to play with a Viking cue these days but just....don't. Sure see a lot of them around, very popular in my league because they are the hometown choice and many of those are much older cues that are simpler and cleaner looking than their current offerings.
 
My 1st cue after my comeback to pool was a Viking. Good cues, made in the USA. Seems they do the "spaghetti to the wall" philosophy concerning cue design.
They need not make anything fancy, but they could do something like Mezz or Schon. Make them classy. JMHO
 
Dunnn51 said:
My 1st cue after my comeback to pool was a Viking. Good cues, made in the USA. Seems they do the "spaghetti to the wall" philosophy concerning cue design.
They need not make anything fancy, but they could do something like Mezz or Schon. Make them classy. JMHO
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Agreed 100%. Mezz and Schon are great examples of clean and classy production cue design.

Viking can and should keep a few of their more out there designs...it is Viking and they've always been like that a little. But they could be so much more popular I think with a nice range of classic designs.

I do know someone with one of the Two Feathers cues, it's pretty impressive in person, and one of their better fancy designs for sure.
 
The first thing they should do is simplify their branding. Fedor is using a Whyte Carbon shaft on a Viking butt but he’s sponsored by Triple Sixty who is a parent company of those other brands. Someone not real familiar with the nuance of that company is going to have no idea that it’s all under one umbrella.
 
garczar said:
agree. telling us will accomplish nothing. send it to Viking. i'll count the minutes waiting for their reply. i've msg'd them in the past. results? crickets. well made but butt-ugly cues.
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Mostly, my intent was to start a discussion. I find this forum entertaining and I like to engage.

I think it’s a unique opportunity for Viking to make a resurgence (or initial surge) but it doesn’t look like they are setting themselves up properly to take advantage.
 
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