Hi all,
Many windsurfers think that kitesurfing has taken over the world, but I'd like to share some simple knowledge that this is just a mis perception. The objective reality, and this may shock some of you, is that there are more windsurfers than kitesurfers. If not, then a bigger interest in windsurfing.
Firstly, google windsurfing and compare the number of page results to kitesurfing.
Use adwords keyword tool search and you'll have a global idea on the reality. Tons more people are searching windsurfing compared to kitesurfing. You'll be very suprised at how much more.
The windsurfing community and culture is huge folks, not small. :) I though it would add some light for some of those feeling somewhat threatened? We shouldn't, all new things boom just like windsurfing did in the 80's. It was all over the show, the same is going on today with kiters.
Rest assured, if you are a windsurfer be proud to be part of a royally big family.
Unless...... but it's very doubtful given the above... that I'm wrong.. that would just suuuuck... But at least it wouldn't change my loyalty tho hail yeah.
Also, I started at around 7 years. I was a kid and thought it was the coolest thing I ever saw, and still do. That was even back in the day when we had no freestyle and new moves etc.
I also believe windsurfing is changing big time and is about to go through a growth spurt soon.
what if you windsurf, kitesurf, surf, fish and don't really care about worldwide popularity.
if it feels good..... do it.
I do... and that's a good attitude to have, I like it, but some folk think windsurfing is fading out.. it's not. :)
i just did a google image search on "if it feels good, do it."
most of them are irrelevent or unsuitable! 
might be unavailable for a few hours. 
Sorry to kill your hope...
But isnt Google just a bit irrelevent man lol.
Windsurfing came from sailing which gives its a couple more centurys of history behind it (and google pagers), and isnt it in general alot older than kitesurfing? (more google pagers)
wonder why seabreeze does not give out the info of how many windsurfers to kiters there are on here
Nah, googles stats are based on a number of current searches each month.
:)
Words like windsurfing or kitesurfing are very specific of course.. hehe
I dunno I searched with google for some kiting terms and had lots of results.
kitef^gs = 309 results
dope on a rope = 95,200
teabagging = 4.2 million. Teabagging & kite = 12,500
high dangle with board twisty = 23,900.
dragged along beach = 2.4 million
show off in front of crowd on beach = 2.4 million
ignore wave right of way rules = 137,000
See, it is getting a lot more popular.
Yeah I think the relevance of number of searches vs popularity is a little skewed.
There could be many reasons for this: for example windsurfing is more technical and harder to learn. So more people search for resources on the sport, hence more resources exist.
In Sydney at least I think there are more windsurfers than kiters. However kiting is much more visible and take up much more room than a windsurfer.
> back in the day when we had no freestyle and new moves etc.
I can assure you there has always been freestyle and cutting edge stuff. It was done differently, perhaps on different gear, but just equally difficult.
Weird post, but eh, whatever.
> trends.google.com.au/trends/?q=windsurfing,+kitesurfing
> nuff said
Windy geez thats awesome I never saw that chart..
Okay then,
Lets put it into perspective.
Lets look at adwords folks, not search results. This is how many searches are made on a certain key word and not how many results show.
This is how many unique searches are made:
Kitesurfing 550,000, Windsurfing 823,000
Kitesurf, 673,000, Windsurf 673,000
Kitesurfers, 1,300, Windsurfers 12,100
kitesurfing photos 480, Windsurfing photos 590
Kitesurfing videos 1,300, Windsurfing Videos 1,300
kitesurfing school 720,Windsurfing school 2,400
kitesurfing tricks 880, Windsurfing tricks 1,600
kitesurfing spots 1,600 Windsurfing spots 1,000
Learn kitesurfing 880 Learn windsurfing 880
I can put more any other words I should compare? :D
There are more illiterate kids in kitesurfing than windsurfing.
The stats reflect the literary bias of the old school. 
you might want to add the results of "kitesurfing" to those of "kiteboarding" to get a more accurate result. in many countries, especially the septic states, kitesurfing only refers to waveriding with a kite, where kiteboarding encompasses the whole sport.
just a thought.
I think they are equally as popular but with one major differance....
2 days ago, I went windsurfing. When I came in, there were 6 hot chicks with no clothes on jumping up and down in awe of my windsurfing abitility (fairly normal at my beach).
Then yesterday, I went kitesurfing and when I came in there were 6 blondes with no clothes on jumping up and down like the day before, but this time they were blokes.
please no one get offended by this report
but a study was done by board seeker mag a while ago and they said this:
2 % of people who windsurf in australia are gay and 50 % of people who kite in australia are gay.
and 3 % of the windsurfers in australia are women and 30 % of the kitesurfers in australia are women.
So that is a big difference
now for the number of windsurfers to kiters in australia, no one seems to want to give out that number.
