Contact   Imprint   Advertising   Guidelines

statement from Lou

A forum dedicated to Hydrofoil riders
3InletsWindsports
Frequent Poster
Posts: 424
Joined: Wed Nov 18, 2015 7:52 am
Local Beach: Shallow Inlet, Corner Inlet, Andersons inlet.
Favorite Beaches: Shallow Inlet, Point Danger.
Style: freeride
Gear: Zeeko
Brand Affiliation: Zeeko importer in Australia
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 7 times

Re: statement from Lou

Postby 3InletsWindsports » Fri May 03, 2019 1:23 am

Speed costs money.
More money more speed.
The lightest wins, going lighter costs money.
Sponsors look for winners. So it costs money to become a winner that sponsors will see.

I could go on but the message is there. If you first haven’t got the financial resources then don’t bother getting into an equipment based competition.

There are millions of talented sports people out there that will never get to show their potential because of lack of money. Either theirs of someone else’s.

longwhitecloud
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 3676
Joined: Fri Sep 11, 2009 3:15 am
Style: Master Baiter. Oracle of windsport.
Gear: 2 sets of Flysurfer VMGs 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 15, 18. Foilboards ( Masts 75 90 110 125 Wings 880 950 1100 1350 1750) all with Ronix Ones attached. Soon to retire to Wingfoiling.
Has thanked: 108 times
Been thanked: 175 times

Re: statement from Lou

Postby longwhitecloud » Fri May 03, 2019 2:48 am

Lets hope to the ridiculous political situation that kiteboarding has found itself in is sorted out - (world championships, olympics and kite industry).

See more younger riders enjoying the sport again, and an industry shift away from expensive performance based products. Kiteboarding offers such high performance at such potentially low cost.

From a young persons point of view - they may come here saying should i teach myself --- no no no is the answer - it's sinful even to pose that question! , so they go to a shop for lessons and come out with a quote similar to a mortgage for kit and lessons.. and then buy a surfboard instead. Of course the shop that does the instruction is telling them everything to put them off used kit... business.

I think it is easy to for forget for some how much the effect of kit price has on young people and foil is another fairly high expense once you have bough kites and boards already.

longwhitecloud
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 3676
Joined: Fri Sep 11, 2009 3:15 am
Style: Master Baiter. Oracle of windsport.
Gear: 2 sets of Flysurfer VMGs 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 15, 18. Foilboards ( Masts 75 90 110 125 Wings 880 950 1100 1350 1750) all with Ronix Ones attached. Soon to retire to Wingfoiling.
Has thanked: 108 times
Been thanked: 175 times

Re: statement from Lou

Postby longwhitecloud » Fri May 03, 2019 3:13 am

drsurf wrote:
Thu May 02, 2019 12:36 pm

You need to get off your keyboard in your mums basement and get out in the real world. Do something positive and then write about it.
I was hoping to be unchained soon and let out of the basement to get barrelled, but i got too big to move eating $5 dominos pizzas whilst playing Fornite.
These users thanked the author longwhitecloud for the post:
foilholio (Fri May 03, 2019 4:54 am)
Rating: 3.03%

foilholio
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 3429
Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2015 3:20 am
Local Beach: Ventura Beach
Favorite Beaches: Tarifa
Style: Airstyle
Gear: Foils
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 227 times
Been thanked: 148 times

Re: statement from Lou

Postby foilholio » Fri May 03, 2019 4:56 am

And we have the answer there. Why are the kids not kiting? Fortnite.

