Has the bottom fallen out of Kiting?
No Redbull this year
Few posts on Seabreeze
Carparks now empty
and I now have the ocean to myself
Whats going on???

The wow factor has gone from kiting, all those who wanted to try it have, some stuck with it, some drifted away. This has happened to SUP as well. We had 4 bricks and mortar local kite shops, now zero.

Winging has taken a chunk of kiters at our local as it is particularly suited for winging so carpark is still full.

Do you think this might have something to do with it? Core XR Procore-xr-pro3 $3,799.00

I'm not sure if the bar is on top of that.

No turists from the EU @WA.
They are all in Sydney. The number of young ppl there is massive, nothing like Perth.

It's been on a slow but steady decline since about 2005 as suggested by Google trends.

trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&geo=AU&q=kitesurfing&hl=en


Agravating factors are the slow economy and middle aged kiters focusing their time and money on family/kids instead. It's also hard for the younger generation to get into the sport due to the high costs involved.

Worldwide, the industry is not doing very well at the moment unfortunately.

Christian

I'm hoping our Aussie kiters do well in the upcoming Olympics. That would maybe lead to a little bit of media coverage, and more young people seeing what a cool sport it is & wanting to try it! Currently our mainstream media doesn't seem to cover any wind-sports.
Also, random people on the beach who ask me about kiting generally seem to have the idea that it's physically hard and /or dangerous. maybe successful Olympic kiters might put those fallacies to bed in their post- race interviews!

I feel that the decline of the Sport is due to the focus on extreme performance and professional level competition.
There no longer seems to be many inclusive events Run by KA
If you look at the history of Surfing They tried to make it a professional sport in the 1920's with a small select group of Travelling Pro's which failed badly
It was only after the growth of grass roots club level completion in the 60's and 70' That surfing grew into the elite level completion in 80's and 90's that it is now and you will find a club level competition series in every small town and suburb of Australia
Some of the people that are suppose to be the face of the sport are not doing a good job of representing the sport
I have just returned from a trip to Augusta in WA
The arrogance and attitude of many of the pro rides practicing in the small area near the launch area was appalling
And from my chats with the locals we are doing a good job of burning our bridges down there.

KA need to recognise that the majority of kiters are 30+ with kids and lives beyond kiting.
They would be better off organising kite location child care and a lot more people would get back into the sport
Fortunately my kite spot is very supportive of all level of kiters and there families. Many of us go to an effort to make it that way

Just my 2 cents worth

I started kiting in 2009 and the local has fewer kites out on a windy day nowadays than it did then.

I agree with above points - high cost so younger generations aren't interested, and many of my gen are now in their 40's with kids and sore bodies.

I've started wing foiling this season which is proving difficult but will be awesome once I'm up on the foil, and opens up a larger wind window and more areas where launching a kite is not suitable

However I still love to send a huge boost on the dash at the local when I can, nothing like it

Let it dwindle. I like being able to get a park at a windy beach. Pretty happy for a space of my own down the Pond too. And I'm perfectly happy with how far R&D has come. Apart from Christian, the rest of you don't make sense.

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IanR said..
I feel that the decline of the Sport is due to the focus on extreme performance and professional level competition.
There no longer seems to be many inclusive events Run by KA
If you look at the history of Surfing They tried to make it a professional sport in the 1920's with a small select group of Travelling Pro's which failed badly
It was only after the growth of grass roots club level completion in the 60's and 70' That surfing grew into the elite level completion in 80's and 90's that it is now and you will find a club level competition series in every small town and suburb of Australia
Some of the people that are suppose to be the face of the sport are not doing a good job of representing the sport
I have just returned from a trip to Augusta in WA
The arrogance and attitude of many of the pro rides practicing in the small area near the launch area was appalling
And from my chats with the locals we are doing a good job of burning our bridges down there.

