Quote from the latest Kiteboarder mag:

"The masters were the best equipped to handle the conditions given their vast experience, with renowned riders like Darren Marshall and JB ensuring the category gained a new level of competetiveness."

I would like to point out that it was in fact WA's own VB aka Paul Comerford not JB as printed. Bad luck Paul, it seems shortening your name to two letters was not good enough, they still spelt it wrong, try just V next time.

Marklar

You think thats bad, is that the only page you saw or something?

Once again an issue of australia's own flagship magazine is filled with the same boring riders doing stupid, supposedly technical, non progressive tricks and blowing smoke up each others arses at how superior they are...****.

I was hoping an educated person taking over the mag would help it to straighten out a bit and gain some credibility, obviously bill crang has majored in being a poser...Get your own identity gaylord.

Sounds like jealousy.
If you dont like it dont read it.

Kiteboarder mag sucked from day one, except for the pics. Actually reading it just makes me angry. I find it ironic that they were so against internet forums from day one, then realised the advertising potential and went all out to stir up **** on kiteforum, and now they're promoting Seabreeze in the latest edition.

It pisses me off that the mag I hate is in every newsagent, but getting kiteworld, kitesurf etc takes timing and effort.

Just thought I would let everyone know that the latest issue (14) of Kiteworld is here in Oz and can be ordered by your local shop from the usual distributor.
There is a limited amount of Issue 13, we only got 50, so you would need to be quick, good issue though.

Regardless of what people say about Kiteboarder here, and I could say plenty too , it is improving with every issue and sells out in our shops now!

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve McCormack

All too true!! Imagine a magazine with massive sequences and shots - but of Dan Anderson doing a double back inverted heart attack!! It would be so great for everyone and the sport to see some actually spectacular images (big and stylish). Instead there is a Pullout Poster of someone turning on a surfboard or doing a Tail-grab - geez anyone who can jump can do a simple grab "what's the point??" The editors words this issue are a joke, as is the supposed KBM's Choice Awards. Some things never change i guess!!

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I foolishly bought that mag once to read on an interstate flight, eventually slid it under the seat hoping no one associated me with it. Every headline an embarressment, the prose was all about beer bongs, misogynist rantings & homophobic projections everywhere. Stuff even an average 16 year old would find lame. Surely the troubled troglodytes featuring in the magazine are not representative of our sport?

Bo

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Refreshing to hear I'm not the only one that thinks KB Mag is crap! I'm new to the sport and couldn't believe how similar this mag is to teenage marketed surfing mags, although I'd prefer reading them cos there's a bit more variety and maturity within the articles!

KB Mag - Maybe a few sections on how to / location reviews / product reviews -in way gr8er detail than is currently offered and a lot less Spewy grog / bucket bong bollox. And I agree too with the post about Dre . . . . BORING!! Hasn't everybody heard the infinite details of the hot shots, their style / achievements just once too often??

Guy

That article on Balls takes the cake. What's with some of these spono kiters criticising other styles of Kiteboarding? Who cares if you "dangle" are into unhooked wakestyle, waves,or just like to cruise.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought kiteboarding was about having fun?

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Originally posted by wind dummy

... your quite welcome to make your own mag and then you can feature yourself.

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ummm... we are doing just that, every time we click that "Post New Reply" button

what's more... the articles here are far more entertaining, informative, and the interactivity is "way kewl".

Here you'll find info' on how to repair your pump so that you can kite more... KBM tell you how to stuff it and use it to kill brain cells... IMHO they've been testing that bong/pump and sucking from the "little fella" far too much; the effect is really showing throughout the publication!


On a different note:
The liquor and media laws and codes of conduct, at least in Vic, are very strict about the portrayal of responsible alcohol use... obviously KBM don't think that they need observe these restraints, which are imposed by the population to protect itself from social decay/disease (I spent ten years working in pubs, but no more... watching people destroying their potential and debasing themselves doesn't sit well with me anymore... I'd rather be stuck on the beach watching everyone else kiting)

Ryland,
So come clean dude, why did you jump ship to slingshot?. Send me an e-mail I'm keen to hear your perspective.
what did they offer one of the best kiters in WA/AUS that Airush couldn't match?

hirschausen@hotmail.com

More emphasis should be put on making "dangle trinks" more powerful fluid, stylish and controlled. The airtime is what most kiters enjoy and the crowds definatly like to watch. 'Wakestyle tricks' have their place but so do 'dangle tricks.' Kiters in general should be aiming to make
Kiteboarding its own sport, Too much effort on wakestyle riding just makes us look like wakeboarders behind a kite.
Maybe if i'm wrong we should separate the two and have comp called the wakekiting nationals & another called the kiteboarding nationals?

coz they really are sick kites. i flew all the airush kites and the fuels and personally i preferred the fuels. the airush where good to but i liked the one pump the bars heaps better and they are good alrounders. and tuff as. ride what u want and dont stereotype all slingshot riders as wake only coz i like hooking AND unhooking coz they both have their benifits. if u only ride wakestyle why wear a harness and use a harness line on your bar. thats wakeboarding.

Ryland,
You know I don't label everyone with the same title. You, Jake, Theresa, Choicey now that he's a dad and has mellowed!. Are the face of Slingshot in my opinion. The east coast crew need to take a leaf out of your book when it comes to style on and off the water.

I wanted to know what the goss was why you decided to go with Slingy kites that's all. Your'e a great kiter and you can go where you want. I'm not on a slingshot hunt at all. I like everyone, you know that. What I'm dark on is the "unhoked is coolest man" "hooked in is gay and outdated" kind of people out there that seem to think THEY are the future and we should follow their lead.

