Hey Peeps,

I thought it may be of interest to the general kiting fraternity to know a bit about the growth of the sport this year and who is getting into it.

The season started well with good winds in as early as mid September, and we have been very steadily booked since November. Most of our increase in numbers this year has come from the closing down of the kite school at Pelican Point.

The numbers of interested persons wanting to learn kiteboarding hasn't really changed dramatically, just steady growth. However, the people themselves have. In the last years it has been mainly windsurfers, pilots and wakeboarders. This year we have plenty of surfers taking up the sport. The influence of the riders in the waves on surfboards has inspired the average bored summer surfer to try and flow with nature rather than try and paddle against her.

We have also had a larger number of mine workers and self employed contractors and tradespersons. Last year we had plenty of availability for weekday lessons, this year weekdays are our preferred days for many people because the beaches are less crowded by the nine to fivers. I'm guessing WA's booming economy has left people cashed up and needing an outlet to vent the weeks worries.

This year has seen more women, travelers, traveling businessman and families taking the sport up. We have had several full families of mum, dad and the two kids all sign up for courses so that they all stoke on the same sport and thus have something in common they can all relate to. Sic!

We have also seen the first of the school groups taking up courses in kiting as extra curicular activities (usually private schools) and have also been approached by public schools, but, even at school rates state schools generally cannot afford it.

Plenty of interstate and international business people taking up the sport or occassionally starting to hire equipment whilst in Perth for a day or two which shows the depths of the sports penetration into the corporate world.

Average age of student for males is probably around 30-35 and average age of student for women is probably around 26-32.

We have seen no explosive growth of Euros coming over, probably no different to last year, but their riding level is lower (at least at our beach) I'm guessing the good riders are spending more time at places like Lano, Woodies and Margs.

The growth is coming from the average rider talking it up to their mates and getting their mates into it and riders putting on a good show to the public at places like Scarborough, Trigg, Leighton, Cottesloe, Melville and Woodies. Thats the feedback we get when we ask why they want to get into kiting. Usually friends kite or they saw it at a public beach somewhere.

It's irony at it's finest that the people that usually complain about the growth are the biggest contributors to the growth. Most schools don't actively promote to people outside of the industry, people have to decide they are interested in the sport, then they trace a school or instructor. All good instruction really does is ensure that the noobs have some idea on safety, know how to fly and ride, self rescue and be reasonably independent.

External sources promoting WA as a mecca for kiting are the internet, TV ads, travellers videos, DVDs, and magazine features from mags like Kiteworld, Kiteboarder etc on places like Gnaraloo and the rest of the west coast usually written by traveling touros.

Yep Growth really is inevitable and now that kite companies have made full depower kites it is safe enough for families and kids and Joe average public to really explore the sport. The interest in kiting is now self perpetuating, it has reached a critical mass and will continue to grow for the next couple of years. WA really is a big place with loads of unridden beaches, we may just have to spread out a bit and endure a few growing pains.

Good winds and a great summer to all,

quote:

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[i]Originally posted by Kitehard

It's irony at it's finest that the people that usually complain about the growth are the biggest contributors to the growth.

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Yikes!
It concerns me that I may be unwittingly contributing in some unknown way,
to the unsustainable growth of the sport of kitesurfing.

Anyway,
Nice ad Kitehard.
It's a big ad.
A very big ad.

It's interesting to read that surfers are discovering the kite and onshore windslop.
The industry's evil masterplan might be working .

Unsustainable growth may give you a hard-on Kitehard,
but more strings at my local pointbreak doesn't get me excited.
Scores and scores of clueless kite**** scattered down-the-line putting strings in my face,
will be the end result when the cool niche sport of kiting mutates into a circus.

Interesting post Kitehard.... It amazed me in the time I spent in WA, how few kiters there were around. I did the obvious spots, Margeret River, Woodies, Cott, Lanclein etc. was amazed by the lack of kiters...... here in the Uk, it is huge and getting bigger and bigger every month...

I think you guys probably have some of the best locations in the world....

Wont be long before someone sets up a school at Lancelin & Margeret River def needs some where, you cant get any gear anywhere around there!!!

quote:

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Originally posted by Kitehard


This year has seen more women, travelers, traveling businessman and families taking the sport up. We have had several full families of mum, dad and the two kids all sign up for courses so that they all stoke on the same sport and thus have something in common they can all relate to. Sic!

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i think kiting is still an extreme sport and isn't as safe as the 100% depower sales pitch lets on. crash a kite downwind, get the lines wrapped around the bar and then have the kite accidently launch in the hot zone and i think mum's, kids and others would be pretty scared off the sport in a hurry.

Here's a question I've always wondered about, especially when you see groups and groups of beginners taking lessons:

Out of all the noobs that take their first 4 hour (or whatever) lesson, how many actually stick to it and get into the sport?

@Waveslave,

I'm not sure how you see the growth of kiteboarding to be unsustainable There are enough shops to service the growing market, there are enough schools and instructors to service the growing market, there is enough windy days to allow everyone to ride regularly and we have hundreds of kilometres of unridden empty beaches with great conditions. So how exactly is it, that in your opinion, the growth of kiteboarding is unsustainable

It is the choice of riders themselves to crowd into tight spots, you being one of them and ride with "strings in your face". If you are unhappy with the crowding, simply ride 100m further upwind and have the next break to yourself. This is usually all it takes. This would of course carry with it the sacrifice of not being seen riding directly in front of the public.