KA need to recognise that the majority of kiters are 30+ with kids and lives beyond kiting.
They would be better off organising kite location child care and a lot more people would get back into the sport
Fortunately my kite spot is very supportive of all level of kiters and there families. Many of us go to an effort to make it that way

Just my 2 cents worth

Couldn't agree more..that's the problem with kiting these days to put it simply they p#ss alot of people off...there's kids .there's snorkelers(who yes should have a flag/float if in area)..there's windsurfers
They **** up and have to have sea rescue after them...they get their kite stuck In trees... yawn...so much space in the ocean
Yawn. It's great when they stay in the 'zone' and land it though and don't drop it in front of lots of windsurfers..if you are going to practice...go somewhere else and do it or stay in the kite zone
Sorry about augusta

Wingfoilers seem so "humble' compared...
I really like them

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zboro said..
Has the bottom fallen out of Kiting?
No Redbull this year
Few posts on Seabreeze
Carparks now empty
and I now have the ocean to myself
Whats going on???

This is great news. I hate Redbull

It might just my local area but I think the last few summers have been very average as far as wind is concerned. In previous years there were 3-4 Seabreezes guaranteed every week from late October through to February. You could kite till dark. Now it seems like there is only one day in a fortnight that is kiteable, and it only lasts an hour or two (usually in the middle of the day, while I'm at work!) then it fades.
Less wind = less kiting = less stoke.
I only ever monitor the wind at Point Perpendicular, it would be interesting to hear if this is common to other areas.
Happy New Year.

Hi Peeps,

Been kiting since 1999 and have seen the explosive growth (remember when everyone was touting kiting as being the fastest growing water sport in the world?) and the subsequent current decline.

I think the current decline has been due mostly to economic factors. Interest rates rising massively with many people stretching themselves too thin on mortgages. This leaves little money at the end of the day for toys. For people looking to get into kiting, the costs of lessons and buying gear seems like quite a stumbling block, despite the fact that there is still cheaper entry level gear around.
The low balling on the second hand market has been appalling but somewhat understandable considering economics.

It is still very affordable if you don't buy the best of the best gear. As I have always said, buying new gear one season old will save you a packet and is no less fun for the beginner. A beginner package from Duotone can be around $3500, not bad considering it will provide fun for more than 5 years and will have resale value at the end. You can buy cheaper, but lesser known or unsupported brands tank your resale, so realistically kill the benefits of buying cheaper gear in the first place.

The high costs of advanced material kites is not really a factor putting people off learning the sport as few people actually need the latest hi tech gear. It is still a nice to have, not a need to have. The hi tech gear has added some spice and some lighter wind fun for those who can afford it.

If I look at wing foiling and the explosive growth in that sport, it is equally as expensive as kiteboarding, and the growth is pretty energetic, however, there is so much beginner gear available second hand, dirt cheap, as people fall over themselves to buy their way to better performance. This is also fuelled by an hyped up industry that is evolving at an exponential rate as all manufacturers race gear to market to get an advantage over their competitors. Lots of people buying second hand and cheaper options rather than the latest high tech gear. Same as kiting. So it is exploding but not so much with good new gear.

People see Wing Foiling as new and exciting, less daunting or intimidating than kiteboarding and is certainly more applicable to more weather conditions and environments. ie off shore, gusty and anywhere where there is no rigging room.

Do I believe in doom and gloom"" for kiteboarding? No way, kiteboarding is still the source! Nothing offers diversity of thrills like kiting. Maybe Action Sports WA will be the last shop standing, or maybe I'll go down with the ship. Either way, I think it'll make a smallish comeback, and we'll still be here fixing bars and kites and serving the community for all their water and wind sport needs for years to come

DM

Oi cbull do another graph but for the word kiteboarding instead of kitesurfing

I dont have the intelligence to figure out how to make the graph long etc but it seems to be a little different to your kitesurfing graph its more of a steady consistent decline from 2004 onwards
Bit of a pop around 2010 which seems to go with how i remember it all going.

Also thanks to basically everyone else for makeing me irrationally angry enough to write on here again hahahaha that clown who said the way to save the industry is for there to be child care at the beach for kiters kids

Your kids would fall asleep at your ****ty toyass mowing the lawn left and right and kooky 8m jumps

The death of kiteing happened soon as the shops stopped stocking freestyle kites and told everyone unhooking was dangerous.

