Hobie Beach Sunday Kookout

[cabdriver]

One day I hope to report on a Sunday Cookout at Hobie. This Sunday, March 1, however, was a Kookout. Why? It's simple chemistry - mix out-of-towners, egos, and gusty SW winds and what you get is a black eye on the sport of kitesurfing. Riding less than six feet from the "beach" (in about as much water as could barely cover my foot!), 80% of all riders inside the swimming area, kites ripped in the metal signs, and "water relaunching" with the kite on the sand were just of a few of the amazing sights at Hobie Beach this Sunday. I launched, went upwind to the sandbar, then when I got tired, I came back to the beach and landed my kite, thus avoiding most of the mayhem save for the three or four morons that don't understand right of way. As I was packing up, the Kookout was in full speed ahead in all it's splendor.

What will it take for riders at Hobie Beach to realize that there is nothing special there in the water that makes you immortal or have the strength of Superman? The reality is that the behavior of local riders has gotten much better in Miami over the last two seasons, but Hobie is the exception. I saw WAY too many riders on the razors edge of complete disaster. It was so bad that I couldn't bare to watch and had to leave. As I pulled out of the parking lot, one of the riders was peeling his tattered kite off of one of the metal signs.

See you at the next Kookout!! It starts at Hobie Beach at the first sign of SW winds.

[ricki]

Glad to hear about the rest of Miami and guys working to keep the few launches that still remain open. That is an improvement over past years and thanks for that.

I try not even to mention Hobie as a possible spot anymore, things have grown that bad. Riding near shore in SW winds, usually gusty and squally, is what has messed up too many riders over the years. We're supposed to stay outside the swim area buoys anyway, what is the problem?

Is there a solution to poor (read dumb) riding behavior or do we wait until the next major accident for authorities to pull the plug for us?

[cabdriver]

My main concern is that if there is an injury there, that the shockwaves will be felt throughout the entire Miami kiting community. One accident at Hobie could mean simultaneous multiple beach closures for kiting. So far, Virginia Key is quite happy with their decision to close the beach to kiting; I don't see why other parks wouldn't follow suit if we give them good reason.

The non-kiters at Hobie Beach just can't understand how dangerous of a scenario that they are in while either hanging out on the beach or bathing. As riders, we can't just think about ourselves, we need to be responsible (even more so) to bystanders. I don't recognize a lot of the riders on SW winds at Hobie, so I can only assume they are from out of town. I want people to come ride in Miami - the more the merrier, but this is no longer the wild west and we can't afford any screw ups.

I'm not sure what to do to clean that launch up. There are clearly marked buoys for the swim area - you think that would be enough...

[ricki]

What about voluntary rules and getting guys to promote them?

Say like:

1. Assisted launch & land near the swim area buoys.

2. Kite outside swim buoys, no exceptions.

3. Self-enforce along with friends to preserve common access. (GET INVOLVED).


Your concerns about bystander exposure are spot on and shouldn't be ignored by any of us. Can still remember a guy flying into a car 15 ft. away from me years ago in SW winds there. How dumb do we want to be, in repeating avoidable, painful history?

[cabdriver]

THIS JUST IN:

I am told that both Camilo and Francisco were teaching at Hobie on Sunday. Is this true? Can somebody write in and clarify? I don't believe it. I thought everyone was in agreement that there would be NO TEACHING AT HOBIE for multiple reasons:

1/ Totally unsafe!!!
2/ There is no commercial activity allowed on the beach without a concession.

I will be more than upset if the only riding spot for SW winds is closed due to greed, or worse, an incident with a student. I am certain that all area riders will be ticked off.

Rick - I don't know what to do to get people to understand the situation at Hobie. The fact that you are the only one that has replied has me believing that nobody cares and I am wasting my breath.

[cletus]

There were lessons being taught on Sunday am. I went to Hobie on Sunday but did not ride and had a friend getting a lesson. I let him know that Hobie was not exactly the best place to take a lesson and that I was not going to ride b/c it was starting to get gusty.

Really bad example set by the instructor.

[ricki]

Thanks for the info Cletus. Todd not sure what is the root of the apathy in the local community. We used to get 30 to 60 guys down for the meetings to try to keep Crandon open a few years back. Want to organize a meeting on access issues in Miami in general? There are still a ton of them, that is issues and riders too for that matter.

Just need to get enough guys onboard with a few basic rules and in a mood to try to promote them regarding Hobie. Guys used to go to Hobie nine years ago for SW winds from Broward and even Palm Beach, not sure if they still do in many numbers though.

Regarding local, recognized instructors teaching there and in all too often hazardous SW winds, not sure what the solution is. We know it is a bad idea, they may even know it as well but blow it off. Their students likely either don't know or stupidly blow the risk off too lacking understanding and appreciation for what is in play. Why not bring this up at the meeting.

Want to get a meeting of riders together on this?

