I am glad to hear that Victor is OK.He is lucky it only cost him a kite.... The guy that found Victor's shiny new kite will UNDOUBTEDLY show up at East Beach on a crowded day to mess around with his shiny new kitethingamajigger and get us banned......I just hope he stops by the shop and picks up a leash first...
I also read that same article a month or two ago. So if shops and online retailers arent going to police who they are selling gear to, who is???I think that there should be REQUIRED certification to purchase gear whether it be at a shop or through an online retailer, but business is business, and everyone wants to sell you that shiny new kite today, not after you are a competent, independent kiter with a certification card to prove it.....
We could all have KITE SPECIFIC INSURANCE for 89.00 a year, but thats too much money to blow on safety.....To have insurance you must be a minimum level 2 kiter, who is proficient in everything enough to safely practice on their own, including self launch/land ,self rescue, attaching the leash, etc.. (That means they have taken a lesson and learned properly, and understand there is a learning timeline in this sport, and that they're not an expert just yet.)
I am through bustin Victor's balls, but his kitemare is a good example- If his kite went into I-275 and caused a 14 car accident, he would be insured. If he swam after his kite and the coast guard had to rescue him, it would be covered. If he got impaled by one of the many hazards at Cypress and had to be Bayflited to the hospital, he would get a free ride. Victor would not have lost a kite if, when he went into the local shop or asked someone about the sport at the beach, he was told "Lessons are a requirement in this sport, period. We will be happy to sell you gear as soon as you have a certification card."
Having a certification system would probably be the best thing to curb the rapid growth of this sport, or at least let you be confident with who your on the water with. This sport would not suffer with a few rules- only the egos of a few knuckleheads....
We couldda
We Shoudda
We Wouldda
Oh well, I am done rambling for now.
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