Kimbo is a Kitesurfer, the other guy is a Windsurfer !
To top it all off, kitesurfers are are happy with YELLOW arrows !
Green arrows mean we break out the small kites !
Beat that!!
I know I can't beat you windsurfer guys. There are too many of you sitting on your computers waiting for green arrows.
Reminds me why I gave up Windsurfing.
I think the low end for a windsurfer is the same as a kite surfer. I can plane in 10kts on my big gear, can you comfortably kite in that? The other day I was out, it was light, i'd guess 10-12kts. The kiters couldn't stay upwind, couldn't really jump, I sailed 2 km up the coast for a bit of a cruise then came back, they were all standing around and complaining how **** the wind was, I had a good laugh.
The difference is once it hits about 15kts the kites hit their strides, they can boost huge air and probably do most of their tricks etc. Windsurfing you can start do to a bit of freestyle stuff but you really need 20kts plus to start busting out in the waves jump stylez. So kites no doubt have a wider range within which they can do all of their freestyle tricks etc.
However when you're right down in the low end it's the same for both sports imo, big sails, big kites, it all gets sluggish.
i dont care if someone's out there on polesurfer or kite as long as they are out there... funny thing is by that logic kitesurfing is better as you can get out a lot more.
last winter there where 2 awesome days at dutchies that i had to myself, the best waves for kiting or windsurfing you could imagine in perth, i had them to myself as the wind was too light for windsurfers one the one day and the second only one pollie was out there but heaps of surfers.
it doesnt matter if "your not really riding the waves" because at the end of the day the windsurfers didnt even get on the water.
la la la...gays, teabaggers, polies who cares.
There would be no kitesurfing without windsurfing, so respect your roots you ungratefull pack of ballerinas.
As for kitesurfing being an extreme sport...give me a break. I have tried to sit through the KWPT stuff on fox and after about 10 mins it gets real boring. Extreme sports are marketing hype and rubbish. The extreme stuff happens when nobody is watching.
And as for it being better and all that, hmm how many times has a kite come close to a wind powered speed record? And I am yet to see kites featured in the olympics. There is too much focus on the "cool" of kitesurfing, but in reality it is a very one dimensional sport.
Windsurfing had that same cool factor in the 80's and even into the 90's, but it passed as it will with kitesurfing. If your sport is truly as great as you say we will see how it weathers the inevitable down turn in popularity.
You want fighting?
Here's World Heavyweight Champ,Wladimir Klitschko, kitesurfing !
This thread started with a specific incident where a kite boarder collided with a windsurfer and injured the windsurfer. The kite boarder refused to apologise or admit any fault.
It really doesn't matter whether windsurfing is dying out or whether kite boarding will be legislated out of existance. What matters is common sense and ettiquet on the water.
If a windsurfer acts like an idiot on water, which I am yet to see, then they could cause injury or death by hitting someone.
If a kiter acts like an idiot they too can cause injury or death by hitting someone. Added to this their lines are very long and they take up a large amount of space. This adds to the danger, plus the apparent irresponsible attitude of many kite boarders means kite boarding is dangerous to bystanders. The 'bad' 'rad' attitude which comes from board sports or perhaps delusions caused by substance abuse, has no place when you are sharing the beach with people who don't care or are impressed by you and your hand grabs.
he wouldn't have been smileing if he landed on that fin.
wonder if he apologised to the owner of the windsurfing kit, there is what the thread started about.
I hope nobody takes this banter too seriously. I mean after all, our planet is riddled with real, serious problems ,whilst we are just a bunch of over fed ,cashed up aussies playing in the water on various toys.
moby disc said
The 'bad' 'rad' attitude which comes from board sports or perhaps delusions caused by substance abuse, has no place when you are sharing the beach with people who don't care or are impressed by you and your hand grabs.
nothing wrong with substance abuse
I dig the holden/ferrari theory, it's funny how the smart ones get it.
Anyway ,I'm looking for a new sport because windsurfing is just to hard. It needs to be easy to learn, cheap like an old holden, can be done in very light wind because strong winds are scary, can be done wearing baggy pants, comes with an air pump that I can use to inflate my girlfriend with, a sport where everyone one the beach will think I'm special and take my photo and it all needs to fit in a big colorful handbag.
Did I also mention it has to be EXTREME
Don't take this post to seriously .
When Kites and Windsurfers Dont Mix Well.....
Heard the low down today about the kiter/windsurfer collision at Inverloch in the last month. Nose of sailboard impacted kiter above groin to stomach region lots of blood lost and stomach etc exited large wound when wetty removed.. This of course resulted in him being airlifted to hospital.
So all, please exercise caution and safety especially when the wind is cranking, kites especially due to the power etc involved, windsurfers err, umm, err ...dont go fast close to others cause it will hurt.
Or if you really want to worry about something and get your back up...... start here
Time to start a new topic, as this one now belongs in the "General" section as it has now diverted off from a simple windsurfing incident to opinions on war, race, sexuality and world order!
Let's not get to serious crew, and lets try and keep on topic.
ENJOY!