Kitesurfing is on its way to maybe get an Olympic race discipline - but why is everyone in here so negative about it ?

I dont get it !

Yes, it might not be what most of us do, I agree - but I find it faschinating if it comes true

And will be a real eyeopener for other sailing sports, about our extreme performance, not only in pure speed as the world record holder, but also pure race performance

But I have only seen sour grapes comments on this forum ?

Maybe from those who havent got the strength and stamina and skills to ride a fullsized board ?

I dont know - just wondering why ?


Of course it might end like windsurfing did - and that could be what everybody remembers - with a class so specialized that noone except a few Olympic contestants do that

Or is it simply a very egocentric view like "I dont compete and I dont do that, so I dont want that" ?


Why put it away even before it has started - as it could also go the other way, and be just as fascinating as kiteracing is these days, and be an awesome exponent for part of the kitesurfing sport


Really noone who thinks it could be great ?

Peter

I think it is awesome!

Absolutely fascinated myself

Maybe alot of people see it as selling out and figure alot of ass kissing was and will be involved if it really does happen, kinda like the windsurfing in the olympics?
I dont really care either way.

some might think that kiting is an underground sport and want to keep it that way. BS of course.
the general public does not care about kiting. The general tv viewing public... the one who watches the Olympics for the entertainment.
(and their country not the athletes performance)
all they care about is medal count
I would do it if invited, but it's so controlled by the weather, it's just not worth it.
But having the medal or just a jacket would be cool.
Good luck.

The Olympics is full of specialized sports. Who the hell goes out and decides they are going to become a triple jumper or master of the shot put!

At least they are open to trying new stuff out. I look at all the skiing/boarding disciplines in the winter games as an example. Kiting could go the same way with many different styles.

A race, to start, is great. It could actually be pretty neat to watch on TV with professional sports coverage... chase copters and the like.

There is just so much politics in sailing, a great example is the last america's cup in 2010 which spent more time in court determining the winner than out racing. The most exciting boat for a regular sailer to be on is the hobie cat, it's relatively inexpensive and it can book, but the olympics doesn't use that it uses all these oddball boats why? Politics. You have this one class called the Finn which was specifically designed to be properly sailed by heavy sailors, so they fought really hard to get their boats into the olympics and in being there it meant that the only cat class the tornados were left out. The tornados are the fastest and most exciting sailboats in the olympics but because of politics it got dropped. Instead we have a keelboat, a skiff, a two person dinghy, a heavyweight dinghy and the laser. The laser is a nice sailboat so inexpensive, I like that, but any of the rest should be dropped to let us watch the tornados. And if you want to race monohulls then the obvious choice for exciting racing is the aussie 18 the fastest skiff.

So yeah . . . . The olympics? A boatload of politics. I mean sure, we can get in the olympics it might be fun, but we don't need that nonsense, we are far better off not worrying about it too much.

Not so much negativity but not caring a lot about olympic sailing. The sailors themselves are the best of the best, no question, and it will be a fun race, but I don't care too much about a sport where the most important reason you have a particular boat in the olympics is politics.

America's cup sailing on the other hand for the past year in the regattas, I have been watching those ac45's all year amazing racing. Of course because the america's cup rules change each year, who knows what will happen next year, could end up in court again.

Most people who see kite boarding, and don't kite board, are fascinated by it.

Even these days, when the sport is not new, you can hear beach goers shout in excitement when the first guy out kiting passes by and jumps 15-20feet in the air.

I believe that if it was an Olympic sport, more people would want to watch a kiteboarding event than most other, non main attraction events.

I mean, has it happened to you? waiting to watch a particular event, but have to sit through ping pong?

The event, however, should include an upwind race, with a couple of jumps (over obstacles) and an unhooked wakestyle trick (landed hard with style). Another cool event would be a kite surf contest in blown out in shore wind (no straps).

but don't really care if they do include it as an olympic sport. not in my list of priorities, rather have them at the olympic comitte come out and wash my truck. probably won't watch the olympics, don't have cable!

Kitesurfing is in the Olympics, brilliant, finally we have credibility,
Less likly to be banned from places when it has the Olympic tag,
And hell, I will watch every bit of it, just wish it was in the UK this year.
Yeeeharrrrrr

Im not that interested at all. Though to be fair i'm not interested in the olympics full stop.

But one thing will be guaranteed. The olympics venue will not be chosen based on an ideal wind locaton. so you will end up with a crap location with almost non existant wind. the racing will be boring or cancelled due to lack of conditions.