Why do we ride the wind?

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Tighe
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Why do we ride the wind?

Post by Tighe »

Ok, so most of would admit we're hooked on these wind riding sports, windsurfing, kiteboarding,etc. I'd like to hear some ideas about what you think it might be that effects us in this way. I don't know about you but when I'm driving to the lake on a windy sunny day, the anticipation almost kills me with excitement. It is a unique draw, different than most other "sports".

Theories? Thoughts?
Tighe
Tom L
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Re: Why do we ride the wind?

Post by Tom L »

Here is one theory:
Image
One picture is worth a thousand words. Kinda says it all for me. Thats my winter version.
tumblemonster
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Re: Why do we ride the wind?

Post by tumblemonster »

I read a book on Buddhist meditation once. Practitioners talk of feeling one with everything, of being in the moment, in the now, with no consequences and no precursors, just the there of being there.

That's how I feel when I kite board. Everything else dissolves away.
JRN
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Re: Why do we ride the wind?

Post by JRN »

To me it is escape & focus. It is the one area of life where all the cares & worries are left behind, & you must focus all your attention on the wind, water, kite & board. At the same time you become aware & feel the power & forces of the natural realm, and become part of it.
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johnz
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Re: Why do we ride the wind?

Post by johnz »

because we can. :mrgreen:
John Z
Midwest Mountaineering/Slingshot Regional Team Rider
cautionkid
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Re: Why do we ride the wind?

Post by cautionkid »

I read an article a while back that makes the most sense to me. Kiteboarding releases adrenaline and over time your body becomes addicted to this type of adrenaline release. So as you go to the lake and your body knows it is going to get its fix you get excited, this is also probably the reason that if we get to the lake and the wind is light we stand around for so many hours on end waiting to see if we can get our fix. Its also the reason when it doesn't blow or we miss a session we get crabby. This is what I feel applys to me.
johnz
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Re: Why do we ride the wind?

Post by johnz »

Caution,
That is exactly it! I've never heard it in those words.

I was driving to the Bear on Sunday and right after I turned off Highway 61, I physically felt that Adrenaline release - I've never quantified it like that.

So I'm a junkie, huh?

Ahhhhhhhhhhh it is sooooooo good......
John Z
Midwest Mountaineering/Slingshot Regional Team Rider
tom_latcham
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Re: Why do we ride the wind?

Post by tom_latcham »

I think you are all correct. I am hooked on the adrenalin. But I also love the meditative aspect. You are concentrating on the kite or sail, the water, your board, and wind while attempting to harmonize with these forces. I think you could loose your job, go through a divorce and just had your dog die. But if you are concentrating on all that is going on while on the water. You feel one with a force greater than all your petty temporary problems. Nothing makes me feel more alive, in the moment and grateful for this amazing planet we ride though a galactic desert.
TL
Travii
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Re: Why do we ride the wind?

Post by Travii »

I think kiting is the one of the purest ways for me to enjoy God's creation. Whether I am catching a mid-winter sunrise on Turtle Lake or enjoying a moon lit night session, I am always thankful. Since there is only one true living God, I feel it is my duty to give thanks to him every day for such things as the wind, the mountains, the waters, and so on, in addition to my family and all he has given me. I guess it refreshes my soul and gets my mind off of the less important things in life like work, politics, stress, etc.

Just being real.

Travis
Dave Z
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Re: Why do we ride the wind?

Post by Dave Z »

Rig up, tune in, tune out, smile in the moment whether it's hot and sunny or 35 degrees and snowing.....just remember to look before you jump or jibe :D
chanrider
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Re: Why do we ride the wind?

Post by chanrider »

I feel it is my duty to give thanks to him every day for such things as the wind, the mountains, the waters, and so on
So it may be sinful not to ride? That's all the motivation I need!
Mark F
Tighe
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Re: Why do we ride the wind?

Post by Tighe »

wow so many great thoughts.

I've been pondering this question for quite some time. I think there definitely may be some addictive aspects going on. The addiction to adrenalin theory falls apart for me because I don't have a similar draw from other things I do that create adrenalin, some more than kiteboarding. There is something unique to this sport. Is it that the reward is unknown, that the draw is to the allusive ideal session, that we're all really gamblers at heart? If that were true though then if you lived in a place like Hatteras or the Gorge it would loose it's meaning, when the wind was present everyday.

As others have mentioned, there is great meaning in the connection we get to something greater in the ride. You can't fight it, you can't think about it, you can't think about anything else...you can be at peace with a force that is very powerful, yet graceful, and nurturing. Finding that harmony with the wind and the water is pretty sweet.

