My name is PDXmonkeyboy and I'm an addict

pdxmonkeyboy · Tue Jul 24, 07 1:08 pm **My name is PDXmonkeyboy and I'm an addict**

Does anyone have an idea as to why kiteboarding is soo GD addicting? Ok, granted I have somewhat of an addictive personality and although I never really stuck needles in my arm (ok, once I had to give myself an anti rabies shot in jungles of the Philippines) I have run the gamut of extreme sports; rock climbing, mountaineering, ice climbing, down hill mountain biking, dirt jumping, and of course kiteboarding. But, none of them have seemed to be all consuming like kiteboarding is.

If I find the time to go out on Tuesday and Wednesday, I want it even MORE on Wednesday (much to the dismay of the ms.) It can’t just be me either b/c the two people that I have taught recently are also super stoked and gobbling up gear like it was actually going to be worth more in the future.

I probably navigate to this site and ikitesurf about 20 times during the workday to see what conditions are like and see if there is any gear that I could buy that I don’t need. And while I’m a decent kiteboarder, I’m certainly not going to win some style contest. It’s not like I’m “training” or something.

I mean really, WTF people? Is it the combination of wind and water? Is it because everyone is so friendly? Is it because kiteboarding is “hip”? I mean I am coco for coco puffs about this sport but when people ask me why it is so fun I usually just act like I'm holding a bar and make a bunch of sound effects. I don't really know what to say.

tonyb · Tue Jul 24, 07 1:24 pm

My name is Tony and I'm an addict, too. Embarassed

I've been addicted since 2003. I don't think it's curable. Luckily my wife and family are addicted too. Wink

We talk about kiting, we dream about kiting, we've decorated our Tiki bar with kiting artifacts, we only vacation where we can also kite, and if get some today I want more tomorrow.

And yes, just like a fighter pilot, the only way to explain the sport to someone who hasn't seen it is to use your hands, draw arcs in the sky, hold an imaginary bar and use adjectives like boost, huge, awesome, extreme, and cool.

I don't like to count how many times I check this site each day and how often I look out the window to see if there are whitecaps. This is really the most addictive activity I've ever had in my life.

Let's go kite! Smile

ronp · Since 05 Jul 2007 79 Posts west linn

My name is Ron and I am an addict. I went to school and understand statistics but I even buy lottery tickets hoping to win and move to Stevenson to kite all day. Fortunately, my wife is cool about my problem. One of the kite magazines had an article about kiteboarding addiction and a number of divorces that resulted from it.

I checked the wind prior to this reply and I know I can't go today! Shocked

cosmodog · Since 06 Oct 2005 201 Posts Stoked

I am addicted as well. Along with the fun factor, my theory is that there is an element of gambling involved. You never know what kind of session you are going to have. Great wind, waves, swell? Are you finally going to stick that move today? Keeps me coming back the next day.

-J.R.

bambam · Since 15 Mar 2005 760 Posts Hood River Photographer

Jon "Bam Bam" Malmberg... So addicted to the wind that I quit a career job, moved to Hood River, lived in a van, and now have taken a job in the industry and moved about 2500 miles southwest..

I still can't get on the water enough even though my toes are still pruned from yesterday... But, I do feel lucky to live in a place where we have wind every day. Just really looking forward to the fall and the return of da waves.

Kite on!

Spike · Since 13 May 2007 1414 Posts Alameda Spelling Expert

My name is Spike, and I am an addict. I started taking lessons first day of the season (first weeknd of may) bought my first kite, board, and harness at the end of the last lesson (3 weeks later). Check this website obsessively during work, as well as numerous pressure charts, forecast pages, and webcams. Four weeks after buying my gear I bought my second board and kite. Buy now I've dropped over 4 grand on the sport. Been going to the gorge after work as often as possible (been putting roughly 500 miles on my car each week). So much in fact, I lose sleep and run out of food at home because I have no time to buy it. I fall asleap at work while keeping the hood river and stevenson web cams minimized... as not to look too distracted. Got a fare share of kiteboarding magazines laying around my appartment. Very hard indeed to explain to people why it's so awesome. I do the index finger and thumb C-shape thing to represent the kite and move it around to explain the kite's movement, as well as the motion of the bar and sound effects. I'm on my second booklet of Bridge of the Gods coupons and have lost count of the number of sessions I've had. Something tells me over 30 in the past 3 months. I've rode on the coast, fern ridge reservoir, sauvie island, hood river and stevenson. I've gone from knowing nothing about kiting to doing 15+ft jumps in 30mph winds and riding/jumping the oregon coast breakers, rain or shine in just 3 months. My dad has effectively lost his crew on our tornado catamran. When he sugest going to the lake cause there's enough wind to sail, I bring my kite. All this started because I am on an internship where I get off work at 3:30 (about right now) and needed something to kill the time till it was late enough to go to bed. Needless to say I could not have picked a better activity Very Happy

!

