kiter evolution

registered · Since 12 Jul 2005 1319 Posts tsunami Sandbagger

so when your new your a bit nervous and fun to watch.(wrecks)
short rides hard fast action. Asking everybody what size kite you going to put up, lots of wind meteringAskin whats your favorite leash ect. making some posts

than a yearling is getting cocky in style and presence in the local scene.
dingle dangling some small waves/ swell with almost style and attitude.

at two years you know most of the ropes of whats really going on
around the scene and you may contribute good or bad ideas ,actions ,ect. Know the wind speed at yor spot miles before you arrive by all the indicators you have cued from the years. online persona strong and smart maybe even helpful.

three years you work is suffering a bit because your obssessed. Could be making double your pay if it wasn't for the sport. Your mentality now believes theres too many people in the sport and its going to ruin you spot because its the best place ever . from here out your a reclusive sandbagger, with a smiley face hoping to see all the year oners take some good spills. strong forum advisor/ persona

Five years now and wondering does anyone ever quit this sport or Is this my new life.

anyone have any comments to add.

oh yeah more boards every year and typing is going backwards from too much infromal internet posts w/o proper english.

went through this with 15 years of climbing till it was ruined by the masses and had to flee to the backcountry which turned into working vacations for 10 minute summit sessions.

O.K we got wind finally how bout some wind and big waves Wink

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6549 Posts Couve / Hood Honored Founder

does the addiction ever stop? starting 5th season... no signs yet.

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4911 Posts Portland Unstrapped

After six years all the other toys are neglected and collecting dust.

Fifteen years of white water and the kayak has got to see one play day in 2002.

Twelve years of climbing - last lead climb Beacon rock circa 2003

Mountain bikes, fly rods, Ultimate cleats all fun but just not in the same league with wind and big waves

Kitesail · Since 23 Jun 2006 108 Posts The Gorge Stoked

I’ve always enjoyed wind driven sports (30+yrs) and this is got to be the best one yet!

Maybe it’s the evolution of the technology that drives it; “always something better in the works”, and especially when you take the toys out and challenge Mother Nature.

Refreshing and re-creation,
John

Spike · Since 13 May 2007 1414 Posts Alameda Spelling Expert

I'm definatly a yearling Smile

lks · Since 06 Nov 2007 117 Posts Anchorage, Alaska Stoked

I have three ways to describe kiting:

1) It's why God made us;
2) It's like heroin...the first hit's free, after that it's gonna cost you;
3) It's cheaper than therapy [sessions], and much more beneficial.
lks

$ociopath · Since 28 Nov 2007 523 Posts Twilight Zone Addicted

ive been snowboarding strong for ten years,i took up kiting last summer. is this winter ever going to end?favorite spots maybe next winter i wont care

Sol-flyer · Fri Apr 04, 08 6:45 pm

scottnorby · Sat Apr 05, 08 8:05 am

...after 5 years you look in your garage and see dusty bags of perfectly good kites you need to sell, bladders, fins, old bars, broken pumps that you swear you will super glue later, and boards that are still great but 3 years old and no one wants. A board that Jimmy Lewis shaped for Lou Wainman back in 1999 when wakeboard kiting was considered new.

Then you look close at those boards no one wants and realize they really haven't changed that much.
Then you get discouraged when you look in the magazines at the 'new' the 'hot' and the so called revolutionary board designs. Every brand is trying to push their new ideas and image. When really it's the same designs with new graphics the companies stole from snowboarding, skateboards and CD covers. So much hype. And you look at those old boards and think, "screw it I am going to ride the old shit" It's not what you ride it's how you ride.

You read about the 'pros' who are just people without jobs who decide to roll around the world and kite and claim fame. Cheesy attempts at trying to make our sport a professional and contest driven sport. Like trying to make hobie cat sailing as cool as snowboarding. It's just not accessible enough to the 'average person' to become a mainstream pro sport.

Then you look at an OLD magazine (like kiteboarding magazine issue number 1.) and you gotta smile. A photo of Lou Wainman and Elliot Leboe next to some guy with a 7 foot banana yellow directional.
Lou is in board shorts with his wakeboard. Banana man has a helmet, goggles, impact vest, booties, a leash and a HUGE bar.

The adventurous, the extremists, and fun spirited souls who discovered our sport. The geeky clothes and whacked out reel bars. Huge Naish Pirate boards with leashes that claimed scars on so many of our heads.

It brings back the memories of why I started. Just wanting to DO this. Not caring about what anyone thought. Definitely not worrying about being cool doing it.

After 6 years I am looking back and thinking I just want to ride my surfboard with no straps in the ocean. Jumping is great on a twin tip. But there is something really pure about surfing with your kite.
The glide across the ocean and checking out the scenery that no one else gets to see the way we do. Racing a seagull as it flies downwind.
Brings it all back to the source.

registered · Since 12 Jul 2005 1319 Posts tsunami Sandbagger

Its amazing how many 100 dollar "old" pieces of gear you can sell that the reciever enjoys as much as the 700 dollar board or 1600 dollar kite.

kitezilla · Since 22 Jun 2006 453 Posts gorge Obsessed

kitekid · Since 15 Apr 2007 170 Posts Stoked

i wonder if like the ar3.5 and stuff are gonna be worth a bit in 50 years hahaha.

Kitesail · Since 23 Jun 2006 108 Posts The Gorge Stoked

Nice!
Good thread thus far; seems to be heartfelt.
I believe any board will do; and if it resonates then yeah you’ve got to try it! Old kites can make a stellar sunshade. (I wonder what it would take to make a tent out of one;…hmm... pump it up and stake it). Idea

John

carolb · Sat Apr 05, 08 7:44 pm **@ 4 yrs...**

- quit traditional jobs and created "internet" jobs for flexibility.
- refuse to take on clients that want us to actually be at their location...
- unless they are in Maui so we have an excuse to go there. And then we get the Maui employees hooked on kiting so they don't want to leave either and we have someone to kite with.
- move to spi for 6-7 months so the season never ends.
- contaminate the family so everyone kites and we have someone to visit in LaVentana
- family dinners are served at the beach or take out after kiting otherwise its too late to eat after we get off the water.
- leave spi to go to LaVentana because its a better kiting party.
- get the honey to run for port commissioner so we can improve the local kiting spot.

na kiting's not such a big thing.

scottnorby · Tue Apr 08, 08 8:49 pm

...and let's not forget that after a few years you may be looking at a hospital room ceiling getting your ears drilled out.
ha

Had my left ear drilled today.
Wear your ear plugs kids.....it isn't worth the downtime.
And not so fun being the beach bitch picking up your friends and family while they do downwinders without you.

Reaper356 · Since 10 Dec 2006 781 Posts Salem / LC Oregon Opinionated

bulae99 · Since 12 Jul 2006 1692 Posts XTreme Poster

What a great post! It's very addictive. I think about kiting even when I'm riding my bike. It's so bad that I have dreams about kiting waves. My wife always starts telling me in April about the vacations we have to take regardless of the "But honey it's a perfect kiting day...and it won't ever happen like this again."
All of my windsurfing gear is neatly packed and dusty since 2005.

No regrets Very Happy