last couple of times out at takapuna or orewa in a decent blow (all too rare recently!) I notice that as soon as the wind comes up to anything over a steady 15 knots most of the kites go home? Hardly an extreme sport...

kite surfing is about as extreme as a cup of tea and a lie down....

i disagree a lie down is much more extreme

not round these parts

could be the one-big-kite crew going home though

:roll:

financial my son - cheaper new kites will become available this year as world patents have grown weaker and some unappointed manufacturers will be able to take on the manufacturing challenge for the first time - many of these will be kiteboarder owned and operated which will of course be a very good thing indeed, instead of for example existing as a result of shops asking corporate brand suppliers that have previously had nothing to do with kitesurfing
'when are we going to get into this kite flying thingy - you seen how much that shit costs?'

The word 'extreme' as in extreme sport was coined by unassociated marketing companies whose goal was to exploit in advertising the movements and reputations created by a hardcore underground of passionate riders, riding for fun, not for image, often ' back in the day'. As soon as media exploitation rates extreme as uncool, corporate sponsorship will send some of these oringinally, hardcore underground passionate rider owned companies (industries even) up severe shit creek as either funding is suddenly dropped or as cash driven capitalist business heads take over from the true hardcore.

The question is - would you prefer your purchase fed a REAL kiteboarder sandwiches or a capitalist caviar - you can choose either way

With this kind of intellect it is really a scary thought that you are allowed on the water with anything but a pair of water-wings.

hey big wind ur riding in the wrong places, we had a lovely 35-40 kt last week at murawai, the 12 was a little mental but the 9.5 was going sick.
I think ul find there are Many riders round these parts absolutly hanging for 30 kt + , Come out 2 the west coast next time its nuking and show us ur nads.

Peter b

good point Dude.... Muriwai is awesome the more wind and waves the bettor. funny thing is while there are always heaps of kites out there I've only ever seen 3 windsurfers and they were all from overseas!
you windsurfers are pussy's!

theres a challenge... all you windsuffers going BaF at Taka get your lame arses out to Muriwai next time it blows from the west(most of the time)... bettor bring your water wings though and a box of tissues so you can wipe your crying eyes

just finished a 5 day westerly blow...bout time
anyways Muriwai was going off as noted by some die hards on this forum lots of kiters had multiple sessions and yet in 5 days I only saw one windsurfer..why is that?

easy questions to answer..

Its no use even trying to windsurf at muriwai unless its blowing x-shore
(NW) and over 20 knots. In anything else, there is too much water movement to get going, and its a waste of time on a windsurfer. On a windsurfer you have about a 23cm fin in the water and you end up 'going with the flow' and loosing all apparent wind and you just cant get going, but on a kite the initial 'powerstroke' gives a huge power boost - enough to generate enough apparant wind to get up and go - and keep going. Also a kiteboard is hardly in the water to be effected anyway.

Thats what makes M so coool for kiting, doesnt matter if its NW, W, SW, S, its all good! But its a gamble to drive out there to try windsurf, when you need it to be perfect sideshore and 20 knots+, which doesnt happen very often.

14 knots on a kite in a NW is fun, but nobody wants to go wavesailing
(windsurf) on a 6.5m sail, so once again - not ideal for windsurfing.

Muriwai is a big wide open beach, that is susceptable (sp?) to surface currents etc in an onshore - there are many beaches around the world like that, and they are just not cut out for windsurfing. Muriwai is not some crazy beach that is too hardcore for windsurfing, its just not really good for windsurfing most of the time - thats all.

So for every twenty wicked kite sessions i get out there, i reckon i mite get one ok windsurf session if i'm lucky.(when its too strong for my kite).

So when you see a windsurfer out there, he'll be one of the few hardcore wavesailors in Auckland (there are not many i tell ya) - you'll probably notice that its blowing NW or S, and it will be over 20 knots, and the boys will be out on 10m kites, and everybody will be having a good time. Its a different breed of windsurfer that you'll see out there.

So while you are sore from 4 days in a row of Muriwai action and you hands are bleeding, but its so good you just keep on going - the poor windsurfer dude is beeming from ear to ear cos its his bi-annual west coast wave session, and all the elements have come together, and it beats the hell out off ShoalYahoo bay.

Kiting out there absolutley rocks, and every once in a while its good for a windsurf too, so dump the attitude and get out there and have fun.

uuhm, yeah....thats all. see you on the water.

ok, have fun
bye

nice. a clear and commendable response that answers a reasonable question - there's hope for us all yet.

Thats the attitude mate!! My main sport is surfing and I would love to learn to kitesurf the potential for ripping waves looks huge. Enjoy the ocean and (some of you) get over yourselves.

bah!!! just go to taranaki. where the REAL hardcore windsurfers go and the kiters are too pussy to kite at!

aye george dubya. such attitude brotha! go and get your kina rd fix and leave us alone!

i take the tag guys! tearing up the internet cafe, haha. hey give me some good nukin sideshore and windsurfing totally kicks ass. aucklands taylor made for kiteboarding, not windsurfing which needs shitloads of wind and heaps of waves! hey poleboarders, get a life! go to welly or naki and leave us alone!! that includes you george w dickboarder!

I reckon you kiters with attitude against w/surfing are missing the point..basically your sport is lame I personally know of 6 ex kiters who came back to w/surfing..to u posers its all about flying your prettty little kite and looking cool...it really makes me laugh with your goggles and designer pants.. you are all fashion victims. But have fun

well i personally know of six ex-alcoholics who came back to binge drinking - what does that make me: a rocket scientist?

guest i applaud you for taking a stance against the poser kiteboarders. George w poleboarder is with ya son every step of the way. i long to see more kiters with their panties and their pretty boy kites... george w poleboarder will be there to watch battle between kiteposer and squall.

Some times I wonder about this forum.

Who gives a shit whos sport is better or what the other person is wearing.

Have fun and get over your selves.
you sound like a bunch of teenage kids.

stop wondering 'guest'. read the evidence son! i'm proud to be a whinin winging teenager. all kiteboarders are full of shit. poleboardin is all that matters.