CATCH ME IF YOU CAN

Kiteboarding has developed so quickly in its many styles and applications, yet there’s an irony at play here. Like a blossoming plant in your garden, the faster the offshoots grow, the harder it is to keep the whole package pruned and healthy. And with the current difficulties in both racing and freestyle disciplines, the problem has never been so evident.

Let me explain. Firstly, racing. Some don’t care if kitesurfing gets into the Olympics. Personally, I think it would be an amazing boost, helping us reach out to the masses currently unaware that a sport called kitesurfing has been invented. Talk about exposure potential. And currently, it’s most likely that kitesurf racing will be the discipline that’ll successfully claim one of the International Sailing Federation’s Olympic slots – in the next decade at least.

However, the current situation is just so complicated (this is kiteboarding, so hardly a surprise there). Foiling really caught on just as Formula racing had started to regain the ground it lost after it was dropped from the Olympics two years ago and windsurfing was suddenly reinstated (sadly, not the only embarrassing organisational cock-up I’ll mention on this page).

But foiling is still way too experimental for the Olympic committee to even consider it. They were happy with Formula – the gear is very similar for everyone as it has to be registered and measured and it’s much more evenly about rider skill. In foiling, turn up with the latest new development and the game can move into your hands… if you can stay on the thing.

In essence, kitesurfing is tripping itself up on its way to the Olympics. Right when it needed consolidation among its ranks to just fine tune what was already there, along came foiling – all fast, effortless and with more sass and excitement to steal the arm of the pretty girl at the dance.

It’s hard to catch something that doesn’t want to be caught.

And now there’s a big shift in the older, experienced riders dropping Formula in favour of foil competition. A considerable number have completely dropped Formula racing – they say they just can’t go back to it after the foiling sensation and the increased speed. Interestingly, many of the young riders are doing both and preventing Formula from dying off completely; they have time on their side and will be in their prime if / when Formula makes it into the Olympics in 2020.

Ian MacKinnon was with us at the Formula Worlds in Italy – a keen kiter who – among other journalism roles – used to be the Southeast Asia correspondent for national UK newspapers such as the Independent and Guardian. He has an incredible nose for sniffing out a story and vividly dissecting it. He also loves the nitty gritty of racing politics as well as the strategy. His feature is a riveting read, whatever you think of racing. Putting The Knife in is on page 72.

 

 

 

 

 

Politics aside – once you see a good rider on a foil, you’re going to want one. At first they feel frantic but soon become smooth, quick and effortless. They’re breaking world racing records under the right feet and perhaps in the end will shine the brightest light of all on kiteboarding in the future. Who would have said that about racing before? This is only the beginning, but on page 78 we present an overview of the current foils on the market for all ability levels.

 

 

And what’s been happening in the freestyle competition world? The promise of this year’s Virgin Kitesurfing World Championships first season was a mouthwatering prospect with six of the world’s most exciting competition freestylers all fit and eager to compete at the same time. Big brands were apparently pouring money and event expertise in… how could it fail?

Sadly, there has rarely been a steady flow of media from the events and the schedule, even now, is still not completely nailed down for the remainder of the season. The public fracas in the last couple of months over apparent breaches of contract and squabbles over the rights to run the tour were an embarrassment for the sport. In fact, to give you an idea of time-frame on the eve of the Germany event, yesterday I read another statement from the IKA claiming that ISAF have just confirmed that the IKA have the sole rights to hold the World Championships, and that ISAF no longer grant that permission to Virgin. This morning I have a statement from the ‘Virgin Kitesurfing World Championships’ saying that ISAF have awarded them special event status, ‘similar to the America’s Cup’ apparently. That would mean they wouldn’t be crowning a World Champion, but let’s see. What a mess this has been. Hopefully it can quickly be cleared up so that we can just get on with enjoying seeing the best riders compete on a secure and progressive tour.

What we are sure of, however, is that when completely stripped back and allowed to breath on its own, kiteboarding is still the most incredible activity and spectacle.

Recent events where the riders who really care about the sport took it upon themselves to organise their own events with no call for outside sponsors, put on their own media, their own awards and built their own features, especially in the case of the Hood River Slider Jam, produced incredible results. Read about that on page 50. The rewards transcend the boardroom and take a kiteboarder to appreciate.

We’re always in such a hurry in life to sell ourselves and to achieve. There will come a day when this sport really blows up internationally but, for now, let’s just enjoy things for what they are – these are the golden days as John Bilderback keeps telling me after his 30 years experience shooting top level surfing – as kitesurfing gets better and presents new potential with every session.

So who cares what you’re riding? Just get out there, smash it and enjoy it! The rewards will come.

See you on the water,
Jim

 

This editorial is from Kiteworld issue #77. Subscriptions are available from just £9 / US$14 / €13. Click here for more options.