Kiteforum.com

In one day, the hopes of kiteboarders changed dramatically, as it was feared in the International Kiteboarding Association headquarters. On the 9th November, proposals to re-open the debate did not receive the required 75% of votes from ISAF Council.

The Events and Equipment confirmed the May 2012 decision and Formula Kite would open the way to the "box rule".

Twenty four hours later, as reported by SurferToday.com, things could change and they did. In the morning of the 10th November, kiteboarding was in the Olympic Games. Now, it no longer is. Windsurfing is back to the future, en route to Brazilian waters.

This means that the Rio 2016 Olympic Games set for Brazil will have Men's RS:X and Women's RS:X competitions, only. Tension rose during the entire week.

Both the International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) and International Windsurfing Association (IWA) did not answer any questions before the ISAF decision proving that anxiety took control of the sports' governing bodies.

During the entire year of 2012, it was clear that IKA and IWA could not communicate efficiently with each other. Cooperative actions were never seen and both wind sports wanted radical changes or conservative approaches, depending on the side.

A few hours before the final decisions, the official IKA page on Facebook was pouring sincere feelings. "First objective for us is not to reopen the debate. If this would happen, then there are various options on the table", IKA wrote.

Windsurfing has been part of the Summer Olympics since 1984 for Men and 1992 for Women. The RS:X class by NeilPryde was introduced in the Olympic movement in Beijing 2008, with the One Design board concept.

Dutch windsurfer Stephan van den Berg was the first windsurfer to win a gold medal in the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games. At that time, the class was named "Windglider". Scott Steele (USA) took silver and Bruce Kendall (NZL) took bronze.

Kiteboarders have been working for years to get their sport at the Olympic venues. With the support of media-hyped VIP and even windsurfers, kiteboarding grew and conquered ISAF officials.

As the Olympic drama comes to a close, windsurfers, kiteboarders and ISAF do not leave the process with an immaculate image. Will time heal all the wounds?

The sailing events for the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games are:

Men's RS:X
Women's RS:X
Men's One Person Dinghy – Laser
Women's One Person Dinghy – Laser Radial
Men's One Person Dinghy (heavy) – Finn
Men's Two Person Dinghy – 470
Women's Two Person Dinghy – 470
Men's Skiff – 49er
Women's Skiff – 49er FX
Mixed Two Person Multihull – Nacra 17

Don't make a drama out of this, Toby. If Old School was made an Olympic discipline, and then removed, then there would be a legit reason to complain.

Olympics are a bore anyway. Can you name 3 gold medals from the hundreds handed out last Olympics?

Good. Sailing events in the olympics are boring and don't get a lot of coverage. This sport would be better served with a dew tour sort of event series with Triple S style events. No offense to the racers out there, but it's not spectator friendly. It's done too far off shore, it's hard to follow and the only excitement is when there is a major tangle at the start.

jwoodunlv wrote:Good. Sailing events in the olympics are boring and don't get a lot of coverage. This sport would be better served with a dew tour sort of event series with Triple S style events. No offense to the racers out there, but it's not spectator friendly. It's done too far off shore, it's hard to follow and the only excitement is when there is a major tangle at the start.

Toby: Really? The vote they had were opened up again? Don;t they have procedures to follow? They look like complete amateurs...ah..well it is the olympics.

JWood: Well that is a silly reason...any sailing type competition will have the same problem. I still think

I think this makes IKA and ISAF look like idiots.

I can totally understand that the windsurfers were disappointed, and that they put up a fight. I bet there was a lot of stuff going on in the backrooms. It is inevitable the kite racing eventually is part of the Olympics.

Bad news for kitesurfing,the fact it might have been an olympic sport,would have stoped a lot of beach bans,now the shits will class it as an extreme sport,and bans will result,TONY

i didn't know people still windsurfed

tony montana wrote:Bad news for kitesurfing,the fact it might have been an olympic sport,would have stoped a lot of beach bans,now the shits will class it as an extreme sport,and bans will result,TONY

yes, that is the negative about it ! Switzerland was about to lift all bans on their lakes...let's see what happens now!

dyyylan wrote:i didn't know people still windsurfed

I don't think they do outside of the olympics

dyyylan wrote:i didn't know people still windsurfed

You and VickB have obviously not been to Maui, lately or ever

You are joking right?????

A world governing body announces a major change to the worlds biggest sporting event then decides to change its mind??WTF?

These muppets do not know their arse from their elbow, smacks of corruption and who moans most wins

ISAF have always had a problem with kiting, they want a part of the £$£$€$€£ it can generate for them and to have control to stop kiters taking all the world records but don't want to "dirty" their hands with a sport they think is below them.

They can poke it IMO, kiting is still in its early years, plenty of time to kick windsurfing out of the 2020 Olympics!!