I responded to another thread regarding this but fact is KS is IMO not an extreme sport. Those bold and beautiful young whops who continue to denigrate 40+ KS (or other sport) need to get a real life. Extreme means the most dangerous, ultimate of its kind. KS is totally tame, and can be taken up by grandma's, pappa's and teens. Just get 3 or 4 lessons first and any fat, pudgy, balding 'old' person can eventually carve. Those in this forum who denigrate older people have never lived. Born in the burbs and found something that looks cool but in reality is deceptively BASIC.
They confuse extreme with stupidity. Any sport, activity, can be 'dangerous' in the hands of a moron. I can stab a toothpick in my eye and end up in hospital. Does that mean I'm an extreme toothpick user? No, just means I'm stupid. So too with most KS accidents. Just stupid. Not extreme.
Get off your high horse. If you have issues with the numbers of grandma's, grandpa's, fat balding dudes, budgie smugglers, whatever, doing this sport then do something really extreme. Stop pretending. Join the SAS, do advanced NITROX diving, rope free rock climbing, Caving, I guarantee there's no grandma's or fat balding dudes doing that and you'll get real respect not just an image.
This is exactly my point Winter. We suddenly claw at the most 'extreme' part of the sport to make it all seem, hold on, hold on - 'dangerous'!!! You say - 'Try looping in 30k+ winds and tell us your views'. Yawn. What a croc of poop.
Rip stick down a hill through peak hour traffic. Hell, does that mean rip sticking is 'more extreme' that kite surfing??? Try figuring out a new decompression regime 70 metres down,, at night, in a wreck, on nitrox, when your computer has decided today's the day to die. That's life and death stuff. Is that more extreme? You bet. Want to have a go? Yeah, thought not. 99.9% of kS is really safe and easy and basic yet there is a small minority who are very vocal who are hell bent on portraying KS as an extreme sport only for the bold and beautiful and anyone who doesn't fit this image should get out. It is so silly and promulgated by people who really need to get a life.
I'm really enjoying my new found sport. It's relaxing and very Zen. I could probably make it extreme - but then again I could probably try headbutting power poles too and say I've found an extreme sport.
Everyone knows surfing, windsurfing and a shet load of other sports are way more difficult to master than KS so just accept where you fit in the universe and stop beating your chest coz 90% of the people I see KS are 40+, tearing it up, and happy to be alive...
I haven't been too long in this sport (1 year) and I've already met at least 4 people that quit after the first couple of lessons, stating: "this sport is too much for me" or "fudge, man, too dangerous" and many other examples.
I also red and heard of many accidents, even with an instructor around, or a pioneer of the sport in NZ dyeing in 25 knots. So, definitely extreme dude!
From reading some of your posts it sounds like you have chest beating down to a fine art. You obviously consider diving extreme but then again it is something you can do. Maybe you should wait until you can at least body drag before you tell us all how tame kite surfing is. Maybe those 40+ kite surfers carving it up at your local are a little more extreme than you give them credit for. I have nothing but respect for the older guys I see enjoying this sport and hope my body holds out so I can still do it at their age. Oh and by the way, I don't think Kite surfing is extreme, Just heaps of fun with plenty of risk. If you decide to stick with the sport it would be advisable to think a little less on what other people think of you and concentrate more on what if. www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/General/Redcliffe-Kitesurfer-Slams-into-Concrete-Wall/
Most schools call it an "extreme sport that's accessible to everyone, from young kids to retirees", but that statement itself is a paradox.
You'll find that people that have never participated in an extreme sport will call kiting an extreme sport, particularly all those Robocop's on the beach. But that's all perception, if you talk to a guy who is into base jumping or speedflying then they would probably say kiting isn't more extreme than riding a bike and anyone who calls it an extreme sport is a fairy. If you talk to Robocop on the beach he'll probably tell you a 100 survival stories and how extreme it can get.
But in reality every kid on a skate ramp will have more chances of hurting them self than the average punter going kiting on a seabreeze. I guess that's why it is accessible for everyone out of a wheel chair. Extreme? Not since we started using 4 lines IMO.
IMO it has to do with people's perception of what is extreme. My skydiving buddy don t think skydiving is extreme but he thinks kiting is. My idea of extreme is wingsuit skydiving just meters off the face. Nice view too. Or rock climbing without a safety rope etc. (no thanks)
