Contact   Imprint   Advertising   Guidelines

What about kiting in the olympics?

Forum for kitesurfers
User avatar
Cab Driver
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 622
Joined: Fri Jul 01, 2005 7:12 pm
Kiting since: 2000
Gear: Cabrinha
Brand Affiliation: Cabrinha
Location: Miami
Has thanked: 14 times
Been thanked: 70 times
Contact:

Re: What about kiting in the olympics?

Postby Cab Driver » Mon Dec 11, 2017 6:06 pm

edt wrote:
Mon Dec 11, 2017 5:04 pm
The olympics should grow out of a grass roots support for a sport, so for instance, basketball, soccer, running swimming. Getting an olympic medal in one of those sports is something to be proud of. On the other hand artificial sports created just for the olympics are silly and the world wouldn't change one bit with or without them. Like olympic canoeing. Or most of the olympic sailing sports. If you want youth to get into the wind sports they can windsurf or use a laser. We don't need kiteboarding to be a youth entry sport for wind sports. There's plenty of olympic entry sports for youths already. Why does it matter? Because kiteboarding is the best sport in the world! And I want my friends who know absolutely nothing when they hear I kiteboard to be "That's awesome." And I want my boss to say "What a great sport, go ahead and take the day off." If kiteboarding gets into the olympics you will hear, "Kiteboarding is dumb, I saw in on the olympics. It's really slow and you jump these inflatable rafts. I turned it off." Kiteboarding needs all the positive press it can get, and olympics is not the answer. If you think sailors on their sloops will welcome kiteboarders with open arms into their local regetta because they see it on the olympics, lol. It's not the job of the olympics to find the best kiteboarder in the world. Leave that to the IKA and WKL, if the kiters and that organization want a one design, that's where it should be done, not the olympics. I would feel a lot different about this if "World Sailing" didn't control the IKA and I knew we could get the same sort of deal that snowboarding got for the olympics, who have some fantastic events.

If I heard that we would get an olympic megaloop competition I would be all over it. But I know what we are really going to get if we support the olympics for 2020. Just look at the RS:X and Olympic Junior kiteboarding.


Be smart. Don't support Olympic Kiteboarding.
RS:X is the only class in the olympics that is growing. The other sailing classes, and frankly sailing in general, are all stagnant. Olympic junior kiteboarding will be small until a one-design class is established because it's too difficult to support, maintain, and train on open class equipment. Who knows, maybe the Olympics will be one-design megaloop class. You can't rule that out.

User avatar
edt
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 7309
Joined: Fri Jul 16, 2010 6:27 am
Kiting since: 2010
Local Beach: Michigan
Gear: ride hard, no regrets
Has thanked: 529 times
Been thanked: 658 times

Re: What about kiting in the olympics?

Postby edt » Mon Dec 11, 2017 6:11 pm

megaloop one design now I've heard everything. I wouldn't want that to be honest, as it would be so dangerous if kiters couldn't adjust their quiver and boards according to their weight and wind speed.

User avatar
Cab Driver
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 622
Joined: Fri Jul 01, 2005 7:12 pm
Kiting since: 2000
Gear: Cabrinha
Brand Affiliation: Cabrinha
Location: Miami
Has thanked: 14 times
Been thanked: 70 times
Contact:

Re: What about kiting in the olympics?

Postby Cab Driver » Mon Dec 11, 2017 11:03 pm

edt wrote:
Mon Dec 11, 2017 6:11 pm
megaloop one design now I've heard everything. I wouldn't want that to be honest, as it would be so dangerous if kiters couldn't adjust their quiver and boards according to their weight and wind speed.
Of course you could adjust your quiver and board size. One design in kiting won't be like windsurfing and other sailing disciplines where it's literally a boat - no options. There for sure will be multiple kite sizes and depending on the format multiple board sizes, but everyone will use the same equipment.

PinkNorthPride
Medium Poster
Posts: 188
Joined: Fri Aug 16, 2013 4:30 pm
Local Beach: Calshot
Favorite Beaches: Le Morne, Mauritius
Silver Sands Barbados
Nyali Kenya
Dougs the Gorge
Style: Lawn Mowing
Gear: North
Brand Affiliation: North, Maybe Core next...
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 3 times

Re: What about kiting in the olympics?

