Selection of equipment for the Olympic Kiteboarding Events

[Billy B.]

The national authorities will purchase gear at distributor rates. Some countries will then provide that gear free-of-charge to their top sailors, and some will pass the cost down to their top sailors.

But not everyone will be on the 'national team' - especially at the beginning when the enthusiasm starts to build and people want to give racing a try. Where do those guys go to for affordable gear?

I would assume just like in any other sport that has its disapline in the games it would then be to there local shop and second hand shops, it is no different then being a ski racer, or BMX rider.

Currently kiting is the least expensive option for any salior, It is just a cold hard fact that you have to pay for it. I have a full quiver of 2012 dynos, as well as left over 2011 gear, plus a 2012 North LTD 69, and some other boards. I am a broke ass unemployeed stay at home dad......but I raced snowkites with my own money, I did o-kay and got some support from sponsors but it still cost money, for me to go places to compete.

Gear is usally the least important item to fund, Travel and on the road expenses per year are the money pit, You can sell gear and get some money back and have a couple thousand dollars of gear cost, per season but tens of thousands of travel expenses... And that is just traveling at the national level, once you travel world wide the price grows.

I am going to vent a little here, And as a past snowboard racer at the world level I have some personal complaints.... but just like anysport the athletes that make it to the games have the best combonation of the skills needed to compete, they may not be thae fastest or the best, but they have the complete package of funding, and experence to reach their goal. This happens in many sports, sure there are sports where a kid on the street can prove their worth then gett the funding to progress, but not often in indavidual sports, like skiing, sailing, golfing,etc.. It is often the Kids with the funding to sail everyday, ski everyday, and then travel to contest to build points and experence that progress, not often the best sailor or skiier.

Bummer that Money can buy a career but in the same aspect, with out it you can not truley be cometitive and any sport as a entrance level to expert athlete with out funding. And being a pro at anysport with out funding it is immposable to do well...

Again just my experence. I see no difference in kite racing the kids that have funding to go to all the contest and have the best gear they can get do the best over time.

[gbleck]

You want a simple way to help impovrished nations kite? Start a non profit organization. Much more effective then artificial price adjustment. Also does anyone sell a set of 43 cm x2, 38 cm fins at the $380. Is it even an echonomicaly viable option.

[kitewindunite]

You want a simple way to help impovrished nations kite? Start a non profit organization. Much more effective then artificial price adjustment. Also does anyone sell a set of 43 cm x2, 38 cm fins at the $380. Is it even an echonomicaly viable option.

The Rista fins are what... $650? And you need two sets --> $1300. I guess you can sacrifice 1 of your 3 kites if you want better fins

[kitewindunite]

...The three kites for the whole season idea is just wrong and unsafe. The desicion to race is ultimatly the skippers but limiting his or her options for safe equipment is just wrong...

+1

So, if I've registered a 9m and a 13m for the season, and I need an 11m that day, can I sail with the 13m and a 10 lbs weight belt around my waist? lol...

Seriously, has anyone tried this?

[Silver_surfer]

I've been in kiteracing for 4 years and before windsurfing racing for 10 years I'm totally for box rule and against one design, no way to have fun racing or training with a non performant board when you know that on the market there is something better but you can't use it.

But the way the box rule has been managed this year is not good because brands that registered their board did not make them really avalaible on the market, and with the suggested changes (one board registered for all the season) it will go even worst.

The real problem for average sailor is that you will not get your board unless you order far in advance (at the beginning of the season, maybe without testing) and if your choice is not good or you brand makes boards that broke down after 1 one month you are out for the season...

It is more than one year that Mike's Lab board is registered and eligibile but no average-racer in Europe still own it because of impossible waiting list, now seems that a Cobra production ( 1 kg. heavier) will be done but when it will be really on the market ??? Is this board as good as the original one ?

It is not fair and IKA does nothing to avoid it, a registered board must be deleted from the list if the brand is not able to supply the board in any period of the year in max one month, they must keep boards in stock or the system does not work.

Ok for box rules, but boards and sails must be in stock all year round.

[longwhitecloud]

some top result raceboard manufacturers must be at least pondering selling their board as one de$ign!


PLease do not leave your raceboard fins up on the beach, especially when there are a lot of boards around, not so much space, and lot of wind..

[alexv]

Only the “box rule concept” ensures participation of the world’s top athletes.

Yeh, what about the rest of the riders ? )) This year I've got my "box rule" board in August after ordering it in september 2011 !!!

Right now if you open IKA official board list you will see that already new models will be "official" from 29.09.2012. What a surprise!!!

And who will go to the world championship with this boards? again only few top athletes )))

[davesails7]

I've been in kiteracing for 4 years and before windsurfing racing for 10 years I'm totally for box rule and against one design, no way to have fun racing or training with a non performant board when you know that on the market there is something better but you can't use it.

That made sense a few years ago when boards were getting so much better every year, but it seems like the development has leveled off.

How much faster will next year's boards be around the course, 1% faster? at most 5% faster? Nothing you'd really notice. I don't think you'd say at the end of the race "that race would have been a lot more fun if we were all going 1 knot faster."

I think getting bigger fleets from one design would outweigh the small increase in performance. (All my experience is in one design sailing though, so just my opinion)

[gmb13]

You do not need the newest board.

What you need is training and skills.

Not everyone that has a Mikes Lab Board is up front. Having the newest and the best is no guarantee for success. You can actually do pretty well on older equipment if it's still in good condition.

If you are just getting into the sport you will be just fin on any tri-fin board board that is on the Production list no matter what year its from.

I do however recommend you get a decent set of fins as this will make a difference, but not as much as training and actually racing.

--
Gunnar

[longwhitecloud]

I don't think it is anything like windsurfing at all comparing slower one design boards to formula for example, and that is because we have the power of kites and their huge apparent wind/weight to power ratio/kite lift advantage, not sails.

Unless you are lightwind specializing, performance between top boards and average boards is not so great - we are still smoking fast.- but many olympics have had super light winds (not uk tho - looked ok) which are way more boring and dull unfortunately - just shows kind of person u will have to be to win - "sick waves on the coast, awesome high wind session on the slicks you coming?" Reply "Nah going overseas to train in 10 knot winds"

I kind of agree with Brazil, it is going to be hard for poorer countries to be winners (the main idea). This is why another class will emerge - a more affordable one - maybe even a one design where you can make your own and have it measured in - but is that todays olympics? ie generate $$$

Olympics and kiting are very strange match when you consider conditions required, and the fact that many countries just don't have the conditions/locations to practice in. Not 100% but kind of like adding surfing to the olympics (ie many countries - no waves). It is all very well trying to convince that kiting can take place in super light winds but maybe Beijing would have got no result for kiting at all, just kites floating in the water.

It may be that light wind riding makes olympic kite racing elitist and expensive, or maybe not.