Kite Addiction or just another addiction

[max]

after only one season (the season is over, right?) I'm fully addicted. However, I don't really consider myself an adrenaline junkie either. there are a lot of sports like kiting that can be done in a balls-out-adrenaline mode OR in a cruising mode. Snowboarding is one example: not too much adrenaline cruising down the powder -- unless you're about to jump a road cut! Mountain biking is another... climbing is sort of another, but I can't really think of any time when you want too much adrenaline

I used to live for those moments right before you hit the transition on the .25 pipe, get to the lip on the (snow) halfpipe, set up for the dyno, hop the board into the cornice, but nowadays.. okay I still do, but not as much since everything breaks/tears/bends so easily now :(

[zgur]

There are so many aspects to this sport.....

smooth grace......."she's my summer lover in the spring fall and winter"
powered insanity....."she was a fast machine, she kept her motor clean" (can't think of the words to crazy train)
sky high flying......"excuse me while I kiss the sky"
insane wave riding....."I ain't got a lot of money"...http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... itesurfing

Everything from mozart to death metal - you pick the tune, and it's there for ya.....you wanna push? it can push back - trust me......you want to groove? here is some melted butter........We all know there is no 1 good song, there are too many to count.......so slip on your virtual headphones, and send it........no one cares if you stick it, as long as you enjoy the ride.....and share the stoke with your brothers.......

We can all find something different to dig/get stoked about.....hence the appeal and drive to "Get some".

No need to mope, there is still wind out there, you just need to be more flexible/open minded. It's not July......but it's sweet october. Some parts of the country it's too cold to kite: imagine jamming wind and 29 degrees??

Be glad you don't live in Buffalo......

Now stop reading the forum, and Get some, Z.

[Greg]

My current goal is to start up a kiter club of sorts. People who love to kite but do other stuff also will partisapate.
THis club will be about GETTING SOME! We will meet at set locations at set times to kite, if we get skunked we will move straight to the pre-arranged back-up plan. Some "meetings" will be moutain bikers, skaters, wake boarders ect... YOU MAKE THE MEETING- TOGATHER WE GET SOME (no matter what!) If you want to maintain controll of your schedual, get on board. If your willing to gamble YOUR day away.... good luck.
We WILL Have FUN!!!
1st meeting: T.I. 10/22 3:00pm, back-up plan: TOW-SKI
Come prepared to GET SOME, =P~
L.M.G.

[elli]

I did cycling, motocross, blades and some other things that I probably don't remember. I completely ditched motocross once I started kiting. Its close to home, more fun for me, and I don't get beat up and broken bones.

Adrenalin rush I think is bigger in motocross, but I still like kiting more. Maybe its not the adrenalin, its more fun. In motocross the cost of errors is huge. 3 month in crutches the most I paid. Maybe its more adrenalin because the danger factor is in a flick of the wrist.

I pretty much decided to stop motocross after I was an inch close to flying off the top of a fast banked turn on a track.

For the record I also played soccer, so that writes off the anti-social (I hope :) )

I still hate the wetsuit, this is why the ultimate kite boarding is the warm winter vacation. But the super hot, sweaty and dusty inland tracks are also a pain in the butt.

[wjb]

Does it count as an obsession if the total distance I have kite boarded is probably under a mile? :roll: I started this journey about 4 months ago and I have been logging onto here and kiteforum almost daily to soak up all the information I can. I have taken a couple lessons and several down winders with Nat at SI mostly body dragging, sometimes being launched through the air and occasionally groovin up on the board. I subscribed to ikite and am constantly checking the wind reports. Hoping for good wind at a newbie spot like Alameda at the same time hoping for free time from dealing with a wife and two young kids, soccer games, birthday parties,etc... is like waiting for the planets to align. I will be glad next year when I am more accomplished my options will open up for ridable areas.

Other past obsessions include: water skiing, snow skiing, golf, hunting, archery, fly fishing, mountain climbing, backpacking, motorcycles and doing a frame off restoration of a 65 Corvette in which I did most of the work myself (This took 3 years and almost wrecked my marriage)

Now I am selling equipment from my past obsessions to pay for kite gear :mrgreen:

[elli]

Now I am selling equipment from my past obsessions to pay for kite gear :mrgreen:

Speaking of, Honda CR125 in mint condition. Great bike for big air, almost killed me a few times. :) PM me :) :) :)

WBJ the best advice I can give you is go to a warm and beginner friendly kite vacation. One week riding every day and you can forget about Alameda next season. Easier said than done, but if you like it that much that's the quick fix, sell more stuff. :mrgreen:

[jjm]

wjb, I live in Novato, and kite on land at Hamilton airfield whenever I get a chance (not much lately, wind, work, commute, and day light not cooperating).

If you're interested in messing around with a skate some time let me know.

[whitecap]

hey - that sounds cool..we are in San Rafael, and have tried to find places to kite on land....the wind is pretty gusty coming out of lucas valley....hamilton sounds pretty nice....where do you kite?

bob

[wjb]

WBJ the best advice I can give you is go to a warm and beginner friendly kite vacation. One week riding every day and you can forget about Alameda next season.

elli, I am going to try and do just that after the first of the year but I am in serious withdrawl until then though.

jjm That sounds like fun. You have a PM

[Greg]

how much for the Vett?
L.M.G.