You all killed the sport by displaying regularly how boreing and lame rideing hooked in is.

If you cant unhook and crash a bunch of times in a row trying to progress then you have blood on your hands as far as im concerned

Imagine how long skateboarding would of lasted if it was just fat old men who cant ollie

Good riddance to yas

Im in my 40s and broken my back twice and still throwing unhooked loops in cyclonic winds and ill be doing the same well into my 50s

If you think crashing while kiteing is hard on the body try running and bouldering your clearly just soft weak white collar members of the growing investment class in this country go to any developing country with a puff of breeze and youll see people ACTUALLY kiteboarding throwing down and pushing the sport

You were all pandered to and told that its okay that you cant unhook by the kite businesses purely for money when in reality you should of been told your longboarder kooks and that this wave is too peaky for you and to f off back to noosa

Doesn't matter what or how you do it, as long as you're having fun. Lot of ego going on here

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The death of kiteing happened soon as the shops stopped stocking freestyle kites and told everyone unhooking was dangerous.

FrothGoth,

You appear to be somewhat misguided. Shops stopped stocking wake and freestyle kites because punters stopped buying them. There was no demand. we sold our last freestyle kites at well below cost, in fact I gave away a brand new Vegas to an up and coming Grom in Mauritius. The kites are still available, they can be ordered by any retailer and can be airfreighted to you in under 2 weeks. The current C hybrids don't stop you unhooking, or looping hard. It has absolutely nothing to do with shops. Shops react to customer demand.Wakestyle riding competitions almost killed professional kiteboarding. Sponsors didn't want it, because it didn't appeal to anyone but the riders in that niche sector of the sport. No spectators, No sponsors, no prize money, no investment in competition. your anger needs to be directed elsewhere.
DM ??

Well said

Froth makes a good point though. Perhaps not just unhooking, but when progression slowed the sport lost its excitement. Unhooking was a good part of this. In the surf, still unhooking enables way better backhand. The pros are just starting to integrate it back into it.

The sport loses interest of crew so progressing. Most kiters who go to winging say it's fresh and new, heaps to learn again.

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79Boarder said..
It might just my local area but I think the last few summers have been very average as far as wind is concerned. In previous years there were 3-4 Seabreezes guaranteed every week from late October through to February. You could kite till dark. Now it seems like there is only one day in a fortnight that is kiteable, and it only lasts an hour or two (usually in the middle of the day, while I'm at work!) then it fades.
Less wind = less kiting = less stoke.
I only ever monitor the wind at Point Perpendicular, it would be interesting to hear if this is common to other areas.
Happy New Year.

not sure but I think this might be relevant for the whole of NSW / East Coast.
However many La Ninas did we have in a row plus whatever this weird summer is? The last 'good' summer was 2019/2020. The country was on fire and we were kiting in smoke, but at least the wind was great.

Also take yesterday for example, it got to low 30's in Sydney by the late arvo / evening. Awesome, nuking wind. Yet there was only 10% of kiters still out compared to earlier in the day when it was 25kts. Have they all gone soft? Or maybe 9's are most peoples smallest kites these days.

I think the problem is with Aussies they only practice the sport if is a trend and popular in the social media
Now foil and wing is the trend of the moment that is why is everyone doing it!
but will go away just Like SUP did

We need more European backpackers and Brazilians they really love the sport and are keeping it alive !!!!
Kite is in the Olympics this year but race is so boring to watch !

Also we need KA to start doing more big air and wave events that is the real future

That is why all the pros are in Europe or Brazil
I think kite will come back eventually I can see a few more young people and more girls doing this year

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Luluz said..
I think the problem is with Aussies they only practice the sport if is a trend and popular in the social media

That doesn't explain why kite sales are down worldwide. Big brands are cutting costs and discounting - including ditching some of the most 'famous' team riders. Hopefully it is a lull as you say, probably to do with the world economy in general, and will pick back up.

