What this debate shows us is the importance we hold to the fact that this or that activity should be in the Olympics.
I also believe that windsurfing should not have been removed from the games as it is a unique discipline within the sailing world. I would actually 'place' it as a transition period between the fixed mast and kitesurfing (no mast) discipline, and therefore it has its legitimate place in the games.
The sad thing is that windsurfers are fighting kitesurfers, and i think they should embrace these changes as they have also been a part of it, after all, that is the only constant in life (change).
Clarencephils timing (and motivation?) in posting this thread just shows how hot this subject is at the moment, and taking a few steps back to find a solution is, to me, the best thing we could do.
sHere an idea: All kiters and their representatives should send a petition to the olympic committeee to reconsider their exclusion of windsurfing. Maybe even refusing to be part of the games if windsurfing does not get its rightfull place alongside kiteing and other sailing classes.
Together we are strong
Nico

Good ideas Nico. I'd sign that petition in a heartbeat.

Me too.
I think this should come from the IKA for exemple.
This would a golden opportunity to strengthen their image with everyone.
I havn't the skills nor the weight to pull this off.
Nico

i fully support windsurfing back in, even at the expense of kiteboarding. From the moment IKA released their first propaganda video showing lasers sailing in black and white and to dodgy old music followed by rock music and full HD color for the kiters in moderate to high winds I knew IKA wasn't representing kiteboarding respectfully.

Maybe some old Pole Boarding Wimps showing resistance for the new change.
It's ridiculous to exclude freestyle which is about kiteboarding and get to stuck with a
boring limited course discipline of Raceboarding in the Olympic riding on refrigerator doors with sword fins

I have a new suggestion:
let's call Kiteboarding now on to Windsurfing what we're really doing
To go by the content and it's coherent and since windsurfing is allowed most of the places without any Bans anyway.

DrLW

We started loosing places to Hang glide and Para glide so the
two disciplines joined together in the same club to give us a stronger legislative
voice. Stronger voice is why the NRA is so prominent in the USA.

HG & PG's Hate each-other at most flying sights but together we fought off crap
like a Ban on HG or PG in the Owens Valley because we
are scaring the local wildlife ; and kept most of our flying sights open.

Really Like this quote by --Nico-- :
"I would actually 'place' it as a transition period between the fixed mast and kitesurfing (no mast) discipline"

Para gliding kinda evolved from Hang gliding ; not the aerodynamics but the
strategy's on how to stay in the air by using all the different types of lift. It's like
each type lift has it's own mood and energy transfer sorta like the ebb and flow in the ocean
and how different it can make a particular surf-spot.
I enjoy both PG and HG for much the same reason --- just a different tool for
soaring !!

Bille

I guess that the main point is that to the best of my recollection Nevin's accident was at least 6+ years ago (probably closer to 7-8). I believe that this occurred when he was commercially involved in trying to distribute Gaastra kites. Please correct me if I'm wrong on either point.

Now, PLEASE do a Google search on “Nevin Sayre kite surfing accident”, and how well Nevin's account and gruesome, half-decade old injury photos have been spread around. I believe that these were put out to every major sailing forum, newsletter, and blog.

During a cursory look, I didn't see dates attached to his accident. They are being portrayed as recent, and this is where issue should be taken. Keep in mind that for most sailors, Nevin’s account is all that they know about the sport of kitesurfing, and they certainly don’t know that this accident occurred before many of today’s safety standards have been widely adopted by riders and brands.

See below for example:
http://www.sail-world.com/Australia/Cal ... vote/97327


I'm commercially involved in both windsurfing and kite surfing. Our company has certainly been hurt on multiple levels with the coming of ISAF's decision, however I'm not about to trash our access because I'd prefer to see RSX's racing in Rio.

Kent- Maybe Nevin saw your Facebook post last week about windsurfers ramsacking your ASM store, and was just returning the favor?....
Seeing you on here crying about something like this is just plain funny....

I did see the disclaimer halfway down the page, but the (real) news story about the break-in, accompanied by your dazzling douche-baggery, made it look like windsurfers were guilty.

So while Nevin may be looking like a sore loser at this point, you look worse for being a sore winner. I feel bad for the racers, who have to tolerate people like you just to race.

Sincerely,
www.kiteboardingtampabay.com

The plot thickens.
This mud slinging is really not gonna do any good either way !!!
Nico

Some background, Kent was on the US Olympic windsurfing team for many years. His company is a major windsurfing gear manufacturer and recently spent considerable funds to develop and promote gear for the new RS:X windsurfing class per ISAF specifications. RS: X was selected by the ISAF replace the Mistral One Design Class. The RS: X windsurfing class was shut down by the recent ISAF decision costing everyone involved a lot of lost money, time and commitment.

I don't wish Nevin or windsurfers any ill throughout any of this. Windsurfing takes a lot of skill and energy to perform, more than kiting at some levels and deserves respect. Folks that have tried it know what I am talking about. I think it would be great to have both windsurfing and kiting in the Olympics.

At the same time based on google, these bloody images and comments against the sport of kiting with no details about what happened, when or why seem to have appeared on hundreds of windsurfing and sailing sites around the world in various languages in only the last few days. This from a many year old kiting accident? Working together has been the form for preserving access when threatened on beaches at large in the past, kiters, windsurfers and surfers. Trashing one sport to try to support another isn't the way to go about this.