Video - Losing Key West Launch To Nude Beach?

[ricki]

Driving down for the Key West City Commission Meeting tomorrow night to try to preserve access at Smathers Beach. Not looking for a full sweep letter/email or petition, yet. We're still in the early days on this issue it looks like. Bottom line, conversion of part or all of kitebeach at Smathers in Key West to a nude beach with visual barriers is under consideration?! True enough. Not looking to pick a fight with the naturists just want to support this singular kiting spot in the USA and the decade long tradition of kiting there. There may be other places to construct one of these nude beach blinds but there is no other suitable launch for us along Smathers or anywhere else on Key West as proven through hard experience over the years.

So, again, don't start calling or emailing the City raising hell, yet. What I am looking for is this; short quotes about your times there, where you are from, your desire to check things out. I'm rapidly assembling a PowerPoint presentation today and could do with some choice quotes from past visitors about this excellent family destination for the pursuit of our eco-friendly sport and the like. Quotes from kiters or comments made to them by enthusiastic bystanders watching the fun would be helpful. Positive comments about Key West and times there during your visit would also be good. Greg Meintjes of Key West Kiteboarding is spreading the word for lower Keys kiters to show up and represent. Paul Menta of The Kitehouse asked me to come down to speak to the Commission and forwarded a video to present to them from out of the country yesterday.

Thanks and over to you ...

[linhster]

Not sure if this is what you are looking for.

I am a loyal Florida resident. My wife and I really enjoy going to the keys and especially Key West. On my last visit, I brought my kite gear. While my wife enjoy the sun at Smathers Beach I was able to setup my gear at the far end of the beach. Did not get a chance to ride much that day because of the low wind. I was able to meet a value Key West resident Paul Menta. We would love to be able to come back to Key West to kite (for me), enjoy the sun (my wife) and send our hard earned money in Key West again. If kiting is not available in Key West, we might have to consider alternate location that can accommodate both of our needs. Good Luck :cool:

[ricki]

Not sure if this is what you are looking for.

I am a loyal Florida resident. My wife and I really enjoy going to the keys and especially Key West. On my last visit, I brought my kite gear. While my wife enjoy the sun at Smathers Beach I was able to setup my gear at the far end of the beach. Did not get a chance to ride much that day because of the low wind. I was able to meet a value Key West resident Paul Menta. We would love to be able to come back to Key West to kite (for me), enjoy the sun (my wife) and send our hard earned money in Key West again. If kiting is not available in Key West, we might have to consider alternate location that can accommodate both of our needs. Good Luck :cool:

Excellent! Thank you for writing, it should help the cause.

[John-]

Here you go Rick;

My name is John Boone, I'm a Rhode Island resident. For the past 15+ years I've attended Key West Race Week in January. On my last three race weeks I've brought my kiteboarding gear and usally arrive early or stay extra days to kiteboard depending on the wind/weather forecast. Kiteboarding is very popular with the yachting crews and many of us look fwd to race and kiteboarding the warm winds and water of KW, if there is no access we will certainly go somewhere else like Jupiter where kiteboarding is fully accepted and access is plentyfull plus they like KW have fine resturants, house rentals and good sportfishing also.

[greg meintjes]

This is just a thank you to everyone who came to the meeting and especialy Rick who even though was just recovering from Larangitis , drove four and a half hours to do the presentation and then had to drive all the way home afterwards, not many people have this much passion and dedication for our sport and it is appreciated.

Greg

[ricki]

Double those thanks and particularly to you Greg for following this issue so closely. Great bunch of guys down there. Just stopped off for a dinner break on the way home. I suspect this issue may move forward a bit further, not sure it will make it to a public vote though. I am feeling better than I have all week fortunately, last Tuesday I would have been cutting zzz's and dealing interesting fever delusions (is this the Bahamas?) instead of driving for sure.

More about the issue in:

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/top-stories/story/1148805.html
http://keysnews.com/node/15240

Paul, Greg and the guys are on this in the Keys and may need our help and support depending on how things evolve. I'll try to put up a video of the presentation, it is really short. Good thing!

Take care you your access wherever you ride. You never know what might prompt its dissappearing. Nudists though, now that is one out of left field.

Have fun down there!

This is just a thank you to everyone who came to the meeting and especialy Rick who even though was just recovering from Larangitis , drove four and a half hours to do the presentation and then had to drive all the way home afterwards, not many people have this much passion and dedication for our sport and it is appreciated.

Greg

[gonzoski]

I´m from Argentina, I kite for the last 5 years. I have familly in Miami and every year with my wife and kid fly from here to miami to visit them and we always go to key West and stop at this beach. Is like tradition for us. I hope my post helps. Sorry my english. Thanks

[conchxpress]

Hey Rick - what was your take on the meeting in Key West?

