looking at the last few years results, Europeans are leagues ahead, interested in the reasons for our lack of competition
Because mummy and daddy baby them,
Teachers don't or can't discipline them due to being scared of offending or losing their job,
They are encouraged to stay inside and play video games,
Dress like little girls, get hipster haircuts too,
Taught no respect for elders,
And finally that it's ok to say F U to the law....
Throw in also the location they live in and the bringing up they have had and there lies the problem...
Also multicultural factors come into play....
Just imagine, fast forward 50 years and I wonder..........
And maybe due to kites being so expensive and lessons too... Kids can't afford 3 grand at 16 years old...
If they could then we may have some better kids out there kiting instead of being diks
Many of my thoughts nobs, just had a mate over from the uk who said his local has a big youth contingent , gear cost I think is one of the main factors, if I lived in the uk I could kit out my son with brand new board , kite, harness, and wetsuit for under 900 Gbp 2013 gear,
Select to expand quoteDaniel1973 said...
Sponsorship?
Funding?
Even if only for the gear and travel!
Sounds an excuse, name one kid that'd compete if sponsored
Select to expand quoteNoBS said...
Because mummy and daddy baby them,
Teachers don't or can't discipline them due to being scared of offending or losing their job,
They are encouraged to stay inside and play video games,
Dress like little girls, get hipster haircuts too,
Taught no respect for elders,
And finally that it's ok to say F U to the law....
Throw in also the location they live in and the bringing up they have had and there lies the problem...
Also multicultural factors come into play....
Just imagine, fast forward 50 years and I wonder..........
And maybe due to kites being so expensive and lessons too... Kids can't afford 3 grand at 16 years old...
If they could then we may have some better kids out there kiting instead of being diks
Every should know it takes a specific type of person to strap a kite that can launch you into the air to yourself.
It's more the money to get into the sport. Like nobs said a 16 tear old can't afford 3 grand. I'm 20 and was only able to afford old second hand gear.
Otherwise kids my age just buy a snowboard or go the cable parks. Or a surfboard.
I completely dis agree with your 'summing up' of today's youth. Yeah there are a heap of douchebags but the moment you stop looking at the Justin beiber wannabe's you find we are all pretty well the same.
This of course does depend on a lot of factors when being brought up.
Now crucify me with red thumbs
Select to expand quotecauncy said...Daniel1973 said...
Sponsorship?
Funding?
Even if only for the gear and travel!
Sounds an excuse, name one kid that'd compete if sponsored
James Carew!
I kite with his dad all the time! James is sponsored by north for kites, axis for boards and ion for wetsuits. (I think I have the board sponsor right) he competes in everything, surf freestyle etc....
And to top it all off he's a great young kid with a great attitude and respects us oldies and will even help liters learn new stuff if asked!
There's one! (It's the only one I know)
agreed. i own a company, my wife earns over $200,000. I should be able to afford the newest gear but ****ing tony abbot takes 50% of our earnings. at the end of the day I can only buy second hand gear
Select to expand quoteDaniel1973 said...cauncy said...Daniel1973 said...
Sponsorship?
Funding?
Even if only for the gear and travel!
Sounds an excuse, name one kid that'd compete if sponsored
James Carew!
I kite with his dad all the time! James is sponsored by north for kites, axis for boards and ion for wetsuits. (I think I have the board sponsor right) he competes in everything, surf freestyle etc....
And to top it all off he's a great young kid with a great attitude and respects us oldies and will even help liters learn new stuff if asked!
There's one! (It's the only one I know)
I've watched this kid, sorry to say he's a long way off though compared to the Europeans,
Select to expand quotecauncy said...Daniel1973 said...cauncy said...Daniel1973 said...
Sponsorship?
Funding?
Even if only for the gear and travel!
Sounds an excuse, name one kid that'd compete if sponsored
James Carew!
I kite with his dad all the time! James is sponsored by north for kites, axis for boards and ion for wetsuits. (I think I have the board sponsor right) he competes in everything, surf freestyle etc....
And to top it all off he's a great young kid with a great attitude and respects us oldies and will even help liters learn new stuff if asked!
There's one! (It's the only one I know)
I've watched this kid, sorry to say he's a long way off though compared to the Europeans,
No debating that! Us Aussies need to encourage young guys like this though because the next one or the one after might be the one that hits the big time! Only point I make here is a sponsored kid with the right attitude will compete wherever and whenever he can. Also this kid has a father that supports him 100% and drives him to a beach whenever he can and they have a good father/son bond because of their common interest!
Unfortunately you need a spot on mix of affordable gear, kid with the right attitude, parent that has the time for the kid, parent that supports the kids sport, all mixed with a little bit if talent before we will even get close to the European kids.
It also doesn't help that Aussies are only interested in afl and rugby and see water sports as a fad! How much media does surfing get especially considering the amount of Aussies on the world tour? Compare that with the amount of media a footy player gets for farting in a cafe!
Cash for equipment, to travel to windy countries off season and lessons. Parental support.. can be done without (v cheap older second hand kit but difficult..)
No worries in the surf! but..