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SUPSurferQLD said..

wing foiling... opens up a larger wind window

I don't see how this works. You can't send a wing on a 20m radius loop through the power, they will always struggle on the lower end. Yes I see some better dingers getting out in lighter winds now but they're on a 100l battleship of a board wrangling an 8m wing and they weigh 60kgs dripping wet. I guess you mean vs TT rather than vs kite foil?

Interest in kiting has gone the way of windsurfing.
Most kiters are over 40 I don't see any young crew taking it up. Even when their dad's are willing to buy the grar. Kiting original crew came from a watersports background. That's not the case anymore. Also you need enthusiasm to get riding and a lot of people presume it's a easy sport and give it up pretty quickly once they realise they need a quiver of kites. They would rather get a jet ski MX bike e-mtb for the same price etc.. Look on kiteboard Aus FB group a lot of cheap gear on there. The riding level has dropped in the last 5-10 yrs at most kiting spots as well. Also instead of 2-3 lessons some shops are doing 6+ lessons. Most of the revenue comes from lessons. Unfortunately I can't see it getting any bigger I think that it will drop off to about windsurfing levels. Unless prices drop off. Which won't happen.

Sales are down big time worldwide. Already huge discounts from kitemana and King of watersports. By the time black friday deals come around there will be even more discounts on this season's gear as so much unsold gear already and new season gear will drop around end of Jan for cabrinha and around June - August for other brands.

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Happykitr said..

Most kiters are over 40 I don't see any young crew taking it up.

From my (limited) experience, this seems to be more of an Aussie thing. In Europe, Africa and Latin America the average of kiters seems to be about early 30's, and about 60/40 guys/girls.

Here is much more of a middle aged mans sport.

Thought I noticed the same now confirmed since reading this post,

I got an $80 9mtr kite and bar for sale great for learning and no interest from anyone. Wondered if anyone is even remotely interested in getting into the sport.

I think beach day care may not be the solution but encouraging everyone to unhook in a cycle is just as bad

Well...I went down an opshop (second hand shop) and there was a decent bar&pump and two kites 2015 just there on the shelf

Obviously the valves were potentially fkd but not the type of brands where they crack/snap..
Had about three sessions on them before the heat pealed one off so obviously I redid the whole lot...
Brilliant canopies and I got them for free !! And I've been using them for three mnths..
Friends that have gone foiling said they practically gave their 2016/17 reos etc away

It's a good time to get a whole load of decent cheap kites to be honest and try out every single brand (if you wish)


..on saying that there's been alot of Germans arriving and annoying the windsurfers with those 3800+$ core aluula kites

I've been in the industry for the last 30 years. Kiteboarding is still a BIG part of our business, but it is being eclipsed by foiling in all its forms.
Unhooked freestyle/wakestyle whatever you want to call it, was an anchor around the neck of the industry. Hardly anyone could ride well unhooked or with minimal depower C kites back in the day. The industry and sales blew up in 2006/07 when the first of the "bow" kites came on the market and all of a sudden kites had depower. These were the best years for the kite industry, and we are still going strong selling kites with depower to people who want - kites with depower! I cannot remember the last time we had a serious enquiry from someone wanting a C kite, or meeting anyone who actually rides unhooked most of the time.
The decline or better put the slowdown of growth started just before the covid malarky and since then the manufacturers and retailers have shrunk or diversified into foil and wings. During Covid times almost all brands over produced and stores over ordered, so right now there is a massive glut of 2020-2023 model everything sitting in warehouses and shops waiting to be sold and being discounted like I've never seen before.
Anyway I'm going kiting.

And thats the exact bull**** that ruined kiteing

Rather then teaching students how to depower with theyre board and body position fat old kooks made it all about the kite.

Because all they wanted to do was to SELL a kite not actually improve the riders ability

If you all read steves message and actually THINK about it youll see thats the exact hardlined carved into stone bull**** every shop sold.

Thats exactly why you all suck at kiteing and cant unhook.

