Free DVD w/ Kiteboarding Magazine

[bryanleighty]

Run.. dont walk .. to your local place that carries Kiteboarding Magazine..

The April/May 06 edition comes with a free DVD. Its an hour long documentary about the history of kiteboarding. Just got done watching it. Amazing stuff here. Tons of footage from the guys and gals that went through all the trial and painful errors to push the sport.


This should be mandatory viewing for everyone in and looking to get into kiting.

Seeing a guy boost a 30+ ft air with 4ft. long bar with a 5lb wheel on it while riding waterskis should really make you appreciate what they could do with what they had.. as well as appreciate the gear that is available to us today.

Great stuff...

-Bryan

[BigR]

<Seeing a guy boost.......... with 4ft. long bar with a 5lb wheel on it >


I had one of those originals. The wheel AIN"T anywhere near 5lb. just weighs as much as a bicycle hydraulic brake ( which is what it is ).

The really AMAZING part is launching your kite with one of those and having the wheel spin around at MACH speed inches from your face! Talk about buzzcuts!

[slingshot05]

what was the wheel for? why would it spin?

[C. Moore]

Is this the "Upwind DVD) This also came with my subscription from Kiteworld Magazine. They sent me two subscription and I gave the DVD to Neil. The DVD is from Redbull called Upwind. This is how a DVD of Kitesurfing should be made. Truly one of the best Kitesurfing videos out there. Try to get your hands on the DVD, it will make you very humble knowing what these guys did to make the sport what it is today.

-Chris

[C. Moore]

what was the wheel for? why would it spin?

The wheel was actually a reel. You would launch the kite and slowly let the lines out via a reel. WSW still has one in the back of the store.

[BigR]

<You would launch the kite and slowly let the lines out via a reel>

yeah, looks good on paper, but salt water didn't tend to mix well with the
hydraulic chamber and after a few uses there is NO BRAKE and you are left with the "spinning wheel of death" until you fix the hydraulics again.

fresh water was fine tho'

[bryanleighty]

So what was it like the first time you got to see/ride an inflatable? Or a standard 4-line kite?

One thing that I find the most amusing is that these guys back then, basically inventing as they go, were still totally ripping it up. They had what would be called "Shit" for equipment, but could still just blast 20ft airs on whatever they could get up in the air using whatever they could strap onto their feet.

People now are overwhelmed with choices on quality boards and kites. Take a look at some of the heated debates and discussions over on kiteforum.com regarding this product vs. that product.. which is better.. which is worse.. which is one they MUST get to be able to ride.. etc. etc..

I know that a lot of the new kites are gearing towards safety, which is something that has to happen... but to read 50 posts in a discussion over the slight double concave of the new underground boards and if it will make someone a better kiteboarder is pretty silly.

Then again.. what the hell am I doing reading all 50 posts...

oh well.

I'm freakin addicted.

-B

[Deferred Success]

In my spare time, I've been searching for a copy of

'Upwind - The Launch of Kiteboarding (http://kitesource.blogspot.com/2006/10/avvenu-to-dvd-content-for-my-friends.html)'

Seems like several people are also looking (http://forums.ikitesurf.com/viewtopic.php?p=37847) as well.


Deferred Success

[Sean B]

You guys should go to WSW, they have the bar you're all talking about with the wheel and bike brake up on the wall. Interesting piece of machinery...

[bryanleighty]

that is the one that came free w/ the magazine.

it was freely distributed.. its a Redbull production..

I just emailed the movie's director to see if he's cool w/ me making copies for anyone that wants it.

PM me.

[amber]

As soon as I'm not a laughingstock on the water i am definitely going to try to wear a pair of jump skis and try to ride. Don't worry...i'll warn you. :) The video is a good one. How bout the part when the guy gets dragged on his face across all the cow pies in that pasture? classic! I agree this video should be more mainstream and its a must see.!!

[Adam]

what magazine does this other video come in? not the upwind one.. i went to books a million where they sell sbc and Kiteboarding magazing but neither had a video.

[Steve-O]

Yup....Great vid. I remember it coming out about a year ago and had it running in the shop all the time. A great way to see the history of the sport and how it all evolved....the gear, the designers, the riders, ect.....

How exciting it must have been to be apart of such rapid evolution of gear. Gear still has a long way to go, but glad that even seasoned riders are excited about the new 08 lines and the improvements that are being made.

[BigR]

ya, back then we had few choices. two line wipika 8.5m or two line wipika 5.0m.
then our choices exploded to two line f-one AKT 9m or 7m as well....that was no improvement...but it was fun to use the reel bar on the foil :confused: :rolleyes: :mad:

[Skyway Scott]

I remember trying to ride that 2 line 5m Wipi on a directional in about 15 knots. I launched from a boat, in the area in between backside skyway and East Beach each time I went out (went about 4 times). I remember thinking - "This sucks. These things have less power than windsurfers".
I tried about ten hours total, then said "screw it".

Most available info back then was strongly recommending the use of 5m kites with directional boards to get into kiting. These articles failed to mention you were doomed in less than 20 knots with that approach.

After that first taste, I basically quit for 2 years until some of the kites available had more juice and a slightly better design. The Wipi 8.9 Free-Air was what I got.

I would say the biggest difference between 2000 and now (for your average rider like me) is that back then, just riding was a serious adrenaline rush, because controlling the kite and the board was such a challenge, especially in gusty stuff. Also, when you messed up, you got tea-bagged pretty good. I basically felt like I had to be always concentrating, or else. Now I can zone out 90% of the time, and it barely matters.
Learning on that gear was a rush, to say the least. Especially the JoJo foil, I can't believe some of us actually rode those.

[Steve-O]

FYI Life ect. a new video by Damien Leroy just arrived. We are planning a video party for Damien next month. Will keep you all posted....should be fun.