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bennie said..
started kiting at 26 am now 38.

There seem to be a lot of 3-4 year kiters on this thread, am I the odd one out or are there many other long term kiters that still froth over kiting but not as much as they used too?

After 11 years I still froth and check the wind every morning...... Particularly like those morning surprises when no wind was expected but the forecast has changed.

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Hop said..
Andrush
Please respect your elders

Hop, at the ripe age of 61 elders are hard to find...

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skywalker3d said..
Started 31
Now 33
Wind surfed for 1 month biggest wast of a month in my whole life.
Cant get enough of kiting and good exercise.

Bit harsh, takes a hell of a lot longer than a month to be proficient enough to be able to make a call like that...

and 13 Years on still frothing at every chance....

35 now started kiting age 31- 4 seasons
surfed since age 10, needed to remain sane over perth summers
surfing still no 1 love, but surf with a kite heaps more often now

Soon as I realised how much better the power to weight was, took up kiting after sailboarding, now 66 hope to be still going at 80.

Started surfing properly in twenties would drive 120ks to beach get three decent waves and drive home. Would spend hours surfing woolies or winki, while on Paul Keating's surf team. Stopped after I got a job and sick of driving. Took up snowboarding but more expensive and even more driving. Took up road cycling and still ride. Started kiting maybe 40 now 44, live in bayside so can be back in 1.5 hours and decent sesh, or fit one in after work. Wife, kids and boss all happy (mostly). Want to kite in waves so have to drive again...noooo!! I don't think its an age thing, rather a seasonal thing so:

Summer - kite nearly everyday
Autumn - surf (no wind / water still warm / more swell)
Winter - surf/snowboard/ odd cold front kite
Spring - snowboard/kite/pay off credit card.
Repeat.

Love going harder, bigger, and longer than the young blokes,( kiting that is)

38 Started Kiting 5 years ago.. Fully addicted such an awesome sport.. So much good vibes from nearly everyone I've ever encountered who kites..

Started in 2008 at 42 now 48
Took up kiting because needed something easier than rock climbing and caving recovery times were getting too long.

My turn.
Started at 48 years young. Now 60 and have discovered strapless kiting.
Like my mutants in small waves and full tilt toeside carves on flat water.
The Shinnster ticks all the fun boxes when the wind is light.

1'm 46
kiting about 8 seasons
though took me a full season to get upwind, I'm still amazed I stuck with it!

Still loving it when I catch the look of some young dude floating about on his surf board waiting for a wave, when this middle aged grey haired codger roars past , hits a ramp and smashes out a backroll kite loop at 6m in the air
Priceless

Even more fun when I screw up a double backroll loop or backroll down loop and land upside down backwards on my head. We call this one a "Spinal"
YEEEEW !!!!!

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Hop said..
Thanks Boon, even though i commented about the over 40's the graph really illustrates the kids not getting into the sport. How and who changes this?

Icurrently getting my 11 yr old going...got to get him past that first 10 hrs of total frustration ( half way there ) then we will be camping/kiting together.

Interesting posts.
It either shows that the majority use to windsurf but have moved on to kiting for the more easy gear cartage and faster maneuverability,,,,derrrr state the obvious,, or,

The majority of people that post on seabreeze are of the older generation? So not a real demographic of kiting, but more a demographic of people who post on Seabreeze.

Would get massively different results in this survey if it was posted on twitter/facebook etc. Would be none have tried/considered windsurfing and most are newish to kiting,,mayb??

18

Now 21

Plummet is a tool

^^ but he always kites in double overhead waves and boosts over boulders!!

Started 50
now 55
love it????????

Ok I'll bite!

dooggggh!! What was the question again?

Ahh yeahh...

(you've red thumbed me at this point)

Started: 13
Now: 47

Surfed Mals and thrusters since they were invented in 1981, up until I had to move to Townsville 'cause the Miss hates Melbourne, the cold and crap kite surfing out at Altona (we were just beginners then) back in 2010. I was predominantly a surfer. Did Bells hundreds of times and made Winki Pop my equivalent of trolling in here. Also loved Cosey Corner at Torquay on longboards and never looked back. That became my hidey-hole surf spot for years.

Had kids and moved to Altona, met Steve at KSS, pissed him off a few times (as I would with anyone really), and Miss decided travelling to work in the CBD was a waste of life. I agreed. Packed up and here we are in Townsville, now pissing off Marvin no end!

And no, my mom did not teach me how to shut the eff up! Sorry folks.

18

21

Started 45, now 46

Started windsurfing 1984 at age of 22 , became obsessed with the wind , started kiting in 2001 at 39 . What an awesome buzz it is to be powered up so much in 15 to 20 knts where you would be grovelling on windsurfing gear. Windsurfing gear collected dust for 8 years and then I decided to update windsurfing gear . I am 52 now and feel very lucky to do both windsurfing and kitesurfing . The feeling you get from riding waves down the line on a windsurfer for hours and then backing up later in the day kitesurfing that same break is unforgettable .

share your observations ...

started @ 39, now 52.

Sailing since 6, water skiing, skate boarding, some flying ... long interest in surfing, but never quite "got it", after a long (~6 month) on/off apprenticeship (in hindsite 'cause i picked conditions with not enough wind pressure), i'm now one of the mad dudes, strapless on 6'2" surfboard, heavier conditions the better, cruising the point breaks NNSW & GC, and just can't get enough. 3 times now to Cloudbreak, once in huge conditions.

Gear with me 100% of the time. Will continue to cruise till my last breath departs me.

Such a lot of replies to the survey - I can feel a thesis coming on...
48 and just started this summer. Female (not that you asked) and zero wind/surfing background. Some parachuting and water skiing though, so this could be the obvious progression. Except that this feels like true love!

I am 26, started kitesurfing 4 months ago at the ripe ol age of 25. I love it!

Have done a tiny bit of wakeboarding, surfing and SUP but kitesurfing definitely takes the cake.

Seems to have turned in to a share your life story thread. Guess that happens when you get a few old dudes together.

Hey Hop
great thread

started at 42
now i feel like i'm in my early 30's