The death of Windsurfing Mag?

[Skaman]

I'm surprised there were any windsurfing magazines left to go bust! Windsurfing has almost completely disappeared from popular thought. The industry shot itself in the head when it sought to over-price and over-complicate the sport. The kids are still out there snowboarding, skateboarding, and surfing. They just don't want to spend $4k to get started on a hobby.

[isobars]

Here, they can get into WSing at virtually no cost, on gear that was state of the art just a decade ago, there are well-orchestrated programs to get them going, and transportation isn't the obstacle it is in most places, yet many still choose other sports instead. Trends matter. Consider, for example, the ratio of kites on the beach to kites on the water in great sailing conditions. At up to 10 to 1, beach space permitting, it's near what is was in WS 20 years ago when everybody had to have a WSer, if not on their car, at least in their garage. Given how less physically demanding it is, the explanation can't be fatigue; all I can think of are boredom or trendiness. The people who really love it are out there all day, breezes permitting; those for whom it is just another activity they can take or leave pump it up, display it, ride it some, and will probably move on to another sport when it becomes sufficiently popular.