windsurfing has just been cancelled...

[boxsterboy]

I just don't understand why kitesurfing is lumped in with sailing, I mean canoeing and rowing aren't, and they have as much in common with sailing as kiteboarding. I mean fine, bring kiting in, but why drop a sailing event to let it in, why not another sport? When snowboarding came in were any skiing disciplines dropped? I don't think so.

The RYA don't oversee kiting, because it's not sailing. What do other countries sailing bodies do with kiting? Do they oversee it? To get a body up and running in a couple of years so that they are ready for 2016 is a tall order.

And having seen the Kite racing video, it looks a bit dull to me, assuming that dropping your kite tactically to get your strings to foul a competitor is not allowed (might be quite fun if you could 'foul' like that)

Maybe for 2020 they might replace. Kiting wIth SUP racing - I think it would be more exciting, and would certainly allow for close-up camera shots which seems to be what it is all about.

P.S.Petition signed.

[jwlbrace]

SUP racing should be in Olympics, it should replace a rowing event. (following this logic anyway!)

[CRUSHED]

You know, I was initially annoyed, but actually now hat I think about it it may have just been because they mentioned kite boarding.

Now that I've thought about it some more, I realise I really have no interest in Olympic windsurfing. In fact I think it is really anachronistic and boring.

Let the kiters have it frankly.

[TwoFish]

Now that I've thought about it some more, I realise I really have no interest in Olympic windsurfing. In fact I think it is really anachronistic and boring..

I did think that. What they did seemed to have little relevance to what I did, but over time I've swayed:

• I certainly got caught up in the excitement of the last Olympics. Like many other here, I was willing Nick and Bryony on, and will be doing this time. Seeing Bryony 'bring the medal home' to Hayling Island (even if the sarf is not my home) was a special day.
• I've really enjoyed seeing Team Egypt train down at Moonbeach, chatting to their guys, and seeing how their pride and commitment inspires the Egyptian kids getting into sailing / windsurfing.
• The RYA / T15 thing really does matter. As James has said, we'll have to see if the RYA goes cold on windsurfing and runs off on a daft fling with the kitesufring dancing girl (/ladyboy).
• There's a fair few decent British wavesailors and other in the UK windsufing industry with a bit of Olympic squad pedigree in them (and one in particular whose thoughts we might draw out here), and I've learned some stuff about mental attitude from them. It would be a shame if that influence was lost to windsurfing.

Still, good luck to the kiteys. Changing the law to allow them to marry seems only fair, so I suppose we should accept it's time they were allowed into the Olympc family as well.


PS, Welcome back Crushed. AWOL too long.

[Phish]

I think it is a really sad day, as it is the sport we associate with and relate too, and I have coached many of the T15 hopefuls in a past life..However, and I am probably going to get slated for saying this. Maybe racing nationally and internationally will pick up after and because of this. PWA course racing again, maybe top athletes internationally raceboarding again on any equipment they choose, maybe regional racing opening up again because aspiration can be that anyone who is really good, might get the chance to compete at an international level. Whilst I love what the RYA have done, an amazing infrastructure, and as a result I see many of my original zone squad, Claudia Carney, Sam Latham, Sam Conroy etc doing well. I was always slightly cringing at having to force my kids to take too big a sails on Tecnho 293 to make a slow board go around a course, when they could have been using lighter and really efficient kit, had it not had to feed into Olympics.
So considering my original angry knee jerk reaction, maybe the bigger picture that windsurfing racing is going to be forced down might be more prosperous overall.

[rod]

Really great opinion piece by Gregg (Dunnett) - shame there is no magazine to print it and the story about no olympics...

[CRUSHED]

I did think that. What they did seemed to have little relevance to what I did, but over time I've swayed:

• I certainly got caught up in the excitement of the last Olympics. Like many other here, I was willing Nick and Bryony on, and will be doing this time. Seeing Bryony 'bring the medal home' to Hayling Island (even if the sarf is not my home) was a special day.
• I've really enjoyed seeing Team Egypt train down at Moonbeach, chatting to their guys, and seeing how their pride and commitment inspires the Egyptian kids getting into sailing / windsurfing.
• The RYA / T15 thing really does matter. As James has said, we'll have to see if the RYA goes cold on windsurfing and runs off on a daft fling with the kitesufring dancing girl (/ladyboy).
• There's a fair few decent British wavesailors and other in the UK windsufing industry with a bit of Olympic squad pedigree in them (and one in particular whose thoughts we might draw out here), and I've learned some stuff about mental attitude from them. It would be a shame if that influence was lost to windsurfing.

Still, good luck to the kiteys. Changing the law to allow them to marry seems only fair, so I suppose we should accept it's time they were allowed into the Olympc family as well.


PS, Welcome back Crushed. AWOL too long.

Yeah, I suppose I've just had no real exposure to it.

I see they reset my post count 0!

Bar stewards.