It is my understanding that the first man to kitesurf in Sydney town was Alex Sanz.
Is this true ?
Adam Quinn was up there with first guys in Sydney - North Side
Duncan Place and Grant Dwyer - South Side
both Oct 99
No...... It was Rowdy. Pretty sure sure he got some rad boots from the darlinghurst cross area and had a mate pump him up down south bondi.
Methinks WS question was to light a fire and stir up the masses.
boredom brings out his evil side!
When I started I knew of just JB and his mate Leon, they would be able to answer your question.
Alex sands does not count as a first kite surfer, budgie smugglers count as an instant disqualification....
What the heck, there is nothing on TV, I've brushed my hair, done my nails and picked my nose so this is the obvious next thing.
I first kitesurfed at Sawtell Headland in late 97 or 98 with Bob Dawson (when I lived at Mooloolaba and owned the shop there at the Wharf called Kite Legends) We also flew the very first Wipika Classic 5M at Mooloolaba with Matt Colefax in 1997, and had heaps of sessions in Sydney when I moved there in 99, but there was already a guy doing it, his name is Paul Crawford, he was the best and could really do it and made it look easy. Paul rode a surfboard and did these long downwinders from Brighton to Dolls where he lived at the time. Darren Marshall started around this time too, but Paul was the real pioneer.
Alex sanz came onto the scene in 2001'ish, not before and its easy to prove. Incidentally Kitepower started in 1993 and the Sydney shop at Coogee was the 3rd, of 5 we have owned/operated/established. Sans Souci store opened in 2002/03, the boss will know but she's gone to bed now.
Duncan Place and Grant Dwyer were both taught to fly kites by me in 2000/2001 but they didn't listen to much of what I had to say LOL's.
I taught JB, Chris and a few others to fly the very first Naish kites that landed in Oz, in a park at Collaroy, they had tried to kill themselves with them once or twice and agreed to let me show them the better way to try not to die with the early 2 line death kites from Naish hahaha! 
AKSA was founded in approx 2001/2002 with my money, and a bank account I opened with Terron Titus, Darren Marshall and Ian Young were also instrumental in founding AKSA with me.
Rich Stenning, Jeremy Hurwitz, Ian Rumbell, Paul Hall, Leon Clemones, John Messenger, Adam Quinn, Chris ??, Marty, Stretch, Sean Wilkens, Sean (Predator straps), Gomez, Richard, etc, etc, etc so many names I can't remember them all now and sorry that I forgot you whoever you are LOL's ( I know I have). Many of the early pioneers of the sport in Sydney have left the sport the attrition rate back then was high, the kite were not very forgiving and many people, me included had serious kitemares. Paul Crawford no longer kitesurfs and currently lives in Brisbane.
Yep, Steve's right,
Paul Crawford was riding downwinders with style when I was still practicing on the beach with my new kite. Paul was the first kiter I met in Sydney and we "found" each other like long lost brothers one windy N'Easter as he rode down the bay and landed on the beach at Sans Souci next to me flying my kite on the beach. We were both desperate to share ideas, our stoke and learn about the sport.
From memory (and am happy to be corrected) Paul's first kite was a 6.5m Wipika Classic. Paul was also the first to fly 4-Line with a 4-Line conversion kit from NSI products to convert his 8.5m Wipika Freeair.
I followed suit shortly after and hated 4-Line so converted mine back to 2 line for another three weeks before changing back to 4-Line again for good.
Good times! Let em roll
DM
More early kiters - Chris Brent, Tim Lewis,
Melbourne had David Trewern, James McCann, Adelaide had Phil McConachie Sunshine Coast had Andrew Marnie prior to Matt Colefax from Wipika/now F-one. and I guess anyone that came to the Lachlan Beed organised "Love In" at Stockton Beach were all early pioneers back in their home areas. Ian Young was definitely the first kitesurfer in Australia riding Concept Air foil kites and the Cory Roesseler KiteSki.
Who were the pioneers in your area? I think to be a pioneer they had to have seen or flown the early Wipika's or were flying other contraptions like Peter Lynn waterfoils, C-Quads, Flexi Blades, Dawson D-Wings, KiteSki's, etc
some of those dudes must be hitting pensioner status now...thanks to the pioneers 4 bringing us the greatest sport ever
for what it's worth..........sydneysiders phil mcgain and mark pederson (hedgie) were doing the kiting thing in maui off and on in 97-99 when i was there each june for 3 weeks.
hedgie reckoned the kites needed a bit of refinement.
you know, the leash