Postby PinkNorthPride » Mon Dec 11, 2017 11:41 pm

edt wrote:
Mon Dec 11, 2017 5:04 pm
The olympics should grow out of a grass roots support for a sport, so for instance, basketball, soccer, running swimming. Getting an olympic medal in one of those sports is something to be proud of. On the other hand artificial sports created just for the olympics are silly and the world wouldn't change one bit with or without them. Like olympic canoeing. Or most of the olympic sailing sports. If you want youth to get into the wind sports they can windsurf or use a laser. We don't need kiteboarding to be a youth entry sport for wind sports. There's plenty of olympic entry sports for youths already. Why does it matter? Because kiteboarding is the best sport in the world! And I want my friends who know absolutely nothing when they hear I kiteboard to be "That's awesome." And I want my boss to say "What a great sport, go ahead and take the day off." If kiteboarding gets into the olympics you will hear, "Kiteboarding is dumb, I saw in on the olympics. It's really slow and you jump these inflatable rafts. I turned it off." Kiteboarding needs all the positive press it can get, and olympics is not the answer. If you think sailors on their sloops will welcome kiteboarders with open arms into their local regetta because they see it on the olympics, lol. It's not the job of the olympics to find the best kiteboarder in the world. Leave that to the IKA and WKL, if the kiters and that organization want a one design, that's where it should be done, not the olympics. I would feel a lot different about this if "World Sailing" didn't control the IKA and I knew we could get the same sort of deal that snowboarding got for the olympics, who have some fantastic events.

If I heard that we would get an olympic megaloop competition I would be all over it. But I know what we are really going to get if we support the olympics for 2020. Just look at the RS:X and Olympic Junior kiteboarding.


Be smart. Don't support Olympic Kiteboarding.
This^ well said.

User avatar
edt
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 7309
Joined: Fri Jul 16, 2010 6:27 am
Kiting since: 2010
Local Beach: Michigan
Gear: ride hard, no regrets
Has thanked: 529 times
Been thanked: 658 times

Re: What about kiting in the olympics?

Postby edt » Mon Dec 11, 2017 11:44 pm

Cab Driver wrote:
Mon Dec 11, 2017 11:03 pm
edt wrote:
Mon Dec 11, 2017 6:11 pm
megaloop one design now I've heard everything. I wouldn't want that to be honest, as it would be so dangerous if kiters couldn't adjust their quiver and boards according to their weight and wind speed.
Of course you could adjust your quiver and board size. One design in kiting won't be like windsurfing and other sailing disciplines where it's literally a boat - no options. There for sure will be multiple kite sizes and depending on the format multiple board sizes, but everyone will use the same equipment.
It's really easy to change sails on a windsurfer. Pull of a sail, roll it up, throw another one on. But it's not allowed why? Why not have 2 or 3 sails for the RS:X class? Because it's one design. Exactly one sail for men. Exactly one sail (slightly smaller) for women. If you are too big for RS:X and need a bigger sail too bad!

PinkNorthPride
Medium Poster
Posts: 188
Joined: Fri Aug 16, 2013 4:30 pm
Local Beach: Calshot
Favorite Beaches: Le Morne, Mauritius
Silver Sands Barbados
Nyali Kenya
Dougs the Gorge
Style: Lawn Mowing
Gear: North
Brand Affiliation: North, Maybe Core next...
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 3 times

Re: What about kiting in the olympics?

Postby PinkNorthPride » Mon Dec 11, 2017 11:53 pm

Cab Driver wrote:
Mon Dec 11, 2017 11:03 pm
edt wrote:
Mon Dec 11, 2017 6:11 pm
megaloop one design now I've heard everything. I wouldn't want that to be honest, as it would be so dangerous if kiters couldn't adjust their quiver and boards according to their weight and wind speed.
Of course you could adjust your quiver and board size. One design in kiting won't be like windsurfing and other sailing disciplines where it's literally a boat - no options. There for sure will be multiple kite sizes and depending on the format multiple board sizes, but everyone will use the same equipment.
Neil preparing the brown envelopes like last time is he?