[mbs]

Everyone should just ride at the grassflat about a quarter mile off the beach. Like cabdriver, I head out there and dont come back to the beach until its time to come in. Especially on a weekend. On weekends the spot is packed with beachgoers having cookouts, kids, dogs ect. It really not fair for us to take over their beach and especially not fair to put them in danger. And all the kite traffic plus extreme shallow or dry low tides plus onshore wind (often gusty from the west) to a narrow beach with rocks and cars and a busy highway behind it makes me nervous kiting on the inside. And I know what I'm doing. If all that doesn't make others nervous they likely dont know what they're doing. Or don't care about prudence and are only concerned with trying to impress their friends on the beach.

Anyway my point is GO OUT TO THE SHALLOW GRASSFLAT. Its so much nicer out there. No stress of downwind cars and families, room to ride, flat water for practicing tricks. If you can't get upwind, than you shouldn't be riding this spot anyway.

In defense of Franscisco, I've seen him helping out, saving novices from getting into messes more than a few times. About 6 yrs ago when I was learning, he ran to the water to help me land my kite as the weather was quickly picking up at hobie. And I've never been a customer for him. In fact the only thing I have ever bought from him was a helmet. I'm not saying Hobie is a good place to teach, I just think that the guy gets a bad rap in this forum.

Yes there are plenty of people coming down from broward and palm beach when the wind is west. There are many people that I dont usually see at the other miami spots. Everyone should go out of their way to help eachother, especially at this spot - if you see someone who looks like they're about to make a mistake straighten them out.

[cabdriver]

For the record, I am friends with both Francisco and Camilo. Both of the guys are super important to the kiting scene in Miami and are generally very helpful to others. If it was any other instructor that was mentioned by name, I would have put it in the post also. Whatever the case, instruction shouldn't happen there. I for one will be more protective of the site moving forward. I hope anyone else reading this will do the same. Remember that Virginia Key is closed - permanently. To me, that's the best riding spot in Miami. Can we post rules at Hobie??

[ricki]

If you ride in Miami, this would be a good time to tell us what you think. Having hundreds of anonymous, silent riders isn't so good when your launches are getting choked and closed one at a time. So, speak up and better still jump on board to try to keep avoid losing Hobie and the possible negative consequences to the few other launches that it might bring.

Todd, if you could get the authorities onboard with it, maybe. As a rule it is a difficult, lengthy undertaking even in supportive public venues. On the few occasions we've heard from the governing authority of that land along Rickenbacker Cswy. they had no use, sympathy or concern to promote kiting at Hobie whatsoever, quite the opposite.

What I've advised in other areas where the City or authority was reluctant or simply refused to allow permanent posting, was to put them up and take them down daily. Pain in the butt but losing Hobie would be a bigger pain. You could put them on each side of a sandwich board, create a few of them for some of the more regular, responsible riders and hope they have them up most busy days. Hopefully out of three or four guys, someone would be there on key days. The FKA would put up some cash to help with putting the signs together. Maybe a video for the net to go with.

What do you think?

[Josh]

I think part of the reason Hobie is such a clownshow is because nobody claims it as their "local" spot, so nobody feels the responsibility to enforce the rules. Matheson used to be pretty bad, but now their are people there who will literally blow a whistle at you if you ride through the bouys or jump too close to the shore. These people are there almost every windy day, and don't want to see their favorite spot get closed down. Hobie, on the other hand, is only rideable on a West or SouthWest, so everyone only goes there a few times a year.

Sorry, not much of a solution, but I guess just something to chew on.

[kent]

I went to the cswy yesterday to check it out. On my why, i noticed that there were 4 riders that rigged just to the west of sailboards Miami (the windsurf truck). I stopped by and let them know that we really don't kite in this area and that Hobie was better anyway. The guys were really cool and were from the Mead St. area and didn't know. I'm sure next time they will ride at Hobie.

I got to Hobie to check it out. I must say that nearly everyone was kiting on the outside sand bar. I couldn't believe it. There were 1 or 2 people teaching, but at least one of the instructors took their student well away from the others and it was obvious that the guy had some riding experience. There were only really 2 guys f'ing up on the inside, but compared to normal it was very good.

I think that the main reason for the behavior change had more to do with the wind being mainly from the South and not the SW. At any rate, maybe we will be able to keep this place open.

If we don't want to end up like Ft. Lauderdale, please take the time to police your own beach. If you see someone doing something that is not acceptable, just let them know nicely. The guys from Hollywood were totally cool and just didn't know.

It looked like a killer day out there.

[ricki]

Thanks for the update Kent and way to go guys! There are so few uncontested launches left, we need to step up to tactfully protect them as effectively as we can. I was even thinking of bringing Laura down for some windsurfing across the causeway. I thought somebody might get taken away in an ambulance, send kites into traffic or worse in the squalls associated with the front/SW winds at Hobie. Seeing a fat wad of guys ripping inside the buoys, around bathers and up to the cars would be depressing given what has already happened there. I blew off coming down largely on the basis of that alone. I am relieved to hear about what you saw. Sounds like progress, keep it going guys and thanks.