Miami News wrong article
What an accumulation of gossips and a complete lack of proffesional reporting on our new sport that has much more to talk about than just accidents!
I post my answer to the author of this article just to make sure that we will all continue to concentrate on safety and fun and will avoid any innecesary risk taking or any crazy attitude. In today News/entertainment world, bad news and gossips seem to work much better than joy and good feelings. So sad
Dear Kirk Nielsen
I have recently read your four pages article about “Kite surfing” and cannot believe what you wrote! Your article does not portray at all what Kite surfing is, or what Kite surfers feel, or worst than that, what this great new sport represents. Your article is mainly the descriptive accumulation of unfortunate events and sporadic accidents that might have happened in the past, but that certainly cannot describe or explain our sport. Accidents are just part of any sport activities and I can assure you that in my many, many years riding in Florida (believe or not, without any accident) I have witness a quite small ratio of accidents compared to the unprecedented growing number of people practicing this wonderful sport.
In my many years leaving in Florida, enjoying beach areas or beach paths, I have whiteness thousand of bad accidents in many other sports such as soccer, bicycle or roller blade but I have never read any article about “Crazy Dudes” and the danger of these sports. In Kite surfing like in many other sports, I agree 100% with what Mr. Marinkovic confession regarding Kite risks and accidents: “overconfidence”, “show off”, “It was a bonehead move”
Now, your article, completely lack of the basic knowledge of what Kite surfing represents and the opinions expressed by Mr. Christophe Ribot certainly do not represent what our kiting community think or feel. In recent years, Mr. Ribot developed a commercial activity around Kite surfing and its extended description of unfortunate events mainly portrays his personal opinions or experiences. Mr. Ribot opinions regarding the future of the kite surfing in Miami and/or its overall advise of kiting in other countries, and/or its personal opinion of any commercial competitors such as Mr. Escudero (that by the way, has also gone through a lot of sacrifice in his life to develop and defend our sport) are truly not relevant at all for the sport.
Finally, the most disturbing part of your article is that you completely passed along the joy, positiveness and benefits of Kite Surfing. You complete passed along the seriousness of the sport and the professionalism of most of the Floridian Kiters. We are not dudes or crazy people as you wrongly express in your article, but people who love, respect and care about other people, about nature, sea, beach, landscapes, etc… We are sea lovers and for the most part of us also surfers and wind surfers. To be more precise, the large majority of us are not only serious sport people but also parents, successful entrepreneur, or successful executives of leading US corporations and I can assure you that our understanding of risks versus Kite surfing pleasures is truly balanced. We are not “Crazy Dudes” but people who prefer sport, family, friends and nature rather than many activities related to cheap sex and booze so well promoted in your magazine!
I truly hope that next time you write about a new sport, you will have the decency and time to do serious research instead of expressing simple gossips!
Xavier Aristimuno
|