statement from Lou

[SaulOhio]

Everyone's gotta do what they want. There are situations where there is no substitute for foiling. Like a couple weeks ago I wiped out hard windsurfing on a 4.2m sail in heavy winds, fell on the boom and cracked a rib. It wasn't so bad that I couldn't still windsurf and kite, but I had my best times the rest of that week because a hydrofoil is so low impact.

So Lou, to each his own.

[cor]

The reason why he is probably pis.sed is that foiling is splitting kiteboarding more than TT/SB ever did.

How? Neither SB nor foils are splitting anything. It's all kiting and part of what makes it so amazing is diversity.

At our spots, there are many guys on TTs, many on foils and many on SBs. Many have at least two of the three and switch depending on conditions and mood. Yes we talk to each other and we are having fun.It doesn't matter what you ride. Everyone has his/her own toy on the water and his/her own style and that's ok.

I still don't get it. What exactly is the problem with everyone just riding what they want and paying for shit what they want? Lou's statement just shows how narrow minded he is and that he is not open for change. It's only a problem if you make it one. He does, obviously.

[grigorib]

The reason why he is probably pis.sed is that foiling is splitting kiteboarding more than TT/SB ever did.

How? Neither SB nor foils are splitting anything. It's all kiting and part of what makes it so amazing is diversity.

At our spots, there are many guys on TTs, many on foils and many on SBs. Many have at least two of the three and switch depending on conditions and mood. Yes we talk to each other and we are having fun.It doesn't matter what you ride. Everyone has his/her own toy on the water and his/her own style and that's ok.

I still don't get it. What exactly is the problem with everyone just riding what they want and paying for shit what they want? Lou's statement just shows how narrow minded he is and that he is not open for change. It's only a problem if you make it one. He does, obviously.

I still ride a TT for jumping sessions when it blows 20+ knots. I still kept the 170x50cm door (but haven't assembled/used it in the last year and a half) for knee-shallow and for shallows in offshore wind when I wouldn't dare to go deep enough to foil.
I foil in other winds except if there's too much seaweed or it's less than hip shallow water.

I assume lightwind kites, door boards and TT/SB in general took a hit from foiling but it's just so awesome to ride 5-7m kite most of time and use 9m as main jumping wing and keep wondering what to do with 11m. Under-20knits downwinders probably

[BWD]

Seeing Lou Wainman kite in the gorge 19 years ago was an eye opener, amazing. Made me decide to get into the sport.
Whether its trolling, personal issues or sour grapes, hard to say with him. Some past rants had me comvinced he was bipolar (or good at pretending to be). He even was into foiling, or the idea of it, long before it became accessible.
So this is sort of a weird take to me, but that’s what you expect from him, isn’t it?
His wakestyle was the finest though, no doubt of that.

[jumptheshark]

Of course its different but your analogy is not quite right, All the people kite foiling are kiters and the all have experience on other boards. Plenty of figure skaters have never played a period of hockey and vice versa. Some Kiters switch over exclusively, but that's no different than those that choose a surfboard or TT exclusively.

Conditions dictate more often than not. Depth is certainly a condition. The biggest determiner is wind strength, but water state, direction, even temp all play into the decision making.

Hating on it is inevitable. I can understand the apprehension from surfers. I can see less interest in regions with consistent winds. I just figured Lou might be on board. He had ideas of crazy circular foils back ages ago and the carrot thing is certainly not very mainstream. Whatever. I bash these new wings, probably mostly because we don't have the conditions to suit and there exists far better options for around here. To each their own. Lou's window to influence the sport has all but closed. Perhaps he needs to stir up some dust to rekindle interest in his kite.

As always I wish him well.

[downunder]

Well,

I really do not understand how can using the same MEDIUM, but everything else is different, be the same discipline? Or even the same sport?

What is clear to me is only the ignorance of that all variables completely change when riding xyz. No one is the best in everything. Read on:

Foilin is 3D. TT is bidirectional. SB is directional.

It certainly "spiced" kiting. Now, we will call a mono wing foiling a kiting as well?

I just do not see riding a mono wheel bicycle the same discipline as riding a normal bike.
If that would be the case, many sports would be the same discipline, athletes the same and one would be the best in everything...

Till someone makes a better analogy, have no idea how else to describe.

Or is riding the bicycle on the mountain and on the road the same sport just b/c using the same mechanics?

Sure, one might ride all. But the divide is obvious.

On top of it we have the weight category, Toby riding 18m kite for his 80-90kg is not the same as me 59kg riding much faster and smaller kites. This enables him to do way more slower stuff.

Yet, we discussing like everything is the same discipline and category. We have a long way to agree on the things.

[jumptheshark]

Kiting with a foil or a wakeboard or a surfboard or even a kiteboard is all kiting.

Foiling in general. Sure, different sport.

[cor]

@downunder
You could say the very same for cycling. Lou's statement is equal to saying "And by the way f*** also that ROADBIKING nonsense....might be efficient but what a lame dangerous piece of shit".

huh? So again... what's the problem?

[cor]

Anything with a kite, lines and bar is Kiting for me.
Buggy Kiting with handles as well.

Then you have anything on water, snow and land.

And then sub categories of all that, which depends on the different gear you use and the tricks you do.

Therefore should be a championship for all different parts.
They do have the same in skiing and snowboarding.

We should too. Tell GKA

[Peter_Frank]

I am impressed that this thread suddenly almost fills 6 pages, and there is nothing to discuss really - some got a lot of spare time on their hands, or no wind

PF