Non competitor perspective
I reckon it suks too. If I cant get to see all events at 1 spot I wouldn't bother going
Agree with Darren completely, theres gotta be 1 place that can host both even if its not the same beach.
Is Gero really THAT good hmmm .... yep probly is.

But Darren they could always leave all the WA competitors off the list & run a 'B' grade Nationals -
only joking

i dont see why you cant just have the whole lot at queensland. if u get a score out of 5 scoring moves. 3 freestyle 2 wave rides per heat. that is a 60/40 split and somewhere like the goldcoast would be able to do that. if it is split it will be too much money and people will only be able to afford 1. and if u dont go to both and only go to 1 then why bother because if u do well in 1 and dont do the other u will finish near the bottom anyway. i vote 1 if u have 2 people wont go and it will be a flop. as much as everyone whinged about it gero was perfect. why cant u have 2 events at 1 location. it was done over here.

100% spot on Darren!
We were stunned when we read that yesterday, glad you have mentioned it here for discussion.
Gero was awesome because both classes were held at the one venue.

Surely somewhere on the East coast can offer similar venues? Choosing St Kilda and Kawana might make sense because there are volunteers at these locations to help make each event happen, but wouldn't it be better to have the one event in a location that suited both styles?

Its not like St Kilda is really the best spot in Vic for flatwater and freestyle, nor is Kawana Qld ideal for waveriding, both spots are low on the quality scale compared to what else is available in each state.

Surely a list of suitable spots needs to be drawn up, then one of them decided upon to hold the nats at - both freestyle and waveriding?

It will be a flop for all concerned to split the nats into 2 separate events, the sport is not big enough to support that yet, the sport has not really even evolved into needing 2 separate disciplines yet has it??. The sport is totally wind dependent, why scew it up by casting the dice against ourselves by insisting there has to be good wind and decent kiteable waves at the same time in one location??

Why not have it like in other years, if there are waves at a chosen location have a wave event, if not just have freestyle?

Seems like someone in AKSA made a king solomon executive decision, trying to please too many people at once??.

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve McCormack

In this scarcely pop country of ours I feel we should identify the best spot and have it there over and over again....continuous improvement on what works best.

Hoo Roo

"Just another sad chapter in kitesurfings slow,certain road to self destruction !"

Have to disagree there.
Most people are into kitesurfing because it is such a stoke .They couldn't really give a toss about comps and the sport succeeds regardless .
Ask most skiers and snowboarders about the comp scene and they wouldn't have a clue.Those sports aren't self destructing.

before everyone dishes the idea.... have a look at gero.. it's 4000 km + 600km car drive to get there and because of it, WA made up half the entrants... Not because there weren't enough riders to go down from the east coast , but because people couldn't get there or didn't want to go... If you have it in Melbourne... then they would have no probs getting numbers ,if some people couldn't have two weeks of leave to attend both comps that won't have a huge impact either, and I'd guess the bulk of the riders are between the two states anyhow,for people from WA who only saw the 40 or so people from over east... just look at the mambo we had last year, 150 riders.... the people in brisbane who have to travel 2000km to get to melbourne face the same travel problem BUT having half the event in their state means they won't have to travel twice..so basically people on the east coast don't travel too far for the event ie NSW, or travel once for half of it, and the other half in their state.the event should be over quicker as there isn't a need for running both events for the same time.

a. what happens when there is no wind at the event, and we all go down there and wave and freestyle can't get done in time cause theirs too many heats to cram in?

and y bother going to both... If you can't make both, y not go to to one you like doing better? I don't see what the big deal is... If you really like waves... you'd probably just go to the wave event. Does it matter if you get ranked 3rd in waves, and go down to 20th overall cause you didn't compete? Probably to the hardcore and sponsered dudes!

Hey Dachopper,

Firstly, Mambo is not regarded as a serious competition, it is a piss up and huge party. No one goes to Mambo for the competition, it's about the goodtime and the vibe, winning or placing is just a bonus, 99% don't give a toss as long as the pub doesn't run out of grog, and the BBQ doesn't run out of food, they're happy.

As for the Nationals, it is the only fully serious competition in Australia and most people who go and travel any distance to enter are serious about doing their best. You may also note that probably 90% + of the riders in the nationals ARE sponsored and do take it seriously. Some rely on placing to keep sponsors happy so saying "just don't go" isn't right.

I enjoy both disciplines and enjoy competing for the overall title, why do I have to make a choice? If I have to make a choice I would choose waves and so would many of my fellow kiter mates, so automatically we are the minority and have a better than 50-50 chance of the wave event being called off due to lack of numbers to make it financial and the difficulty in gaining sponsors.

The Melbourne comp would be a lessened with smaller numbers and mostly East Coast crew entering. This would reduce the impact of the event and would have a negetive impact on the public and sponsors and possible future of the nationals.

