[endgame]

I'm also early 20's, just moved out from home, but I discovered tall ship sailing instead of kiting. (Actually, I'd done a 10-day voyage on the Sail Training Ship Young Endeavour before that and that's what made me keen for more.)

I'm (trainee) volunteer crew of a replica tall ship called the Enterprize. She's a replica built with period techniques and materials as much as possible. Tarred hemp ropes, hand-turned belaying pins, hand-sewn sails, that sort of thing. The ship's mission is to maintain a piece of living history that the general public can access.

It sounds like kitesurfing grabbed you like the Enterprize grabbed me: the major consideration when I'm planning a weekend now is whether or not I can sail.

I've found that I've met an entirely different class of people in tall ships than most other things I've done. There's a real difference in the interactions, like the forcefield that people put up when they're in commute/work mode is gone. It's not just the crew, either. The sort of people who sign on as passengers are often easy to talk to and have fascinating stories to tell.

Perhaps it's the wind? Keeping lookout while the wind's blowing through you is a fantastic feeling. Perhaps it's the chance to do something physical and immediate? Working together to get a sail set right is extremely satisfying.

I guess that concludes my first post on HN.