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statement from Lou

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drsurf
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Re: statement from Lou

Postby drsurf » Wed May 01, 2019 1:36 pm

longwhitecloud wrote:
Wed May 01, 2019 8:59 am
slowboat wrote:
Wed May 01, 2019 4:41 am
Foiling is way way safer than surface riding because one uses a much smaller kite. It is kite power gone bad that causes most kiting deaths.
I see that point with small kite light winds - but it is the same for light wind kiting with a non foil board (eg 18 knots)... f#$ landing on a foil doing freestyle... do you do this stuff? or even getting the foil in the head while wave riding. My brother was unlucky landed on his foil with his neck/voicebox - couldnt talk for a week - got away with it tho. One of the pro racers fell off and was knocked unconscious I read during a race, a mated saved him. Gunnar blacked out too foiling. This shit has happened in freestyle too though.

I have seen the one and only kgb 3 years ago, none since or anything like it, huge boosts and few few hooked moves. I am not surprised there is not much else, huge risk when you land on the foil sideways or on front of fuselage with force.

I like a bit of danger so for myself I am not too bothered. kgbing a foil does seems dumb to me and looks like $hit but each to their own - only ever seen one person try one) but for young riders/youth there is a responsibility to look after them with the right information/ examples of what has happened in the past and what was learned.

I just agree with the industry sentiment from Lou.

We have Olympic foil kiteboarding controlled by World Sailing where the total kit cost to be competitive is can be full retail $20 000 in a sport that has huge performance even with the lowest priced kit. The outcome of olympic kiteboarding is ridiculou$.

Flysonic Race vmg 3 kites and 3 bars $15 000
A top competitive carbon foil can be upwards of $4000
The board $1200

It is not far off $20 000
Really? Do you think your opinion and that of Lou etc should carry substantial weight? FFS it's just your opinion, and just like arseholes there are lots of them.
Fact is that people enjoy foiling, kitesurfing, gardening, windsurfing or brewing kombucha. Or whatever. That's good thing. If you're going to do Olympic sports and you're good enough you won't have to pay a cent.
Relative to the cost of many activities, kitesurfing, foiling, windsurfing is not expensive or unsafe. Just sitting on your arse in front of a screen eating junkfood will kill you and is definitely uncool.

Get out and have fun whatever you do. Don't listen to dickhead opinions.

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Re: statement from Lou

Postby drsurf » Wed May 01, 2019 1:47 pm

deniska wrote:
Wed May 01, 2019 1:34 pm
longwhitecloud wrote:
Wed May 01, 2019 8:59 am
I see that point with small kite light winds - but it is the same for light wind kiting with a non foil board (eg 18 knots)... f#$ landing on a foil doing freestyle... do you do this stuff? or even getting the foil in the head while wave riding. My brother was unlucky landed on his foil with his neck/voicebox - couldnt talk for a week - got away with it tho. One of the pro racers fell off and was knocked unconscious I read during a race, a mated saved him. Gunnar blacked out too foiling. This shit has happened in freestyle too though.
so you cherry picked a few events involving foils..
How about Dimitiri routinely posting scars, bruises and broken ribs?
What about Len10's broken leg? Lewis's 2 weeks coma? Kevin's broken ankle? Nick's?..and the list goes on..
Take any big boy in the industry and he had an injury, or near death experience on TT ;-)
When you push yourself in any sport you are more likely to get injured...
Broke my neck in a freak kitesurf incident in 2001. After surgery to fuse a couple of vertebrae I was back on the water in three months.

I coulda been a quitter, instead I like an activity with a bit of excitement and challenge so I kept going and just had more fun :D I now know how to avoid breaking my neck!
It's a great life doing what you enjoy rather than avoiding anything that's a little hard or you might get hurt.

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Re: statement from Lou

Postby deniska » Wed May 01, 2019 2:27 pm

longwhitecloud wrote:
Wed May 01, 2019 8:59 am

Flysonic Race vmg 3 kites and 3 bars $15 000
A top competitive carbon foil can be upwards of $4000
The board $1200

It is not far off $20 000
news at 11: "Pro Competition gear is expensive!"
have you looked at other sports? There are bicycles that cost a few hundred grand.
A friend has a bike for $15-20k for his ironmans and he is not even sponsored or a pro level..
on top of that he has to pay about $2k to enter those races..

now you can get a cheap bike for $200 OR you can get cheap kite gear FOR ABOUT $1200:
9M used kite/bar ~$500; used alu foil/board - $500; used TT -$200 and you are covered for 10 to 30kts! 8)

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Re: statement from Lou

Postby Tone » Wed May 01, 2019 2:37 pm

Lou going through a phase at the moment, happens from time to time.

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Re: statement from Lou

Postby Toby » Wed May 01, 2019 2:43 pm

Long: show me any Olympic athlete not sponsored for gear. Just one.

Every athlete started sports as hobby and parents bought first gear. Not pro gear, normal gear.

The better they get the more expensive things get and the more sponsorship comes in.

In every country. Same same.

So your argument is just that: lame.