What's wrong with a unified nationals? It would take less energy and effort than seperate locations if you enlist the assistance of Gav, and I know he'd be more than happy to help out. Come on East coast, get it together! Lets come up with a solution

Good winds

Hey Kitehard

quote:

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As for the Nationals, it is the only fully serious competition in Australia and most people who go and travel any distance to enter are serious about doing their best. You may also note that probably 90% + of the riders in the nationals ARE sponsored and do take it seriously.

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Before you go and judge Dachopper, he is one of the most dedicated kiters I have ever met, he is very very very serious about his kiting and always pushes himself and other kiters around him to do the best they can! We traveled the approx 4600kms to be at your WA Nats and he is not sponsored!

This problem all comes down to money in my opinion. People are pissed off cos the Nats are not convenient for them this year. I don't agree with splitting it either, but I'm serious enough about my kiting that I will pay the money and visit both events.

There must be a reason why the organisers have chosen the spots they have for the Nats (sponsors, councils etc). If you don't agree, don't go next year, they wont get the numbers, it will fail and they wont do it again!!!


gruezi

quote:

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So, where is that majic sopt over East where people can kite, party and have a crowd?

I'm dying to fly over East.

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I gotta say, why not Newcastle? (may as well be bias, everyone else here is) We have the waves (Bar Beach, Dixon, Merewether and Nobby's), we have the awesome Nobby's flat section, it attracts crowds of kiters in numbers of about 30 these days, great NE in summer, plenty of clubs in town to party hard (Fanny's was voted in FHM as the easiest place to pick up in NSW), accessible from all locations via car or plane (cheap flights available from all over the place).

Hey Missy,

It's not a convenience thing, each year West Oz kiters have made the trip to east coast to attend the nats and other events like Mambo and no one is complaining, we also aren't complaining about it being on the east coast. we are complaining about the split venue and what it will do to the nationals.

I and a few others have traveled to and competed in every nats and also the Schick and Redbull in NZ amongst other comps and enjoy the getaway, never comlained about the travel, but splitting one competition into two states 2000 k's apart is just dumb.

I reckon if the results were weighted evenly between waves and freestyle, then that would make it more interesting. The split will see the demise of the wave event in any real significance, pushing this discipline out of the spotlight into which it has started to emerge.

I agree with you that Newcastle should be looked at. Nobbys would be excellent or what about the Northern side of entrance to the harbour on Stockton Beach? Flat and waves and wind, ideal. Permission should be easy to get, great spectator location and home to some great kiters, quality beaches, buggying etc. It is equidistant to all on the east coast and makes no difference to us from the west. Just as long as we get fun conditions.

What of it AKSA? What about it Mr Float? Ideal spot, you even have the AKSA secretary and comittee members in your backyard to assist.

Between, Dave Sorro, Mike W, Lachy, Emma and Andy to name just a few, couldn't it be done? Working with Gav it would be a cinch!

I don't care where it is, just as long as it is in one location.

Best winds

yep, 2 locations sucks :(

the newsletter sounded a little like splitting into two events to "grow" the sport to have more events which also kinda sucks

3 pm Rose for Williamtown looks good. 33% chance of SE, and 80% of time >20 km/hr. So when it blows it is strong.

Rank decision AKSA

A ton of thought and consultation put into that one

I agree with Darren - this sux big time. There are a heap of venues on the East Coast that can take both disciplines.

I am a big believer in the need for AKSA but if they don't consult the State Associations before they make decisions like this they they will lose support.

I was hoping that after Gero, there might be a little sympathy with the cost and effort it takes to travel across the country to participate in comps - now they make it twice as hard for WA :-(

quote:

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Originally posted by ianyoung
now they make it twice as hard for WA :-(

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Twice as hard for everyone - everywhere.
Even if you have scored 1 event in your hometown ur still travelling for the other :-(
"You cant please all of the ppl blah blah blah" but it does seem that if you try really hard it is possible to displease all of the ppl this time round !
There has to be some reason for this decision I would like to hear it. Try as I may I cannot fathom how it could ever have been suggested; let alone discussed; AND approved
Anyone please.

let's not forget though, that as for the NATS in WA, WA made up half the field because 4000 kms was too far to travel for most of the east coast riders.... Even if we have the event in Melbourne only ... there will be alot of people in Brisbane that won't want to travel 2000kms and go.... so if you are having a single event on the east coast , my thoughts would be somewhere in NSW, ie $80 plane flight from the neighboring states to get in there, and not to far from sydney so there's not a 6 hour cab/drive/train ride to get there from the airport..
nobbies is good. for those that havn't kited there www.stickybeek.com.au has a beach / wavecam situated near there and on surrounding beaches, they have hosted state comps there kiting and windsurfing before and IMO has enough room for freest and waves with great viewing from the dunes onshore.

wind strength is less than gero... MR float could give an indication of what typical winds you'd get in what month.