RS:X out of the Olympics… big thanks!
|
Since 2-3 days there is a lot of noise around the fact that windsurfing is out of the 2016 Rio Olympics. Some call for protest, others sign petitions, not to forget that kitesurfing that is about to replace windsurfing has already been demonized. I fully respect all these true athletes that have dedicated themselves, spending countless hours trying to reach the highest level performance of this discipline, but in order to provoke some thought, please allow me to pose some questions.
I strongly believe that RS:X is, if not the only, one of the very few examples of sports that their Olympic division uses equipment that is so outdated with such an uninteresting performance. Finally do you ever think that the new generation will ever choose to windsurf by watching the RS:X at the Olympics? It is dull even in fast forward… For the aforementioned reasons I would like to say a big big thanks to the ISAF Council for voting in favour or kiteboarding. In case you reconsider your decision please seek some advice from people who are really passionate with the sport WE call windsurfing! |
What’s the relation between the sport you are passioned about and the Olympic division of windsurfing ,the RS:X? How exciting can it be to pump a huge sail non stop at 6 knots on a 20 kilos board? Praying at the same time that the wind will never pick up more that 25knots. Not to mention the waves… what kind of windsurfing is this…? Is this sport “advertising” OUR sport, OUR passion. Are we ever going to miss something if the RS:X will not be part of the 2016 Olympics?5 Comments
Leave a Reply
Graham Ezzy – Two massive chaotic sources
We usually get to see more than 4-5 new videos on a daily basis. And to be totally honest there only very few ones that draw our attention, that have that little something that worth’s posting them on this blog.
Read More (...)
Graham Ezzy – Two massive chaotic sources
We usually get to see more than 4-5 new videos on a daily basis. And to be totally honest there only very few ones that draw our attention, that have that little something that worth’s posting them on this blog.
Read More (...)
Ross Williams – R&D Gaastra 2014
That’s Ross Williams doing a job that most of us would love to do. He was in Cape Town doing some R&D for the Gaastra 2014 sails lineup earlier this year.
Read More (...)
Ross Williams – R&D Gaastra 2014
That’s Ross Williams doing a job that most of us would love to do. He was in Cape Town doing some R&D for the Gaastra 2014 sails lineup earlier this year.
Read More (...)
Nicolas Akgazciyan – 5 spots of El Medano
Nicolas Akgazciyan, le talentueux rider of the Point-7′s BlackTeam, exploring several spots around El Medano on a Bartek Jankowski edit.
Read More (...)
Nicolas Akgazciyan – 5 spots of El Medano
Nicolas Akgazciyan, le talentueux rider of the Point-7′s BlackTeam, exploring several spots around El Medano on a Bartek Jankowski edit.
Read More (...)
Sarah Quita – New website
The windsurfing freestyle queen (not only, she’s a slalom queen as well) has just launched her new website. What else could we wish to a 5 times world champ than to make them 10! And that’s a recent video of her and
Read More (...)
Sarah Quita – New website
The windsurfing freestyle queen (not only, she’s a slalom queen as well) has just launched her new website. What else could we wish to a 5 times world champ than to make them 10! And that’s a recent video of her and
Read More (...)
PWA Surf Worldcup Podersdorf 2013 – Sick slo-mo action
Just a few words to the event organizers. From what we saw and read it was an event who’s been enjoyed from… the judges and a few photo/video-grafers who were close to the action. I want to give my foul
Read More (...)
PWA Surf Worldcup Podersdorf 2013 – Sick slo-mo action
Just a few words to the event organizers. From what we saw and read it was an event who’s been enjoyed from… the judges and a few photo/video-grafers who were close to the action. I want to give my foul
Read More (...)
Alastair McLeod – Victoria Australia
A clip that will make you dreaming of waves. Alastair McLeod riding in several spots of Victoria, South-east Australia. Not bad!
Read More (...)
Alastair McLeod – Victoria Australia
A clip that will make you dreaming of waves. Alastair McLeod riding in several spots of Victoria, South-east Australia. Not bad!
Read More (...)
Julien Taboulet jibbing…
Julien Taboulet (on his brand new 2014 Naish Boxer) and Alan Arnaud jibbing at the Wesh Center Crew.
Read More (...)
Julien Taboulet jibbing…
Julien Taboulet (on his brand new 2014 Naish Boxer) and Alan Arnaud jibbing at the Wesh Center Crew.
