Kiteboarding Olympic Bound!

tjgulizia · Since 06 Feb 2007 123 Posts Hood River Stoked

Looks like kiteboarding will be replacing windsurfing in the 2016 Olympics! Kites will be flying high in Rio! Go USA!!

http://www.sailing.org/38281.php

Sella · Sat May 05, 12 8:26 am

That's cool news! It would be great to see a guy or gal from the PNW represent! Thumb's Up

Inept_Fun · Since 14 Apr 2005 1417 Posts Hood River XTreme Poster

Too bad it will be for racing.... oh well at least its something i guess... although the masses thinking that all we do is race around behind our kites may not be a good thing...

consumer · Since 28 Nov 2010 406 Posts banned Obsessed

imagine how many times we are going to be asked "how fast do you go with that thing?" after this.

Pepi · Sat May 05, 12 10:05 am

Pepi · Sat May 05, 12 3:09 pm

Here you go Ian.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/207173142734427/207343599384048/?notif_t=group_activity

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4911 Posts Portland Unstrapped

Kiteboarding trumps windsurfing but
Rhythmic Gymnastics will always reign supreme!

Inept_Fun · Since 14 Apr 2005 1417 Posts Hood River XTreme Poster

lol at windsurfers that they are mad about getting booted. Maybe people will start windsurfing again now that their image is back on point!

Sella · Sun May 06, 12 11:34 am

Pete · Since 29 Oct 2007 843 Posts Opinionated

This totally sucks. The more people that get into this sport, the less enjoyable it will be.
Sad

nickdward · Since 11 Aug 2008 130 Posts Seattle Stoked

Racing is the only non-subjective discipline in kiting and it fits well into the current Summer Olympic paradigm. The best guy wins, period.

You're dreaming if you think hitting sliders (or any kind of freestyle) will ever be considered for the summer games. The summer olympics is not the right venue for freestyle, and I'm sure you would hate on the type of riding that would go on if it was (you think style would be rewarded? hah...think more along the lines of gymnastics)

X games is what you guys should be after. The racers just happen to be organized enough to actually get this big accomplishment done.

And for anyone who is upset that kiting is being portrayed as "sailing," get a god damn clue. You get pulled around by the wind with a huge sail.

Nak · Wed May 09, 12 7:29 am

Nak · Wed May 09, 12 7:35 am

moondog · Wed May 09, 12 7:54 am **curling**

Nak, it is called Curling, the most exciting, extreme sport in the winter olympics. Now you are going to get all the Scottish kiters upset with you since it was invented over there. I used to watch it on my Duluth overnights to kill 33 hours in a hotel in January. It is very boring unless alcohol is involved!

Nak · Wed May 09, 12 7:57 am

That's it, curling! I'm sure there's equally dumb sports at the Summer Olympics that could be dropped to make room for windsurfing. Well maybe not equally dumb...

genek · Since 21 Jul 2006 2165 Posts East Po KGB

Nak, curling is pretty fun. I can personally attest to the fact that running around on ice with your friends while drunk is very entertaining, especially when someone gets laid out for no reason. Watching it is a whole other issue though. At least the Swedish women's team is pretty hot usually Smile

nickdward · Since 11 Aug 2008 130 Posts Seattle Stoked

Ribbon twirling is pretty legit too Cool

Starting to look pretty similar if you ask me. Think of the bar as a tiller and the lengthened depower strap as a mainsheet...at least this is how the best kite racers are thinking.

In reality kiters tend to imagine that kiting is a crossover of whatever sports they used to do before kiting. I'm a surfer and a sailor, so I guess that explains my point of view.