lol I am not saying it is the most dangerous sport in the world -just that describing kiteboarding as a safe sport is ridiculous (as IKA/ISAF did in the olympic report ). Still with all those sports you cannot be flung through the air 30-40 immediately with a mechanical movement of 20cm - human error or equipment error... I did think about how messed up it would be hit a kicker on a dirt bike and have the power cut off at the wrong time! - i have seen a bmxer snap his crank in vert xgames as he went to roll into vert ramp - he ate shiiitttt!

"Accidents happen in all sports and using an accident to promote or support ones cause is kinda stupid IMO" My cause is accepting reality and getting educated from, "keeping it real" i agree there is some dodgy politics going on tho

i live near the most dangerous supermarket in the country (think lawnbowls for why...lol)

Here is one such petition for starters

(see link below by salsaaddict)

Fixed the link:
http://www.change.org/petitions/isaf-keep-windsurfing-as-olympic-discipline

(To post links on kiteforum highlight the link in the preview and then click the "URL" button which will surround the link with [IMG] tags. That way the link does not get shortened.)

Not signing that. While the preamble seems pro-kiting ("there is no reason why we cannot have both Windsurfing and Kitesurfing as Olympic classes"), it's pretty clear from the "Points Raised" that the intention is to reinstate windsurfing at the expense of the kites. Understandable, given that the dinghy drivers have a louder voice within ISAF than kiters... but not something that I, as a non-windsurfing kiter, want anything to do with.

Honestly I do not see anything that overtly suggests that kitesurfing should not be considered. In fact in the "points" it is suggested tht there be some sort of trial events before it replaces another event that has been proven to be more be successful.

I think people should read this themselves and interpret it for themselves.

Otherwise I think there is a lot of truth in some of the points made. The "collateral damage" from eliminating windsurfing AND some of the other sailing classes is probably a lot more significant than most people realize.

And for interest level in either sport - watching a super light wind sailboarding regatta is NOT that exciting. But I think the criteria for proper conditions to run and complete a regatta is probably easier to satisfy for sailboats and windsurfers than it is for kitesurfing. At the Games in China they had a horrible situation with seaweed on the race courses which impaired some of the events. They sorted that out with a lot of labor. I am not sure where the race course will be set in Brazil, but I imagine the course will need to be more accessible to shore where a proper staging L&LZ can be close by.

Light air, shifty/gusty/holey wind will be a disaster for running kite races. Maybe the event site will be perfect and maybe things will go without a hitch. But honestly how many kitesurfing events have you been to/heard of that went as planned? I would say 50% aren't run very well (or at all) due to lack of wind, inclement weather, etc.

If the kitesurfing races make it I truly hope they have a great series and that it's a smashing success. But it would still be a shame that the windsurfing class and several others have been eliminated and that so many people will be affected by this, and so much time & energy wasted developing fleets and good sailors. There are some legitimate questions going around about all of this and people deserve a good answer or re-examination of the whole process. What's fair is fair.

Guys,

How about we take the moral high ground? Let's ask the IKA to decline those spots on the Olympic Sailing Programme as long as Windsurfing isn't reinstated. If ISAF and the IOC are so desperate to add youth and media appeal to the Olympic Regatta, they will find a solution.

I know it's Utopian, but can you imagine the message we'd be sending? Let's stand up for each other. That's what brothers do. Check out this link, and please add your signature if you agree

http://www.change.org/petitions/ika-say ... indsurfing