i recon Rail Jam sounds awesome but big air doesn't sound awesome,

I agree with general... although I think that a big air component very interesting for... (not kiting) spectators is and hence brings the sport forward....

If judged PKRA style hight of all tricks during a heat in considered anyway... so I recon do give 'more' style credit for aggressive,powerful, (high) kite/downloops has the same 'wow' effect as big airs which is for many of the pros just 'boring'.... just an idea

I like the thought very much CHRIS!!!!!!
I think to push the sport a little away from PKRA 'style' towards more big air (KITELOOP!) and wakestyle, rails etc... or more points for style appart from the tricks difficulty is exactly what the sport needs and I think it supports an more individual,unique style, rather than all those 'wannabe Headlows' that all look the same, because they just want to stomp tricks no matter what they look like!!!!

Josh Porter said...

Whats wrong with big air??? it'd take virtually no time or extra money. But if its one or the other rails for sure!!! That' be sick!

It will have TV coverage, do you really want to be seen snacking out on sambos in front of the nation?

Big air = crowd pleasure = happy sponsors = event continues next year

Biggest drawcard of kitesurfing comps to public is big air.

Bring it on so we can have the rest.

All very good points thus far, I like it. One reason (IMO) riders don't hit rails during freestyle events or sessions is because of their need for fins!

The program if we went with it would be seperate draws to allow for freestyle heats out the front and heats in the river with a park set-up. The systems will need working out but I would not expect (at this event anyway) for riders doing both at the same time. We would have seperate judges for park to freestyle.

The big air is a as Big Wave Dave puts it a crowd pleaser. It is a no brainer for the crowd to be wowed by big jumps. It will cost nothing to do and can be done and dusted quickly but still is a component of our sport, which helps sell the sport.

However, I do not want to take anything away from our elite freestyle riders and for that matter our elite wakestyle/Park riders. I want to see all styles and uniqueness. The champions will more than likely be the ones we expect to be champs no matter what we throw at them, because they are that good. It is more about bringing us all together for a massive fun time and clelebrate the unique styles, individuals and talents our sport has at the national level.

My aim is also not to steer it in any one direction, we need the PKRA influence to motivate young riders to turn pro and prepresent Australia on the world scene. We also need the influence of wakboarding because it is where we get most of the trick base and it draws the biggest comparisons. The whole going big with kiteloop tricks is unique to kiting and demonstrates the diversity of a kite to that of boat or cable.

So why not have them all?

Keep it going and we will eventually find the source that will make most of us happy!

jammin said..Don't pigeon hole kiteboarding into pure wake-style and eliminate the possibilities of going big. No one wants to watch big-air dangles in a top level comp, but there should definately be a place for high techy tricks, with power, kiteloops and all those insane high altitude moves that kiteboarding is unique for.


Not sure mate if you read my last post. I am def not trying to push the sport into any one direction or pigeon hole it. I just want to see all styles represented in a comp format somehow! I want to bring all styles and talents back into the one arena, and if that means we have rails, do big air and freestyle together we cover most of what Aussie kiters do at any given beach day to day.

It is all a matter of taste and personal opinion hence this open forum. It may turn out that it can't be done or it can be done and it is a wicked event.

if you have your kite high when hitting a kicker it is gay. so it's not big air and as for crowd pleasing we have had sliders and kickers at the tannum event before and way more spectators were keen to watch that. i'm keen as and already building whether there in the event or not if not there will be a free ride kicker and slider event if they are included in the nationals then that would be a push of the sport in a good direction. if your not happy filming DON"T , film something else I know theres guys keen to film kickers and rails. I'm in chris for sure.

No criticism of your post Chwar, the pigeon hole comment was more to the other posters.

Good on you for organising this and putting in the positive effort,

and best of luck with your quest to get some positive and constructive interest or feedback on this forum!

how can u say you are limited to the tricks you can do on rails??
it doesn't even compare to big air.
if you have a kicker in the water the tirck list is pretty much endless.
you can do every trick in the book off a kicker, flatwater you are limited.

you guys are unbelievable for even saying **** like that.

oh yeah and whos building these rails?

bitch said...

how can u say you are limited to the tricks you can do on rails??
it doesn't even compare to big air.
if you have a kicker in the water the tirck list is pretty much endless.
you can do every trick in the book off a kicker, flatwater you are limited.

you guys are unbelievable for even saying **** like that.

Well you are? they are all sliding tricks for a start or else you are not on the slider?
I agree as I said you can do a ****e tin more on a kicker......

I think they should be part of it .... I just think maybe forcing everyone to use them - ( via heats on the apparatus, after changing their boards to remove the fins ) might be just like what we did before when we had freestyle and combined wave nats, as mentioned you really need fins for freestyle so you sorta can't do both at the same time. Maybe the best rider can do good in both disciplines... or maybe the best rider of freestyle is just that, and the best in a slider / kicker park is just that.

Interesting directions.

not enough competitors have the experience on rails that they need to make a judged event. with the core jam, for the amateur division (the 10 locals who entered for fun, not the pro guys) it was like getting judged on things you have never done before. people don't go to comps to try stuff they have never done, they do stuff they have been doing for many months, things they have been able to practice beforehand. the level of riding on the whole improved so much everyday because it was practice makes perfect.