European vs American kite culture

[talbert99]

Some of these people hit the nail on the head. The issue is FAR wider than kite culture. It's culture in general. The difference in American culture is immesely different compared to most other advanced countries.

CNN just had an article on this this past week (Really worth a look)
http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2014/ ... =allsearch

You'd be surprised at how poorly the US ranks at health and welness (70th!). We are pretty far down this list because we work and eat...rinse and repeat. Companies take take take and we love to put in those extra hours to work our way to the top. Our society has the sterotype of rewarding those who work late hours in to the night. While in some European countries its illegal to check your work email after 5pm.

I'm born and bred American and have lived here all my life, but I say we have a lot to learn from our friends overseas when it comes to slowing down to enjoy life. I envy that part of your culture. I'd love to see Americans stop and smell the roses more.

Hell my first 10 years out of college I worked and worked and then worked some more. Now at almost 40 my peers look down on me at 5pm when I close my laptop and shut down only for everyone else to put in another hour or two. I don't eat at my desk either and scarf down my food. I get out at lunch and walk, go to the park. To hell with Comporate America. Yes there are opportunities but it will also be a cancer in your life if you let it.

[BWD]

Silly to make it a dispute.
The point is to mix it up.
Some trips are a mission, time the weather, hit the spot, great sessions, DIY, get it and get back home.
But a nice place to stay in front of the beach is good too especially with friends and family.
If there is a bar and "kite launchers," that's ok too.
How much time and money you have to spend varies, wherever your home is.
Some Americans can only take a week at a time, but take 10 trips a year.
Some can take a month at once.
Some Europeans just do short trips, and find a way to work during the summer holiday, depends on what you need.
Some guys take a month and are stuck in a tiny flat and/or far from the sea the rest of the year.

But some live at the beach!
That last option sounds appealing...

[Krazedkiter]

Wow. Interesting responses. I can assure you I'm not a troll. It was just an observation I have made while reading the different experiences people gave had from different parts of the world on this forum.

Hey, no hating on the Americans. Definitely did not mean to impose a stereotype on the advanced European community compared to the cave man mentality of us over worked simplistic silly Americans (sarcasm).

I just notice all these kite clubs are typically outside the US and definitely cater to the Euros.

Kite on and dont read too much into things.

[Erlend M B]

It is not kite culture is continent culture .
we work for living you live for working!
we like stay 20 days or more with friends and all amenities!
US ctz do not do it ,cannot do it ,do not have the thought of doing it .
in terms of living you are bodydragging while we are facing hawaian jaws.
time is needed maybe 2 or 3000 years of history !
better talk of kiting !
ciao
ps. do not get me wrong ,it is not an offense ,you come from 200 years ,we are much older and have been taught from time to time what to do!

Some people are so pompous they think that by simply stating no offence whatever insult they hurl is just fine.

Funny, that was the exact same thing I thought when reading the opening post.
Europe is a continent, with lots of different countries. Europeans are as different between themselves as europeans are different from US citizens.

[Tiago1973]

well, since we are at it, think there are some european countries w/ more differences between themselves than US a whole

but i do not know US so well

by other hand for the most part really like to work w/ my american colleges, some how feel we share the same approach to things. can´t say the same about some of my European colleagues...

how this would translate to the topic? no idea

[Bille]

Never did a European vacation with a kite, but traveled there a bunch
since age 15. I can say that Europeans are much different than Americans. there
family structure is a Lot tighter and and they seam to be a bunch more conscientious
of human feelings than Americans. I kite with a group from Argentina , and a cook-out
on fire with them, is WAY different than the grilling of dogs & beer with my American friends !

Traveling to different States
in America, there is also a Huge difference in the way i get treated ; from the
South-east to North-west, there's a Huge differences in culture. I seam to get along
with rural people, better than the city-slickers.

Check it out, Easter Sunday, it was 4:30 pm before anyone said : "Happy Easter"
to me, ( it was a Martial-arts instructor from Russia) and he spoke with a Heavy accent.
The second person that said : "Happy Easter" to me that day, was a Jewish girl from Isrial
and in her early twenty's. I out-right asked the Lil Beauty , WHY or WHAT possessed you to
say that to me ? She said that she just wanted to make me Feel Good . Think about it ---
Jews Don't do Easter ; it's pass-over to them.
American girls her age , simply Don't do that ; absolutely a demographic cultural difference !

So , would i expect a Kite vacation with Europeans to be different than hanging
with Americans ? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------YES !!
Better ?
NO, just Different ; because Americans can be a Blast, if Ya hook-up with the
right ones .

Bille

[saildawg]

I've never kited at a "kite camp" and have had the pleasure of kiting with people from almost every continent. Antartica? Not yet! Some like full out luxury, some like it bare bones. I'll take a bed over a mat and blanket. Strange thread could be titled, "Us and Them".

[North_Wind]

I have kited with lots of Europeans and only a few Americans (not enough of the latter to venture an opinion).

An interesting example of the "European" culture is Cape Town Kite Club. Naturally (being due South of Europe) almost all the guests are from Europe. The price point (and the fact that most South African kiters know someone who livest in Cape Town) means there a are few to no local guests.

The vibe is very much the "communal experience" ... breakfast at a long table, perhaps buddy up for trips, and evening barbecues where people cook together, share meals etc. The idea is twelve people sharing the space, the stoke, rather than just sharing a roof. The nearest thing you get in North America is maybe a fishing lodge or heli-skiing lodge (but without the guides)?

[thekoning]

i find this thread very stereotypical and not really relevant to anything since everyone, regardless of nationality has different wants in their vacation.

[BWD]

Yes, it is a silly topic.
But to add another thing, I regularly kite with close friends, organize kite sessions and trips (daytrips or longer) with them, and stay with them.
Families included, sometimes 3 generations in a house.
And my cousins windsurf, they are often in the picture too.
And we cook food for each other, have some beer or wine...
What stereotype is that?
Is that only possible in my country?
I don't think so.
It's the "human" culture, pretty universal I think.
Similarities are more than differences, on whatever shore.