Frank

[ricki]

I appreciate your comments John, good perspective. Thank you Gonzoski, much appreciated and your English is quite good!

Frank, I got the impression it was an opening round in things. To be continued in some form. I think we did what we came to do but suspect there will be more needed at some point.

There is a lot of behind the scenes activity on this one. They even carried the topic on the Weather Channel this am? They indicated that popular support on the island was not in favor of a nude beach there. What have you heard?

[ricki]

The following is the video version of the PowerPoint presentation given to the City of Key West Commission on July 21, 2009 by the FKA, less narration (and technical glitches!). It includes Paul Menta's video comments transmitted via the Internet from South America. I've tried to get the video transcript of the actual presentation rebroadcasts through the City website but no joy on that yet. If I succeed in finding it I will put it up on here.

Big thanks to Paul of The Kitehouse, Greg of Key West Kiteboarding and all the local kiters that turned out to represent our sport in continued access to Smathers Beach. Also thanks to Kent with ASM for providing some useful statistics.

The fight may not be over on this, it may have only started. Or, we may be real lucky and it may never really get going. Thank you for the quotes, most arrived after I left for KW to give the presentation but may be used in the next go round on this issue. Time will tell, stay tuned and would appreciate your support if and when the need arises.

Thanks!

5746201

[conchxpress]

Great job Rick putting the presentation together. And I was really impressed with Paul's sincere, impassioned, and professional appeal.

Hope the waves and wind treated you well, Paul. See you in the near future.


Frank

[ricki]

Thanks Frank, yes Paul did a good job in his video. So did Greg in helping me work out the operating area boundaries and having a dialog with the naturists. Hope this goes to sleep now!

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album435/court_P7210105.sized.jpg
Some of the folks that showed up at the Court annex

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album435/steps_P7210107.jpg
The courthouse steps. I can recall what I took for a gypsy lady dancing in the street for tips in front of this building years ago. We didn't have to do a soft shoe, board off or anything challenging like that, this time.


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album435/Smathers_VR_10.sized.jpg (http://www.fksa.org/gallery/view_photo.php?full=1&set_albumName=album435&id=Smathers_VR_10)
What its all about
(CLICK PHOTO FOR full sized image)

[b-rad]

Good job guys...on behalf of us middle/upper Keys Kiters, thanks you.

[The Kite House]

Well, myself and greg went to the meeting tonight. Alot of things i think we both learned and we had a good plan and it worked.

First might i say, that what ever goes on, you have to stick together and make a plan and look professional and make your point. Dont get personal or disrespectfull. Together means, different shops, launches, kite company's ect.

We were taken very seriously and the commissioner referred to the past meeting and the presentation that right put up and what greg had to say. They also changed there minds and saw us as a good group of people concerned about this area.

The other side was mounting a huge campaign and me and greg let them make all the moves and organized together. When i spoke tonight, i chose my words careful and highlighted there points i thought that where not valid in a positive wave. This was our plan.....well they really hit the commissioners with some nice stuff, but then with some bad stuff and threats. All the while, we never went negative and kept to our points.

All said and done, on of the commissioner went so far and to make it a vote to rule our spot out completely. They dismissed it from a vote and till they can have everyone decide on a place its a no go and they made points for us that the island is just a bit small.

Stick together and put personal shit aside, its works and you stick to the points as one group. Thanks for the team work greg, i think we solved this

viva kiteboarding in key west!!!

aloha

[b-rad]

nice job guys!

[greg meintjes]

Thanks Brad and Paul , last night went as good as it could have for us, Paul you did a really great job on the podium and I think you suprised some of the people at the meeting who expected the vote to go through with the way you held yourself and stuck to the facts ( a lot of other people rambled) .Paul showed respect and understanding when he adressed the comission, where as some of the other speakers (nudists) actually insulted some of the comissioners. We do all need to keep working together re all these issues as there are bound to be more in the future. Right now as far as a nude beach down here goes, it is up to the nudists to get the support they need to put it back on the agenda, so we need to be vigilant as I am sure they are not finished with the idea yet. But for now Smathers is safe.

Some of us may be in business" competition " against each other, but there is no reason it can not be fair and friendly competition, we all benefit and it makes it a damn site more fun when we are all on the beach kiting with no bad feelings going around. As Paul said ,don,t get pesonal or disrespectfull, we cannot always agree on everything , but that should not cause problems with fellow kiters and friends. Now all we really need is some really nuking winds to top off a succesfull week.

Greg

[ricki]

Well done guys. Hitting things as a team with a strong consensus of opinion supporting your cause among kiters is the the way to go. Discussing things in advance of the meeting, working out common ground and counters to points that might be raised was a smart approach. Thanks for the hard work and good results. Hope this sets as an issue for Key West kiters soon.