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We need all windsurfers to get behind the petition to stop this rediculous decision. www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/General/ISAF-Selects-Kiteboarding-For-Rio-2016/
Here is the direct link to the petition that was created.
www.change.org/p/isaf-keep-windsurfing-as-olympic-discipline
I'm not sure why people have red thumbed what I've written
What has happened should not be shocking news to anyone out there who has been in the sport for a while (I only started 3 years ago and knew about this)
ISAF president Paul Henderson circulated an email in Dec 2003 regarding the viability of windsurfing as an Olympic event with the suggestion of removing the women's division from the 2008 Games.
Competitors from around the globe placed their submission and the ISAF accepted the submission and allowed windsurfing within the 2008 games.
As with every minority sport that features within the Olympic program, windsurfing was reviewed immediately after the 2008 games and doubts were cast on it's viability back then.
Accurate data is not available regarding the world windsurfing population, however every windsurfer must acknowledge that Kite Boarding has surpassed Wind Surfing in true numbers. The industry has acknowledged this by increasing kite boarding floor space, if you take into account the recent popularity of Stand Up Paddle boards and the windsurfing retail floor space is diminished further. The retail industry would not reduce floor space for an increasing or sustained market.
The unfortunate reality is Kite Boarding is more accessible to a larger demographic. Olympic windsurfing class is based on kit that is extremely specialised and does not represent or relate to the average windsurfer (dagger board, large sail windsurfing vs short board slalom and wave sailing).
From a commercial standpoint, I can understand (however emotionally disagree) with removing a sport that may no longer be relevant to the general sailing population. There are more kite kids than windsurfing kids, the kite industry is larger, attracting larger sponsor dollars, increasing the return on investment through high energy media packages that are sold to fuel TV, One HD etc.
If this decision was all about marketing and return on investment (my assumption), Kite boarding wins over windsurfing hands down.
It's surprising to note that the International Windsurfing Association has not recognised this decision on their website.
www.internationalwindsurfing.com/
Good luck with the petition. I'll be getting everyone I know to sign it. In the best case, we win the right to the 2016 Olympic Games however, without a dramatic increase in worldwide windsurfing population and a rapid decline in Kite Board and SUP participation (SUP is being trailed for 2016 Olympics), our fate will be sealed.
This is my opinion only and does not represent any club or association I may be involved with. I'm a passionate windsurfer (no kite in the back pocket) and all information contained above is from research conducted by myself. *no cut and pastes here!
George - did you find the elephant in the room
Damn, you are just going to have to stop giving everybody a reality check!
The Olympic Committee has said for a long time that it wants to focus on sports with more appeal to the younger sports people. Despite what you think drives the decision making process with the Olympic Committee(some have suggested $), one would expect that the Kite surfing community did a better presentation than what the windsurfers did.
I read somewhere that they where supported by Richard Branson. Hats off to them.
I am a firm believer that the race is not won until it is over and I will be supporting the petition as well. I can only hope that the International Windsurfing Association puts together a mind blowing presentation.
I reckon they need to head down this track.
You want an Olympic event to be a competition representative of the kind of windsurfing people do that actually keeps them into the sport.
Couldn't agree more Bondy, a supercross event would be spectacular to watch and combine racing/ and freestyle jumping. They could bring out the red bull ramp also(I'm sure flipper would like that).
Bondy, that would be good for the Extreme Games 
(Mountaini biking, skating, BMW etc)
I recon that is where the future "advertising" of the sport would be best. (I don't mean this over Olympics).
Extreme games reaches the youth, and lots of those events end up on Xboxs' etc....
Yeah, the red thumbs a bit harsh on George.... wasn't a negative comment....
Why did SuperX get dropped? Too much of a fad?
My 2 cents. The Olympics is a pretty conservative organization. Windsurfing has been forced to remain as a 'yachting' discipline rather than progressing to reflect what goes on at PWA events i.e. slalom. Re-pitch windsurfing as slalom (and freestyle) event and sends in the like of Bjorn and co to spruik it.
Hey Guys,
we did run Super-X events 5 or 6 years ago on the back of the then growing popularity of that format within the PWA.
To run such an event required a high level of sailing ability and as usual, scared away too many sailors that would otherwise want to participate.
From a organiser's perspective, course setting, marshalling and judging was difficult, but rewarding if and when the wind conditions were suitable.
I too am saddened at the demise of windsurfing as an Olympic sport and as a keen cyclist am also confused that many iconic track-cycling events have now been side-lined in favour of other events.
I think many sports have been diluted by other up and coming sports taking precedence in the popularity stakes and with the Olympics now commanding huge dollars in television rights world-wide, I just get the feeling the Olympic Games are now one huge commercial cash-cow for the powers that control [ manipulate] the Games.
Windsurfing has now featured in 7 Olympiads, I love kitesurfing as well and I'm not sure how it will fare as longevity wise as an Olympic sport. If it becomes a one-design sport, then it won't last. If, like snowboarding, BMX or cycling, athletes are free to choose and use what they regularly compete on, then it stands a chance.
Personally, I will continue to windsurf as I have been for the past 4 decades....for fun!
I think the issue is that national sporting bodies tip a big wodge of cash into Grassroots through to Olympics style programs that generate athletes but teach a lot of kids on the side..
Follow this link more closely on the general windsurfing site. There is a lot of good feedback there.
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/General/ISAF-Selects-Kiteboarding-For-Rio-2016/
