Never thought I'd say this but after 5yrs of kiting I think I'm getting over it.
Might be the poor season Perth has had, might be the same old metro slop who knows.
Has anyone one else had a " change of heart" only to find the stoke again one day?
Heaps keener to travel south for a paddle these days when I used to love charging down wind over paddling any day before hand.
13 years in now and I remember a few times when I fell into a similar hole. I feel the thing that opened it back up for me was diversity. Don't concentrate all your efforts on one style, one brand, one location, mix it up in every way possible as there are so many options and extensions that Kiting can provide.
These days I partake in every genre of our sport, and to be honest have found what I believe has created a life long passion for my sport. I just got off the water this arvo from a sub 10knot Raceboard session by myself, working on techy stuff like perfecting technique, duck tacks and jibes.
Mix it up, and have fun enjoying the water and the freedom we have.
Joe
I went through that last summer.
What got me stoked again is doing a few different sports, started wakeboarding a bit more than i usually did, started skating a bit and started surfing again. came back into summer absolutely frothing to get out for a kite, it's just a shame about the winds really...
combinations of different styles and different sports will keep your interests.
Yeh I know how you feel, been there.
To add: Firstly make sure the kite/board combination's are the very best for your style. Set some goals each year to achieve a certain set of skills by end of season. get out of your comfort zone, this way you will get that adrenalin rush you got for the first couple of years. it is also good to land hard now and then and hurt a little like in the first couple of years (trying a new skill set) - appreciate again what kind of power you have in your hands!!
Sometimes I just kite without thought, if ya get my drift. get in the moment rather than thinking about what's going on in your life (which you can after you've mastered the basic skill set). Appreciate your body and mind floating across the ocean, don't take it for granted. I call this soft sessions, whereby and choose to obtain 'flow' and grace rather than smash the crap out of the face of a wave. In these session I will find myself choosing certain moves without pre-planning - sometimes can end in tears, but when ya get into the zone, time passes without you noticing.
Yeh mix it up and appreciate what you got! hope this helps
Just get married Graceful.
The value you attribute to that 2 hours of freedom on the water will go up exponentially.
Firstly we need to change your name Graceful.
Secondly you need to attempt things you haven't done.
Like jump a pier, remove your safety gear, kite in thunderstorms etc.
Good luck Graceful.
Not feeling like I have to mate, just wondering if other people have hit a "flat spot" with kiting.
Got plenty of other hobbies, motocross , road bikes and just signed up for my accelerated free fall course :))
yes the others are correct. its all about the learning curve. once you have pushed as hard as you care to. then you stagnate and get bored. You need to push a new limit. find a new style. theres plenty of different styles to choose from.
try some land kiting perhaps? get a buggy or board and skid around on the sand. the extra fear factor of smashing yourself into the hard sand may give you extra zing.
also you can't beat new kite speed for extra stoke. buy a new kite!...
mix it up with other sports. i also mountain bike and longboard skate. you may want to leave the kiting to the supreme days and do something else on the cropola days.
Hi Graceful.
Feeling pretty much the same as you, its my 6th season (Does the first one count when you couldnt get on a board?!), so similar stage as you.
I think its a combo of poor seasons back to back, less stoke at the newness, busier life making it harder to get out, not progressing, spots crowded and full of wally's.
I also miss the social aspect that was there 5 years ago- when you knew everyone at your local and usually spent half your beach time catching up with kite mates. Its weird now when I dont know anyone on or off the water at my spots
A new board and new kiting partner I hope will be the start of a resurrection of the stoke for me, and maybe a late windy season with decent swell
Lousy kiting summer, lucky to have had a handful of sessions.
I'm finding it's difficult to remain enthusiastic about something that I'm not getting the opportunity to do often.
Maybe that's contributing to your current mindset also.
I say you all need to winge more on the internet, you know lack of wind, wax wont stay on board and especially about the wallys all that are going to lose access for us, might bring that extra bit of thrill for you.
I've found myself going through the same sort of thing.......mainly due to the shocking busy beach's in Perth, choppy slop, lack of swell and a series of two bad years. My advice would be just leave the city mate, Perth's enough to get anybody down, everytime i go back up north im frothing all over it 
. Once relocated back to G-Town i'll be killing it again
Im still keen to do the run out to rotto and back one afternoon to lighten it up a little. done solo adds that element of excitment.
Forget the leighton ----> trigg DW'er.....why would you want to do that??? short boring and unexciting. Try Rockingham to pinnaroo then your talking. spice it up with scabs to lancelin if your feeling brave.
I had far more fun in the winter down here, nothing like braving the biggest squally storm, taking massive drops, looping or going massive or throwing huge slow rotations off of a 6m swell. Not the best conditions NO, but its all about the isolation real man vs water. Winter has SO much to offer.
Just a few of the things i have on the boil to keep the light alive
Its not you losing the passion, its that theres no passion in a souless city
With risk to be shot down in flames, what about learning windsurfing as well. A lot of guys do it as its a lifetime of learning and the diversity of windsurfing is huge. From flat water crusing, racing, flat out speed, wave sailing, jumping and freestyle. Its a sport that is never really mastered and its what keeps guys pushing and pushing to do it. Its a bit easier on the body than kiting so something that you can do for a long time. So if you enjoy a challenge, and don't mind going back to the drawing board and learning a sport all over, get into it. Do both sports, different tools for different jobs. Have your orange and your apple. It keeps the stoke up.
Ok, now fire away.
12 years later, still keen. I might get a bit jaded after kiting 5-10 days straight but after missing a day I'm good to go again.
My basic skills are excellent but I am nowhere near close to mastering all the things I want to do.
I am currently loving my Sector 60 raceboard. Blasting fast upwind is a hoot. On the return downwinder, riding along in gently powered conditions, carving off waves all the way back is a beautiful way to finish the day.
Why are you idiots trying to push him to get back the passion. We should be pushing him to lose the passion to lessen the load on our kiting spots.
I'm more interested in:
1. Do you remember what triggered off your losing of the passion and how can this be applied to other member of the kiting community like show ponies, douche bags and tourists who don't abide by local kiting guidelines.
2. What is the best method to ensure the passion does not return?
Get another hobby.
Between dirt bikes, surfing and kitesurfing I am never bored on the weekend.
It doesn't look this new anymore!!!
"Don't aim at success. The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself, or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it. I want you to listen to what your conscience commands you to do and go on to carry it out to the best of your knowledge." Viktor Frankl
I think safe to say we all go through it at some stage.
I've been kiting for 12 years and pretty much full on with lessons teaching and working in the industry. Gets real hard some days particularly if the weather is bad..
Best thing is to take a little break, I took nearly a year off to hit the snow and do something different, came back better then ever.
In the last twelve months I've never ranked so highly in competition so much happier in the water and trying to relearn some of the old stuff I'd lost.
Old school is fun to try again :)
I think the secret mix it up and make sure your having fun, and nothing beats a good ride and brag session with your mates ..
Try this... Should keep you interested:
