A recent article by Dave, posted below. If you want to check out the sh!tfight over this on forums, it looks pretty long on http://www.kiteforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2324498

Interestingly, on the international kite forum a LOT of the kiters are very kind to him, considering the strong words he uses to describe their "sport". Never seen that on the seabreeze forums, maybe aussie kiters are a bit more touchy??


David Ezzy

WHY WINDSURFING WAS NOT CANCELLED

When kiting started getting popular in the mid to late '90s, it seemed windsurfers everywhere were abandoning ship to take up kiting in droves. I recall a few kiter converts even stating, "Windsurfing has been cancelled." Fast-forward to today and we find kiting did not overtake windsurfing. In fact, windsurfing is stronger now than it was then.

Secrets of survival: We didn't all become kiters for a few reasons. Getting yanked out of the water with the force of a 747 does not appeal to everyone. Walking on the beach dodging kite lines is like walking across a mine field. Trees, rocks and other hard and dangerous objects always seem to get in the way of kiters. And the warning labels on kites keep referring to death - not a good sign.

When something breaks, there is nothing to paddle in on, and you need someone to help you launch and land. I always hide when I see a lone kiter, for fear it will be me having to help.


like Darwin's natural selection - only in this case the weak fell by going to kiting. That was good for windsurfing because it left this core group of strong, dedicated windsurfers to multiply. The types stoked about getting other people into it and those who have an enthusiastic passion for the sport - those are the windsurfers who remain.

Why Ezzy Sails won't trend toward kiting: I stick to what I'm passionate about. It's that simple, just like Ezzy's three-sail line.

Why this magazine shouldn't either: And what about WindSwfing doing an article on kiting recently? This rag has limited space.
People are chomping to see their sport.
The plague of kiting: There's another big reason. Stick with me on this. Recently, I read that some people of Northern European descent have special resistance to disease stemming from the bubonic plague of the 14th century. The people who survived had a special gene, by fluke. The plague hit a couple of times, so the predominance of this gene got stronger and stronger.
So bubonic plague equals kiting. It cleaned out the windsurfers that were on the weaker side.

The has-been pros and those who weren't going to make it, and the people who were sitting on the fence who weren't that stoked about windsurfing - that's who kiting took. It was o
right? When kiting fills some of these finite pages where they're expecting to see windsurfing, you let them down.

Windsurfing's intelligent design: It's a self-contained, self-propelled sailing apparatus.

It's beauty. You glide along water in perfect control. You can go close to somebody. Launch and come in yourself. And unlike when you kite, you don't look like a monkey in The Wizard of Oz.

Parting shot: And finally, what's with the handle on the back of the kiter's harness? Is there also a warning label that states, "If you see me flying away, grab here to save me"?

David Ezzy is the ownel' and sail designel' ftl', Ezzy Sails, ezzy.com.

This is good artical yar
This Dave Ezzy he know for what he talk about

I like take on bubonic plague and how weak windsurfers went to kites
In mother Russia we have other saying

"The meek shall inherit the earth... but they will never make it in the waves !"

Haircut, I believe this was Dave's response (letter) to "Windsurfing" magazine in the USA, as they included a kite article in the mag.

As he pays thousands of dollars per issue for advertising, I think they probably listened

lol


'waveslave
Medium Poster


Joined: 08 Apr 2005
Posts: 75


PostPosted Mon Feb 06, 2006 6:19 am Post subject Reply with quoteFind all posts by %s
Bubonic Plague........LOL

Is it a case of grumpy old man syndrome with bad memory loss ?
Remember David, history tends to repeat itself.

Short surfboards were the small pox feared by longboarders decades ago.
Boogie boards were bacteria-infested sponges avoided by healthy surfers.

Now the epidemic known as kitesurfers (with their sick chicken-loops),
is spreading like bird flu.

Quick, call the Fremantle Doctor (name of West Oz seabreeze),
I need my medication NOW.'

Mr Slave,

bit touchy are we? I posted this for the interest of windsurfers and kite surfers alike. You will note I did not write the article, and I only posted the article here, without resorting to rude comments about kitesurfers. You must think I stuck it here just to upset YOU?

BTW, I didn't read the whole 8 pages but as I said what I did see in half the thread was quite a lot of kitesurfers NOT crticising Dave for his point of view and being NICE. Unlike when anyone posts anything about kites here and you seem to get so upset. Stop sooking.

Further Mr Slave, no I'm not waiting for 25kn.....I've got 20-30kn down the line 3/4 mast epic conditions for the next 3 days.

You still too scared to go out in anything more than 20 if it's gusty, or more than 30kn EVER Slave? Afraid you'd get dragged across the carpark if you get an unexpected gust. How many bottom turns have you ever had down the line... my best so far is 9.
Much more fun than hanging upside down, 15ft out of the water, 20 times in an afternoon. I can do that on a tree branch in my backyard.

quote:

---

Originally posted by nebbian

Yay, an honest to goodness flamewar!!

*grabs popcorn and finds a good seat*

btw kiting is universally regarded as being easier than windsurfing... but then again so is riding a tricycle [}:)]

---

that must mean windsurfing = PC & Kitesurfing = Apple Mac

Bubonic plague?

Perhaps you mean Melissa? LoveBug? CodeRed? Slammer?

Oh hang on, none of them affected macs at all

funny thing is he is actually really nice to windsurfers in person...

With that attitude makes me want to go out a buy Ezzy sails.

Rather be a Slayer than a Slave

Regards
Slayer.