I started with Black Prince and wore through them in less than a season. I then tried the Yellow Kings and still have a same pair on the bike for two seasons.
I’ve suggested to a number of my fellow club riders to try Yellow Kings and when they have, they have all thanked me!
Each to their own as they say… but Swisstop… best choice for brake pads IMHO!
And in reality, even in mountain race in the rain it is not a big deal because… if it rains and you are in a bunch of other riders the group simply brake gently, carefully and slowly. Not the same way as in good weather. No big deal at all. In theory - you have terrible braking, in real world it is well enough anyway.
I’ve not got loads of experience with other carbon rims but I am more than happy with the braking performance of my Campy Bora WTOs and the supplied Campy red pads. It is as good or better than my Mavic Ksyrium Elite aluminium rims with swisstop BXPs.
WTOs are louder though!
Edit: Obviously I don’t ever get my WTOs wet though…
Your right, more crucial to perform maintenance regularly. Brake pad maintenance is probably one of the most important factors that leads to premature wear of any rim.
Very few people spend time removing the grit that ends up embedded in their pads and wears brake strips down .
If you maintain a clean chain to prolong drivetrain components life, why not brake pads to preserve an expensive wheelset?