Windsurfing must be like hang-gliding....some still do it, but most everyone else moved to para-gliding.....
Maybe. Maybe like skiing. Some have stuck with it. Some have moved to snowboarding. Some do both.
I'm a big day sailor, which (around here) means there are a lot of windy (but less windy) days left for kiteboarding, which can be fun in less wind. If I could just come up with the time and money for gear I might take it up. But I seem to be trending toward less of both.
I've seen that one and others. Two people, not good friends, but folks I met once or twice, are now dead because of kiteboarding. It was horribly tragic for both families.
The gear is getting safer, but it's still riskier than windsurfing. I'm not sure I'll ever take it up.
Wow...it sounds challenging, but I'll bet people get used to it in no time...and I'll bet it feels unbelieavably exciting to catch the wind like that. I want to kite surf some day!
I haven't tried kitsurfing, but a lot of my friends have taken it up. Some have quit windsurfing altogether.
The main difference between how you stay connected to a snowboard and how you stay connected to a sailboard is that on a snowboard you strap yourself in and stand the same way at all times. On a sailboard you will sometimes have your right foot forward, and sometimes have your left foot forward. You slide your feet into the straps when you need to be securely attached, and slip your feet out and walk around the board like you might on a surfboard when changing direction or doing some tricks. You push your feet firmly into the straps when jumping.
Wow...it sounds challenging, but I'll bet people get used to it in no time...and I'll bet it feels unbelieavably exciting to catch the wind like that. I want to kite surf some day!
Wow...spectacular. Assuming there are foot-holds on a wind sailboard....are they a lot like a snowboard? No wonder you love it.
The main difference between how you stay connected to a snowboard and how you stay connected to a sailboard is that on a snowboard you strap yourself in and stand the same way at all times. On a sailboard you will sometimes have your right foot forward, and sometimes have your left foot forward. You slide your feet into the straps when you need to be securely attached, and slip your feet out and walk around the board like you might on a surfboard when changing direction or doing some tricks. You push your feet firmly into the straps when jumping.