Contour closes Seattle HQ, shocks employees — execs mum on status of GoPro rival

[3mpire 0]

http://www.geekwire.com/2013/contour-closes-seattle-hq-surprises-employees-execs-mum-status-gopro-rival/

Quote

Contour Inc., one of the pioneers in wearable camera technology, has abruptly closed its Seattle headquarters — surprising many of its employees and leaving the future of the company unclear.

Founded in 2004, the company employed more than 70 people at its peak. It has faced stiff competition in recent years from rival GoPro, but Contour had made the prestigious Inc. 500 list as recently as last year with reported 2011 revenues of $27.3 million.

“As of Friday Contour is CLOSED,” wrote Jacob Hase, the company’s former social media manager, in a public post on his personal Facebook page this week. ”Ya, it shocked all the employees even more. Incredibly hard to just walk away from something you put so much energy into.”

He added in a follow-up comment, “No one really knows what happened. We were just told we are no longer are employed by Contour and the doors were locked on Friday.”
Contour’s cameras, which can be mounted on helmets, bikes and other equipment, are popular among outdoor sports enthusiasts and others as a way to create first-person point-of-view videos.

[Follow-up: Contour co-founder: ‘We weren’t done showing the world what we could do’]

The company’s headquarters space, in a large suite at Seattle’s Northwest Work Lofts, was locked as of early this afternoon, with no one inside, and others at the complex confirmed that Contour employees haven’t been seen there since last week.

Cameras and accessories on the company’s website, including the $350 Contour+2, are listed as temporarily out of stock. Remaining executives with the company haven’t yet returned messages from GeekWire seeking information on the status of the business.
Marc Barros, the Contour co-founder and former CEO who left the company earlier this year, is no longer affiliated with Contour and said via phone today that he hadn’t received any official word about what was happening beyond what he had read on social media.

Barros said it would be sad to see Contour go away. “People spent a lot of years building a great company,” he said.

A search of King County and federal court records didn’t turn up any further clues. We’ve left a series of messages with Contour executives and former employees and will post updates as we learn more.

[DSE 3]

Once Marc left, the writing was on the wall. No one seemed to want to believe that.

[goobersnuftda 0]

Damn it, now all we are going to see are more and more of those dumb ass, look-like-a-dork, square lego block mounted on a raised snag pole, drop by Costco and get another one cameras. Damn.

Sky Systems has been having massive issues in trying to get their new Sky Shot helmet out. Guess the delays have saved them some $$$ then if they can cancel the product line now. Too bad because that sleek flush mount for the Contour and the PROPER CUT AWAY option which every camera helmet should have has little chance of mass production if the Contours are not being produced any more. They have mounting brackets for that Dork-Pro but even at that, any way you try to mount a square block on a round object it just ends up looking stupid.

Guess this is like the old Sony DCR-1000 miniDV cameras. The best tape camera out there at the time but by the time everyone figured that out, the production line was long since closed down.

[WickedWingsuits 0]

What a shame, I much prefer the form factor and button on the Contour to that of the GoPro. I guess I will have to treat mine with more care now!

Summer Rental special, 5 weeks for the price of 4! That is $160 a month.

Try before You Buy with Wicked Wingsuits - WingsuitRental.com

[wetrock 0]

nope start looking in the paper and online for clearance bins with contours in them

[faulknerwn 36]

I love my Contour and the one switch on of it..

Though I must say one of our other jumpers just got the new Sony camera with a one-button on setup and it looks pretty similar to the contours and takes excellent footage. Its definitely better than the GoPros thats for sure..

[adamUK 3]

A real shame.

I was never comfortable mounting a go pro top mount on my lid.

I slid the switch forwards, it beeped and I knew it was on. Then had to go round all the go pro owners and check their led was flashing on run in.

[RMK 3]

goobersnuftda

mounted on a raised snag pole

I also hate the form factor. GoPro have done everything sans added hooks to it to make is snaggy. The silly thumbscrew makes it worse.

Looking at the Sony HDR-AS15, but can't figure out a clean way to side mount (as it can't lay sideways and I don't want to top mount it vertically)

"Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

[Grumpy 5]

Is this what you are looking for?

http://www.flycookie.com/shop/Accessories/101/index.htm

[Superfletch 1]

http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921666555940

This is also a pretty nifty mount option.

Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher
D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I
Videographer/Photographer