plummet wrote: ↑Tue Dec 05, 2017 6:28 pm
This thread is interesting in the fact that there is 2 distinct groups. The upwind charging high speed race foilers arming them selves with high aspect foil kites and the down wind carving wave riding crew arming themselves with low strut light weight lei's and carving foils.
There doesn't seem to be many in between crew that do a bit of both or have an intermediate quiver.
So true - in reality here we dont see anyone "between" either...
But we see three groups.
The first years of foiling, some dont know what they want - which is pretty normal, so you wobble around trying to carve and turn and go fast and high/deep - everything.
It takes some years to learn, and to find what is "you" for a lot of riders.
Many starts on race gear, and continue as they know this is what they want.
Some starts on (used) race gear, as this is what the fast guys ride and it looks incredible and they are easy to buy from the racers - later then they find they want to carve and do freestyle or waves instead, but it might take some years to learn. A few continue without racing as they like the idea of performance.
Have for some reason never seen anyone go the other way here - starting on a beginner foil and then ending on race gear later
There is a typical trend regarding kites too here:
Racers foil kites only, a few got small LEI when REALLY windy but not many.
"Wannabee" racers mixed, some foil kites, others dont like these and stay with "safe" LEI kites.
Freeriders/freestylers/waveriders only LEI kites, and light LEI ones in the big ones or maybe a foil kite for light or marginal winds, but very rare, usually a wrong investment for those having a heavy LEI 12 m2 to start with, which dont work at all for their liking.
The three groups seen here is:
Racers.
Wannabe racers, using race gear, like speed and to ride with the racers eventhough they can not match these at all, or just loving the performance out there and to practice jibes and tacks eventually, but riding a lot in straight lines.
Freeride/freestyle/wave.
Not that many in the middle group here, but still some, and I somewhat suspect them to be those who has not really decided yet just riding with the race gear they started on, but it could also be fascination of performance but not wanting foil kites hassle and dont race much or at all.
Have NEVER seen anyone doing both styles, so it makes sense this thread will reveal the typical either or
PF