Kiteracing has little or no chance of youth affordability with current equipment rules and there are way more trust funders in europe than aussie. I believe in an affordable one design for kiting if youth are to be involved in the future.
Freestyle has opportunity but equipment is still expensive, even more so with the change towards bindings. Ligament damage seems to have taken out a lot of riders over last few years too - better to snap bones.
Kiteboarding is in an interesting place right now, diversification/ specialization of equipment (one for waves, one for freestyle one for race one for freeride - and the middle aged "tech"marketing that goes with it) and hence cost I reckon has led to a downfall in popularity amongst younger riders, and i am talking even under 40 let alone youth....
Pretty sure its the fact we have next to no competitions...
Last year we didn't even have a nationals for freestyle, Queensland doesn't even have a state titles either.
Not sure what comps you looking at mate.Andy Yates won PKRA 2010, Keahi got several world titles under his belt. Ewan Jaspan has been top 20 last few years and wld have been top 10 if he didn't get injuries. We have heaps of racers in good positions at worlds and international regattas.At the nationals there was some good young talent showing tooAt the end of the day you need a lot of determination, talent and commitment to be up there plus the support from brands/ sponsors and parents.
Select to expand quoteThe5MetreKid said..
Pretty sure its the fact we have next to no competitions...
Last year we didn't even have a nationals for freestyle, Queensland doesn't even have a state titles either.
This kid is onto it. Some people may not have been kiting 10 years ago, but I can tell you that there was far more world class talent (kids) around then than there is now. At that point in time AUS was way ahead of the game in regards to trick selection and style. All those "kids" have pretty much stopped kiting now and left a huge void that in my opinion is far from being filled. There's the odd kid or two I see that shows promise but honestly since Ewan Jaspan I haven't seen a grom that is even close to being on a world class level...
The problem as pointed out is lack of comps... Comps help grow the sport and push new generations to try things they wouldn't otherwise do. It gives kids a reason to learn those new tricks and an opportunity to feel like what the've learnt isn't all just for themselves. Kids also see the more experienced guys at comps which helps curve them in the right direction and gives them a chance to get help with stuff they have been trying.It's a damn shame there's so many cynical c#*ts on here when it comes down to comps. Comps are amazing and what people seem to not realise is that comps aren't about winning they are about getting together and having a bloody good time with your mates! I really miss all the comps we used to have, as I never even see those people anymore. p.s. Keahi doesn't count because he was around with all of us back then as well! hahaha.
Perhaps you could ask wifey really nicely to lend your company some monies and jump on board as a sponsor. Would be like investing in the future of kite boarding for the children's sake 
Is this a crazy idea?
Have comps where the youth kids have to use the same kite (sponsor to supply demo kites all the same brand, type, size) same boards (again sponsor supplied) and let them go head to head! Top however many get Australian institute of sport scholarships to train properly with guidance from pros and then sit back and watch the Aussie kiters take over the world!
I know it's a pipe dream but has it got any merit?
I would like to see how the europeans go against james carew and I in a wave event.
Ive kited with Tom Bridge last year,he was exceptional,and sets the standard very high, but all europeans are not at his level. Luke Smith would definitely give tom bridge a run for his money.
what Australia lacks is a platform to showcase the up and coming talent.
On a constructive note surfing australia have a camp where they gather the top juniors boys and girls. They have surfing coaches help develop their skills and mentor them to help them deal with life as a pro. But you definitely need comps at grass root level
Good topic,
Several answers that I can think of.
Firstly, it isn't just the cost. There are a heap of kids with parents that have the dough. It's the time that is the hard one. Parents need to take little Johnny to the beach everyday and there is the biggest factor.
There aren't a lot of great freestyle locations and on top of that there aren't a lot of older riders who will mentor the younguns. Everyone is so invested in the hedonistic aspect of this culture/lifestyle.
To compete internationally costs an Aussie punter a bunch because most of the tour is in Europe or US which costs a bomb for parents in terms of $$ and time.
Why aren't there comps? Again, comps cost time and money and usually the only people who have donated that time and money have been shops. The freestyle side of the sport makes up about 5% of total sales on a good day for a shop. The shops get nothing whatsoever back from hosting a comp, usually just people bitching about the conditions, the judging or the food or whatever. From what I know of, few shops are making enough money to invest the time and money into a comp.
Add to all of this the instant gratification nature of todays society and the fact that kids in school are taught that everyone's a winner and there are no losers and you have the reasons why there are no great aussie kids killing it. Anything other than a win every time is unpalatable. Biggest prob though is parents willing to donate with the money and more importantly, time.
A further consideration is there is too much choice for kids of today in terms of outdoor activities. Footy, surfing, netball, tennis, soccer, and the video games are all far cheaper options for parents.