STORMRIDER · Since 17 Jul 2007 222 Posts Stoked

aaahhh, hi my name is Sean and I've got it bad....i have yet to ride a board and have only flown the trainer...but i have already spent enough time on line, watching vids and reading in the last 10 days since i stopped at the hatch and stevenson to watch ....can i be addited to kiteing before ever actually doing it? i've got my vain stapped off and am die'n to jack myself with a dose...is there any meds to curb this appatite or have i crossed to the dark side already?

pdxmonkeyboy · Tue Jul 24, 07 2:47 pm

Spike · Since 13 May 2007 1414 Posts Alameda Spelling Expert

maybe its cause if you don't need ski lifts, or boats. The best analogy I heard was "It's like wake boarding, except the pole is 60 ft in the air and its always your turn!" Plus if you can do all the jumps you want without having worry about the landing as you do in land sports. And if you want to go bigger, you don't need a bigger ramp or more speed, just use a bigger kite! If you want to go faster, you don't need a steeper slope, just turn downwind and grab a bigger kite. You get to see others doing cool shit and you can immediately try to do the same if you feel lucky. And you can beat gravity for a little while. And the spray makes it just that more extreme and awesome. When I barely land a big jump, and nearly wipe out with a ton of spray in my face and getting yanked back into the air and land it again, the only reaction I have "WAHOOO, YEAH!" (and you all know what I mean) followed by jumping the 3ft swell at 20 mph and getting 20 ft distance off of every other wave. TOTALLY AWESOME!! Non-stop terrain park with any jump you can imagine to be taken at any speed you want, YEAH!

Mark · Tue Jul 24, 07 4:52 pm

My name is Mark. I would have responded earlier but I was out kiting!

jbruxer · Since 24 Jul 2005 398 Posts Beaverton, OR Obsessed

Hello, my name is Josh. I have been addicted to kiteboarding for about a year. Not an hour goes by where I don't check this forum at work! After my lessons last week, I can finally say that I can get up and ride (ass NOT out)! Hopefully this weekend I will be enjoying at least 16 hours of the good stuff...perhaps even up wind! Very Happy

wylieflyote · Tue Jul 24, 07 6:50 pm

Hello, my name is Kip, and I'm a kite addict:
* Inability to relax or have fun without Kiting.
* Sudden changes in work or school attendance and quality of work.
* Frequently borrowing money, selling possessions, or stealing items from employer, home, or school.
* Angry outbursts, mood swings, irritability, manic behavior, or overall attitude change when jonesing for a session
* Talking incoherently or making inappropriate remarks.
* Deterioration of physical appearance and grooming.
* Wearing sunglasses and/or long sleeve shirts frequently or at inappropriate times.
* No longer spending time with friends who don't kite and/or associating with known kiters.
* Engaging in secretive or suspicious behaviors, such as making frequent trips to Da Gorge, Baja, or other isolated areas where kiting obsessions would be undisturbed.
* Talking about kites all the time and pressuring others to kite..
* Using kites first thing in the morning.
Mad

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4907 Posts Portland Unstrapped

My name is Johnny and I got a problem that is out of control.

I've got kiting on my brain...

STORMRIDER · Since 17 Jul 2007 222 Posts Stoked

Kataku2k3 · Since 14 Aug 2005 3753 Posts Los Angeles, CA Videographer

I don't even like kiting... just wanna be cool like the rest of ya! Very Happy

Rico · Since 13 Mar 2005 1219 Posts Vancouver Photographer

Adam the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. The next time I see you we will have to have an intervention where I ride all your gear and don’t have to blow up my kite. Baby steps man Laughing

MIXWELL · Tue Jul 24, 07 8:59 pm

This is MIXWELL "the cougar hunter" and i am addicted to kiting
then in a close second place comes Cougar Hunting!

If I had to give up all the sports i love for one it would be KITEBOARDING!

keep it fresh! Wink