A unhooked air railey is the OLLIE to skateboarding
The very first move anyone should be inspired to do. Find a gap in the pavement line ya wheels up in it and eat some concrete.

From there you want to try it rolling up a slight incline.

All of you and i mean this with the exception on half a dozen of yas which is just so mind blowingly pathetic cant even do that because you have simply never tried.

Ask yourselves why havent you tried?!?

I got $50 its because you were told not to that the bare basics of kiteing was touted as something that only gymnists in theyre teenage years could do.

If you have even just a bit of wind knowledge you would know that if your matching the kites speed with your board theres little to no resistance infact it can even go slack! Omg not slack!! What heavens would you do then? You know when the kite is DEPOWERED ?!? Rather then learn how to kite you all got sold some bull**** and practice makes permamnent so all you can do is kite on overpoweres kites that pull you left and right and let you do big jumps and you think that that is kiteboarding.

That is not kiteboarding!

Thats useing a piece of gear that you shouldnt be useing but they made it so that "it can depower (a 10sqm kite ALLWAYS has 10sqm of power reguardless of what angle its at) by makeing it fly so inefficiently that its basically stalling"

OR

If you had any knowledge or skill or practiced at all

You could use a kite that is probably 2sqm smaller that doesnt NEED to be depoweres AT ALL because its the correct size kite for that windspeed and if you had some board control then you could actually kite percectly fine.

Bowkites and pulleys and bridals made kiteing APPEAR EASIER it didnt make it RIGHT you all have woeful technique and it shows

Look at all the countrys where kite shops didnt force feed this bull**** down every student and customers throat and then have the audacity to tell the manufacturers we only want big bow kites for our big fat rich clients with lots of money and they want to jump 8 meters high even tho they have no twchnique and think that they are underpowered if they were on an actually apropriate sized kite cause they dont even know that theyre ment to be standing on theyre front foot not digging in theyre backfoot the entire time.

Ever see those kook surfers who are all backfoot heavy and wonder why they cant surf for ****? Thats what you all look like.

An? why arw you all still wearing straps?!? Cause you cant control your over powered kite and it throws you around ?

Boots arent for some sort of PRO LEVEL kiter theyre for people who can CONTROL theyre kite and they dont need DEPOWER to control theyre kite! They just need some lessons.

How do i put this into words you boomers will understand....

You know how houseing is big business over here? But in other countrys its just normal and nothing special everyone seems to only have one and theyre happy?

Well you got sold some bull**** and now your all houseing mad but in other countrys where there hasnt been some sort of GOLD RUSH forced down theyre throats about houseing investments theyre all actually quite peaceful and happy and they dont even think about houseing.

So who do you think HYPED the bow kite market? And spent all theyre time trying to destroy the older equipment?

If you were a small shop that had old stock and you couldnt afford to fill it with bow kites it was a instant fatal blow if all the bigger shops and brands just spread FEAR about c kites and that you were only safe on a bow.

Who would do that? Why?

$$$$$$$$$

You all got scammed and now you all ride completely wrong on oversized kites cause you lack the ability to to actually fly a properly sized kite.

You need to go to a ACTUAL kite spot where people train freestyle to see how kiteboarding is actually ment to be. Your going to need to buy a plane ticket tho cause everyone in australia sucks

Step 1: unhook

Hooked in?? Doesnt count!


30 years is along time!
show us your railey!

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Froth Goth said..
And thats the exact bull**** that ruined kiteing

Rather then teaching students how to depower with theyre board and body position fat old kooks made it all about the kite.

Because all they wanted to do was to SELL a kite not actually improve the riders ability

If you all read steves message and actually THINK about it youll see thats the exact hardlined carved into stone bull**** every shop sold.

Thats exactly why you all suck at kiteing and cant unhook.

A unhooked air railey is the OLLIE to skateboarding
The very first move anyone should be inspired to do. Find a gap in the pavement line ya wheels up in it and eat some concrete.

From there you want to try it rolling up a slight incline.

All of you and i mean this with the exception on half a dozen of yas which is just so mind blowingly pathetic cant even do that because you have simply never tried.