That mentality is reflected in Australia's only kiteboarding magazine and it sucks. It's wrong, it doesn't reflect kitng worldwide and it certainly makes Australian kiters...if our local magazine is a reflection of our attitude; simply dumb and fashion victims.

Go tea bagging, go wave riding, go unhooked go it all in my opinion. Promote everything good that's happening, regardless of where it is, who did well and who didn't.

I was really dissapointed to see that the top results were not printed up in all divisions and I expect to see kiteboarder magazine redeem itself to WA readers by doing a little better in the next issue. Maybe even profile a few WA crew instead of focussing on a few East coast coasters. What the nationals pointed out was that the WA riders rate when compared to the rest of the country.

Coverage in Australian magazines is what gives them the ability to get further sponsorship so they can afford to get to the East Coast comps, at least give them credit where credit is due to level the playing field a bit.

Just my opinion.

Thanks Laurie.

I don't know why the KB magazine keeps portraying the comp and the west side as holding back the growth of our sport. The little article on page 10 says that we should reward those riding with more power and style. Who else did you have in mind mate? Everyone that rode hard and made it look easy did get rewarded. The rest didn't compare to the best unfortunately. We all thought that it was obvious, he/she went hard, he/she LANDED with ease. Attempts were noted on their difficulty to finally judge the over all style. But they couldn't be scored because it was not an attempt comp or a practice run. Next time, not only try them, but make sure that you've got them dialled before you bring it to our shores; and don't forget to try it on more than 15knts of wind, because it will be exactly that on the day. If you don't, you may find that you have to stick to simpler moves and reflect back to 2003, but at least you'd be scored and not have to resort to defending your state through your Magazine.

Love and hugs all round,
Bill, I will happily tell everyone that reads this forum that there is only truth in your reply. You did approach with an offer to do media stuff. As event coordinator focusing on the event infastructure etc, that area (media) I left up to the bigger fish as i am only one man, with no experience in that area at all, so I can't comment on that realistically as It wasn't my call.

Thanks for your reply and defending your stance.

We all know that dollars print magazines and we know that any magazine does the best that they can to be honest and open whilst still paying printing costs. Thats reality and we are aware of that.

What is also reality is that your magazine is purchesed by riders and riders are expressing openly what it is that they want to read. It's readers that bring in the profits and there is a certain amount (total in my opinion) of, how can I say it, economics that comes into it. Of course you might want to point out that this is just a forum and the comments are biased, but there isn't a great deal of supporters out there rushing to the defense of the current format of the magazine. Take it as "constructive criticism" maybe?.

Please give us more of the variety we are looking for and less of the narrow focus on one style as it is not representative of the market, again in my opinion. Then again, I live out in the sticks and don't really know what kiting is all about.

I can only speak for myself, but I am, and I quote "dissapointed" with what was arguably, and argueing is not something I want... Geraldton was the best nationals ever, it rescued the lagging and failing credibility that the national competition was facing. with competitions struggling to really get going, Geraldton gave ou sport the credibility in competitions that we so dearly needed to be taken more seriously. It was the first time the nationals had been run by a state body, it was the first time in a regional location, it was the first time waves was included. It was a first time for many more things too.

Ok, maybe not a focus on style and judging format of the comp but on the fact that 30+ volunteers got together to create a competition for our sport, for the riders. The head honcho wasn't sponsored by anyone, didn't get paid a cent and was completely answerable to the state body which was in turn, completely answerable to the national body. To fully act in the interest of all riders.

A judging criteria that was PROVEN at international level as being excellent and I will quote, and I will show the footage if you want. Aaron Hadlow stating that "it(Gravity Games) was the best judging system he had ever been involved in". same feedback from Adam Koch and trust me I know, as i interviewed em all as a commentator for the event(all be it ****ty commentary, but then i didn't see anyone else throw their hand up to volunteer)

That judging criteria was opened up for scrutiny 4 months before the National competition and ian Young asked for National feedback from ANYONE weeks after the Gravity games. Alas, no one, not kiteboarder magazine, not the riders, no-one officially responded. A committee was formed from all over the country with a huge amount of rider input. (Unfortunately it simply ended up in a bitch session, too little too late)

The kind of stuff that wasn't reported and really would have been excellent for all those volunteers involved with the process was the huge effort by volunteers. it might have even given them the thanks on the beach at their local spot back home to even do it again when asked next year. Five seconds of fame?. I want five seconds of fame for the guys that not only won their divisions, but rated top three at least, but also the names of those guys who sat, on a boat for four days making it clear, accountable and a true reflection of the best kiteboarder in this country at that moment in time.


Bill if you had been a bit more open and approached me about a possible "expression session", "demo event" a little earlier than twilight on the last day, I might have really been able to help you out more than just giving you permission to go ahead. Please realise that in a legal world my name, my job, my everything was on the line with that competition and I need a little more proffessional approach than I got to allow something to go ahead under the constraints that I was operating under. If anything went wrong, it wasn't agreed to by the insureres and kitesurfing as we know it at that magic spot in Geraldton would be history.

i still let you go for it. (silence) Your'e welcome.

Bill, you have a lot of power with that machine you call a magazine, and I want to say to you publicly (smiling) to quote from spiderman, my hero and from the first movie. "what comes with great power, is even greater responsibility".

I want to have confidence that in this country the only kiter magazine we have, is going to hold up our sport in all areas, that's all.

You can call me Bill, 0427922206 if you have any questions for your next article,I will be only too happy to give you any article information you need.

Gavin Hirschausen