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Kite Racing is out of Olympics! Windsurfing is back in

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Re: Kite Racing is out of Olympics! Windsurfing is back in

Postby Vikb » Mon Nov 12, 2012 12:31 am

Dunker wrote:
If your local beach no longer has windsurfers, it's probably because they have migrated to different beaches where they don't have to hassles of dealing with the multitudes of 2nd gen kiters who have no understanding of space, basic rules of the sea or respect for the locals whose beach it used to be.
Nope - where I Iive they either took up kiting and are grinning from ear to ear or they stayed and they are grumbling about how much kiters suck. Nobody owns the beach or the ocean... :jump:

BTW - don't give them any ideas about complaining to the authorities about kiting. They'll do it when they get desperate enough.

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Re: Kite Racing is out of Olympics! Windsurfing is back in

Postby mr_daruman » Mon Nov 12, 2012 12:44 am

Dunker wrote:This thread is a prime example of the sort of problem that hit both windsurfing and surfing in their early days. Initially taken up by people with a water background who had genuine respect and love for what they were doing, it then becomes invaded by the legions of kooks who see it as nothing more than the latest, greatest and 'kewlest' fad they can leech onto, with no respect for it's origins or the previous mutual respect that existed.

If your local beach no longer has windsurfers, it's probably because they have migrated to different beaches where they don't have to hassles of dealing with the multitudes of 2nd gen kiters who have no understanding of space, basic rules of the sea or respect for the locals whose beach it used to be.

No doubt we are fast, but arrogantly asserting we are the 'fastest' is a bit premature as the last time a professional windsurfer went head to head with professional kite surfers around a course, he blitzed them, and he was sailing on recreational non race gear.

You should be grateful that windsurfers have accepted kiting with the grace they have, it would be pretty easy for them to raise a massive stink with harbor masters, coast guards and the like over the dangers and breaches of the rules of the sea that this new generation of kiter's, who don't have a windsurf or surfing background, have brought with them. There would certainly be a lot more scope for wide beach bans judging by the typical behavior, near misses and collisions we already see.

Hopefully the next great fad will come along shortly and we will see another great kook migration taking these crap attitudes and arrogance with them. Which is also why kite racing missing out is a good thing, as we don't need any more of them.
And here's Windsurfing elitist attitude, congrats sailor you won! Actually RSX and the RSX business won, windsurf lost !! (taken from World of Windsurf on Facebook):
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Re: Kite Racing is out of Olympics! Windsurfing is back in

Postby Dunker » Mon Nov 12, 2012 6:20 am

Ah yeh because if I don't express hatred for windsurfing I must be one right....Exactly the same type of kook attitude I'm talking about and nowadays I'd probably classify myself as a surfer, kitesurfer and windsurfer in that order. And I also think Formula windsurfing is a joke as far as representing the sport goes, but kite racing in it's current format is hardly an improvement or vastly more exciting, it's like a debate over which type of paint dries faster.

This whole debacle was about two egotistical kids aka organizations pissing in a sandpit and douche bag supporters chiming in on both sides. Douches who are for some bizarre reason obsessed with having their sport proclaimed superior, as if the 'glory' somehow reflects on them when ironically promoting kiting any more will actually have negative effects on us recreationally

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Re: Kite Racing is out of Olympics! Windsurfing is back in

Postby Ned Divine » Mon Nov 12, 2012 6:47 am

Dunker wrote:This thread is a prime example of the sort of problem that hit both windsurfing and surfing in their early days. Initially taken up by people with a water background who had genuine respect and love for what they were doing, it then becomes invaded by the legions of kooks who see it as nothing more than the latest, greatest and 'kewlest' fad they can leech onto, with no respect for it's origins or the previous mutual respect that existed.

If your local beach no longer has windsurfers, it's probably because they have migrated to different beaches where they don't have to hassles of dealing with the multitudes of 2nd gen kiters who have no understanding of space, basic rules of the sea or respect for the locals whose beach it used to be.

No doubt we are fast, but arrogantly asserting we are the 'fastest' is a bit premature as the last time a professional windsurfer went head to head with professional kite surfers around a course, he blitzed them, and he was sailing on recreational non race gear.

You should be grateful that windsurfers have accepted kiting with the grace they have, it would be pretty easy for them to raise a massive stink with harbor masters, coast guards and the like over the dangers and breaches of the rules of the sea that this new generation of kiter's, who don't have a windsurf or surfing background, have brought with them. There would certainly be a lot more scope for wide beach bans judging by the typical behavior, near misses and collisions we already see.

