Most influential kiters today

[plummet]

Designers
Peter Lynn
Ozone (Rob Whittall)

Wait a minute. Lets back the truck up.

I am smelling some hypocrisy.

You list 2 well known foil kite designers. How can it be that in these designers of aerodynamically inferior kites have been some of the most influential?

PS I don't disagree with your selection.

[Kitemanmuc]

Sure, basic tricks of all hooked parts have been around for a while!
Like Jesus Walks ( who invented that? Jeremie Tronet?) and the Barefoot Slide from Tom Hebert I think.

But, the variations you see if these tricks being done now by Tom, Lukasz etc...my DVD has them...plus I filmed already tons more.

Did you already see Darkslides with Boardoff from them?

Toby i think im just gonna come to a clinic by you.

[Toby]

Wait til you see my next video...

[longwhitecloud]

Did you already see Darkslides with Boardoff from them? No, never saw that before.

Being so far away, the evolution of tricks was quite different down under - it had it's own little scene very early on - of nutcases trying ridiculous new tricks 1- years ahead of time - most of them broke tho lol!

Here the kiteloop was invented for example - Dave Edwards, and quite a few other different non wake style tricks.

I am far from anti wake style - i used to do it a lot when i was body capable, and those that can pull those tricks in gusty high winds - soooo much skill... But I think now the riders have got caught up in the sports marketing and business with cool imagery and selling and are no longer creative and innovative - they have become business sheep with far less soul.

They bring a business mentality to kiteboarding - in the long term this will be damaging.

[Toby]

Dave Edwards? Never heard that name!
I thought the kiteloop was developed in Maui.
I think Vari was the first to pull it in a competition.
As I remember correctly it was in Poderdorf, Austria, at the PKRA worldcup. He won it because of the kiteloop.

When did Dave develop it? Any footage around? What kite was he on first time?

[plummet]

Dave Edwards? Never heard that name!
I thought the kiteloop was developed in Maui.
I think Vari was the first to pull it in a competition.
As I remember correctly it was in Poderdorf, Austria, at the PKRA worldcup. He won it because of the kiteloop.

When did Dave develop it? Any footage around? What kite was he on first time?

I don't know the answers to your questions. I do know Dave Edwards was in Maui In the early days.
Here's some vids of him for your amusement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ4TGgos5SA

https://vimeo.com/133435549

[Toby]

Too bad I don't remember him.

For sure his paragliding skills are mad !!!

Awesome!

[Tone]

back in the day
Naish
Max Bo
Martin Vari (first board off without a handle)

Today
Nick Jacobsen
Kevin Langree

[stefarius]

Leaving your trace behind

1.Legaignoux brothers (first inflatable kite brand)
2.Flash Austin & Naish (first world champ & big ambassadors)
3.Mauricio Toscano (PKRA)
4.Ruben Lenten ( tracked the sport to entertaining big air concept)
5. Aaron Hadlow, Kevin Langeree & Youri Zoon (the most professional sportsmen in our sport)

99. Bert Frikandel ( rising star in top 100 "its not for us, its for you" )

[joriws]

You list 2 well known foil kite designers. How can it be that in these designers of aerodynamically inferior kites have been some of the most influential?

PMU's list also got Ken Winner - based on his few years back blog entry he did not have any clue about the kite (racing) sport and his North profile page lists Racing as key interest. He cannot design a proper foil for his team but re-sells Elf. How he could be influential - not a pioneer nor visionary. But it is PMU's fact table #alternativefact.

I'd acknowledge Elf and ParaAvis designers because they pushed for high aspect foil kites and cleaning tables at ice sailing comps for years because the kites were so superior over other developer's kites and naturally attracted skillful riders to teams and they seem to had great competition & progress. After Elf came for water racing with HA foils, finally Ozone got it by looking at the race standings and made a conclusion to develop and released Chrono v1. But it was those Russian guys doing it, not Whittal. I think Ozone / Heineken adopting foil kite & foil board made racing scene to change fast 'by example' but push was coming years earlier by visionaries and pioneers.

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My list would based on who are famous on Youtube/Vimeo channels on subscribers - Who is getting the most views. There are the influential ones and who is ambassador of the sport because today's youth are checking on-demand videos, not history books. Who is driving sport forwards and making it look young and appealing.