Kite companies - please stop the wakestyle hype!

[alexeyga]

As the title says it - the whole kite community might benefit greatly if kite companies would stop hyping wakestyle as the epiphany of kiteboarding. At least in promotional videos.

Wakestyle and unhooking is stupid, unhealthy, it has no visual flow and worst of all - at best maybe 1 out of 50 average Joe-s really gives a f@#k.

Don't take my word for it - just show up on any crowded spot on a good day, out of 100 kites there will be some teamriders who do wake because they have to, there will be some broke wonnabes who ride better on mid-2000s C-kites of eBay than the sponsored teamriders, and everybody else - these who make the sales - are just minding their own business, enjoying a good day on water, surfing, pumping an ocasional boost, raving about the day when they'd have enough cojones to throw a megaloop... Nobody cares about- wakestyle - nobody!!!

Dear kite companies, if you want to sell us more "newer and better" crap - and you do - show us more cool and solid kiting (free hint: take a lesson or two from Nick Jacobsen and Kevin) - and your sales along with public's reaction to promotional materials might just do tons better! At least - give it a try!

[wind chaser]

Nice!! Stir the shit post. Kiteboarding follows wakeboarding wether you like it or not. All the tricks are named and based on Wakeboarding. I’d say something about your foil but already know how that will stir the shit.

[LiquidXtasy]

Can someone please delete this stupid thread?

[Lokihel]

Yeah, I also can't sleep at night knowing that people are having fun in a different discipline than the one I like.

We should also petition to have all other watersports banned because I feel most kiteboarders don't do other watersports.

[windmaker]

As you said very few give a shit about wake style so why post?

[downunder]

Because the "wake stylers" just slam kites on other riders head.

The proper wake boarding does not do that. Kite 'wake' boarding does.

Only if they could doing it with a style Hardly stylish. None of this wake moves are stylish in my books. Nothing stylish when they slam with 5-6G and a big splash in 50cm of water.

Maybe they think it is, but is not.

I'm with the OP. If you're in a 'wake' style, at least move far from others. But than, who would see them, right?

[DWX]

As the title says it - the whole kite community might benefit greatly if kite companies would stop hyping wakestyle as the epiphany of kiteboarding. At least in promotional videos.

Wakestyle and unhooking is stupid, unhealthy, it has no visual flow and worst of all - at best maybe 1 out of 50 average Joe-s really gives a f@#k.

Don't take my word for it - just show up on any crowded spot on a good day, out of 100 kites there will be some teamriders who do wake because they have to, there will be some broke wonnabes who ride better on mid-2000s C-kites of eBay than the sponsored teamriders, and everybody else - these who make the sales - are just minding their own business, enjoying a good day on water, surfing, pumping an ocasional boost, raving about the day when they'd have enough cojones to throw a megaloop... Nobody cares about- wakestyle - nobody!!!

Dear kite companies, if you want to sell us more "newer and better" crap - and you do - show us more cool and solid kiting (free hint: take a lesson or two from Nick Jacobsen and Kevin) - and your sales along with public's reaction to promotional materials might just do tons better! At least - give it a try!

Yes, I agree! Kite companies should be a little more concerned about the health of their pro riders. Advertising can focus a little more on the human element. These guys have colorful personalities and are worth knowing as human beings, not just as handlepass machines.

I see so many wakestylers with the obligatory knee brace walking around like cyborgs, it makes me sad. This really isn’t necessary and does little to advance the sport.

Also, my fave board is a wakestyle board though I don’t do wakestyle. Not sure why a great glider that eats chop like it’s nothing and basically pops you off waves on its own has to be marketed as a wakestyle board. It’s like ice skates! A bit slippery, but so precise, so sharp, so much fun. I love it!

There is certainly room for improvement.

[KimAndersen]

I find it I often see comments like this on internet forums, and don’t really understand them, this specifc comment is about wakestyle, but could just as well have been about airstyle or some other topic.

First this statement:

“Wakestyle and unhooking is stupid, unhealthy, it has no visual flow and worst of all - at best maybe 1 out of 50 average Joe-s really gives a f@#k.”

Wakestyle and unhooking is stupid. Well what we find stupid is highly subjective, so can’t really comment on that.

