This is my personal point of view about the decision to get kiteboarding into the olympics in 2016 in Rio.
What a chance for a fast growing spot like kiteboarding. Sailing till now has been pretty much boring to watch, since most of the races are held a few kilometers offshore and the spectators don't see it or understand it. So what the ISAF is looking for is a new class that can bring in more media coverage and more spectators to the beach. Kiteboarding is the perfect match for this problem.
The sport is very attractive for young people, it is colorful, loaded wt action, tactics and close up finishes and most of all it will be the most affordable olympic watersport ever. A full standard quiver will cost u no more that about 3000$ - 5000$ which is affordable to pretty much everyone, compared to a small dinghy or sailboat which cost 10times as much and more...
The sad part is that we kicked out windsurfing to get our spot, but on the other hand it is the chance for windsurfing to change the rules and reapply wt a new class, which should be more attractive, modern and bring in more spectators and young guns as well. The RSX class was just boring and the lack of big names did not make it more attractive. If i chat wt any real windsurfer who rides actually in the world tour or European tour, they all tell me the same story... RSX is boring and oldskool, and no one of them can tell u any names of a windsurf Olympic champion. There is just a handful of windsurfers who do nothing else than training on that board and sail, but most of them never really achieved anything in the real windsurfing classes.
That is the best reason for kiteboarding not to become as boring and oldskool, and the way to do this is wt the boxrule and never a one design class.
There is a lot of meetings goin on and every kiteboarder have to join his national organization, so we can have proper selections of the best races of each country to join the games.
I'm very positiv about it, we will be there and show all those pessimist that we can do it, and that we actually already have some very good kiteboarders out there... we don't really need any rsx racers that has no more job and thinks he will be the best kiteboarder in 4years time.
We will need a whole lot of trainers and coaches, this is the chance for everyone to get involved.
Kiteboarders unite and show the world that we can do it!
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Kite trips and Kalpitiya Lagooon
The wind has definitely started in Sri Lanka.
I'm kiting every day in the Kalpitiya lagoon, the spot is awesome and never crowded. The water is glassy flat and the most of the people are beginner which all stay upwind of the best wakestyle spots.
Few days ago the north team arrived wt Tom Court, Tom Hebert and Thomas Paris. The guysare rocking the lagoon wt all the new 2013 equipment, since it is all produced over here is the cheapest way to test... and i would say one of the spots that gives u all the opportunities to the all kites on one spot. Waves, flat water, choppy.. u name it Sri Lanka has it.
We did already to kitetrips wt boats to some smaller islands just a few km downwind of the lagoon. Kitesurfinglanka is offering those trips. U can't really do it alone because u need a license to go passed the military zone and only a few boats are aloud to cross this area.
The trips are awesome, kiters should be able to go toeside, so u can actually do a long trip. The beginners take much longer and can do a shorter version of the trip. They start to build some shelters for lunchtime, which is served on the beach, and some cover for the 2day trips.
I can highly recommend the trips, is all about flat water riding, enjoying the longest stretch of sandbars, beaches and small fisher villages wt kids running around and cheering u up to do some big airs in front of them.
The trip starts wt a 1h boatride down the Kalpitiya lagoon which connects wt the Puttalam lagoon. There are already plenty of spots on the way to the first island, but the best spots just start from there. Then it's about a 2h downwind trip all the way to the second island and ending up at a wavespot, the waves can be nice down here, depending on the swell.
Sri Lanka is the future of kiteboarding... this spot will grow very fast and big. So come and enjoy it as long as the local style will last, before the big player come in and destroy it all.
I can already say a very big thank u to Dilsiri and Leo and theire team for letting me stay in the newly opened kitesurfing Lanka camp. Recommended to everyone who is seeking some very relaxed kiteboarding holidays in a big family style atmosphere, food is great and the staff are really friendly... if u have a chance try to beat Tilak at Carome,
I only have a few days left now till i head to Bangkok for 2night and then off to China for the next KTA tourstop. Read Full...
I'm kiting every day in the Kalpitiya lagoon, the spot is awesome and never crowded. The water is glassy flat and the most of the people are beginner which all stay upwind of the best wakestyle spots.
Few days ago the north team arrived wt Tom Court, Tom Hebert and Thomas Paris. The guysare rocking the lagoon wt all the new 2013 equipment, since it is all produced over here is the cheapest way to test... and i would say one of the spots that gives u all the opportunities to the all kites on one spot. Waves, flat water, choppy.. u name it Sri Lanka has it.We did already to kitetrips wt boats to some smaller islands just a few km downwind of the lagoon. Kitesurfinglanka is offering those trips. U can't really do it alone because u need a license to go passed the military zone and only a few boats are aloud to cross this area.
The trips are awesome, kiters should be able to go toeside, so u can actually do a long trip. The beginners take much longer and can do a shorter version of the trip. They start to build some shelters for lunchtime, which is served on the beach, and some cover for the 2day trips.
I can highly recommend the trips, is all about flat water riding, enjoying the longest stretch of sandbars, beaches and small fisher villages wt kids running around and cheering u up to do some big airs in front of them.
The trip starts wt a 1h boatride down the Kalpitiya lagoon which connects wt the Puttalam lagoon. There are already plenty of spots on the way to the first island, but the best spots just start from there. Then it's about a 2h downwind trip all the way to the second island and ending up at a wavespot, the waves can be nice down here, depending on the swell.
Sri Lanka is the future of kiteboarding... this spot will grow very fast and big. So come and enjoy it as long as the local style will last, before the big player come in and destroy it all.
I can already say a very big thank u to Dilsiri and Leo and theire team for letting me stay in the newly opened kitesurfing Lanka camp. Recommended to everyone who is seeking some very relaxed kiteboarding holidays in a big family style atmosphere, food is great and the staff are really friendly... if u have a chance try to beat Tilak at Carome,
I only have a few days left now till i head to Bangkok for 2night and then off to China for the next KTA tourstop. Read Full...
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