It's amazing how it "fills the tank" , how a good session invigorates us. I feel so much more balanced and content after a good session. Funny in "real life" that only comes from ensuring that I take care of the mind-body-spirit aspects of my life, usually separately.

Still wondering what makes riding so unique. Why are we not drawn to other sports in a similar way? Is because the "dance" we do is with Mother Nature, that the energy is so natural? Anyone surfers? I would imagine there might be a similar feeling.

Keep the thoughts coming.
Tighe
BSMITH
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Re: Why do we ride the wind?

Post by BSMITH »

Kiteboarding, windsurfing, and surfing are just more fun than anything else. It’s as simple as that. We are the lucky few who have had the time and tenacity to invest. Now things like wakeboarding, snowboarding, mountain biking, and sex are just fill until the wind and waves return.
Kosk
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Re: Why do we ride the wind?

Post by Kosk »

It's a perfect storm of many things:
- The Adrenaline Rush
- The complete mental concentration it takes
- The physical input needed from the entire body
- Yet the relaxing aspects mentally and physically at the same time
- The "pure" connection to Mother Nature (no gears, motors, gas, etc)
All that added together makes it what it is.

Plus, it's pretty cool to think about standing on the water out in the middle of a lake/ocean with basically nothing but yourself, yet still be completely proficient at moving where you want, quickly, with miniamal effort. Most people are either in a boat with a power source or swimming/floating in that situation. It's a completely unnatural and unique perspective of our world for a human to have.
Reds
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Re: Why do we ride the wind?

Post by Reds »

Touche my friends. The adreneline. The anticipation. The dance with the powerful, and mysterious goddess. The excersise. The skill requirement and focus. The science of the equipment artfully applied to create "the ride". So many dimensions to the sport and always a new horizon just ahead. It tickles the mind. We get so much from it yet the possibilties are beyond measure...
Patrick
dtownkiter
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Re: Why do we ride the wind?

Post by dtownkiter »

Tighe--great topic! very interesting to read about everyone's take on this sport and what it is that drives us to kite. i would definitely agree that the "reward is unknown", especially with each session. it seems like everytime you go out nature's elements are so unique. however, no matter what they are, everyone tends to make the best of the situation. the amazing part about kiting is that even on days when the conditions dont line up that great you can still get outside and have one of the best rides of the year.

in regards to surfing---i surfed for about 1/2 year in the virgin islands one winter and i will never forget the feeling i had when i caught my first wave. the only thing i could compare it to was when i finally learned how to jump kiteboarding. although it was a brief time surfing, i think the feeling is very similar to kiting and would speculate that old mother nature has a hand in it.
Diego
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Re: Why do we ride the wind?

Post by Diego »

Great thoughts!. Personally I can relate to pretty much everything that was said.
I think the very dynamic, multi-dimensional environment of windsurfing/kiting is what it makes it different, special and addictive. Nothing is fixed, everything is flowing and you have to find your way through all these elements and become part of the whole. The adrenaline rush on a windy day is huge but for me, even if its not blowing over 25mph, the feeling of skimming on top of the water, either windsurfing or kiting so unique that the moment I hit the water, there’s nothing else, it’s all about riding, searching for that texture in the water that allows us to “see” the wind coming. Nothing has giving me the ability to completely clear my mind and nothing charges my batteries like these two sports do.

see you at the lake!
seamonkey
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Re: Why do we ride the wind?

Post by seamonkey »

Frank Sinatra said it best in his song, Summer Wind. I can't think of a better way to embrace the long, cold Minnesotan winters, either. The sport keeps me in touch with my mortality and getting older every day.
" Real living begins on the far side of despair " _ Jean Paul Sartre
Barry P
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Re: Why do we ride the wind?

Post by Barry P »

It's a question I've thought about many times. Hard to really nail it down. It's deeply delightful and satisfying, and definitely has addicting qualities to it because its hard to find anything that compares. I think perhaps the lack of control over the reward makes scoring a sweet session all the more enticing and satisfying. Even a meager session is well worth the effort. In addition to the adrenalin and the wonder of relaxing while in a whirlwind of converging strong forces, I think there is something very low level about water itself and wind that goes deep in us... maybe its the wave rhythms of the two mediums somehow. When I come home from a session everything is smooth inside and I can relax more than from a gym workout. I come home deeply satisfied, and very thankful. It is truly a gift from God.
pete168
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Re: Why do we ride the wind?

Post by pete168 »

Check out this site. I think everybody on here has a little rat in them!

http://www.feedtherat.com/390.html

Pete168
Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up,totally worn out and loudly proclaiming. WOW! What a ride!!
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