exactly like windsurfingWindigo1 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 12:24 pmYou raise a lot of interesting points longwiththecloud. Just from a pure market point of view I think most of us knew that it's unsustainable to have 100 kite brands most of them barely making money and prices that keep increasing every year with no apparent limit. Many people learn to kite when they travel there isn't much traveling this year and several locations banned kiting for months. This was a catalyst, it's was inevitable that a few companies that were already in the red would sink. Those that have been kiting for a long time and that are really hooked like me will keep doing it but the ever increasing prices and sophistication will cool the market like what happened to windsurfing. There used to be hundreds of windsurfers where I live and now there is maybe 10 in an area of 1.5 million people.
Jeesus. Your narrative bears absolutely no relationship to my experience of kiting. I couldn't care less about what the IKA, GKA / World sailing does. It has no effect at all on my recreational kiting - or any of the other kiters I know. Nothing "messed up" windsurfing - it was very popular for a few years, became more high performance oriented & the mass, novelty interest died down. Kiting contributed to its demise by offering a mechanically superior development of the basic concept.longwhitecloud wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 1:43 pmexactly like windsurfingWindigo1 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 12:24 pmYou raise a lot of interesting points longwiththecloud. Just from a pure market point of view I think most of us knew that it's unsustainable to have 100 kite brands most of them barely making money and prices that keep increasing every year with no apparent limit. Many people learn to kite when they travel there isn't much traveling this year and several locations banned kiting for months. This was a catalyst, it's was inevitable that a few companies that were already in the red would sink. Those that have been kiting for a long time and that are really hooked like me will keep doing it but the ever increasing prices and sophistication will cool the market like what happened to windsurfing. There used to be hundreds of windsurfers where I live and now there is maybe 10 in an area of 1.5 million people.
even today you can go out and buy an original windsurfer reissue where the design would be 50 years old in not so many years and have a great time bombing around without all the huge cost, someone where i live has one and rips on it - he thinks the same way.
not a huge surprise because it is actual windsurfers that entered into the kiting market with the same attitude as what messed up windsurfing. They have been on course to f$# up kiting too for quite some time, removing all the young riders by pretending/marketing that our equipment is way more performance based than it really is... towards more affluent older riders that like fake carbon and like to do 2 weeks research about a new kite bar.
It is driven by potential profit obviously, but it has been a predictable fail.
Hopefully more organisations and brands fail in kiting and a real grassroots movement takes hold again at some stage that is able to inspire.
I do not think anyone messed up windsurfing it is still popular as a "have a go sport" at the beginnner level - however very few people are willing to put in the years of practice it takes to get to the level of carve gybing and jumping so many simply lose interest. Those that are willing to make that kind of dedication are probably going to find kitesurfing more appealing. Also the amount of kit involved and transport issues puts people off. I wouldnt be surprised if the boom in the SUP market doesnt see some resurgence of interest in windsurfing with sups having the option of putting sails on them or using wings. Short board windsurfing is pretty much dead and a big part of that death has been due to the evolution of watersports and the invention of kitesurfing which is easier and for most people alot more fun. Longboard windsurfing as a safe, easy to learn and fun wind/wave sport could well see a comeback and be able to offer things kitesurfing cannot.longwhitecloud wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 1:43 pmnot a huge surprise because it is actual windsurfers that entered into the kiting market with the same attitude as what messed up windsurfing.
The first LEI kite I bought was a 9m Naish AR 3.5 "Sky Pirate" in 2001. It cost me $1,400 CDN with bar (plus tax). The directional board I got with it cost me $1,200 CDN (plus tax). It's the most I've ever paid for a kite or board. There was no used equipment & no "deals". Inflation since then has been around 50%, so the equivalent in current terms would be $2,100 & $1,800 CDN plus tax)longwhitecloud wrote: ↑Tue Aug 04, 2020 2:18 pmHave a look at the cost increase of producing products in China over that last 10 years due to wage increases. The Wholesale and Full retail pricing over the last 10 years has outpaced inflation by a big margin.
Best is long Bust, Liquid Force is LIquidating, BWS gone. Even Switch Kites put their prices up .. why - because the price from the factories in China went up.
"Kite foiling has doubled or tripled my time on the water & it doesn't require expensive or complex equipment." Peoples ideas of expensive vary greatly!
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