With your selfless humanitarian concerns of future public and rider safety, due to the unsustainable growth leading to overcrowding and the niche sport becoming uncool due to popularity, then the only noble thing for you to do to gain credibility and integrity is give up the sport, burn your gear and vacate the waters, afterall, someone with your level of cool and obvious talent, wouldn't want to be seen doing an uncool popular sport with the rest of us "kite****" now would you?

Good winds,

Kitehard: 1
Waveslave: 0

You write so beautifully wavey.

its a basic equation.
more kiteboarders + more accidents and near misses on public beaches + more pissed off (usually rightly so) joes public + more anti-kite feeling
= bans or segregation into tiny overcrowded areas.

quote:

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Originally posted by stamp

its a basic equation.
more kiteboarders + more accidents and near misses on public beaches + more pissed off (usually rightly so) joes public + more anti-kite feeling
= bans or segregation into tiny overcrowded areas.

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So what you’re saying is...


mk = ma

ma + nm = ma

if ma = mpop (urs) then b or s

and if ma > mk = b and s

then b and s = ma

hmm seems circular in argument.... but yeah pretty basic algebra and logic programming really

quote:

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Originally posted by newcastle_justin

Slave: over here in the east we have these TV ads telling us that "the real Australia" - part of which are miles and miles of uncrowded beaches - still exists. This real Australia, they tell us, is WA. Are there indeed miles and miles of uncrowded beaches?

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TV ads are fantasy images dreamed-up by overpayed, ponytailed executives wearing too much hair-gel.
You're standing in the 'real Australia' newcastle justin.
Yeah, working-class suburbia with the added bonus of having beautiful beaches.
Sometimes the grass is not always greener on the other side of the Nullabor Plain.
However, I wouldn't live anywhere but WA (except Hawaii),
cause I'm a fully certified windfreak.

In answer to your rhetorical question:

Yes, there are miles and miles of uncrowded beaches in WA.
Sometimes you can feel so lonely.
Nah...there's always some solitary dude in a 4x4 sniffing around in the middle of no where amongst the isolation.

But having miles and miles of uncrowded beaches doesn't mean there are scores and scores of quality wavekiting spots.
By wavekiting spots I mean the primo lefthand cross-shore bearaways that poleys chased and pioneered 20 years ago.
I include myself and my wife among those pioneering trailblazers.
Along the whole WA coastline,
the primo spots can be counted on two hands only, with a couple of fingers spare just in case of any new discoveries.

But the reality is,
the majority of wavekiters in WA live and ride in our State capital, Perth.
The junksurf capital of WA.
....But that's not a put-down.
Long stretches of beachys works best for a place like Perth.
If it was any different,
if Perth actually had a quality set-up,
well,
it would be a total cluster-****.
Everybody would be on it.
Poleys, kiters, surfers, spongers, tow-ins, cripples, goatboaters, clubbies, swimmers, dogs.....
Ideally, Perth needs 20 top set-ups.

But that's a TV fantasy image.

Don't forget Esperance. Some angry locals with big teeth down there. Slave has a good point, WA really has few good quality wavekiting spots compared to the length of the coast consequently they get crowded.

how about we dont pimp it out to every John, Dick and Harry; let the people who have enough motivation of their own come to the sport on their own. Advertising it as easy and cheap will let the flood gates open to people with the wrong attitude.
i saw kites out at Leighton/Cott/south africa and decided i would do it one day-well about 365 days later i was going upwind and had paid for all my gear ect with my own money. if you want to do it then do it but having to encourage randoms will only get the sports future in jeopardy and if my local gets restricted even more then i might start to become like werner towards those people who use the "upwind of the cones is to crowed excuse for kiting 10m from shore"

back on the overcrowding problem; who said "miles of free beaches", there are not many kitebeaches in the metro area, who is going to drive a couple hours just to have a short time on the water? most kiters go to their closest spot as they have a time limit-between work and sunset so adding people to these local spots will just result in over crowding. sure you may say that there is tones of room at your local but its not just this season that people will be coming to the sport, the growth of kite boarding is most likely to increase exponentially. the growth in the last couple years should indicate the future, by the end of this season expect there to be a lot more faces around than now and even more next season.

im not against beginners but those who do stuff like telling their friends that they will give them $100 if they dont like it ect

ok a bit off the topic here.

it's great to see more people enjoying the sport and yeah some beaches are getting pretty packed. i really believe that one day there will alot more regulation due to accidents and mishaps.

i'd like to encourage any responsible kiter to advise anyone that is new to the sport to get lessons on safety from a qualified kite surfing instructor. If you see someoen that doesn't look like they know what they are doing...try not ignore them. Pay attention and help where you can.

For those already kiting...perhaps try to avoid complacency with kiting in certain conditions and certain beaches. Keeping an open eye to other kiters and PUBLIC around you and checking your equipment.

With the growth of kiteboarding lets try to keep it safe and save our beaches.