Read More (...)
Leon & Henrik Jamaer – Klitmoller
Leon and Henrik Jamaer enjoying a good day at Klitmoller.
Read More (...)
Leon & Henrik Jamaer – Klitmoller
Leon and Henrik Jamaer enjoying a good day at Klitmoller.
Read More (...)
Justin Denel – RRD 2014 photoshooting in Maui
Justin Denel, the talented French youngster visited Maui for the annual photoshooting of the 2014 RRD windsurfing division. And he left back with lots of new experiences (and some scars from his quads!)
Read More (...)
Justin Denel – RRD 2014 photoshooting in Maui
Justin Denel, the talented French youngster visited Maui for the annual photoshooting of the 2014 RRD windsurfing division. And he left back with lots of new experiences (and some scars from his quads!)
Read More (...)
Boujmaa and Soufian riding epic Moulay!
I can hardly recall any photos or video with such a massive swell hitting Moulay. Boujmaa Guilloul and Soufian Sahli got to ride it. EPIC!
Read More (...)
Boujmaa and Soufian riding epic Moulay!
I can hardly recall any photos or video with such a massive swell hitting Moulay. Boujmaa Guilloul and Soufian Sahli got to ride it. EPIC!
Read More (...)
You can’t treat it that way. Please remember that proffesional side of the sport doesn’t always look as exciting as the fun part of it (compare F1 for example- any emotions in watching cars trying to take over for 20 laps and listening about the strategy made in the pits??? not really I think) but still people know that the guys who do it are best of the best out there pushed to the limits of their minds and bodies commiting their lives for perfecting the skills and tactics.
Next thing is that not many people know certain sports but olympic games are the perfect ocasion to show these sports to wider audience. It is also prestigous.
Third thing is the sponsoring connected and sports culture that comes with it- there are dozens of small local clubs at the lakesides which are co-sponsored by local authorities and the sport keeps MASSIVE amounts of children far from drugs and alcohol. The vision of training for olympic games is the dream that brought many of these kids into the sport and cutting it with one stupid decision is really ridiculous don’t You think?
How do You think how many of lakeside windsurf clubs will start training for kiterace??? If You have coinditions like big windholes and gusts it makes it impossible to make a reasonable training programme and we all know that hours spent on the water are the most precious training hours out there!
This decision will make many people lose their jobs. People who commited their lives for the sport will lose their job. We all know that many pro coaches don’t earn millions and they are really commited to go on with coaching and now the passion for the sport that drove them all was harmed badly.
Think of it that way and I’m sure that Your point of view will change.
Think of all these kids who dreamed every day of olympic games and RS:X and pre olympic classes gave them the buzz to keep that dream alive.
The one and simple reason I wrote this post was that suddenly the windsurfing world was socked by the “death” of the RS:X. And I am asking a simple question. Wasn’t almost everybody aware of the fact that the past couple of years there was an ongoing discussion around the fact that kite could potentially replace RS:X?
Many believe that RS:X was a product with an expiration date from the very beginning. Modern windsurfing and RS:X has chosen different paths RS:X ended up look like to what the truck division is to the car racing. I fully agree with what you’re saying for the athletes but I think that the transition from RS:X to (let’s say) formula won’t be difficult for many of those. Concerning the chase of the “Olympic dream” practically speaking is almost useless since the Olympic team of every nation consist of an absolute minimum of athletes for men and women. And talking about Olympics we all know that it’s pure business. So they keep a sport division as long they have profit out of it. No place for sentiment.
Yeah, sad but true. However there is no as much money (sponsor money) in formula racing as there are in olympic class. Ordinary people don’t understand the windsurfing world but the word “olympic” opened many doors in sponsorship world for windsurfing as a whole. Anyway, why didn’t they chose the formula one design for the next olympic class instead of RS:X? I don’t know but I’m sure that this was the big mistake…
I couldn’t agree with you more- great piece.
Windsurfing will survive without the Olympic.
So will all the training programs.
Hopefully the open box rule in kites will allow a stronger and more organized formula class to come back in 2020 with the same open class format.
One design formula was kind of an oxymoron.
I hope that windsurfing could make a come back to the Olympics with an open box rule and with an equipment with higher technical requirement (and not something that a super fit cyclist could chase a medal with)