Wow. 12% is hardly a flood. If you look at the wavesailors who left windsurfing to go kite say 5 - 10yrs ago, I reckon at least 12% of them have come back (or dearly wish to) when they found the limitations of kiting. I know a few who have come back to windsurfing, but can't think of a single one who left in the last few yrs


I read more and more people elect to get an auto car license every year cos it is easier. They later regret it when they have to drive for work and may not have option of an auto.

I also read recently that Universities lament the fact that many students in Y12 are now choosing the easier subjects and don't have the requisite skills to survive at Uni, particularly in the areas of English and being able to research a subject and present an argument.

Mark _australia said...
Wow. 12% is hardly a flood. If you look at the wavesailors who left windsurfing to go kite say 5 - 10yrs ago, I reckon at least 12% of them have come back.

Conclusion; 88% death while kiting.

I didnt transfer i just started kitesurfing and i absolutley love it,

BUT im 120Kgs and im young and reasonably fit, so being of DOUBLE SIZE to most european wave sailer stature, its not just a matter of a bigger sail and bigger board, its more to do with stiffer sails and more efficient boards, it got to a point where it simply wasnt enjoyable in winds under 23 knots, well i could get slalom gear but find it too boring and extremely expensive, so i like freesyle and wave sailing...

so i took up kiting in winds up to 22 knots and its perfect for wakestyle, above 22 knots its definetly windsurfing, problem being is that most seabreezes here are 22-24 knots so its always a coin toss



still a windsurfer through and through

Who informed you about this?

Was it the ABS as suggested above? When was the last time I was asked by someone taking the numbers whether I windsurf, kitesurf or sit on my arse watching TV when its windy? Never!

Stupid troll.

Underoath said...

I was informed that...

It was something along the lines of...

nuf said!

Underoath said...
it seems you're mostly all competent in windsurfing, why don't you give kiting a go?

cos then it will be 13% and we can't have that

Underoath said...

Mark _australia said...
Jase, seeing as though you are a very accomplished widsurfer - how long to learn to get planing on a say a 100L shortboard, get 100% of your gybes and come back again, back and forth, without falling off, for say 10mins?

Then how long to learn to do that kiting?

Mark, I have never windsurfed. Never saw the appeal even growing up in Geraldton.
I was addicted to surfing- and in my later years got interested into kiting.
If I wanted to windsurf, I would have taken it up and would be pretty competent at this stage.

Secondly, why does every windsurfer always rant on about, "Oh windsurfing is harder!"??

Who cares what's harder to learn, Isn't that the drive and motivation of most people, to achieve something challenging? I get a massive thrill putting my body on the line boosting a mega loop or smashing out some slider work.

I don't think the real reason people are transitioning from W to K is because of the implied difficulty in learning, after all these are competent windsurfers that are leaving in significantly high numbers.

I believe there is an appeal in kiting that can't be matched by similar water sports. I guess for each person it's a different appeal.

It's a pretty magical feeling getting ripped along on a kite, playing in the waves, boosting loops, learning wakesyle, S bends, massive down winders, oh them down winders are such joy! Beers in the pub with mates up at Lanno after smashing out a 50km down winder....Yes I said 50km! Waves all the way!

I encourage you all to give it a go, you only have one shot at life, it seems you're mostly all competent in windsurfing, why don't you give kiting a go?

Shhhhhhhhh kiting is gay, its too easy, everybody should windsurf, its in the Olympics

That way there's more room for me

Did both for a while

kitesurfing is a lot of fun. for sure. And definitely easier to learn.

I got a little bit over the fundamental dragginess of kites - and while the car boot space was far less - the beach footprint - especially on a busy day (along with the endless launching and catching of kites from crew who just couldnt do it themselves) got a bit old.

I reckon in small onshore waves in 18 knots and less kites and surfboards are an awesome way to get reos where you might be struggling with windsurfing gear.

Last time i kited was in Vietnam 3 years ago - busting some F16s on a 14 - then i came in and got on a 7.5 fast windsurfing freeride set up and had way more fun.

Eventually i quit kiting

- i worked in kite retail for a while and could see the writing on the wall with some of the yeahaars/ shennagins / self obsessed stupidity that a certain percentage of kiters seemed to have hard wired into their brains.

I also met some great people in my time in the sport too. But boy o boy did i meet some cowboys too!

I am a full time windsurfer again now and loving it. There arent as many windsurfers around as there were in the 90s - but is that such a bad thing - epic wave conditions with 3 or 4 guys out kinda suits me - especially compared to the perth surfing circus

I wouldnt rule out kiting in future - but then again it looks like kite crowds also have gone ballistic ...

Underoath said...
If I wanted to windsurf, I would have taken it up and would be pretty competent at this stage.

but you haven't though . My challenge to you is prove us wrong. Debunk the sport by demonstration instead of just talking about doing it. "Don't knock it until you've tried it". Regarding your opening statement, facts and figures please.

Do mean figure skating?

Talking of ice skating and kiting. Has any one tried it on the large frozen lakes in the northern hemisphere. I've seen footage of snowboarding and kiting but not ice skates.

PhilSWR said...
You can tell there's no wind...

yea gets a bit crazy on here with no wind

Underoath said...
I did see 7 people learing to Kitesurf with different levels of success.

7 different levels of face planting into the sand ?

Yawn
The facts are , at our local the windsurfers out numbered the kiters many moons ago.
Now all but one of the windsurfers now kite full time and often metion it is alot less restrictive and enjoyable than dancing. Even the local windsurfing instructor has shut shop and is now kiting.
The one poler left, he is a legend btw, said the other day that if he wasnt as old as he is and set in his ways, that he would give it a go.
I hope he dosent, some one has to fly the flag and it would be a shame to see windsurfing completely gone.


True story from our local.

Before buying a sailboard 15 months ago I very briefly had a look at kiting. Whilst it looked like fun, the deal breaker was the way they appear to be dragged around. It just seemed odd and wrong. I wanted to actually "sail", fly along in control, sail as many points of the compass as possible, and ultimately tear chunks out of waves on as close a thing to a surfboard as possible. Windsurfing is hard and technical- that is a huge draw card for me. I still suck at it, but thriving on the challenge.

Got nothing against kiting or kiters (know a few and they're top blokes), I just can't connect with the whole dragging thing. Oh, and clowns like Underoach are sinking the last strands of respect to the good guys kiting out there. Shut him down, it's pretty sad and embarrassing really...