(We've been through this before, but here I go again.)
While windsurfing at Charleston yesterday (Station 29 on Sullivans Island next to Isle of Palms), I counted twice: 10 windsurfers and 18 kiteboarders. 75% of the kiteboarders went off of IOP. I spent a while studying what they were doing and asking myself: "Do I want to be doing that insead of this?" An unavoidable question I seem to constantly revisit. My answer: yes... and no. Yes, I'd like to trade part of this for the 30' high by 50' downwind jumps that 3 or 4 of these guys could do. To be lifted weightless like that, that's got to be quite a profound feeling of connection to "the power" that fuels this planet, -- as well as quite a view from up there. Looks exciting. I like excitement and adrenaline as much as the next guy -- perhaps more than the next guy, actually. But, ultimately, the answer is always "no". I cover so much more water windsurfing, so many different water conditions, than they appear to. From the inside flatwater, across 2 sandbars to open ocean and, along with a couple of buddies, on out... and out.. to clear, natural, open-ocean wave formation, doing a jibe on the push of one of those swells, looking back in across the wide expanse of coast line from way out there -- marvelling that one can be so naturally way out here like this on the wild ocean surface. Then, screaming back in -- comfortably rising up and over swells, scooting occassionally downwind a bit on the push of a small wave face. Whoa! -- was that a dolphin or a shark? A manta ray? No, just a very big sea turtle. Hey, I ain't trading this perspective for anything! But, then again, that's just me. The allure of windsurfing was always about intimate access to the ocean. (Thus, the Whitecap logo with the mermaid.) After watching a long time, it seems 80%, if not more, of kiteboarders never see anything but 30 meters of spectra and a kite. And they hug the shore, because, after all, if the wind shuts down just halfway when you're "way out there", then what you gonna ride in on? Yep, windsurfing is hard to learn, and has a lot of gear commitment, but the pay off is the widest, deepest, closest access to this water world on which we live that you can get.
And that's all i got to say about that. (well, not really)
Chuck Hardin
Whitecap Windsurfing, Inc.
c:706-833-WIND (9463)
There is a general tendancy to associate these two sports, and to kind of lump them together, especially since most of the first generation kiters came out of windsurfing and we all know of former windsurfers who have left the one for the other. There are some basic similarities, such as wind powered water movement involving some boardlike thing, as well as potential for adrenaline fueled euphoria. That said, it seems to me that these are two extremely different sports.We could discuss this at length, but I think that it's safe to say that these sports will tend to attract different personality profiles to one and the other even though there will always be some crossover. Kiteboarding has some cool aspects, but I really dig windsurfing - it suits me well.
Here's my take on the difference between kitesurfing and windsurfing. A windsurfing kit is a boat. A kitesurfing kit is an airplane.
What happens in a black hole stays in a black hole.
I got curious on a trip to Hawaii. Went to rent a Windsurfer in Kailua Bay and in 2001 there were more kiters than Windsurfers. I wasn't real sure what kiting was at the time. I rented a Starboard wave board; had a blast jumping and riding 10 foot swells in the bay. Actually it was terrifying. 10 foot rollers make for some very deep troughs and water starting is much more challenging (lots of timing issues).... The board I rented was unbelievably light and gave me a feel for how people are able to jump so high out in Hawaii. I mostly bailed in fear at those heights. I was pumped about finally windsurfing in Hawaii and doing it pretty well. Having windsurfed since 78', I was only mildly curious about kiting at this point.
Then Robbie came out and performed a dance with his pink kite and board that absolutely blew my mind. It was truely a dance. He made his way upwind at a manic pace, jumping 30 feet in the air on his transitions when he wasn't carving tight jibes. We (my wife and I - she was caught up in it too) ran up the beach to stay close to the perfomance as he worked his way upwind. The freedom he had to go wherever he wanted, up or down wind carving up the bay or go vertical on a whim was amazing. We watched mouths agape for about a half hour until he decided to head back downwind to the house. I was hooked. Never before nor since (even in videos) have I seen a more elegant display of interplay between man, wind and waves.... I took a lesson and bought a used kite the next day. Fumbled around for 3 years mostly setting up and breaking down hoping for the perfect conditions for my kite. Bought 2 additional kites for the quiver and got some decent time on the water on certain occasions last year and now seem to be able to spend as much time on the water kiting as I have time for with two young sons. Let's hope the wind we've been consistently getting holds out...
Randy you're close. A kitesurfing kit is a boat that flies. It was Robby's carves and jibes that made the dance. Kiting videos focus too much on the jumps and twists in my humble opinion. The fun to me is the carving and being able to control the pull. The weightlessness is a huge added bonus.
Of course I respect that it's not for everyone. Isn't it great we've got both!
- Mel
- Chuck - you should take a few kite lessons and let us know what you think...from that perspective. Surfing looks lame from the shoreline 99% of the time, and dangerous the other 1% of the time, yet is the original addiction.
- Mel, great post. Save it for your kids and grand kids.
- When I was growing up in Hawaii, I remember crossing the line from boogie boarding to surfing - I'm glad I did.
- When we moved to Fla, the waves sucked or I was a snob from Hawaii. I thought that windsurfing was the answer, but then it never really took in fla on the coast - that I saw. However, I found this club and am very thankful for William and ABC. I have now complicated my life, from one short board surfboard to that plus: 3 x windsurfboards and a longboard surfboard. It's not a pure as when I was in highschool owning a $15 board and a bicycle, but I still get on the water and get stoked.
- With the kiting, that will be additional gear and decisions about what to do when etc...I think that's a big part of what bugs us - buying more stuff - or different stuff.
Just get me on the water - any water, with, it seems, any toys - preferably with good people like y'all. Oh, and some beer too.
Richard