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.