T one said...
to live is to push boundaries, otherwise its just existence...
they dont have to be other peoples expectations, but surely every time you kite, you wanna be a bit better at it??? i sure as hell do...

its an interesting question SB, and one that at 46 i find myself asking more often.
i will let you know when i find the answer
bring on the monsoon

I agree with you Tony, but I can assure you that the body isn't always agreeable when your heading toward 60.
Doesn't stop me though.
Plenty of time to rest when they nail the lid on and lower me into the ground.

"strokes for folks" i guess
i operate a little differently. i always love to get out on the water, but am always wanting to push that little bit more/better/further than i have done before.
It keeps me motivated, and frothin for the next wave/gust/buttery flatness...
having said that... I think that part of the truly great thing about kiting is its wide appeal to many different types of peeps. our local crew are a classic example, ultra diverse, and all sharin the stoke!

eppo said...
Well most of you know my story now. Been in and out of physiotherapists, chiropractic, damn witch doctors on sorry that's the ortheopeadic surgeons office.

Difference this time is the ankle won't heal. Yet. One to two weeks nor ally settled down and off I went. Although I did miss a Bali surf trip and a grand final footy game along the way.

This time though it is different, and as I turn 40 in April, yep been asking these questions.

Infact it made me scale back from the VX kite to the lithuim, but the lithuim ( an awesome kite), was just too plug and play for me. Hence now the smooth edges.

So yeh it has affected my kite and board choice ( shinn monk for the ankles) and also the way I ride.

Just a fact for me, but this depends. It is how you are built. I stopped playing footy at 27, my bro stopped at 38, but he's built stocky and strong. I am more lean.

So genetics plays a big part I reckon.

But that being all said, if I need to chop this damn foot off and stick a prosthetic on so I can kite, I will!

got any hard beaches or feilds on your area? you could consider getting a kite buggy and doing some buggying while the foot heals. Your still getting a kiting fix and learning new skills!.

I think it goes something like this..... "the older I am the better I was" lol

Plummet said...

eppo said...
Well most of you know my story now. Been in and out of physiotherapists, chiropractic, damn witch doctors on sorry that's the ortheopeadic surgeons office.

Difference this time is the ankle won't heal. Yet. One to two weeks nor ally settled down and off I went. Although I did miss a Bali surf trip and a grand final footy game along the way.

This time though it is different, and as I turn 40 in April, yep been asking these questions.

Infact it made me scale back from the VX kite to the lithuim, but the lithuim ( an awesome kite), was just too plug and play for me. Hence now the smooth edges.

So yeh it has affected my kite and board choice ( shinn monk for the ankles) and also the way I ride.

Just a fact for me, but this depends. It is how you are built. I stopped playing footy at 27, my bro stopped at 38, but he's built stocky and strong. I am more lean.

So genetics plays a big part I reckon.

But that being all said, if I need to chop this damn foot off and stick a prosthetic on so I can kite, I will!

got any hard beaches or feilds on your area? you could consider getting a kite buggy and doing some buggying while the foot heals. Your still getting a kiting fix and learning new skills!.

Yeh have considered that. But not really we don't get those big tidal beaches here. Nor open areas. Might give it some more thought hey.

It's not age or the number of tricks..... It's about having fun.
Christ Brock once said when asked who's the best surfer said "the guy with the biggest grin."

"More important to kite tomorrow than a trick today"
PREA

superlizard said...
...

Are you saying if i go to school/uni and i just have fun and not work hard, eventually things will ramp up and I will gain necessary skills and graduate and get degree etc...? (Wow).

Of if i'm in a job, and i just relax and chill out and enjoy it, i will learn equally same as opposed to actually putting my back into it, setting goals, and committing to the tasks and trying to improve my skills etc??

....

Perhaps it's just a question of attitude.

Some people see things as difficult and challenging and make a fuss about it ... and make excuses when they fail.

Others just get on and apply persistent, sustainable effort and get the job done without so much noise and fuss. If barriers are encountered along the way you just push a little harder ... or go around them.

you know that you're over the hill
when your mind makes a promise that your body can't fill
Little Feat


OR

if it's too windy, you're too old
me

It is a personal thing how hard you go, whether you want to learn more to do tricks and push boundaries etc . Back to the strapped /unstrapped , new style/ old style threads .

I have always liked learning any new thing which peaks my interest or due to necessity. Over 5 years - guitar , kiting , a new place to live , new occupation , new friends and various qualifications . ( not particularly good at any ) Each of these can be broken down to adding new tricks to each skill . I can only learn new tricks within each skill at a certain pace .

Kiting with T One am blown away by the energy he puts into it. No bloody holes barred but I think its still calculated within the boundaries of physical capacity .

My approach is lower key - I enjoy flowing moves which don't impact too much on a 51 year body which has copped a pounding from a physical occupation over 30 years. The moves are becoming stonger and better executed as I go .I prefer waves and sb as you get the added adreneline against flat water if you are not into flicky tricks .

And ain't it great watching the groms copping a flogging , then listening to them having a shot at us oldies cause we can't whatever they think they can do and to celebrate with others as they advance their various skills .

It's the vibe of the thing too

RPM said...
Ask wavelsave..

What is it, RPM ?

Why do you need to get so personal on a public forum ?

Why do you even need to mention my stupid name on this thread ?

Why not just stay on-topic, dude ?

Why not just talk about age versusing skill and so forth ?

lol.

T one said...
"strokes for folks" i guess
i operate a little differently. i always love to get out on the water, but am always wanting to push that little bit more/better/further than i have done before.
It keeps me motivated, and frothin for the next wave/gust/buttery flatness...
having said that... I think that part of the truly great thing about kiting is its wide appeal to many different types of peeps. our local crew are a classic example, ultra diverse, and all sharin the stoke!

I used to be like T one. For years and years i competed at mountain biking. must be the best, I have to win, I must progress, I must put in the hard work, I must and then I will achieve my goals and gain saticfaction. So I trained and trained and did alright at racing. But one day I was riding on my road bike (I Hate road biking) into a head wind (hate head winds) by myself in the rain and I came to a realisation. This is not fun. I have just created another job for myself. So I stopped racing. . . . . . . .

Any way the morell of the story is that the end game or goal should be Fun. That is what you are doing the sport for to have fun!!...

So I no longer have to be the best or learn the latest trick. My goal now is to have the most fun. My aim is to have a 50 session.

The saying goes. When you are in your old age on your death bed you can recall 50 days of your past. Lets say your 88 and the oldest kite surfer in the world and are about to die, what are the days you can recall?

Those sessions are the sessions I want to have.!

I do agree that you need to progress otherwise you plateau. but that progression doesn't need to take the form of I must do the latest and most dangerous trick.

anoldman said...
It's not age or the number of tricks..... It's about having fun.
Christ Brock once said when asked who's the best surfer said "the guy with the biggest grin."

I think youve just saved my kitesurfing life at 50 years old i was the only one doing american style whoops yesterday doing jumps you could bearly fit a cigarette paper under my board. Even with my torn abbs and dodgy knees.