mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/2012/08/bst_20120814_0852.mp3
The Australian media is starting to ask the same questions we are...Why was windsurfing pitted against kitesurfing instead of the other sailing classes.
Why was Yachting Australia so proactive in getting windsurfing dumped from the Olympics....Why has it come to court cases?
I suggest that everyone contact Peter Condy at Yachting Australia to ask these questions to him.
Ring constantly until you get some answers!
and then ring again! and again!
They should let both windsurfing and kitesurfing in ....Maybe whoever is in charge of the $ might send some more towards all types of sailing,considering they did so well in London,not like the overfunded other sports that didn't do that well.
Why not try it like an exhibition event like windsurfing was in 84 Olympics? Then evaluate how it went?
Interesting interview, pretty balanced with plenty of time given to both parties.
One thing that stood out to me was that both associations answered well on all issues, but the AKSA bloke's response to kids' participation was pretty poor. His answer to youth development programmes was pretty much that "lots of kids do it and my brother started at 14 and now he's good."
Ummm... in windsurfing kids can learn at 5 years old and are racing at the nationals at 14, not just starting out at 14. I can't see kids learning that early in kiting, nor choosing to race as they will mostly want to freestyle.
(see waveslave, that ^^^ is discussion and debate. "cause it's freakin obsolete, dude lol" doesn't really cut it. EDIT: Oh I forgot - lol)
Waveslave reckons w/surfing is obsolete.
I wonder how he views the various dinghy classes at the Olympics?
It amazes me that ISAF would happily drop a 'modern' sport in favour of all of those dreary dinghy classes, but then tradition seems to be well entrenched in yachting.
Kiting and W/surf are trendy young sports, have them both and dump a dinghy.
I think the main reason the poledancers got dumped is because they are still trying to get that old man smell out of the last olympic village
^^^^ because there's at least 6 or 7 women kiteracers on the world teabagging tour
Kite Racing will be awesome to watch on TV. I seriously can't wait.
horsesmouth.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451cb8069e2016303e74485970d-500wi
In 8 knots:
Didn't see any RS:X racing or even highlights on Channel 9?
Although at the same time, they didn't seem to show any 49er or 470 races until they knew Australians had won medals...
Organisers provided good footage for dinghy races with on-board cameras and areal shots.
you should of had FOXTEL. Heaps of sailing, every class.
mark i have never came into a thread about the windsurfing just to stir up **** , what does **** me is the moronic butthurt posts about a pointless olympic event and the retarded attacks on kiting . Granted dipsh!ts like lotofwind come into these forums and stir things for the sake of stirring and i would rather stay away from that .
What i do give a f$ck about is the mindless crying and bitching that goes on from parties on both sides of the fence . For 99% of the people who either windsurf or kitesurf this decision influences the day to day activities in no shape or form .
I have mates who windsurf and kite and buggy etc . Myself well I don't give a flying f$ck about kiting being in the olympics .
Can't some of your windsurfers just ****ing get over it and live in harmony ?
My local seems to have no issues with kiters and i have no issues with windsurfers .
Being a multi-national conglomerate's fictional bad boy character ,and on ASIO's most watched list i'm not at liberty to divulge my exact where abouts at any one time in the passed,present or future but guaranteed i have been to any place i comment on at one time or another.......whoops i've said to much
this conversation never happened
whats an i kite 
is that like a i tie or an i phone 
I think its stinks windsurfing was droped for kiting. It would have been good to keep both as they are in there own right totaly diferent from them selves and that of the sailing dingys.They would both be beter to watch than the other sailing but unless some one from Austrailia was going to win dont think they will show any footage. I watched the olympics and I thought how bloody slow the racing was compared to watching formula racing.Why did we not get any coverage because we were not wining.The strength of the media. We should condgradulate Jesica on another Olympic campain where she did her best. In Australia we are that tight with Money our male sailer was not alowed to go as ranked obove 6 in the world.
I have witnessed the kites trying to race and **** the sports got some development to do. But I supose puting it into the olympics will speed the development process up because it sure needs it.
unfortunately for the windsurfers out there, things evolve.
I'm a. ex windsurf racer and also a kitesurfer.
The winter olympics have seen major changes in disciplines recently and sailing had to see the same.
Kiting appeals to the masses and random bob and granny doris will be captivated by the kite thing on TV, even tho it is boring as bat**** to watch. (for more wind minded people)
best thing you guys can do is keep your local race scene alive and keep juniors coming through.
Such a dumb thread. It has got nothing to do with windsurfing vs kitesurfing. It was politics. It always is.
The kitesurfing lobbyists simply secured more votes among the ISAF representatives than the windsurfing people.
The RSX was always a compromise, but it was forced to fit into the Sailing format, and I really don't think anyone has an issue with Kites, just not at the expense of windsurfing.
After watching the coverage it seems obvious that the Skiffs and Windsurfing are the most visually interesting. The woman's 470 should be replaced with a skiff, but that is a whole other issue.
How the Star is still in there is just bizarre as it its the most elitist and dated class.
FYI, the Woman's match racing was a total surprise. I was totally captivated in it.
Is it really true they have bumped that also?
Without starting a riot, I think the Moth and Formula would be really interesting amendments?
