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What do you think kiting will look like in 2023? Please give your thoughts
What will the gear look like?
Will it still be a growth sport or will it be waning in popularity? (Will there be more beach bans, etc?)

50% of the companies offer a microloop as add on

I think the tube LE might be gone and 3 line kites will be in vogue. Plus we will have configurable kite sizes and kites that adjust better to how you want to ride that day ie freestyle vs surf. Also canopies will get lighter and tougher. Just wonder if the sport will die like windsurfing has

Technology let kiting explode: pc, internet and a loft in china = fast cheap prototypes, less capital and fast growth compared to old style manufacturing.
It seems like the need for seamstresses and hand finishing keeps the model where it is. Along with tariffs, surf or garment type marketing, distribution channels....

Future:
Better software hardware and materials change the industry.
More knowledge = getting the job done (often better) with less materials (5 to 3 to 2 to 0 struts may be a contemporary example).
Local laser cutting of panels and assembly with more glue and less stitching reduces hand-finishing to the point it becomes economical to do it in US and europe.
One piece seamless braided tubes.
Download free or paid design files, tweak to your needs -perhaps with guidance from a local pro- and transmit to the loft. A week or two later, your new custom kite is done.
Some might choose to save half the price and have glued together panels shipped in 3 days to to finish themselves, if they have the knack but not the cash.
But if/when a good enough glue and cloth combination arrives, it could become a cut and paste proposition.

Kites will still be faster, quicker turning, better low end than the previous years

power of a 20m, fast as a 7m

Osprey1 wrote:I think the tube LE might be gone and 3 line kites will be in vogue. Plus we will have configurable kite sizes and kites that adjust better to how you want to ride that day ie freestyle vs surf. Also canopies will get lighter and tougher. Just wonder if the sport will die like windsurfing has

???

Windsurfing has not died here...

There are still some going 100% for windsurfing.

AND, most of the former windsurfers has converted to kitesurfing now, so the number of "active" surfers are not going down at all

So a change for the majority of windsurfers into kitesurfing, and still some windsurfing - so here nothing has "died", just converted to kitesurfing as it has more advantages in our area

Peter

As price of crude oil will rise kites will become expensive
As China will no longer be cheap production kites will have to be made in other countries
As the dollar will at least have halved in value thanks to:
- money printing of the Fed (QE3, QE4 = $85 billion-a-month program)
- loss of trust in Dollar resulting in the Dollar is no longer used for international trade.
This will make kite surfing an exclusive sport - the poor better go playing gold or soccer.
Think $4000 to $5000 for a kite + bar

Kite design: in order to lower production costs 2 strut kites for high winds ad zero strut kites for low winds.

Hence let's all go SUP and paddle on woodies made by a local wood shaper.

2003-2008 saw huge changes in every aspect of design.

2008-2013 less so - I wouldn't cry if I had to keep using 2008 kites but I would never want to go back to 2003.

So I think we'll see slow evolution. Maybe more flexibility for riding styles so that one kite can be re-tuned or adjusted to make it go from one style to another and manufacturers could consolidate their product lines into 2-3.

kazama-fury wrote:power of a 20m, fast as a 7m

please not!

Better this way: a 7m as slow as a 20 !

Less injuries for normal riders!