Its funny reading the replies they are all defensive because most don’t actually answer the question but more argue the point it can be dangerous as well as difficult....
kite surfing the waves as a spectator I would say, no its not that impressive watching people ride onshore slop as most do, not knocking the discipline but from a viewers perspective its not that impressive - at least not comparable to say a big boost jingle jingo trick … but then the same can be said for wakestyle kite low tricks from a viewers perspective....
kite surfing in cross offshore winds with a style that is powerful in turns without straps is impressive to me but again it’s impressive because there is more risk in those conditions than the average session onshore that most kitesurfers are into (and rightly so for safety), it (offshore) also can be more difficult depending on what type of break your dealing with, if its just a head high dumper wave or you can get a couple of turns on it or for the chance of trying to get a barrel hooked into a kite….
what I believe is poor for the progression of kite surfing as a disipline is that surfers tend to have this rigid idea of whats expected and whats true to surfing, they then bring this expectation over into the kitesurfing scene and this only box's them into one style... the strapless depower your kite kind of thing
.. the power of a kite offers a lot more than just the power of a wave or the power of a tow in with a jet ski (regarding straps).. Don’t put boundaries on the disipline, that’s just what the marketing companies want to further entice surfers into a box!
Kite surfing is not surfing… period!
There probably is very little difference from 5 years ago except the marketing angle and the gear used has changed.. from a wave riding perspective though it hasn’t changed to be any more impressionable , if you look at then and now.
I by far am not a good kite” surfer" but I know what’s impressionable and also what’s difficult. I like to think I also have a good imagination of what’s possible for dudes that do naturally rip to take the sport to a higher level than already being done – and with my imagination I am pretty sure its going to be impressive
I think you should do what makes you happy and also think this post originally is just someone fishing for attention ...I also see future replies along the lines o******o what makes you happy and along the lines of trolling fishing analogies...hindsight into the future is a marvelous thing
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As long as you come in happy with a smile on your face who really cares. 
