Kiteboarding 2021 Predictions

[longwhitecloud]

Seeing a big shift that I think has already started.

Wingfoiling will refocus kiteboarding, as not all , but most kite foilers move to Wing Surfing due to "ride anywhere" and finally "surf wave riding freedom" without the constrictions of a kite. I think this will even effect kite racing a big way by watering down the racing aspect.

The refocusing will be due to a reduction in disciplines in kiteboarding , a previous watering down by events, business and marketers.

I am really stoked to say I finally see a new generation of riders (i am partly using insta to gauge this) that are focused on "free" style, without the fashion restrictions placed on the freestyle aspect of the sport in the past that killed it IMO.

I dont think World Sailing and the GKA will want to invest in kiteboarding events that don't appear to offer a return. World Sailing will wake up to reality and I doubt any more money will be forthcoming.

When you look at the raw statistics, a 2020 GKA event has 700 views, the Red Bull KOTA 150 000. Megaloop challenge videos have hundreds of thousands of views too.

The new generation are clearly 100s of times more interested in these commercial events.

With the GKAs/World Sailings announcement that they are no longer focused 100% on promoting kiteboarding any longer, but kitefoiling in the form of a Wing Surfing Tour /Organisation, I think all faith in their intentions has now been lost by anyone that still had any. Combined with running a freestyle foil tour, it looks like they pretty much locked themselves out the door completely.

It would be great to finally see a return to open world championships like kiteboarding had before World Sailing got involved.

It is great to see a new generation of kiteboarders emerging finally, hopefully with a focus on creativity and style. Already seeing that too.

I think 2021 will be a great year for kiteboarding as it starts to focus back at its roots.

[Regularkiter]

Kiteboarding is just a hobby for a vast majority (99%) of the community, not a sport or a daredevil act.

In 2021 nothing would change, brands would pile money into marketing making kitesurfing look cool with zero consideration for safety, as pro riders never wear a life vest or a helmet. Brands will continue sponsoring daredevil acts, including Kota, which normalizes regular folks to go out in conditions beyond their skill level.

No disrespect to very talented pro riders, but 99% of kiters will never achieve their level, and probably most riders don't event want too. What an industry has done is paired kitesurfing with "looking cool" with most people being happy of just learning moving the lawn, taking a picture and posting it to instagram as - look at me I'm kiting, i'm cool.

With regards to GKA tour or olympics I don't know know a single kiter who cares about it, outside those who work for industry.

Where would I like the industry to go in 2021? Focus on accessibility to the sport as in making gear more affordable, but then do you really want more kiters on your beach ?

[TomW]

Who gives a f..k about competition. Its totally irrelevant.

[a99]

Very good question is do we really want double or triple digits of new kiters in our spots? I don’t. This must be sport only for selected people not masses. I dont want that my spots will look like traffic in busy street with shoping masses. And as we jave in general limited number of spots (at least good spots) there is danger that after 10 years it will look as nyc times squares. Ok, let say we can have such kiting times squares in tarifa, dahla and CP, but please not everywhere:)
Winging very needs pumping and affordable price winging boards with foil rales (as sups). This is essential for this niche sport type. We need kitedrones for foiling as i think its more fin than efoil.

[longwhitecloud]

Who gives a f..k about competition. Its totally irrelevant.

I would say that is the case in the case of the GKA few few people but when you see the viewing figures for the redbull and megaloop comps... clearly a lot of people.

I have entered comps my whole life, i enjoy them.. and now watching them...

[longwhitecloud]

Very good question is do we really want double or triple digits of new kiters in our spots? I don’t. This must be sport only for selected people not masses. I dont want that my spots will look like traffic in busy street with shoping masses. And as we jave in general limited number of spots (at least good spots) there is danger that after 10 years it will look as nyc times squares. Ok, let say we can have such kiting times squares in tarifa, dahla and CP, but please not everywhere:)
Winging very needs pumping and affordable price winging boards with foil rales (as sups). This is essential for this niche sport type. We need kitedrones for foiling as i think its more fin than efoil.

Depends where u live... a few spots are thriving...eg cape town but for the last couple of years many spots are more empty than ever with only 50+ riders if any

[Hugh2]

Kiteboarding is just a hobby for a vast majority (99%) of the community, not a sport or a daredevil act.

In 2021 nothing would change, brands would pile money into marketing making kitesurfing look cool with zero consideration for safety, as pro riders never wear a life vest or a helmet. Brands will continue sponsoring daredevil acts, including Kota, which normalizes regular folks to go out in conditions beyond their skill level.

No disrespect to very talented pro riders, but 99% of kiters will never achieve their level, and probably most riders don't event want too. What an industry has done is paired kitesurfing with "looking cool" with most people being happy of just learning moving the lawn, taking a picture and posting it to instagram as - look at me I'm kiting, i'm cool.

With regards to GKA tour or olympics I don't know know a single kiter who cares about it, outside those who work for industry.

Where would I like the industry to go in 2021? Focus on accessibility to the sport as in making gear more affordable, but then do you really want more kiters on your beach ?

What, that's not the reality for my set of kiting friends. We love to watch KOTA and we love to jump as big as we can. We will never be like the pros, as we are mostly in our 60s, but we love jumping big, riding waves, and now foiling too. And Cape Town is a blast when it is cranking with big swells coming through.

[Baptiste_FR]

Sorry, wrong topic.

[evan]

Depends where u live... a few spots are thriving...eg cape town but for the last couple of years many spots are more empty than ever with only 50+ riders if any

Do you have evidence of a worldwide decline or are you extrapolating your local spots to the rest of the world?

In the Netherlands it has the exact opposite trend, big explosion year after year with all good spots overcrowded to the point it gets unsafe and unpleasant to ride.

But indeed, very few care about competitions. That will never change i guess.

[matth]

I just want to see slow motion videos of beautiful woman in tiny little bathing suits....