[kite-4-life]

ATTENTION:
Our area has one of the largest kiter populations in the state. We have a dozen certified instructors teaching, plus the self-learners, kooks, and cowboys, and guys teaching their friends and GF’s. At only 2 students per month each for 6 months of wind, 12 instructors teach 144 students. Add the rest and its possibly up to 200 more kiters per season entering our local scene. Most instructors teach way more than 2 students a month.
That is reality in our area.
I do not think this area will stand up to another season of this many new kiters hitting the water without an another serious accident or ban.
OUR SOLUTION:
A group of local kiters are forming a “club” or association for the Tampa Bay area. It is separate from our non-profit efforts, ASF/ K4L. They are separate entities with the same goals, and will work together to achieve these goals. This is our way to get things started now, before bans, more injuries, or bad press.
I have been overly open and straightforward about these goals for a long time, one of the few who have dedicated themselves to finding solutions, and put in the research to make it work. With support and compliance, it will work- without a doubt.
HERE’S WHAT IT IS:
There will be elected Board members for this association- with a minimum of 4 volunteer Board members to handle operations. (PRES., VP, SECRETARY, TREASURER) There’s plenty more positions to be filled, and the size of the Board will be determined by amount of interested leaders. (Basically, there’s something for everyone to do, and much help is needed to make this work) More leadership and more volunteer “teams”, mean more results/success.
Elections are open to any kiter, providing they have TIME, are capable of performing required tasks, and operate in the best interest of the association. With these “titles” will come real responsibilities, duties, and deadlines. If you are interested in being a leader, we need to know ASAP. If no one steps up and wants to lead the way, the positions will be filled by an existing ASF/K4L Board member, as they are already actively pursuing these avenues.

NOTICE OF MEETINGS:
We are going to have 3-4 meetings in the near future, beginning NEXT Sunday- March 30th at 6:00, and continuing each week or two until elections are done and guidelines finalized. (I will post a new thread with location and meeting agenda once we have a set location.) Things will be discussed and decided at these meetings, and guidelines for Tampa Bay kiting will follow. It will establish standards for this area and be a positive representation of Tampa Bay Kiteboarders to “officials” and the community, and attempt to rebuild relationships with fellow wind and wave users-Kiters, surfers, windsurfers, county officials and the general public. This will happen in the form of coordinated beach cleanups, multi-sport events, programs, & exhibitions, and working together to preserve access and re-open lost launch sites (Howard Park). We are looking to create “teams” of kiters to work on access, events, programs, public image, fundraising, etc. and utilize those smaller teams focus on those areas.
The reason for having several meetings is to allow everyone to know what’s going on, allow them to be heard, and allow them to participate in this association. If you want to complain about it do it here, because these meetings will be to get things accomplished and make decisions. We do not want to hear any “I didn’t know”,” I didn’t have a chance” or “hidden agenda” BS in the future.4 meetings in 4-8 weeks is plenty of notice- and time enough for discussion/modification.
BOARD MEMBERS WILL BE ELECTED AND A TAMPA BAY KITERS ASSOCIATION WILL BE FORMED WITHIN THE FIRST 3 MEETINGS-
GUIDELINES, SIGNS, AND AN I.D. SYSTEM WILL BE THE FIRST TASKS OF THIS BOARD. We will also assemble a team to work on access issues and I will share all the info I have so they can have every resource possible to regain access at Howard Park.
The meetings will be semi-formal and not be in a party atmosphere or location.
- There will be no alcohol at these meetings.
-The floor will be open for all to speak, one at a time, and all points discussed.
-2 or 3 initial meetings between the people who want to do something, and the other one or two to inform the ones who did nothing. The lazy ones, haters, and “rebels” will just have to live with the decisions of the majority.
-I will post the first meetings topics ASAP
-a report of the meetings will be posted

Let’s discuss some of this here in preparation of the upcoming meetings:
I.D. System:
If you don’t want a harness tag, it will be stickers and streamers or whatever else is suggested quick. No other detailed solution has been offered. If you have ideas or solutions, put them here and we will discuss it in a positive manner.
Possibles are harness tags/patches, streamers, board/car stickers, rashgards,and combinations of each. The artwork has to be copyrighted and or trademarked to make it official and non reproduceabe. A numbering system is very expensive to produce with card ID’s or stickers, so that isn’t an option at this time.
A patch is more expensive and requires sewing, but less apt to get lost or damaged than card.( It does solve the “swiping the card” scenario that Scott mentioned.(OUCH!)
Rashgards are cool, but expensive- and not everyone will wear it all the time.

How to pay for it? (major hurdle)
*Just throwing some numbers and ideas out here, don’t beat me up too bad!
- Could eventually get non-profit status and run from donations, grants, and fundraisers, but that is not a quick solution. Personally, I can’t shell it out of pocket and hope for the best or it would have already been done.
-It could be done with membership fees and is ABSOLUTELY the simplest way-( approx. 30.00 year?)- which would covers signs, ID system, membership package(shirt, stickers), association website, and possibly 1 or 2 local events and several cleanups. 10.00 more each would add more events. 10 bux less would leave off the t shirt and stickers. Remaining money goes to end of year party, or to “Friends of Ft. Desoto” from the appreciative kiter crowd.

-Whatever is done, it is handled by the treasurer and all public record. All funds go directly back into local kiteboarding.

INSTRUCTORS AND NEW KITERS: What I am suggesting is creating an association that is run by volunteer instructors and kiters. The instructors who are compliant and teaching a complete lesson will be advertised equally on an association website. Those who are not teaching a safe, complete lesson will be asked to not teach on our beaches. Someone has mentioned to me that skills testing would need to be done by someone other than the students instructor to make it fair. Although it makes it more difficult, I agree.
Self teaching and others would pretty much be forced to be with a qualified instructor to practice at our launches, and not free to practice alone without passing the basic skills test.
It grandfathers in EVERY current kiter, regardless of how they learned but it does draw the line for future prospects, and forces them to seek qualified instruction.

-There has to be a “penalty system” in place. My suggestion is to not allow problem kiters to attend, or compete in, association events, parties, etc…. It’s a start.

Hopefully this post made sense, and will generate some positive solutions to some of our problems. Constructive criticsm is encouraged and new ideas are more than welcome.