User avatar
GraemeF
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 1111
Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2004 10:16 pm
Kiting since: 1999
Weight: 70kg
Local Beach: Hythe Kent.
Dymchurch Kent
Greatstone Kent
Favorite Beaches: Le Morne Mauritius
Nyali Kenya
Style: Freeriding Ariel Lawnmower
Gear: Core
Brand Affiliation: Core & Sabfoil Distributor
Location: Folkestone Kent UK
Has thanked: 8 times
Been thanked: 25 times
Contact:

Re: What about kiting in the olympics?

Postby GraemeF » Tue Dec 12, 2017 12:48 pm

Looks like it's at the expense of all those windsurfing kids again. That means all the expert coaches just switch and become expert kite coaches like last time and the same windsurfing kids just switch rides.

https://www.sailingillustrated.com/sing ... ntsclasses

Mossy 757
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 1860
Joined: Fri Sep 11, 2015 5:10 pm
Local Beach: First Landing State Park, Virginia Beach Oceanfront
Style: Kitefoil
Gear: Delta Hydrofoil and board. Cabrinha Velocity 9m, Flysurfer Sonic2 11m, Ozone R1V2 15m
Has thanked: 41 times
Been thanked: 71 times

Re: What about kiting in the olympics?

Postby Mossy 757 » Tue Dec 12, 2017 2:02 pm

edt, I think you underestimate the power the riders have in this. If it were just a matter of IKA and IOC cramming something down our throats, we'd already have an Olympic medal. The fact that they keep developing the class before establishing anything official proves they're at least attempting to get a format that the riders will respect and participate in.

User avatar
edt
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 7309
Joined: Fri Jul 16, 2010 6:27 am
Kiting since: 2010
Local Beach: Michigan
Gear: ride hard, no regrets
Has thanked: 529 times
Been thanked: 658 times

Re: What about kiting in the olympics?

Postby edt » Tue Dec 12, 2017 2:23 pm

hope you're right mossy. from above link no way this proposal passes get rid of two sailing classes and windsurfing for kiteboarding ?

User avatar
GraemeF
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 1111
Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2004 10:16 pm
Kiting since: 1999
Weight: 70kg
Local Beach: Hythe Kent.
Dymchurch Kent
Greatstone Kent
Favorite Beaches: Le Morne Mauritius
Nyali Kenya
Style: Freeriding Ariel Lawnmower
Gear: Core
Brand Affiliation: Core & Sabfoil Distributor
Location: Folkestone Kent UK
Has thanked: 8 times
Been thanked: 25 times
Contact:

Re: What about kiting in the olympics?

Postby GraemeF » Tue Dec 12, 2017 3:42 pm

This is the Neil Pryde organisation, they took over the mantle for Windsurfing production when the Mistral organisation (which I was part of at the time) gave up the right to produce the Olympic One Design Windsurfing Raceboard in a comedy of errors. Word is it's a done deal which means the various MNA reps have been duly lobbied and 'accommodated' shall we say. My guess they'll make more margin from a One Design kite set up than they currently are with the RSX which has production weight and longevity issues or why else would they risk what has been a pretty safe bet. Nor do I see an organisation in Kitesurfing with sufficient clout and distribution or the stomach for the lobbying process, well enough placed to challenge them. All that is in doubt is wether 'foiling' is accessible enough for the market it is allegedly targeted at and I think most of us agree that it probably isn't but what we all worry about is of no interest to World Sailing which itself is in danger of losing the entire sailing category from the five ring circus unless something changes their viewing figures dramatically.


Return to “Kitesurfing”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Aberdovy kiter, Baidu [Spider], Bartolo, BigBoyTonic, Bing [Bot], Brent NKB, evan, Exal, Flyingseb, Google [Bot], ham-er, jyka, Kitemenn, KiteWing&Foil, mati, Matty V, SolarSet, tomato, Vivo3d, Yahoo [Bot] and 146 guests