DM
I judged the World Freestyle Juniors last year and although we have some talent I still don't think it's competitive enough to be at the top. Obviously that was a very small minority of kids in Europe and they do have a far greater population than our own, so it's only natural. Not to say that comps should be any measure of "talent" either as I honestly don't think they are the be all and end all, as I would far rather watch a good kiter free-ride than watch a guy that can win a comp.I honestly think you show great potential Billy, especially as someone who is an all-rounder which is something that I see very little of. I would love to see you go places in the kiting scene as I guess I kinda see myself as a grom in a lot of the things you are doing.How old is Luke now? He's definitely got some talent as well, although I doubt he would take out Tom as Tom could probably qualify for a PKRA main event if he had a good heat. I haven't seen Luke ride in a while so I could be wrong.I didn't mean to put any of you guys down by saying we have no talent, really what I should have said is that I think we have far less than 10 or so years ago.Also as you also point out quite well Billy I was only referring to Freestyle, I think AUS has a lot of talent in regards to Waveriding and I think we probably have the best waveriding level of anywhere I've travelled!
What is wrong with Seabreeze??? All my posts just end up looking more like one long incoherent sentence than they usually do...
Hi Billy and the grom crew,
KAL Kiteboarding Australia Limited are putting in place a progression of comps which will allow the youth of today to get enough competition experience probably be set to go for next season. From what I heard at the meeting in Melbourne some time ago, KAL have a plan to put the comp scene back on the map in Oz. Hopefully this will work out as they have planned, if so, you will have a lot more government funding and money from the association, so reliance on small shops won't be so necessary.
This will encompass judging, comp format, training and more....
This should remove at least one or more of the blocks in the way of seeing our youth rise up. Still need mum and dad to kick the can with a few fun tickets and also the investment of time and logistics.
It's a good start at least....
DM
Select to expand quotesir ROWDY said...
What is wrong with Seabreeze??? All my posts just end up looking more like one long incoherent sentence than they usually do...
Perhaps the sentence issue is one of the platform for a voice of an experienced kiter comparing his literary skills to that of a trained and structured sentence writer visa vi an author or English major writing a polemic statement in the face of adversity and encapsulating all that is right and wrong with one fell swoop whilst also dominating ones self control in using standard English punctuation and grammatical profundity whilst all the time concentrating on the subject at hand and becoming immersed in the content of the subject whilst at the same time avoiding standard English vernacular and parlance in favour of complete output of a statement regardless of how coherent or incoherent it may traverse the reading audience? 
Select to expand quoteTrapped said..
NoBS said...
Because mummy and daddy baby them,
Teachers don't or can't discipline them due to being scared of offending or losing their job,
They are encouraged to stay inside and play video games,
Dress like little girls, get hipster haircuts too,
Taught no respect for elders,
And finally that it's ok to say F U to the law....
Throw in also the location they live in and the bringing up they have had and there lies the problem...
Also multicultural factors come into play....
Just imagine, fast forward 50 years and I wonder..........
And maybe due to kites being so expensive and lessons too... Kids can't afford 3 grand at 16 years old...
If they could then we may have some better kids out there kiting instead of being diks
Every should know it takes a specific type of person to strap a kite that can launch you into the air to yourself.
It's more the money to get into the sport. Like nobs said a 16 tear old can't afford 3 grand. I'm 20 and was only able to afford old second hand gear.
Otherwise kids my age just buy a snowboard or go the cable parks. Or a surfboard.
I completely dis agree with your 'summing up' of today's youth. Yeah there are a heap of douchebags but the moment you stop looking at the Justin beiber wannabe's you find we are all pretty well the same.
This of course does depend on a lot of factors when being brought up.
Now crucify me with red thumbs
Also todays youth are hopeless at basic spelling and grammar.
Too busy tapapatappin out text messages on your Iphones..
I rest my case your honour as per above contribution my trapped.
Select to expand quoteActionSportsWA said..
Hi Billy and the grom crew,
KAL Kiteboarding Australia Limited are putting in place a progression of comps which will allow the youth of today to get enough competition experience probably be set to go for next season. From what I heard at the meeting in Melbourne some time ago, KAL have a plan to put the comp scene back on the map in Oz. Hopefully this will work out as they have planned, if so, you will have a lot more government funding and money from the association, so reliance on small shops won't be so necessary.
This will encompass judging, comp format, training and more....
This should remove at least one or more of the blocks in the way of seeing our youth rise up. Still need mum and dad to kick the can with a few fun tickets and also the investment of time and logistics.
It's a good start at least....
DMSelect to expand quotesir ROWDY said..
Good to hear! Lets hope it comes to light.Select to expand quotesir ROWDY said..
Good to hear! Lets hope it comes to light.
I know KAL has been working toward getting kite boarding recognized by the Australian Sports commission as a 'National Sporting Organization" to enable events to attract government funding. In addition NSO status also allows riders - especially the up and coming youth - to apply for National and state grants to attend events. Surfing Australia has NSO status and as such attracts funding from a National, State and Corporate level to host events. Their youth development program is outstanding and is why Australia has some of the best junior surfers in the world. This is the direction Kite boarding has to go to progress competition and the young riders in Australia
Select to expand quotekemp90 said..
when my daughter is older I cant wate to but her on a kite
Well for starters the youth of today could learn to read and write.
(When my daughter is older I can't wait to buy her a kite)
Maybe spend some of the 200K on self education. It's tax deductible.
