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.longwhitecloud wrote: ↑Wed May 01, 2019 8:59 amI 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
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.