statement from Lou

[Kozzie]

I moved into my car and started smoking crank so i could be as good at wakestyle as lou and its honestly working.

I fully believe everything his comment said about foils and the industry as a whole doesnt care about kiting theyre only concern is that kiting died years ago sales wise and rather then loose theyre factorys and distribution networks they all asked "whats the new thing" foils were deemed it. But to keep the factories pumping and in play windwings were made and also to push people from other markets together. Every company and i dont mean the cute ones named after pro riders im talking about theyre owners, is now watching this roulette ball go round and round and theyre trying desperately to influence where it is going to land but it has deemed that wakestyle and freestyle are no longer on the board. Where will it land? The safe bet is as close to surfing as possible. Thats where they will have the most sales. And after cobra chewed up every small surf industry the cottages are all abandoned and the market is ripe for the taking. Lou knows his shit and anyone who has been apart of the industry can FEEL it they might not necesarily KNOW about all the market manipulation and securation from above but they can feel it. And it trickles all the way down from the manufacturers to the distribution guys to the dealers stores and schools. Truth is those retailers who started off passionate about a hobby they devoted theyre lives to it but they seen watched theyre passion be it windsurfing kite or sup become the 1.0 be replaced by the 2.0 or 3.0 and they had to feign interest for the sake of staying in business. Many turned to other things "i hate sups but i like coffee and icecream so ill sell those with my kites" was a popular one. But ultimately they all died and the other retailers took note. A new change is happening again like it has time and time again before us. Those of us who were there are not surprised by it at all. We just have a choice to make. Are we going to feign interest where ever this roulette ball lands to stay in business?

Are we?

My moneys on that balls landing on paddle in surf foiling.

And your all being led down that path.


But i have other plans.

Much as foils have existed in the form of air chairs something else has been around for along time and its gaining momentum

Low aspect foil kites.

All the top paraglider companys are making them now. Advance ozone skywalk (or as you know them duotone ozone flysurfer)

But my end goal for these kites isnt to move my tubekiters to foils for business reasons.

My goal is to use these kites as paragliders.

Every freeflight pilot knows even landing at the waters edge with a normal paraglider can almost definitely kill you. It only takes a tiny bit of wave to pull that entire wing in wrap you in lines and kill you. Many people die tragically trying to save the pilot just by getting in the water near a submurged paraglider is often fatal even if your not connected into the harness.

These low aspect kites stop that from happening

And much as surf foils will open up new and exciteing locations the ability to fly a kite up a big sand dune to hundreds of meters in the sky and out over the water and then not just survive a water landing but kite on it is not a game changer its a life changer.

I hope the industry hears this. Its not new. Parakiting has been around for a decade even more most famously by a youtuber called flyingcloclo

I will be spending my summer modifying one of these low aspect foil kites and will be training on it (i have been flying paeagliders since 2012 and teaching kitesurfing for just as long, this is not safe for non pilots to ever attempt) in one of the more larger ocean facing sanddunes in the world already a world class flying site and kitesurfing location.

If it works.... And i live... That little roulette ball that everyones watching.... Is going to go straight into me glass barbie and me and lou are going to show you donkeys what a carrot can do yeeoooooo loucifer you the man

[Saltyman]

What planet and how far in the woods do you farking live.
Lou isnt living in a car smoking crank.
He is getting his shit back in order after Wainman Hawaii screwed him. And he has a normal 9-5 job to pay rent etc.
Yep his opinions are different everyone has one who's right make your choice. Opinions are not a fact and what you perceive isn't always the truth.
And just go on a paragliding forum and extoll your plans. As a kiter for 22yrs. I don't give a toss. The topic was foils and his opinion that's it.
Good luck with it that guy you refer to on YouTube rigged his lines different than a normal paraglider configuration as well so better check that out first.
It looked cool but more flying than water based riding

[grigorib]

Efoil capable of surfing waves with prop folded will take a chunk off kitesurfing. And once they cost reasonable I’ll be in first lines to get one along with every second sailboat owner.

Wake market is big enough to keep ramps and freestyle alive - it is a niche to stay, just like windsurfing.

Foils are going to rule kitesurfing market for few more years before something better pops up. We all be riding 5-9m kites by then, except racers and wake guys.

The day will come when folks will learn kiting on a foil right away, not knowing twintip.

But if someone thinks industry is dying - those are wrong. Industry just needs to catch up with needs and demand of kiting community and past several years it seemed to be behind so small innovative guys could make a name for themselves.

Life is good

[Toby]

and except Airstylers !

I agree on Efoil...if I had a yacht I would buy one too...and not one for kiting since I love my TT.

[longwhitecloud]

Lou Wainman has a great style, somewhat lacking in todays instasheep world. There is nothing less exciting than watching the animated gif of kitesurfing.. foiling.

[mr_daruman]

1. Lou has officially entered mid-life crises. Take is comments with a grain of salt. Like good wine some "legendary" people just don't age well.
2. You can easily get """"affordable"""" gear. Kite surfing or foiling. Brand new cheeper zeeko foils full set with board costs 1200euro. Used around 800. Same for kites.
3. Kite surfing just isn't an instant gratification go now ride now sport. Even during peak season. So naturally this leads to less younger riders who have less time and money.

[downunder]

^
Like the ones in middle age crisis?!

[UKSurf]

I moved into my car and started smoking crank so i could be as good at wakestyle as lou and its honestly working.

Come on man you cant disrespect a kitesurfing legend like that. I can understand how someone who many people say is the godfather of kitesurf wakestyle might not entirely like the hydrofoil craze that is taking over the sport, but at the end of the day as a pioneer he certainly has the right to express his opinion on it.

Not sure what to make of the carrot idea, but it seems to kinda work (on a hydrofoil ) :

[Kozzie]

I moved into my car and started smoking crank so i could be as good at wakestyle as lou and its honestly working.

Come on man you cant disrespect a kitesurfing legend like that.

What disrespect? You think im joking?
Since i moved i to my car and started having a couple points before a session i been throwing down harder then chinese algebra

[NYKiter]

Algebra was invented in Baghdad...