I seriously think that it shouldnt matter if you're hooked in, unhooked, riding strapless or riding with straps of a surboard or kiteboard.

If you're ripping it up on a strapless board unhooked and someone is also ripping, but they're strapped and hooked, then STYLE should seriously be looked at. No point winning a comp if u looked like you were struggling but still doing the turns.

I personalyy think that the style of each rider should be considered.

Lewis

i think thats a pretty arrogant post dan, to assume that all twintip riders are reckless and heroes is to assume that all bow kite riders are amatuers...

And as i recall it, last year in esperance it was me riding a strapless surfboard and you on the twintip asking me what it was like... you converted pretty quickly i see.
Dont wanna get into a verbal belting though, i just think that what you are describing is very close to surfing itself, it is already defined as a sport. Lets push all areas of kiteboarding as see where we can develop it, rather than isolate wave riding to just one board type.
But heck im not even going in the damn comp, good luck and fun fun if you are, and well done to the organisers

lol, this just shows how gay waveriding is.

quote:

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Originally posted by theultimategrinder


If you think that when you are riding a wave on your surfboard that you are using only the power of the wave and none of the kite you are wrong. A kite wont be stable in the air unless there is some tension on the lines. Tension on the lines = pulling you along.

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TRUTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

quote:

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Originally posted by theultimategrinder



I agree with some of the other forum members in the sense that we are kitesurfers and that if we can do a move using both the power of the kite and the power of wave to make the move more powerful or more radical then why not.

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And if a person chooses to use a board with straps, to enhance the power of their moves even more, why should they be at a disadvantage to a person who chooses to be more "pure", less radical, and less powerful, and who utilises kitepower less ???????????????
I thought this sport was called KITEsurfing, not brownnoseingtosurfing
(no offence meant to the great sport of surfing and all soulsurfers)

quote:

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Originally posted by theultimategrinder



If you want to ride a wave without using your kite just stick to surfing or buy a jet ski and do tow-ins. But remember if you do do tow-ins dont tow in any faster than you can paddle because then you are relying on the speed of the jet ski and you wont be classed as a "pure surfer".

Keep it real

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Yep, keep it real, and keep it kitesurfing.

Cya and

Good winds amd waves

Steve

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yes kite surfing, use the kite to get you on the the wave and then just surf the wave that's kitesurfing

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No thats tow in. Try it its fun

i agree paul, two airs, the unstrapped gets my vote too. Does that mean you shouldnt be allowed to ride a strapped board? What about an underpowered carve on an unstrapped board against a perfectly timed air off the lip at the critical point of the wave on a strapped board? Surely this is progressing the sport more, or are we all about impressing the surfers?

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5. Unstrapped riding will be rewarded as requiring higher skill.

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why should unstrapped be automatically given extra points for doing 1 carve the same as a strapped rider? As i said previously, if the unstrapped does a move that warrents extra points, then give them, just dont assume they have a higher skill levels before the contest, keep it fair!

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How do people want the sport to go if we end up wearing straps on our surfboards then expect it to go the same way as freestyle with double mobes of the lip and **** like that, if we follow the surfing path then style and technique has more to do with it.

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I agree the surfing side is great, but this can be achieved using straps in certain conditions too, so why limit our boards, just let all boards be used, the most progressive style will be awarded and eventuate. Theres no need to force the sport a certain way. And no need to write off other styles just because you are worried that you may choose a strapless board to be cool and get beaten by someone chosing the right board for the conditions.

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if you have never surfed they are a great way to start out and get the feel for it

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Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha. Nice one

Ox

should just use the kite to get on the wave then once ur on it ditch your kite and just surf it normally. then when u get back to shore go fetch ur kite and kite back out n do it again.

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Originally posted by angie pangi

yes kite surfing, use the kite to get you on the the wave and then just surf the wave that's kitesurfing.

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No thats surfing or tow in surfing. If the kite is kept flying it is pulling you and you need to do things on the wave to keep the kite flying, that skill is definitely called KITE surfing.

G'day Paul, thanks for your input. These are my replies to what you have said.

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Originally posted by angie pangi


Just a question but who would win a surfing comp if a guy went with straps and busted an air and then a guy went out without straps and did an air not as big who would win. for me the winner is the guy without straps because of the extra skill factor.

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For me it would be the style, exhibited by each rider, and also the height, tweaks, etc, but according to the current judging rules the jump would need to take off from the critical section of the wave and be landed back on the same wave in a similar critcal section, otherwise it would not be scored. Thats the rules, which is fair enough.
The unstrapped rider has little chance of doing a biggish air, and landing it on the same wave, the strapped rider has a better chance and it would require a greater degree of synchronised kite and board handling skills to do it, and would probably not only pull it off but would score better and win.

quote:

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Originally posted by angie pangi


How do people want the sport to go if we end up wearing straps on our surfboards then expect it to go the same way as freestyle with double mobes of the lip and **** like that, if we follow the surfing path then style and technique has more to do with it.