That it’s suppose to be unhealthy, where does that come from? Is there any valid research to confirm this or is it just you subjective opinion? You are kind of stating it as a fact but not backing it up in any way?

It has no visual flow and 1 out of 50 average joe’s really give a f…? Again you are stating this as facts. But I am not sure what visual flow is to you, so you
might want to first state how you define visual flow, just so we are all on the same page. The same goes for the definition of the average joe is this
regard. Next 1 out 50 of these undefined “average joe’s” could give a f…. Hmm again have you got any valid global research to back this up or does it only exist in your head?

Then this statement:

“Don't take my word for it - just show up on any crowded spot on a good day, out of 100 kites there will be some teamriders who do wake because they
have to, there will be some broke wonnabes who ride better on mid-2000s C-kites of eBay than the sponsored teamriders, and everybody else - these who
make the sales - are just minding their own business, enjoying a good day on water, surfing, pumping an ocasional boost, raving about the day when
they'd have enough cojones to throw a megaloop... Nobody cares about- wakestyle - nobody!!!”

I take it you have examined this thoroughly around the globe? My local beach might not be representative of a normal kitespot, to be honest I have no idea. But around here plenty of are people doing unhooked stuff, and certainly more people doing that, than megaloops and boardoffs.

And again “no body cares about wakestyle”, how many have you actually asked this globally???

My point here is that you are perfectly in your right to not care about wakestyle, you may even dislike it, but don’t state you subjective opinions as facts until you validated them. You are definitely not the first to do this, and as I stated earlier this could have just as well been about airstyle, waves or another topic.

In regards to the industry, well they are highly market driven, so things will solve itself out there.

Funny enough you should mention Kevin and Nick at end, who are both awesome at unhooking. I am lucky enough that Nick, when not out travelling the world, usually use the same beaches as me. And trust me it’s great show every time combining huge loops, boardoffs, low mobes and a whole lot more

[DWX]

I find it I often see comments like this on internet forums, and don’t really understand them, this specifc comment is about wakestyle, but could just as well have been about airstyle or some other topic.

First this statement:

“Wakestyle and unhooking is stupid, unhealthy, it has no visual flow and worst of all - at best maybe 1 out of 50 average Joe-s really gives a f@#k.”

Wakestyle and unhooking is stupid. Well what we find stupid is highly subjective, so can’t really comment on that.

That it’s suppose to be unhealthy, where does that come from? Is there any valid research to confirm this or is it just you subjective opinion? You are kind of stating it as a fact but not backing it up in any way?

It has no visual flow and 1 out of 50 average joe’s really give a f…? Again you are stating this as facts. But I am not sure what visual flow is to you, so you
might want to first state how you define visual flow, just so we are all on the same page. The same goes for the definition of the average joe is this
regard. Next 1 out 50 of these undefined “average joe’s” could give a f…. Hmm again have you got any valid global research to back this up or does it only exist in your head?

Then this statement:

“Don't take my word for it - just show up on any crowded spot on a good day, out of 100 kites there will be some teamriders who do wake because they
have to, there will be some broke wonnabes who ride better on mid-2000s C-kites of eBay than the sponsored teamriders, and everybody else - these who
make the sales - are just minding their own business, enjoying a good day on water, surfing, pumping an ocasional boost, raving about the day when
they'd have enough cojones to throw a megaloop... Nobody cares about- wakestyle - nobody!!!”

I take it you have examined this thoroughly around the globe? My local beach might not be representative of a normal kitespot, to be honest I have no idea. But around here plenty of are people doing unhooked stuff, and certainly more people doing that, than megaloops and boardoffs.

And again “no body cares about wakestyle”, how many have you actually asked this globally???

My point here is that you are perfectly in your right to not care about wakestyle, you may even dislike it, but don’t state you subjective opinions as facts until you validated them. You are definitely not the first to do this, and as I stated earlier this could have just as well been about airstyle, waves or another topic.

In regards to the industry, well they are highly market driven, so things will solve itself out there.

