Keep Windsurfing in the Olympics! Sign the petition.

What are those Olympic people thinking (a proposal to replace windsurfing with kite stringing)?    Support your sport's Olympic status and sign the petition.   Please.

Comments

[Tillerman]

Tell me more. Why do you feel so strongly about this? Seriously, what difference would it make to your own enjoyment of windsurfing?

Just for the record, I would ask the same questions if someone was campaigning to keep Laser sailing in the Olympics.

[Michael]

In my own tiny insignificant existence, whether or not windsurfing is an Olympic sport makes no difference. But because I love the sport and consider every windsurfer in the world a friend unmet, and because some of them want to represent their countries as an Olympic athlete, and because I also love the Olympics and think windsurfing is appropriate, and because I certainly think that windsurfing is more "Olympic" than kiteboarding (with which windsurfing is often compared) I do sign the petition and encourage my fellow windsurfers to do the same.

[Tillerman]

Thanks Michael. Those are good points.

[JSW225 Wahl]

The problem is that as it stands Windsurfing classes are the second most popular racing sailcraft in the world. Second most popular behind the Laser. It's cheaper, too. It's more popular, and way cheaper than all the other olympic sailing boats. While Kitesurfing is growing, and becoming popular, its worldwide racing communities aren't big enough yet to overtake any of the choices, much less the second most popular one.

Past that, I don't think that sailing should be in the olympics at all. It's way too diversified and specific skill dependent to crown a single nation for all of Sailing as the world champion. Unfortunately, the sailing world lives and dies by which classes the Olympic Committees pick, and I wouldn't trust a single one of the committee members with steering a rowboat. We'd be better off telling them to stuff it, and making our own world championships.

[Joe]

I agree that sailing shouldn't be an Olympic sport. But then you have "sports" like Dressage included.

[choppy]

The IOC has dealt course racers a poor hand.

Ironically, windsurf course racing is being replaced by the widely practiced kiting discipline of...course racing.

Apparently, the RSX officials partly brought this upon themselves by electing to NOT share any medals with a new kite discipline, the only offer left on the table after the kite vs. windsurfing trials.

If snowboarding replaced skiing at the winter olympics there would probably be national boycotts from various wintry countries. Double standard for wind sports it seems.

The olympics are a great showcase for sailing. They just need to learn how hold events in windy places when it's actually windy.

[John hulse]

Micheal, I didn't know that windsurfing is more Olympic than kite boarding. I am glad that you have enlightened me. Maybe I'll just have to go back to windsurfing.......Not. But just for the record any sport can be olympic don't you think? Besides what is the diff if I am using a sail to propel myself or kite ?,and you cannot really make comparisons having not kited ( I think). You shouldnot dislike something just because you do not partake in. I have windsurfed and kited and love both. Maybe there is room for the two. If not whatever.........jh. Got Wind? Go fly a kite ...you might like it!!

[Michael]

John, I said "I think windsurfing is more Olympic than kiteboarding". I didn't say it is. It's my opinion. As for any sport having the potential for being Olympic, I think (my opinion again) there are some things that don't seem to pass muster. Bowling, for example (I like bowling, btw.) As for my kiting, I have kited...barely. Took a few lessons, got up on port. It was exciting, but unlike my first windsurfing and SUPsurfing experience, I didn't love it, so I didn't pursue it. For the Olympics there's certainly room for both sports in my opinion, but if they have to pick one, they should pick windsurfing. In my opinion.