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Hang on isn't a mobe stylish?
Isn't handle passing, expecially in the critical section of a wave face technique??
Surfing is surfing, I know it well, grew up surfing from the age of 7yo, loved it until leg ropes and the crowds.

Kitesurfing is kitesurfing, it has its own style, and technique, and should be allowed to develop without trying to make it appealing to surfers and the kite industry people trying to attract even more people into our already becoming overcrowded sport!

quote:

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Originally posted by angie pangi


Please don't get me wrong staps have there place if you have never surfed they are a great way to start out and get the feel for it.
paul

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Thats a pretty biased way of saying you value strapped riding less than unstrapped Paul. Would you go out in double overhead, perfectly peeling reef shoulder waves, but with occassionla close out sets, unstrapped?
Would you expect to be given a bias in a comp if you did, even though you did not attack the waves as much as a well syncronised (with powerful, aggressive, flowing, stylish combinations of kite and board movements) kitesurfer on a strapped board.??

If there are enough people to run a totally unstrapped only event do it, otherwise take out the judging bias and let all riders compete on a level playing field.

Its nonsense that it takes more skill to ride unstrapped, its more about unstrapped riders wanting to penalise strapped riders because they can't lose their board as much and can get more waves, isn't it?

Judges of kitesurfing events need to be kitesurfers, and should be chosen from the most experienced, proven, volunteers.

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve

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Originally posted by RayQ

And these days we might all just be suckers or pawns.
The big pic. is that if kiting can be assimilated to surfing eg ( take your surfboard , which you allready own) , and just add a kite, you instantly have tapped into a hugh existing market.
We are closing in on the agenda.

Ray

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RayQ shines some light onto the Industry's evil masterplan.
A cunning plan that is thinnly disguised as style-policing.
That twin-tips are gay in waves,
and that strapless surfboards are way more styley.

Don't be fooled by this fashion distraction.
The real agenda is the mega-expansion of the corporate kite empire.

Can surfers ever be convinced that windslop is cool ?
That's the debate.
It's really a hate debate....
Cause surfers generally hate wind.

Nevertheless, the Industry continues to beaver on, scheming, scheming.
And once surfers are convinced that windslop is very cool,
the surf market has been fully penetrated.
Success.
Billabong harnesses....
coming to a surf shop near you.

ofcourse u do keahi!!!

So good to have you back Slave....right on, well said................where's my tee shirt?

Some kids start a kite clothing company, one would think that perhaps they could make something people would want to buy.............like a Waveslave tee shirt.

Agreed mahadev.

My thought is let the crowd decide, best show on waves wins. Sometimes at comps. I have a feeling that the judges are too busy counting points and never see what the crowd really likes. My experience of being to kite comps. is limited though.

Having the crowd choose the rankings is coming I believe....if not already here. Scoring could be 50% what the judges like and 50% what the crowd likes.........crashes would cancel: judges score 0%...crowd score 100%

Just have no rules other than you have to go hard or go home, to much regulation = NO FUN

style is everything, keep it smooth an fast, strapped or unstrapped, whateva looks best wins !!

what is the advantage of riding unstrapped? its not like u ever move ur feet when on a wave.

to earn respect from surfers they dont want to see a lame attept of their sport they want something diffrent e.g. freestyle moves off the lip, widsurfing wouldnt have harf the credit they do now if it wasnt for the airs they do off the lip when their waveriding.


so why not see a double backmobe of the lip???

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[i]Originally posted by JEFFERSON
Just use an existing surfboard ($750 max.)... buy a second hand kite for $500 and you are kiting.

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It sounds simple, doesn't it ?

I'll buy a cheap kite and then use my ol trusty 6 footer,
and bingo,
I'm wavekiting.
But only simple for the truely gifted kitefreak.

The average surfer wanting to wavekite will need to take the standard route,
along the tricky learning curve of kitesurfing.
Welcome to the newbie zoo, brother.
Don't feed the animals.

The destination may be clear as NW crystal,
but the journey to wavekiting nirvana is littered with tangles and numerous dodge kiteboards.

But once the kitepath has been chosen,
the search becomes endless.

Kitesurf the wave,
don't surf the image.

What a topic strapped or unstrapped most of us have tried both and then decided to settle on one style because it felt right. We all started kitesurfing in the beginning for the jumps and when I was riding my surfboard unstrapped I missed this aspect and the control going out through the whitewater but then when I rode strapped I missed stalling, carves and being able to reposition my feet to suit the wave. So now I have Predator surfstraps that allow me to do both. If I ride out with my feet in the straps, catch a wave move my back foot to the tail out of the strap, what class do I fit into?