User avatar
downunder
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 2814
Joined: Mon Jul 01, 2013 7:16 am
Gear: building my own
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Perth, Australia
Has thanked: 153 times
Been thanked: 160 times

Re: statement from Lou

Postby downunder » Fri May 03, 2019 6:56 am

drsurf wrote:
Thu May 02, 2019 12:36 pm
@ longwhitecloud. Foiling is not just about racing. Virtually no-one here is interested in racing whether it be on a foil, sailboard or SUP. There is yacht racing because of an incredible volunteer spirit that has members forgo racing to lay the course, run the safety boat and do the scoring. That's the hardest part of having something organised and it's still hard to get people interested. There is a community sailing club visible to me across the water from my house. They have open days, pocket change membership which gives free use of catamarans, yachts, sailboards whatever. Still hard to get people involved with virtually no cost. It's nothing to do with the olympics or a global sailing organisation conspiracy.
When a catamaran hire closed up here a few years ago one of the youths who spent a little time there was offered a catamaran for free. He declined.

Australians are relatively wealthy people, but they have other priorities either with work or in front of a screen. Unfortunately we are one of the fattest countries in the western world. Gone are the days of kids being told to play outside until the sun goes down. When it comes to water sports some Australians are quite happy to spend $50,000 on a fishing boat setup that they can get out on the ocean with. Or a $100,000 plus wake boat or $10,000 plus jetski. Even though they may use these toys just a few times a year. You can foil where I live 150 + days a year if you're keen.

There is so much opportunity if you just take a look and speak to a few people. The arguments you are running longwhitecloud are spurious, straw men. (You may have to look that up.) Basically your opinion is misguided by cherry picking facts to make a point. Fake news actually :D

You need to get off your keyboard in your mums basement and get out in the real world. Do something positive and then write about it.
C'mon buddy, your 37th post and half of 37 is attacking people with different opinion. Don't mistake me for an Ozzi mate, I'm not one.

Is that in bold what you are doing now btw? Writing about positive stuff?

How about you read my posts about building stuff you can probably only dream off? Which positive stuff did you present in here before you critically write about everyone else? Where is it?

At the end, what you doing here anyway? You do realise your style is a typical seabreeze style which is NOT welcomed in here (by me, others can judge for themselves). This is International site, you're acting as typical seabreezer, who the f.uk cares what Ozzies do. Really, you can foil in NSW half a year? Where is that, in WA? A load of crap to use your words. A tonne. Where you live, right. Why don't you move to Geraldton so you would not need a foil?

But, yes, I would suggest you to go and check the prices in ie ActionSports. Are you saying I'm blind? Cannot read prices? Which foils I can by for $500? Which? Who you are kidding, here:

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-surfing/hydrofoil/k0c18568


Plus, I'm 50yo, maybe I can say something about your mum as well. But I think this is inappropriate for this forum.

I'll repeat, your 37th post, joined Sep 2018, and you are way over the top.
Last edited by downunder on Fri May 03, 2019 7:45 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
downunder
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 2814
Joined: Mon Jul 01, 2013 7:16 am
Gear: building my own
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Perth, Australia
Has thanked: 153 times
Been thanked: 160 times

Re: statement from Lou

Postby downunder » Fri May 03, 2019 7:33 am

jumptheshark wrote:
Thu May 02, 2019 1:23 pm
This whole $19,000 bullshit is a bit over the top. I'm not sure I've invested that much on kite gear in the 15 years I've been doing it. The truth is, for the well informed, this sport is one of the cheapest and best bang for your buck out there. The used market is the ripest I've ever seen it. Any kid with drive could get into kiting, foiling included for cheap.

Bought a used 9m kite for $235 last year. It's awesome. You can find a foil for $500 inside of ten minutes. You can make a board to bolt it too for under $50. That alone would get you out and foiling at my local more days than anyone ever prior to foiling.

Second hand gear is cheap as shit. There are almost 100 used foil only listings on ikitesurf right now, another 60 complete with board.

If there is no youth in the sport, its not cost. I routinely see "youth" driving around our university town in $100,000.00 cars.

Maybe the spot used to be cooler and we have wakestyled all the youth out of it!
Whooo, this in bold? And we talking biased?

Buddy, I'm from the EU, right, half of my family is in Austria. Let me tell you, all Austrians can get privileged ski passes for quite small money depending on the ski slopes locations.
Which for my relatives is about 250km of slopes. Now, when we go skiing, we tend to ski the whole day, which is from 9am till day light, or on well lighten slopes even more.

