Now that I have your attention, there is a serious issue with foiling that needs to be addressed.

As foiling gains in popularity I can see a situation where the learning curve for getting into kitesurfing is going to be so high that the average Jill or joe is going to be so intimidated by the skills and cost required to be considered good at it or even get started that they just won't bother. If seasoned kiters with years of experience under their belt find it really challenging then what chance the lay person. Unless you grow up in a kiting family even young people won't take it up. Basically the sport will die, windsurfing style, as the old time afficionados age with it.

On another note why is mowing the lawn suddenly cool now just because it's 1m up in the air and you spent $2k to do it?

Anyway just some random thoughts while I get frustrated by my time off the water. I haven't said anything too controversial have I?

On another note why is snowboarding popular? 99% of people can't even edge properly... Or twin tips. Most people can hardly get the fins clear of the water.

It's not "really challenging", just a steep initial learning curve. Unless you're an egg.

I don't see how foiling will in anyway deter people from taking up kitesurfing. It's just a different way and another choice to kite. I might want to try foiling soon but if I find it too hard for me to learn I won't then give up kiting all together. And what is wrong with getting on the water and just mowing the lawn, if that's what you are into? Each to there own.

I'd try foiling myself if I was you and then Decide if it will be the death of kiteboarding and also if it is mowing the lawn in air. You'll find you are incorrect on both accounts.

I think foiling will recruit more people to kiting. Imagine youre a 14 year old sailing a fast little boat, and a kitefoiler overtakes you on an upwind tack doing mach 3. You would never want to sit in your boring little bathtub again.

hopefully this phenomenon you speak of screens out any potential new kiters from the golfing fraternity and generally thins out the crowds of seasonal influxes of kooks at crowded spots. This also means less repetitiion of threads on seabreeze about the subjects of gojoes, etc

A decline in the number of new kiters is potentially a win for existing kiters if there is a surplus of gear being produced, meaning lower end of season prices for all the regular joe current kiters out there.

wishy said..
I think foiling will recruit more people to kiting. Imagine youre a 14 year old sailing a fast little boat, and a kitefoiler overtakes you on an upwind tack doing mach 3. You would never want to sit in your boring little bathtub again.

You are right there, I think that's why heaps of sailboarders are now jumping onto the foil craze, its been a savior to the dwindling sailboarding industry.

Most of my local kiting venues are too shallow so it makes foiling impractical

Only use in light wind kiting and use in waves with out kite Otherwise on my surf boards with stronger wind My little quiver Green is the new blacklol

imo foiling is cheaper as you can basically get away with one kite quiver for 95% of wind strength. If you can fly a kite in light wind you can use that one kite from sub 10 knots to over 20 .

dbabicwa said..
Absolutely with OP.

To all foilers, please post a pic with your JUMPS, which is a basic TT skill.

No pics? Ah well...Before you *jump* into conclusions, I do foil.

Some people are unable to jump on TT or SB, and that's ok. Show us something else than.

Oh, and high wind foiling? Or RedBull King of Air? It won't happen.

As requested. Foiling jump, Yes its a pretty average jump and a grainy photo. That was around 4 months into foiling


High wind foiling 35-40 knots, 4m uno.


The above photo looks pretty benign. But below photo (not me in the pic) is the 100m upwind of the above photo pic. It certainly was not a benign day!


I haven't got any pics of me foiling waves yet. But I can and do get into head high plus waves on the foil.

Thats pretty epic ,4m and overhead waves does add a level of excitement!

dbabicwa said..
Absolutely with OP.

To all foilers, please post a pic with your JUMPS, which is a basic TT skill.

No pics? Ah well...Before you *jump* into conclusions, I do foil.

Some people are unable to jump on TT or SB, and that's ok. Show us something else than.

Oh, and high wind foiling? Or RedBull King of Air? It won't happen.

I am a little confused on what you are asking for and why ?

If I want to jump get on my TT with a 10m rebel in 25 to 30 knots.

If I want to foil then I foil....

bramber said..
Now that I have your attention, there is a serious issue with foiling that needs to be addressed.

As foiling gains in popularity I can see a situation where the learning curve for getting into kitesurfing is going to be so high that the average Jill or joe is going to be so intimidated by the skills and cost required to be considered good at it or even get started that they just won't bother. If seasoned kiters with years of experience under their belt find it really challenging then what chance the lay person. Unless you grow up in a kiting family even young people won't take it up. Basically the sport will die, windsurfing style, as the old time afficionados age with it.

On another note why is mowing the lawn suddenly cool now just because it's 1m up in the air and you spent $2k to do it?

Anyway just some random thoughts while I get frustrated by my time off the water. I haven't said anything too controversial have I?

Yeah nah, Foiling is a global phenomenon not limited to just kiting. You can get a foil for anystyle of board now. SB, SUP, Kite, efoil, various yatchs including america's cup.... hell even windsurfing is getting foils and that sport was cancelled 15 years ago!

Foiling will pull more people into kiting,

Foiling looks like mowing the lawn because the action is occuring under the water. From the land you cant see the sensations that are occuring. needless to say foiling is not a spectators sport, it is a participators sport, You need to feel the action to understand it.

Shouldn't this be in the victa section ??
The foil in big waves and winds looks like a rush.

eppo said..

dbabicwa said..
Absolutely with OP.

To all foilers, please post a pic with your JUMPS, which is a basic TT skill.

No pics? Ah well...Before you *jump* into conclusions, I do foil.

Some people are unable to jump on TT or SB, and that's ok. Show us something else than.

Oh, and high wind foiling? Or RedBull King of Air? It won't happen.

I am a little confused on what you are asking for and why ?

If I want to jump get on my TT with a 10m rebel in 25 to 30 knots.

If I want to foil then I foil....

Sorry Epp,

I thought Plumm wrote this.

Why? Because we need a TT and SB riders to please the crowd. The same crowd who buys gear b/c they got exited watching you doing your stuff on a TT which you are NOT doing on a HF.

AFL does not need a crowd for survival?

How's that?