Was determined that I was not going to get involved in this discussion, but can’t help myself.

The thing is that everyone that has their own opinion on where the sport should be going is exactly right on their given day.

The problem is that any given day, Kitesurfing is not that same as the one before. We don’t ride the same skate ramp every day, or ride a cable park or behind the boat with the tower at the same height and boat at the same speed. We Kitesurf

That means that we take part in many different conditions that in a way govern what types of tricks we are gonna do on the day. I love all aspects of the sport and on my 13, 11 or 9 wake style is where it is at. Love trying all the progressive tricks and passes and don’t even bother boosting or looping at all. Well maybe occational loop for crowd on my 9m.

Crank up the knots and if the swell is running then onto my 7m for some surfing and boosting if no waves. Few board off and old school tricks thrown in.
Then if wind really kicks in then onto the megaloops because in 30knots+ nobody is having that much fun trying to do new school wake tricks.

The thing is conditions change your riding, if you got out on your 9m and you nicely powered you can try anything you want, as soon as you become uncomfortable unhooking as wind picks up, what you gonna do, just ride up and down. Nop do the lame old school stuff.

The thing is anyone who has seen Lenten ride, knows he can do pretty much any powered pass he wants, and they are powered. [}:)]
In the winds he was riding in that vid, what would anyone else do trick wise apart from megaloop it, if you have the balls?

Embrace the variety, but push the boundries when the conditions are right.

Good point bobjaan! I completely agree.

But in the end (if you want to get all technical) the rider should be sponsored for the progressive things he does in the good conditions, not the things in between.
e.g.
Some days it's windy at the skatepark, so the pro's go bomb big hills. Pretty gnarly in itself but they are not going to get sponsored for it.

p.s.
Saffer... I think you need to lighten up, all that stuff is a joke, no one thinks they are a real gangsta. Sorry if you are to old to understand that bit of humor. I will tell them to make faulty tower references from now on.

thats pure ****ing insanity!!!

rowdy you are gayer than aids and you like boys

Regardless of your stance on things the kid is pushing it in terms of going out in RAW Nature and pulling the trigger. Len10 is giving people what they expect from him - Huge dirty Mega Loops in extreme conditions.

Dissect it, compare it however you please but I doubt you will find anyone else pushing the envelope like this in nuking conditions.

Personally I think he should just keep doing what he is doing because this is what leads to the next level of progression. (In 35knts+ winds at least).

lord rabble i think what you find he is saying is that lenten is pushing what can be done in 35+ not pushign the sport to head in the 35+ direction.


might as well have the sport being pushed in legit directions in all conditions.

I love a good megaloop at the best of times in silly winds, Gonna try a megaloop board off.

Is that gonna be progression???

I love all the Ruben vids, they are part of the reason I got into kiting.

For me: Massive boosts/ominous stormy weather/big waves are all part of the adrenaline rush. Nothing to me feels better than chasing down some big waves and boosting higher than I thought possible. 100% exhausted having swallowed a few liters of salt water. While some have commented that what Ruben is doing is merely 'dangling' I beg to differ considering how easily it would be to get knocked of an edge while boosting, land those jumps, dodge the froth monsters.

If progression is defined as following the most skilled riders out there instead of the riders having the most fun then I'm yawning already.

loudas said...

Rowdy why do you have to be so negative about every topic that is posted?

Because im stuck inside doing Uni work
And mostly i just like to get people worked up, its kinda a hobby.

I'm actually gonna get a shirt made up with writing on the front that says "Im good at the internet".

Ben De Jonge said...

What are you studying Rowdy? Diplomacy?

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^gold

The vido of Len10 wasn't that good. The video of him riding with hadlow...capetown sessions or something posted a few months ago? was heaps better..they have their place in a vid but not the only thing in a vid..

As for direction of sport I think competition riding in lots of sports is not as good to watch as freeriding. That's why they have expression sessions and stuff, where the style and vibe counts for more than the pureley technical aspects.

wakestyle is ok but after the third or forth rotation it all looks the same...that extra half rotation or pass (like snowboarding - everyone gets ecxited about the number of spins) but it just looks worse and worse the more you try and squeeze in. Snowboarding you see dudes having a fit trying to twist themselves in a knot spinning 7 or 8 times in a circle off a kicker when a really high laid out grab maybee with a half rotation would look better. Harder is not always more stylish. who cares how high the kite is so long as the person doing it makes it look easy and smooth. Everyone bagged the kavin langeree vid posted recently but I thought it was pretty good...

Kiting allows you to have more time to do stuff so why not capitalise on it and take it to a level that other sports cant? If wakeboarders could put higher poles on their boats to give them more hangtime they would.

^^ LOL keep the blood comming, this is awesome.

How good is the internet seriously. Entertainment at the touch of your fingertips.

p.s.
To all those haters out there, I would like you to know that I am actually going to be competing in some world tour events next year. It's going to be sick.

i recon Rowdy may be alex sans' alter ego.

Rowdy, you don't need to make up your own t shirt. Slingshot already made it for you.
" TOUCH ME I'M SICK "

In my original post I stated that i had found some respect for your riding from watching that vid, but i've come to realise that it wasn't the vid Tobes posted.It was probably someone else. For such a dangle hater that was very Dangle until the end. I hope your kiting has improved since that vid if you are going to enter in some world kiting events. Because if you havent improved Ruben will smoke you like a dutch oven.