Hopefully the next great fad will come along shortly and we will see another great kook migration taking these crap attitudes and arrogance with them. Which is also why kite racing missing out is a good thing, as we don't need any more of them.
Dunker wrote:Ah yeh because if I don't express hatred for windsurfing I must be one right....Exactly the same type of kook attitude I'm talking about and nowadays I'd probably classify myself as a surfer, kitesurfer and windsurfer in that order. And I also think Formula windsurfing is a joke as far as representing the sport goes, but kite racing in it's current format is hardly an improvement or vastly more exciting, it's like a debate over which type of paint dries faster.

This whole debacle was about two egotistical kids aka organizations pissing in a sandpit and douche bag supporters chiming in on both sides. Douches who are for some bizarre reason obsessed with having their sport proclaimed superior, as if the 'glory' somehow reflects on them when ironically promoting kiting any more will actually have negative effects on us recreationally
+1 on both, these thoughts find me in perfect agreement. I 'd just add that lack of self respect is the basis for not respecting other people's stokes and engaging in superiority dogfights.

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Re: Kite Racing is out of Olympics! Windsurfing is back in

Postby tautologies » Mon Nov 12, 2012 7:14 am

Dunker: Very very few kiters have anything against windsurfers. You are arguing with a stickman when you say anything about someone saying anything about your motive for posting.

I think ISAF has handled it poorly. Making this into a kiteboarding vs windsurfing is nonsense. Falling into a trap like that is at best foolish. I want kiteing in the olympics. I never say (and neither does most kiters) that they want windsurfing out of the olympics.

Personally I think making the vote between windsurfing and kiteboarding is bollocks. I do think Pryde Inc. handled it badly, and I think the wasy ISAF handled it was absolutely horrific.

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Re: Kite Racing is out of Olympics! Windsurfing is back in

Postby kitewindunite » Mon Nov 12, 2012 8:12 am

tautologies wrote:Personally I think making the vote between windsurfing and kiteboarding is bollocks. I do think Pryde Inc. handled it badly, and I think the wasy ISAF handled it was absolutely horrific.
Let's look inwards: the IKA handled it pretty badly too. What was that anyway, pushing and shoving its way in?

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Re: Kite Racing is out of Olympics! Windsurfing is back in

Postby tautologies » Mon Nov 12, 2012 8:43 am

kitewindunite wrote: Let's look inwards: the IKA handled it pretty badly too. What was that anyway, pushing and shoving its way in?
that might be. I don;t know enough about that process.

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Re: Kite Racing is out of Olympics! Windsurfing is back in

Postby experienced1 » Mon Nov 12, 2012 3:12 pm


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Re: Kite Racing is out of Olympics! Windsurfing is back in

Postby Johnny Rotten » Mon Nov 12, 2012 7:23 pm

Whether kite racing is in the olympics or not I couldn't care less,
Does this sport actually exist outside of San Fransisco and Squamish and a few places in UK?

What I think sucks is those people that made an honest go about making the olympics happen.

Guys like Johnny Heineken and Mike Z who sent production off shore to ramp up production to meet what was about to become a HUGE demand on their boards and any other board builder that ramped up to meet the requirements of IKA registration in the hopes it might actually pay back enough to cover costs.

Kite companies (none of which have large budgets) who have sunk money into developing race specific kites and boards which now suddenly see projected demand spiralling down the toilet along with any hard work they put into it. This will retard rather than advance our sport.

Local groms, which (I know a few) who have just finished blowing a lot of hard earned money on race gear attempting to make an olympic dream out of kiteboarding. These aren't elistist snobs, but good kids who make their money working at shops or teaching lessons who have an unbridled passion for kiting keep their gear alive with tear aid and good sewing skills and basically survive by eating ketchup on bread. This was a meal ticket for them to do what they love.

We needed more sailing clubs and lots of interest in organized beach barbeque and beer league races to make this sport a go, mowing the lawn by yourself or blowing past twin tips gets old pretty quick. The olympics would have done this. Now I don't think it will happen in most locations so most kiters would just rather rock another disipline if there's more than 10 knots.

Whether it attacts rich snobby elistist sailors, disgrunted windsurfers, chill surfers, fin sanding gear heads, old geezers, or rainbow spandex clad bicycle racers, It's all good fun. Let the race course decide who the losers are. To that point olympics should have opened the event up to windsurfers AND kites.....Stop all the lawsuits and whinng and settle it on the course......

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Re: Kite Racing is out of Olympics! Windsurfing is back in

Postby Toby » Mon Nov 12, 2012 8:06 pm

ISAF should have fought for two more medals to stop this. Kitesurfing should be in the Olympics as well, they should have honored the hard work of everyone involved.
Are they in for the interests of the sailors? Then they should have understood that being in the Olympics is great for kiting and will solve many problems and support young idealistic riders.

And I am also sorry for those riders pushing it and putting up money to go for their dream...none of them has the funds for what they did.

Just a shame. But to correct this it is up to ISAF now to organize worldclass kite race events with lots of prizemoney! Just to give back to those riders. Now you pay out of your pockets !


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