How did it all start??

During the studies, but differently than planned!
Pit was studying mechanical engineering and I, Klaus Wanders, was studying graduate-sports. We did different things to finance our studies. Amongst other things, we built and sold wooden toys.The association with kites commenced through a friendly toy store in Aachen. We were so interested in this product that we decided to invest more energy and time in it. First, we sold kites as a seasonal business on the North Sea-Island Norderney. At that time, we had big problems to obtain kites. Since every important kite came from America at that moment, there were major supply-bottlenecks. As we did not want to lose our customers, we started our own production.
A friend of us sewed the first sails and we assembled the kites. In the beginning, we reproduced well-known American models. From the 2nd year, we developed our first own models.
5 “Skydarts” and 5 big “Brontos” were our first order to our seamstresses. In those days, the sewer had cut out and sewed more sails than ordered, so that he delivered us with 10 models each. My brother paniced : “Where to - with so many kites? Today, we still laugh about this situation. 15 years later, we belong to the largest producers and wholesalers throughout Europe.
Legend - 15 years in time-laps 1986Foundation of the company “Elliot” and start of sales1987Start of wholesale with kites and other things.

1987- 1989
Start of the own product-line. Our first great success through the legendary “Jet”; Claus Zeimer, one of the most successful kite-designers of the last 10 years, has belonged to us from the beginning to our team.1990 Our brother-in-law, Peter “Ratz” Fuertjes, joins our company.

1990- 1992
Extension of production and wholesale.
1st publication of design instructions.1993The “Sigma”, a kite without rods, conquers Germany and Europe.

1994- 1996
The programme still increases and we distribute our products in Europe and in America. Michael Hildebrandt follows our team in the sector of development and design of kites. He is responsible for the successful design-instruction line, which is fitted out for the first time with 1x1 cuts.

1997- 1998
The successful era of “wind-toys” is started by the wind wheel-line of Theo Hachmann. Werner Lampe, the owner of the kite store “Luftikus” in Gelsenkirchen, completes our team in the sector of design, advertising and product-development.

1999
We are one of the most established kite companies worldwide. Our product range reaches from simple children kites up to high-quality power kites. In the last years, we increased our programme with many other products (among others, YoYo’s, hammocks, games). We have always made an effort to offer our customers all facets of kite-sport. Although maneuverable kites were the dominated theme of the last few years, we also support for other product lines (the less common single line Ktes as well as buggysport). Today we work with different designers very closely together at home and abroad. Even in the 15th year, we still really enjoy the business. We have seen a lot of the world with and through our kites. We find it nice and additionally it is a motivation that people all over the world enjoy our products (but sometimes they are also frustrated by them). Elliot presented in the Internet: for the first time, Elliot presents themselves with an own homepage in the net.

2000
This was the big year of the “Scooter”. As one of the first companies we have brought the “Micro-Skatescooter” on the market in Germany and have caused a boom, which has never been like this before. The whole of Germany wheels around on Scooters.
Kite surfing is getting more and more popular and is one of the trend-sports of the following years.
With the “Mystic” and the “Big Lift” come 2 new giants on the market and complete our power kite-program.

2001
The successful ”Sigma-line” receives 2 new models, “Sigma Sport” and Sigma-Fun”. We have completed the extremely successful “Ekko Classic” with the “Ekko-Alpha”. Ute Nissen was become world champion in Buggy-driving by this kite at the end of 2000.

2002
In this year it was the first time for Elliot to win an election of fovourite kites. The EKKO 1.7 has been elected by the readers of the magazine "Sport und Design Drachen" for the best quadline-traction-foil.
Our team has been extended. With Christa Treptow we got support in sales and after-sales-service.
With the Spaceball and the Powerball we had the smallest "body-building-studio of the World" for sale.


2003
Our range of products grew up again with several news. The Label Ozone joined us with their wide range program of tractionfoils. The foils Little Devil, Razor an Frenzy are the new highlights in quality and performance.

2004
After 2 years of development we introduced a new buggy into the kiting-scene. The VIRUS has been designed by Friedhelm Muhs.
In october we got the exclusive-rights for distribution of the BLOKART in Germany.

2005
In January we got the "Promotion Award Gold" for our "flying BECK´s beer case"
In march we moved to our new bureaus: 500 squaremeters for bureaus, storage and so on.
With the brand FIREBIRD we added a new programme of high performance tractionfoils to our portolio.

2006
It is nearly unbelievable. Elliot is celebrating the 20th anniversary at 03-18-2006 with customers, suppliers, family an friends. With Red Bull, Caipirinhaa and Jägermeister the party lasts till 5 o´clock in the mornig.
With several sales we thank our customers for the last 20 years and the confidence they have placed in us.
Our new quadline-foil Magma came into the market and made waves all over Germany and Europe.
Elliot is changing from "partnership under the civil code" to a "limited company".

2007
This year we started with many innovations such as the new intermediate quadline foil Lava and our first framed quadline kite Drop Kick.
Our brother in law "Ratz", who is working with us since 1989, is now executive director of the Elliot GmbH beside Klaus and Peter Wanders


Kind regards, wherever you are
Klaus and Peter Wanders, Peter Fürtjes