[TBKA]

I recently had a chance to speak to Jim Wilson, park manager of Ft. Desoto about TBKA, our upcoming cookout, and other stuff. It turns out Jim grew up surfing, is an avid sailor and fisherman, and of course, a fan of kiteboarding. He had definitely noticed the growth of our sport and is overall pretty happy with the past season out, but reminded us of a few key requests of the park.

1. Be out BEFORE dark. They have to check 1100 acres for park users at the end of the day. East Beach is their first stop, as it is one end of the park. They have noticed many kiters still packing up or RIDING at sundown, forcing them come back later to close the gate. We have been warned too many times and INDIVIDUAL 6 month BANS will be placed on repeat offenders, this is not a joke.

2. Please avoid the fishermen! The fishermen at the park have just as much right to be in the water as we do, so please stay at least 300-500 yards away from them at all times. The park has fielded many complaints about this, and has generally taken our side, let’s respect them a little more.

3. Any event needs a permit. They are happy to host kiting activities at Ft. Desoto, however a permit must be pulled for ANY event, including product demo days. This was an issue a few years ago and the park was very unhappy that a permit was not pulled.

4. NO commercial activity at the park. Anyone selling gear at the park will be immediately ejected and banned, period. If you know someone who is selling gear without a vendor permit and proper license at Ft. Desoto, please let them know.

Jim is also a fan of this forum and knows many of the local kiters and their handles on here, he regularly checks in to see what’s going on in “our world”. He has responded to many of the kitemares that have happened and knows the dangers that we face. He is not a kiter, but can spot an inexperienced kiter or instructor a mile away, and realizes the need for quality, certified instructors in this sport. He thinks a standardized skills test and safe kiter card is a great idea, and may go a long way in public perception, preventing accidents, and preservation of riding areas.

He also applauded the efforts of TBKA and had already been checking out the new website. Jim also threw in a few ways we can help build relations with other park users and officials, and would like to see us succeed. We are lucky to have such a beautiful spot to ride and such nice people in charge, lets do all we can to protect it!

Several fun, summertime events are in the works, we need your help!
www.tbka.org