The a.m. example with bikes is a good example that our sport is still cheap compared to others. And your 200k is just very wrong.

But keep trying.

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Re: statement from Lou

Postby drsurf » Wed May 01, 2019 2:43 pm

One of the guys foiling at my beach made his own foil out of wood, foam, fibreglass and a few strips of carbon. Must have cost around $100. He rips!
IMG_2015.jpg
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Re: statement from Lou

Postby alowishus » Wed May 01, 2019 2:58 pm

drsurf wrote:
Wed May 01, 2019 2:43 pm
One of the guys foiling at my beach made his own foil out of wood, foam, fibreglass and a few strips of carbon. Must have cost around $100. He rips!
What a ripper! I love that foil. Doesn’t look very dangerous :thumb:

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Re: statement from Lou

Postby longwhitecloud » Wed May 01, 2019 3:29 pm

drsurf wrote:
Wed May 01, 2019 1:47 pm
deniska wrote:
Wed May 01, 2019 1:34 pm
longwhitecloud wrote:
Wed May 01, 2019 8:59 am
I see that point with small kite light winds - but it is the same for light wind kiting with a non foil board (eg 18 knots)... f#$ landing on a foil doing freestyle... do you do this stuff? or even getting the foil in the head while wave riding. My brother was unlucky landed on his foil with his neck/voicebox - couldnt talk for a week - got away with it tho. One of the pro racers fell off and was knocked unconscious I read during a race, a mated saved him. Gunnar blacked out too foiling. This shit has happened in freestyle too though.
so you cherry picked a few events involving foils..
How about Dimitiri routinely posting scars, bruises and broken ribs?
What about Len10's broken leg? Lewis's 2 weeks coma? Kevin's broken ankle? Nick's?..and the list goes on..
Take any big boy in the industry and he had an injury, or near death experience on TT ;-)
When you push yourself in any sport you are more likely to get injured...
Broke my neck in a freak kitesurf incident in 2001. After surgery to fuse a couple of vertebrae I was back on the water in three months.

I coulda been a quitter, instead I like an activity with a bit of excitement and challenge so I kept going and just had more fun :D I now know how to avoid breaking my neck!
It's a great life doing what you enjoy rather than avoiding anything that's a little hard or you might get hurt.
good on ya..people can do what they want, kiting is dangerous however you do it - i like the risk, a foil though adds extra risk of a axe if you do an equal trick/jump.. go hard. 2 people knocked themselves out at kota.. i am not too bothered about teh risk to grown adults - part of the fun.. the idea of landing on an axe doesnt seem too appealing to most - hence the 99.99999999% lawnmowing like riding a skateboard with a sword sticking out of it - seems dumb to me for freestyle, even jumps where you end up landing on it - check out teh pic of the french rider that landed his face on a twintip - split his face in half - that happens on a foil and it might well split someones head in half.


mind you the guys that went unconscious on a twintip were booting 60ft+ kiteloops - the guys on the foils - mowing the lawn - fast though.

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Re: statement from Lou

Postby longwhitecloud » Wed May 01, 2019 3:50 pm

Toby wrote:
Wed May 01, 2019 2:43 pm
Long: show me any Olympic athlete not sponsored for gear. Just one.

Every athlete started sports as hobby and parents bought first gear. Not pro gear, normal gear.

The better they get the more expensive things get and the more sponsorship comes in.

In every country. Same same.

So your argument is just that: lame.

The a.m. example with bikes is a good example that our sport is still cheap compared to others. And your 200k is just very wrong.

But keep trying.

the gear used could have been way more affordable, in many other sports the competitors can own the same equipment as the olympic competitors without sponsorship because it is affordable, you know like the IOC stated in its goals - affordable for developing countries, 3rd world countries and youth . . well that didnt happen did it....

That is one of the problems aligning with World Sailing, their concept of$$ is far different from other sports - the finn - over 10 years - 4500 euros per year to afford the best equipment with fresh sails

They chose the most expensive, complex, full carbon, most hard to maintain (bridles) kite kit that ever existed.

it is actually $19 000 total - i can post up every bit equipment with price - 3 bars - 3 kites - foil and foil board

That is the super lame thing. $$$

the cycling example is just ridiculous - that is the olympics worst example of not being inclusive - $120 000 +for a pursuit bike...! absolute madne$$. why would you justify these prices using this example?!

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Re: statement from Lou

Postby drsurf » Wed May 01, 2019 4:22 pm

@ longwhitecloud, what a load of crap!
You pick and choose your data without any context.
As mentioned before virtually all Olympic competing countries have national programs to pick the best competitors and provide them with gear @ no cost. Sounds like you missed out on being the chosen one and can't get over it. Also the reason World Sailing is involved is that they have connections to local sailing clubs in most countries and through that national network provide subsidised insurance, training and grant money for gear, safety, boats etc.
Your ignorance trolling has no place on this forum, every statement you make just makes it worse for you.

Try and have some fun, maybe get outside a bit in the fresh air or even on the water if you actually can kite etc.


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