VIC
1121 posts
I can see why this never took off, no offence Flipper, but it looks crap. They hardly have any control once air borne, let alone when on the water. It all looks very awkward having to switch hands to the second boom which is above head height. A windsurfer can jump higher than any of those things and be in full control.
VIC
1746 posts
I'd like to try one..
It's interesting how horizontal it goes in the air. Must mean that we should get lower and get the rig more horizontal for jumps normally..
NSW
9029 posts
To be honest kitesurfing seems to offer all the advantages that the inventor was talking about without the need for stuff that seems to complex. Windsurfing's great advantage is its simplicity. Simplicity to rig, to launch, to sail, to turn around, to get going after bailing out.
The windweapon looks too complex. How do you waterstart something like that. However thats not to take away anything from the blokes who developed it. I remember reading about it in the 80s in a mag like the Sailwind Quarterly. The pictures looked great but sort of took away the reality of it.
Recently my dad, wife and I were walking along a beach where some people were kitesurfing. Its the same beach that someone suffered very serious injuries from a kitesurfing accident. My dad, who knows about windsurfing thought that kitesurfing looked fantastic and if he was 50 years younger he would be doing it. I told him windsurfing is much more fun.
NSW
184 posts
Now I reckon the wing sail just looks to much effort and really cumbersome.
In the end none off these guys are really flying, they're just extending their 'hangtime' with various pieces of equipment. Flying in my mind means you're in control of when you go up and when you come down. Besides the guys on a steep snow slope the all just jump and then drop. FAIL
