I have been window shopping rods and reels lately and I was browsing Quantum's new gear. I noticed that all of the KVD signature line is gone except for the Team KVD. Even the local fishing shop is discontinuing the Tour KVD rods. It also seems that KVD isn't "backing" the new gear like he did the Exo and original Smoke. I seen he was doing promos for them at ICast. Could this be a developing story of KVD and Quantum separating or am I looking to far into this? Kind of reminds me of when Ike left Daiwa for Abu.

Who cares?  Though:

 

http://www.kevinvandam.com/on_tour/tackle_room/quantum

23 minutes ago, Chance_Taker4 said:

I have been window shopping rods and reels lately and I was browsing Quantum's new gear. I noticed that all of the KVD signature line is gone except for the Team KVD. Even the local fishing shop is discontinuing the Tour KVD rods. It also seems that KVD isn't "backing" the new gear like he did the Exo and original Smoke. I seen he was doing promos for them at ICast. Could this be a developing story of KVD and Quantum separating or am I looking to far into this? Kind of reminds me of when Ike left Daiwa for Abu.

Are you a journalist? Maybe KVD is following his best friend Mark Zona to Diawa. J/k to play along I'd guess he's going nowhere. He's stuck by his main sponsors since pretty much day one. He seems pretty loyal to them. Heck there are better boats than Nitro. Minkota has a leg up on Motorguide but he sticks with MG and Nitro. Those are just two examples. 

2 hours ago, 12poundbass said:

Are you a journalist? Maybe KVD is following his best friend Mark Zona to Diawa. J/k to play along I'd guess he's going nowhere. He's stuck by his main sponsors since pretty much day one. He seems pretty loyal to them. Heck there are better boats than Nitro. Minkota has a leg up on Motorguide but he sticks with MG and Nitro. Those are just two examples. 

I am not a journalist but it just seems like Quantum was pushing Kevin with all their products and all of a sudden they drop his name and his backing. the manager at my local shop was the one that planted the seed in my head when we were talking about his rods being discontinued.
I've been a fan of KVD since I started fishing. I think it would be strange to see him using anything but Quantum. But like I said earlier Ike never announced his departure from Daiwa. His rods showed up on Ebay and people started speculating then he is seen with Veritas rods on his boat and then Abu Garcia announced he had jumped to them.

These guys are just salesmen. I'll bet if they weren't paid to shill products most of them would have rods from a variety of manufacturers and very few if any would be from Quantum or Abu. 

1 hour ago, HookRz said:

These guys are just salesmen. I'll bet if they weren't paid to shill products most of them would have rods from a variety of manufacturers and very few if any would be from Quantum or Abu. 

True, True... I was just discussing this with a coworker today. I have given all five of the mainstream big boys (for reels) a fair shake and I ALWAYS come back to Shimano. I do feel Daiwa in on par with Shimano as well. For rods I have a few that I like, again, including Shimano/ Loomis, Daiwa, Falcon and Kistler. Saltwater its again, Shimano and Dawia along with Batson and Calstar. Truth be told though, at the end of the day its really all about fishing what you are comfortable with and enjoy...

I read an interview with KVD in 2007, 10 years ago and he was discussing sponsors. He said he had been offered more money from different lure companies, boat manufacturers and just about every tackle manufacturer and he said it doesn't matter to him. He said he is sticking by the sponsors that helped him from the beginning and for him loyalty means more than money. He said that you'll see sponsors drop guys when business is slow or if the guy has a rough couple of seasons but all his sponsors stuck by him even in difficult times and he has pledged to stay with the same sponsors until his career ends or when they end the commitment. Now it is easy for him to do that since I'm assuming he is paid generously and his name recognition alone would mean he will never have to wait to pick up a new sponsor should one leave. I also read in a fishing tackle trade magazine that KVD is probably the only angler than can put his name on a product and it is almost guaranteed to generate sales.