Toby you obviously know why the PKRA only had 17 men and 10 women but you are hiding the answer.

was it scheduling?was it lack of support? was it no prize money? what were the reasons that you felt held things back

you obviously feel strongly about it as you go as far as to say next time "things will be different and more professional"

in what way were things unprofessional this time?

At one of the national freestyle events in UK, a lad placed 2nd or 3rd doing hooked only tricks due to a broken hand.

Shame this style isn't mixed up with the wakestyle more often in freestyle comps. See some really nice stuff when riders go out and enjoy themselves.

Editied from my NY Times post:

The ‘sport’ is diverse enough with the types of comps already there – does it need the ‘show’ of Airstyle and does this bring anything new or better for spectators. IMO no and it might just confuse people more especially when it has been done better e.g. the Kite Masters event in Tenerife last year where all the riders had fun mixing it up doing powered freestyle and pulling some big air old school manoeuvres without anyone pushing an agenda.

At the end of the day I get to see a better ‘show’ at my local beach with some super talented kids riding powered freestyle and throwing down mobes and huge kiteloops within minutes of each other and at the same time there are guys boosting huge, going for board-offfs, ripping in our windblown mush, or blatting about high speed on raceboards. What you won’t find is this ‘air ballet’ (fair play if that is what you want to do and have FUN doing it) and no one talks or aspires to it so I don’t see where the pig push from loads of people has come from?

We might be a narcissistic bunch (just take a camera to the beach) but this idea of people who are in essence not up to freestyle wanting a competition format they can master is IMO bullshit. If you are to consider the vast majority of the kiting demographic, their age and ability then they should be left to their own devices and the kids can push and progress the sport in any way they want - if we are honest most of us wish kiting was around when we had the youthful ebullience (and money) to make the most of it and there is a good bit of the green-eyed monster in those who bemoan the PKRA/Freestyle scene.

We are not cool and we definitely won’t be any cooler by entering ‘Airstyle’ competitions.

John – 37 – big boosting old school wannabe freestyler!