Which is hundreds and hundreds of hours per season. One gear only. Lasts decades, not a season, two.

Well informed? Again, you guys are as well cherry picking to make a point, isnt it?

What ikitesurf has to do with me? And the US prices? C'mon buddy, just like ebay-kleinanzeigen.de has absolutely nothing to do with you. Or gumtree.com.au

~~~

And this is not about making the point, but merely a statement that foiling is way more dangerous than anyone would like to admit. Fascinating stuff.
Ok, I understand that, you guys got pretty expensive gear (admit, you got a foil kite as well, maybe two), for sure you'll never admit it's shit. Just like you will never admit that you ripped your foil kite on a second sesh ;) Ferrari/xwz owners never talk how shitty the car is. More expensive, less talking about it.

Or, you'll never admit that you were riding your foil mounted backwards. For a month! ;) Struggling like hell. See, all examples from the real life, true as.

Comparing Dimitry and his style and the guys in complete body armor (admit, we are all using helmets, plus other ba), is lame. Just like the opposite.
Last edited by downunder on Fri May 03, 2019 8:09 am, edited 1 time in total.

prop_joe
Frequent Poster
Posts: 323
Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2019 9:34 pm
Gear: twin tips
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 54 times
Been thanked: 69 times

Re: statement from Lou

Postby prop_joe » Fri May 03, 2019 8:07 am

longwhitecloud wrote:
Fri May 03, 2019 3:13 am
drsurf wrote:
Thu May 02, 2019 12:36 pm

You need to get off your keyboard in your mums basement and get out in the real world. Do something positive and then write about it.
I was hoping to be unchained soon and let out of the basement to get barrelled, but i got too big to move eating $5 dominos pizzas whilst playing Fornite.
Hmm... now you got Lou singing from the same hymn sheet I wonder if your no longer a lame troll? If you really wanted people to listen you should of gone down the ethnic/gender route, kids and money ain't enough lol

User avatar
mr_daruman
Frequent Poster
Posts: 340
Joined: Thu Feb 19, 2009 1:33 pm
Local Beach: Okinawa beaches
Favorite Beaches: Mauritius
New Caledonia
Canaries
Style: Surfkite
Gear: Switch
Ozone
Wainman Hawaii
Brand Affiliation: Jimmy Lewis, Infinity
Location: Japan
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 24 times

Re: statement from Lou

Postby mr_daruman » Fri May 03, 2019 10:57 pm

Great riders appreciate all facets and riding styles of the sport. There are many ways to ride TTs ,Hydrofoils and surf boards.
Then there is pride. Being a legendary rider doesn't make you overnight a great foil rider. Some people just cant swallow that.
These users thanked the author mr_daruman for the post:
DukeSilver (Sat May 04, 2019 12:39 am)
Rating: 3.03%

User avatar
jumptheshark
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 2169
Joined: Fri Nov 10, 2017 6:36 pm
Local Beach: Shhhhh
Favorite Beaches: Nude
Gear: The good stuff
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 387 times
Been thanked: 707 times

Re: statement from Lou

Postby jumptheshark » Sat May 04, 2019 1:06 pm

There is zero doubt that Lou could foil circles around us all. If he doesn’t like it that’s his prerogative. If I lived in Maui I sure as hell wouldn’t be into it like I am. Still, strangely, I foil to be just a little more like Lou. I rig a simpler, smaller and generally more beat up kite than anyone else. I ride a pretty different rig than even the other foillers. I hit the water and avoid the rows of twin tips and rotation of the SB crowd. Getting away from traffic is the straightest line I ride. Its not pacific swell or warm trade winds, there are shoals, not reefs, but I channel as much Lou in my foiling as possible. I relax and seek his easy poise. I carve as hard and deep as I can. I feel the terrain with every part of my attention and for moments am all consumed. I am humbled by the joy I get from synchronizing wind and wave with a kite. When it all comes together well, the stoke lasts for days!