Funny enough you should mention Kevin and Nick at end, who are both awesome at unhooking. I am lucky enough that Nick, when not out travelling the world, usually use the same beaches as me. And trust me it’s great show every time combining huge loops, boardoffs, low mobes and a whole lot more

You misunderstood the comment completely! Yes there was a little spiced rhetoric in it, but he isn’t suggesting we eliminate the style completely, just to tone down the hype. It’s overshadowed every other style unnecessarily! There are plenty of styles to enjoy, including wakestyle. And yes, it is unhealthy. I’ve talked to pro riders about it, I read their interviews: wakestyle causes MOST injuries! Go ahead and wreck your knees and have a painful retirement, but I don’t want to feel bad about pro riders having wrecked their bodies for my pleasure. Sorry, but loops were off the table. Loops are OK and not overly hyped like handlepasses... Also, I don’t think it’s OK to substitute reckless styling for lack of personality. Just my view.

[KimAndersen]

I find it I often see comments like this on internet forums, and don’t really understand them, this specifc comment is about wakestyle, but could just as well have been about airstyle or some other topic.

First this statement:

“Wakestyle and unhooking is stupid, unhealthy, it has no visual flow and worst of all - at best maybe 1 out of 50 average Joe-s really gives a f@#k.”

Wakestyle and unhooking is stupid. Well what we find stupid is highly subjective, so can’t really comment on that.

That it’s suppose to be unhealthy, where does that come from? Is there any valid research to confirm this or is it just you subjective opinion? You are kind of stating it as a fact but not backing it up in any way?

It has no visual flow and 1 out of 50 average joe’s really give a f…? Again you are stating this as facts. But I am not sure what visual flow is to you, so you
might want to first state how you define visual flow, just so we are all on the same page. The same goes for the definition of the average joe is this
regard. Next 1 out 50 of these undefined “average joe’s” could give a f…. Hmm again have you got any valid global research to back this up or does it only exist in your head?

Then this statement:

“Don't take my word for it - just show up on any crowded spot on a good day, out of 100 kites there will be some teamriders who do wake because they
have to, there will be some broke wonnabes who ride better on mid-2000s C-kites of eBay than the sponsored teamriders, and everybody else - these who
make the sales - are just minding their own business, enjoying a good day on water, surfing, pumping an ocasional boost, raving about the day when
they'd have enough cojones to throw a megaloop... Nobody cares about- wakestyle - nobody!!!”

I take it you have examined this thoroughly around the globe? My local beach might not be representative of a normal kitespot, to be honest I have no idea. But around here plenty of are people doing unhooked stuff, and certainly more people doing that, than megaloops and boardoffs.

And again “no body cares about wakestyle”, how many have you actually asked this globally???

My point here is that you are perfectly in your right to not care about wakestyle, you may even dislike it, but don’t state you subjective opinions as facts until you validated them. You are definitely not the first to do this, and as I stated earlier this could have just as well been about airstyle, waves or another topic.

In regards to the industry, well they are highly market driven, so things will solve itself out there.

Funny enough you should mention Kevin and Nick at end, who are both awesome at unhooking. I am lucky enough that Nick, when not out travelling the world, usually use the same beaches as me. And trust me it’s great show every time combining huge loops, boardoffs, low mobes and a whole lot more

You misunderstood the comment completely! Yes there was a little spiced rhetoric in it, but he isn’t suggesting we eliminate the style completely, just to tone down the hype. It’s overshadowed every other style unnecessarily! There are plenty of styles to enjoy, including wakestyle. And yes, it is unhealthy. I’ve talked to pro riders about it, I read their interviews: wakestyle causes MOST injuries! Go ahead and wreck your knees and have a painful retirement, but I don’t want to feel bad about pro riders having wrecked their bodies for my pleasure. Sorry, but loops were off the table. Loops are OK and not overly hyped like handlepasses... Also, I don’t think it’s OK to substitute reckless styling for lack of personality. Just my view.

No I understood it, my objection is to subjective opinions being laid out as being facts. Everybody is entitled to there own opinions and views, and that goes for all styles.

Again now you say it's unhealthy, I am not saying you are wrong, because in all honesty I have no idea. The thing is I don't think you have any idea either.

You have talked to pro riders about it? Who and how many pro riders is this exactly, any statistic validity there?

Are people who take whatever style to the extreme really representitive? I mean because Youri Zoon is passing the bar twice with a ridicuously low kite at high speed he might be more likely to have and injury, but does this mean, that I am also likely to get injured when i do one of my pathetic weak raley to blinds?

What kind of injuries are we talking, only knees or injuries in general?

How do we really compare how unhealthy styles of kiting are?