Anyone ever stop kiteboarding?

[chirojoseph]

i pretty much warn all the newbies that the sport is very, very dangerous. I believe it would be easier to quit Heroin, Cocain, Opium, Alchol and Cigarrettes all in one week than to quit kiting.

We have skydivers, paragliders, motorcycle fanatics etc etc who say they get much more satisfaction from Kiting. I tellmost of our students that they should be prepared to make huge changes in their lives if they decide to pursue this sport. matter of fact, i tell them that the word "sport" really doesnt do justice to this phenomena of kiting.

we need a new word that encompasses religion, life passion, endorphin worship, nature lover, equipment techy obsession..etc etc..the word "sport" just doesnt cut it.

i actually have begun to STOP myself from describing the beauty of kiting to non-kiters...its frustrating, its draining, the desire to SHARE the stoke is so strong and its actually depressing to me to think that 95% of the people that i pour my soul out too will not/cannot ever "get it."

so i just say.."its the best thing ive ever done with my life...but its the most addicting/controlling force" Its black magic and white magic rolled into one.

the guys who "quit" just never "got it." never kited a sunset, never sliced a carvin jibe off a wave, never saw manta rays blast out of the water right in front of them, never felt the approving eyes of a soaring seabird as it glides next to your kite, never kited under a full moon.

well, ill stop there, im getting all teary eyed

the only time we will have substantial number of "quitters" is when the next huge evolution comes along and we all begin to kiteSOAR launching 6 meters, pulling the 6th line, and catching thermals and soaring up to 20 meters (well, a guy can dream cant he?:)

KYROjoe

[loco4viento]

ChiroBRO,

Once again you've NAILED IT!

Glad to see your posts while I lurk, and remember back in the "early days" when we rode together in Puerto Morelos. AWESOME time and AWESOME place! I'll be back!

The other side of Mex is treating me very well. Huge beaches in Penasco, dolphins spinning under my board, seals, pelicans, frigates, the occasional osprey, beautiful sunsets over Baja, the occasional night kite session with a phosphorescent ribbon following me across the black water that lights up over schools of fish.

A cure for my addiction? No thanks, I'd rather keep my disease.

Keep on ripping it up amigo.

John

i pretty much warn all the newbies that the sport is very, very dangerous. I believe it would be easier to quit Heroin, Cocain, Opium, Alchol and Cigarrettes all in one week than to quit kiting.

so i just say.."its the best thing ive ever done with my life...but its the most addicting/controlling force" Its black magic and white magic rolled into one.

the guys who "quit" just never "got it." never kited a sunset, never sliced a carvin jibe off a wave, never saw manta rays blast out of the water right in front of them, never felt the approving eyes of a soaring seabird as it glides next to your kite, never kited under a full moon.


KYROjoe

[SENDIT!]

FO,
I finally can agree with you on something! I know it makes me a bad person too, but that shit is funny. "BAM right in the grill!" Too damn funny!

Aloha,

SENDIT!

[aklbob]

Kiting is addictive, but I found normal wave surfing far more addictive, more of a rush as you aren't in control of the waves, with kitesurfing you are more in control, except when the wind changes and starts nuking, then its more scarey rather than the trippy pumping addrenalin that you get from taking the drop and riding a big wave..
I found I needed to surf bigger and bigger waves to get the rush I used to get... and once the adrenaline wears off, you want to sleep...
Ksurfing is not as relaxing, but much more satisfying, instant gratifcation!

[Nico]

Death...

[Peter_Frank]

Old age...

We have a kitesurfer here, who is 79 years - and blasting around - so old age might be a problem - but only after you are 80 then

See this with Poul: http://kitesurferen.sommernet.dk/007poul.wmv (18Mb) , which is some years old now - the movie that is...

[Mosaic]

I have thought about stopping just to get my old life back! I use to be able to make plans and keep them - now I am worse then some of my friends who are doctors on call. If there is a wind forecast, all plans are off - I will let you know the hour before. I can see the ocean from my office and as soon as the whitecaps start forming, I can hardly work. Living in S Florida, good wind days are not a weekly event, and you almost begin to think that if it has been weak for a while, you are due for a good day, and can't stand the idea of not being ready for it - hence, can't plan any trips with friends.

I really wish the sport was not so controlling. If I had more responsibilites, I might have to give it up; you can't just sort of kite if you live near the water. I (there are probably some other similar people out there) become quite irritable if the wind is blowing and I could be on the water, but am not because I am tied up doing something else (stuck on the golf course - you can't just walk off on the 6th tee, etc.)

[Dax]

I have thought about stopping just to get my old life back! I use to be able to make plans and keep them - now I am worse then some of my friends who are doctors on call. If there is a wind forecast, all plans are off - I will let you know the hour before. I can see the ocean from my office and as soon as the whitecaps start forming, I can hardly work. Living in S Florida, good wind days are not a weekly event, and you almost begin to think that if it has been weak for a while, you are due for a good day, and can't stand the idea of not being ready for it - hence, can't plan any trips with friends.

I really wish the sport was not so controlling. If I had more responsibilites, I might have to give it up; you can't just sort of kite if you live near the water. I (there are probably some other similar people out there) become quite irritable if the wind is blowing and I could be on the water, but am not because I am tied up doing something else (stuck on the golf course - you can't just walk off on the 6th tee, etc.)

Wow you can see the waves from your office and your all worried about leaving those golf games? Can I have your job? Your statements are really true though. I wonder if I would be so addicted to kiteboarding if I could do it whenever I wanted to.

[Huwin69]

I knew a guy, he was a good kiter but he stops because he thougth that it was too dangerous when his best friend died in a kitesurfing accident in Spain.
Some others i know stops because they cannot go anymore. (injured, coma, etc)
Bad luck for all of them.

[DP]

I've surfed pretty much my whole life. Almost everyday (that's ridable) and loved it. Based my life around it. Never really had a real job that wouldn't allow me to surf. Then i started kiting mostly because surfing got way to popular and crowded (kiters don't ignore this lesson). I try to kite everyday or at least allow for it. Kiting is way more addictive than surfing. More stimulating, frustrating and a little less satisfying. I've gone through phases in the last year where i've tried to quit, because it's so controlling, but never have been able.


DP