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Racing on non-IKA equipment

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longwhitecloud
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Re: Racing on non-IKA equipment

Postby longwhitecloud » Fri May 01, 2020 9:24 am

evan wrote:
Fri May 01, 2020 7:14 am
longwhitecloud wrote:
Fri May 01, 2020 3:59 am
Potential arms race? That is not really the truth. Many sailing classes have ways to limit cost entry not using these purely business tactics.

Ever read this? IKA "Retail price in excess of the average retail prize +50% of all equipment of the same type registered during the applicable application period."

Designed to prevent affordable racing equipment, the exact opposite of IOCs recommendations. $ Talks. Stops brands like Pansh becoming involved (plus they have to pay 2500 euros to even attempt to register 5 kite sizes - partly goes to world sailing).

You can see that price fixing super high by the current brands can be used to prevent more affordable brands from being able to compete whatsoever.


$20 000 in equipment (3 vmg kites and bar and lines. -top foil and spares set) to even be in with a change of a top position.

The IKA and its promises/ tactics have been incredibly unfair to countries that signed up in the hope of growing the sport for youth, the promised affordability, and 3rd world country inclusion.

Guess what? That is because some kiteboarders decided to let foreigners from a completely different sport tell them what they can and cannot - even contribute $ towards another sport. The result: A class based sport - what sailing always has been, and what kiteboarding maybe was but to to a hugely lesser extent.

Pansh 21m kite only $499 US
Flysurfer VMG 21m kite only $2900 US

One is 580% more expensive than the other.
Nothing stopped Pansh from registering a kite that they can offer for less than half the price. Would it be competitive, who knows?


But have you considered the consequences of no registration and production control at all? That would be the F1 equivalent of kiting where the richest counties would pour millions into designing a one-off kite that no one else can copy, let alone buy. Where the final design is introduced on the Olympic race day itself. Good luck with your off the shelf VMG against that....

Oh, and even with the registered production the rich countries are going to buy dozens of sets to cherry pick the kite that has a 0.5% advantage over the rest due to small production differences. Also putting poor countries at a disadvantage that can only afford 1 set. This is already happening with the one design classes.

3rd world countries will always be at a disadvantage unless there is a highly controlled budget cap, but even then there will always be gaps in the regulations that can be exploited when you have enough money to throw at it.

Kiting can have an unlimited class for the wealthy no problem and a one design (has its own problems as mentioned) .. but also it needs an affordable class too, which it doesn't currently have.

The way some sailing classes achieve affordability is setting rules surrounding what you can ride and having them measured in by measurers at competitions, you can even make your own equipment as long as it follows the rules.

To do this you create simple rules to combat those that try and exploit the system by paying for performance. Materials lists - limitations, minimum weights, max and minimum dimensions - it really isn't that complex.

Most importantly there isnt a rule that says the equipment needs to be more expensive that "this" . .. that has nothing to do with kiting and everything to do with $


I think it is a bad look when they talk about affordability and yet we have kites available that cost 500% less than others and cannot compete, both very capable of performing well, and are not allowed to compete due to a pricing protectionist clause.

It is obvious to us now that all the talk about inclusion, affordability, youth development, 3rd world participation.. was just... talk.


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