Windsurfing Mag BS

[Guest]

Am I the only one sick of the adolescent BS that is the content of Kitesurfing Magazine. (see the earlier postings on this site about helmets for eg.) It seems that the magazine is aimed at 16 year old readers (skateboarders?). I wonder how many kiters fall into this category?

[Guest]

Yeah - I want more articles on Gear reviews, tuition and good sites - less of some Geezer that i've never heard of in Maui Pulling sick airs in his Flowery pants.

or am I just gettin old

[Guest]

Yeah I agree. They have gotten away from gear review and sites and gotten more into the lives of riders I could give a shit about. Who cares what kind of car Lou drives!!! The mag should be about kiting!!! The average rider is probably 20's and 30's mostly people with real jobs and the mag is aimed at either idiots or pimple popping 13 year olds. Gear, How to, where to, this is what I want. Anyone from the mag reading this?? I hope so.

J

[Guest]

Exactly! I still enjoy popping a pimple though and I'm in my 30's

[Guest]

I'm in my mid 30s and come from a vert skateboarding background. I think I read somewhere that Dave Tyburski is from a skating background too. I'm sure there are plenty others like me. I think mags taking a skate-like approach to the sport is good for the sport. Look what skating did for surfing and snowboarding, it certainly gave those sports a shot in the arm. Many of the top kiteboarder note Tony Hawk as a major influence even though Tony has yet to try the sport.

Just an opinion

Spiggy
Just my opinion.

[Guest]

th3 magZ app3al to sk8erZ 0f a11 ag3z n0t just da yung p1mpL3 P1cK3rZ AssOc1At1oN. so th1z w0u1d lik3ly 1nclud3 guyZ that Ka11 th3ms31f by uLtrA kEWl nam3z lik3 spiggy. the magZ w1ll n3v3r app3al t0 3v3ry0n3 inv0lv3d in da sp0rt B-k0z it inklud3z p33ps of all d1ff3r3nt l1f3styl3z. L3t us all bE gr8-fUll that tH3 Magz at l3asT d0nt tRy 2 wR1t3 l1k3 da sk8er pUnkZ.

[fokiten]

Let me see you all are anti big air pics by macho types in kite pants, you want more gear reveiws, and location info. when I read the posts on this site, they are mostly aimed at how to get more air, too the point of suggesting novice sailiors keep thier kites low for max edge in overpowered conditions, and suggesting manufactured control devises are inapproprate for kites under sixteen meters,(revised down from 18 meters) that wimps whine about lack of depower, that skill equates to tuffing it out macho style, I have dared to mention that you can go up wind with a high kite if you keep your speed down, that you can tell where your kite is and still have exellent control with bridals, yet because this sounds easyier it is generally pissed on as less advanced, Yet i see this complaint about BS in mags, face it the mags have you pegged. from where I sit the major players on this site are more into advancing the merits of thick necks and out of touch with the range of sheer grace that kiting in its over all possibilitys present. I am here to tell you that extreme kiting is extremly narrow in focus, bring it or stop whining about the mags content, its made with you in mind.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: fokiten on 2002-10-12 19:03 ]</font>

[Guest]

I've got nothing against skateboarding as a sport - but do we need a magazine that excitedly reports beer drinking, partying with strippers etc. to try & make our sport "cooler"?

Also the magazine is so in bed with the manufacturers you can't get any meaningful discussion of new gear. This is much less the case with the European magazines.

After years of this kind of stuff from Windsurfing magazine, the editors of Kitesurfing magazine seem to have decided that thay have to be even more adolescent in their approach to kiting. Does this really represent the average kiter?

[Dr Surf Australia]

I remember years ago in Windsurfing magazine they actually had a technical editor. This was the guy that made sure testing and product reviews were done thoroughly and in those days tests were much better, more thorough and more critical which I'm sure put a chill up the advertising reps spines. Now in windsurf and kitesurf magazines it seems that testing/reviews are almost an afterthought and certainly not comprehensive with regards to the process and brands tested.

It seems that on these Internet forums the most clamoured for information is about the product. That is certainly what I'm after and I'm prepared to offer my own experiences so it's not just a one way street. I don't see anyone asking for gossip on the lives of various pro kiters which is the sort of crap that seems to pad out magazines.

If the magazine publishers had any integrity about their profession they should look at these Internet forums and see what it is that people are really after. It seems like the magazines are just an extension of the advertising dept whose most important task is to avoid upsetting advertisers. I even remember a mag review of a 2001 15.5m Cabrinha Blacktip which was very mild yet even today there is a post on this forum about how to improve this dog of a kite.

If there are magazine editors reading these forums who really want to improve circulation they should reveal themselves and be open to some constructive criticism. Much cheaper than some expensive focus group or random polling.

Have fun, Dave (Dr Surf Australia)

[Guest]

Dr Surf, you are SOOO right. I don't mind the ocassional bikini shot though.

J