Ask yourselves why havent you tried?!?

I got $50 its because you were told not to that the bare basics of kiteing was touted as something that only gymnists in theyre teenage years could do.

If you have even just a bit of wind knowledge you would know that if your matching the kites speed with your board theres little to no resistance infact it can even go slack! Omg not slack!! What heavens would you do then? You know when the kite is DEPOWERED ?!? Rather then learn how to kite you all got sold some bull**** and practice makes permamnent so all you can do is kite on overpoweres kites that pull you left and right and let you do big jumps and you think that that is kiteboarding.

That is not kiteboarding!

Thats useing a piece of gear that you shouldnt be useing but they made it so that "it can depower (a 10sqm kite ALLWAYS has 10sqm of power reguardless of what angle its at) by makeing it fly so inefficiently that its basically stalling"

OR

If you had any knowledge or skill or practiced at all

You could use a kite that is probably 2sqm smaller that doesnt NEED to be depoweres AT ALL because its the correct size kite for that windspeed and if you had some board control then you could actually kite percectly fine.

Bowkites and pulleys and bridals made kiteing APPEAR EASIER it didnt make it RIGHT you all have woeful technique and it shows

Look at all the countrys where kite shops didnt force feed this bull**** down every student and customers throat and then have the audacity to tell the manufacturers we only want big bow kites for our big fat rich clients with lots of money and they want to jump 8 meters high even tho they have no twchnique and think that they are underpowered if they were on an actually apropriate sized kite cause they dont even know that theyre ment to be standing on theyre front foot not digging in theyre backfoot the entire time.

Ever see those kook surfers who are all backfoot heavy and wonder why they cant surf for ****? Thats what you all look like.

An? why arw you all still wearing straps?!? Cause you cant control your over powered kite and it throws you around ?

Boots arent for some sort of PRO LEVEL kiter theyre for people who can CONTROL theyre kite and they dont need DEPOWER to control theyre kite! They just need some lessons.

How do i put this into words you boomers will understand....

You know how houseing is big business over here? But in other countrys its just normal and nothing special everyone seems to only have one and theyre happy?

Well you got sold some bull**** and now your all houseing mad but in other countrys where there hasnt been some sort of GOLD RUSH forced down theyre throats about houseing investments theyre all actually quite peaceful and happy and they dont even think about houseing.

So who do you think HYPED the bow kite market? And spent all theyre time trying to destroy the older equipment?

If you were a small shop that had old stock and you couldnt afford to fill it with bow kites it was a instant fatal blow if all the bigger shops and brands just spread FEAR about c kites and that you were only safe on a bow.

Who would do that? Why?

$$$$$$$$$

You all got scammed and now you all ride completely wrong on oversized kites cause you lack the ability to to actually fly a properly sized kite.

You need to go to a ACTUAL kite spot where people train freestyle to see how kiteboarding is actually ment to be. Your going to need to buy a plane ticket tho cause everyone in australia sucks

Step 1: unhook

Hooked in?? Doesnt count!


30 years is along time!
show us your railey!

Nice rant, must be nice to be **** hot, talented and modest.
Plenty can't surf and surfing is getting busier each year anywhere you go.
Maybe people got sick of huge egos.

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Froth Goth said..



30 years is along time!

Thats about all of your post that makes any sense. Here's the results of comparing the two terms, they are declining about the same amount.

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KBGhost said..

SUPSurferQLD said..

wing foiling... opens up a larger wind window

I don't see how this works. You can't send a wing on a 20m radius loop through the power, they will always struggle on the lower end. Yes I see some better dingers getting out in lighter winds now but they're on a 100l battleship of a board wrangling an 8m wing and they weigh 60kgs dripping wet. I guess you mean vs TT rather than vs kite foil?

Yeah I mean the board -less power is needed through the wing to get yourself riding up on the foil...

I reckon the wings themselves still have a bigger wind range than a kite - you can still have a 5m out in 8kts and utilise the wind without it falling out of the sky...