What is the future of the sport?

[plummet]

Are we going to see the sport continuing to try to emulate other sports?

Wakestyle, surfing and yachting?

Or will the sport evolve to more kite orientated events? Ones that celebrate the flying of the kite rather than trying as hard as possible to not use the kite.

King of air and mega loop contests Are good examples of kite inspired events. As is airstyle.

I say bring on the events that celebrate the uniqueness that is kiting. kill those boring copycat events.

[Bob Marley]

Airstyle is the past. That was what kiting was before people got into wave riding with surfboards. Now anyone who "knows the feeling" of kite surfing who has a wave spot is not going to be dicking around on a twin tip.

Kiting will end up being all about racing since thats where the $ is. It will be in the olympics and then eventually die off the same way windsurfing has.

[SLiiCK]

I think kitesurfing will be around for a long time yet perhaps some new watersports in the future will take over as back in mid eighties to nineties when I was windsurfing I never even drempt of a sport like kitesurfing but since 2000 I have never wind surfed and only kite surfed but 6 years ago when I first tried it with a surfboard never looked back having surfed for 25 years the kite opens up so many options, as with competitions racing looks like the one for the Olympics but who knows what other disciplines come along in the future.

[longwhitecloud]

Gonna keep getting more and more specialized, more and more complicated and more and more expensive. The range of people that are attracted to kiteboarding today are far different to 10 years ago. More people will try to get involved to make money for themselves without basic morals that respect the sport and its participants, or grassroots experience. Then it will all become so complicated that people will start to lose interest and it will turn back into a fringe sport.

It has already started to happen actually.

Racing swallowed itself up its own selfish cash driven as5hole whereas an opportunity was there for high performance racing with far lower cost and opportunities for many.. not the middled aged, or privileged few that could afford.

Freestyle turned into a bunch of ego posers that think they are just too cool and if you are not doing what they think is right you suck! Intimidating newer average riders against progressing actually. Going on about legit, extreme... not knowing x games is owned by disney and not knowing that the roots of the other sports they refer to were not to give a sh1t what anyone else thought. Less following fashion more progression and passion.

Waves - same as above, becoming more opinionated and closed minded by the day..


The result is the progression gap between the absolute best and the punter is now so huge that progression seems unachievable for many, and aside from hanging out with good friends.. that is the best thing about kiting.

Look at how comments on this forum have changed.... from riding focused to more gear focused and yet the riding standard/ progression of the average rider has actually gone down in my opinion.

And then u have the kind of people that call out other riders on forums rather than tlak to them at teh beach today- pathetic! lol

remember - with a half decent second hand kite and pretty much any kind of cheap board that floats you can do all of above....

a dude was surfing yesterday on a block of raw paulownia wood that he had carved and was ripping .. having a great time.. over commercialization killing kiteboarding...

[Bob Marley]

Gonna keep getting more and more specialized, more and more complicated and more and more expensive. The range of people that are attracted to kiteboarding today are far different to 10 years ago. More people will try to get involved to make money for themselves without basic morals that respect the sport and its participants, or grassroots experience. Then it will all become so complicated that people will start to lose interest and it will turn back into a fringe sport.

Good I hope people lose interest. Why would anyone want more kiters at their beaches? Or are you another of these guys trying to pay your mortgage through kiting.

[longwhitecloud]

nah, i know a few though, all fresh and enthusiastic when starting - become more bitter and opinionated by the day as reality sets in...lol

[Bob Marley]

nah, i know a few though, all fresh and enthusiastic when starting - become more bitter and opinionated by the day as reality sets in...lol

Wait til they find out they are just a disposable tool to the kite companies and will be thrown away like trash if they so much as fart!!!!

[Toby]

The main fascination of this sport is the jumping.
The second is its diversity.

Something for everyone is good!

Once the sport understands the main attraction, riders will finally be able to make more money with less risk of injuries.

In the near future you will see little steps that way...until the Big Bang.
It will happen!

[Bob Marley]

The main fascination of this sport is the jumping.
The second is its diversity.

Something for everyone is good!

Once the sport understands the main attraction, riders will finally be able to make more money with less risk of injuries.

In the near future you will see little steps that way...until the Big Bang.
It will happen!

Racing will be the future of kiting. Jumping and that other shit is too subjective and doesn't attract the big money and sail boat racing crowd.

[Toby]

we will see