Well... I'm a newbie compared to the pioneers, I only started circa 2002 at 50 ys old.
I started with a two line 11.8m Wipica Airblast.
The very first aided launching by my son (who didn't have a clue about how to do it besides my instructions) ended on a rampant bullet face crash (luckily on sand).
During my first solo trials, I could hardly ride the kite because of lack of wind, so I went to Paros island in Greece for some decent wind.
After a week of zero to none wind
I got 25 knots on the two lines kite.
For a start I got dragged for a couple of hundred meters as the kite was uncontrolled looping and me dragged up and under the water (did you ever been there?).
Of course i tried to release, but the release pin was bended so it didn't come out
Before I recovered the confidence to come back to the water, I went to a distant shop in the middle of the mountains ( was very skeptical that I'll find a shop at all).
The guy sold me a used 4 lines bar that he hand made on the spot (mmm....
)
16 years later I became the king of light winds in my spot (because of the necessity, no because I'm so talented
)
Back to these days, and coming from hi-tech background, I'm convinced (as a matter of fact,
I know) that there's a lot space for innovation,
and that's why I'm in a start-up (again
) that designs equipment for water sports