I’m sure Robby and Pete have inspired many to get into kiteboarding, but Lou? Lou is a different inspiration all together. It’s not what he’s riding, but how he rides it. The best shots of Lou make the best shots of Robby and Pete look like posers. His genius is self evident. He rode the same kite for years and could use whatever he wanted for a board. The total opposite to Robby and Pete pushing 200x gear in 200x-1 . Where Robby and Pete are past world champs and business kings of their own empires. Even in their primes, they had half Lou’s talent. There has never been even an ounce of competitive drive in Lou. I love him for that. I raced intensively for half my life, and it was Lou who inspired me to pivot and seek joy intrinsically. Thank’s Lou for showing me pure play is more fun than competing.

People can chase woo stats, snarl as they pinch the upwind line, short tack each other for waves or whatever else they can do to compete. I’m gonna go be like Lou and just ride what I can find.
These users thanked the author jumptheshark for the post (total 5):
Kamikuza (Sat May 04, 2019 1:41 pm) • ELI (Sat May 04, 2019 2:33 pm) • DukeSilver (Sat May 04, 2019 2:38 pm) • styleito (Sun May 05, 2019 2:45 pm) • knotwindy (Sun May 05, 2019 2:55 pm)
Rating: 15.15%

User avatar
DukeSilver
Medium Poster
Posts: 158
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2017 12:43 pm
Kiting since: 2008
Weight: 82
Local Beach: Melville Beach Western Australia
Favorite Beaches: Graveyards
Style: Hydrofoil, Strapless Surfboard
Gear: Ozone Reo, Ozone Hyperlink, Moses 683s, home built pocket foil board, Cabrinha Skillit
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 24 times
Been thanked: 23 times

Re: statement from Lou

Postby DukeSilver » Sat May 04, 2019 2:49 pm

jumptheshark wrote:
Sat May 04, 2019 1:06 pm
There is zero doubt that Lou could foil circles around us all. If he doesn’t like it that’s his prerogative. If I lived in Maui I sure as hell wouldn’t be into it like I am. Still, strangely, I foil to be just a little more like Lou. I rig a simpler, smaller and generally more beat up kite than anyone else. I ride a pretty different rig than even the other foillers. I hit the water and avoid the rows of twin tips and rotation of the SB crowd. Getting away from traffic is the straightest line I ride. Its not pacific swell or warm trade winds, there are shoals, not reefs, but I channel as much Lou in my foiling as possible. I relax and seek his easy poise. I carve as hard and deep as I can. I feel the terrain with every part of my attention and for moments am all consumed. I am humbled by the joy I get from synchronizing wind and wave with a kite. When it all comes together well, the stoke lasts for days!

I’m sure Robby and Pete have inspired many to get into kiteboarding, but Lou? Lou is a different inspiration all together. It’s not what he’s riding, but how he rides it. The best shots of Lou make the best shots of Robby and Pete look like posers. His genius is self evident. He rode the same kite for years and could use whatever he wanted for a board. The total opposite to Robby and Pete pushing 200x gear in 200x-1 . Where Robby and Pete are past world champs and business kings of their own empires. Even in their primes, they had half Lou’s talent. There has never been even an ounce of competitive drive in Lou. I love him for that. I raced intensively for half my life, and it was Lou who inspired me to pivot and seek joy intrinsically. Thank’s Lou for showing me pure play is more fun than competing.

People can chase woo stats, snarl as they pinch the upwind line, short tack each other for waves or whatever else they can do to compete. I’m gonna go be like Lou and just ride what I can find.
Well said sir. I get onto the water to get away from the competitive bullshit that seems to have infiltrated every facet of daily life. Ride what you like, how you like and keep the narrow minded tribalism off the water.


Return to “Hydrofoil”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: bitxopalo, blu, cglazier, galewarning, Regis-de-giens and 168 guests