I pose a question on this forum about safety. Riding location as it relates to wind direction. The question has nothing to do with profits, schools, instructors, or any business for that matter. Just a simple question about safety. Rider to rider if you will.
Let's not forget all the crap that went down with guys laying in hospitals in comas and broken necks this week.
A certain person has masterfully directed the attention towards WSW team riders and instructor practices and riding habits. Taken the attention away from the question at hand. Nice job by the way.
Take this and run with it. Call the shop or send someone in and pretend like you are a new person seeking information for kiteboarding. Likely you will get referred to me. Tell us you want to buy a kite but don't want to take lessons. Load us with your resume of surfing, and skydiving, and that you are and F-16 pilot. See what we say. Ask how many hours of training should you take. Where you will learn. Tell us you want to buy four kites, 2 boards, and all the accessories, but again you don't want lessons.
Or feel free to join me and my students for our safety class that meets every Saturday from 9-12pm. We have one tomorrow. You might get sick of me though, because I sound like a parent. Its three hours of one warning after another. No joke. I don't know why anyone would want to kite after that.
It is so hard to believe that people lie? A dude came in last season and told me his friend was a great kiter of four years and was moving to Miami for school. He was going to learn down there. I sold him the kite, as probably any shop would. I warned him to make sure not to fly this kite until he got with his friend. He agreed. A week later his kite was found by the coast guard floating around Tampa Bay. Got a description of the kite and I knew who it was. Called him up and yup, he put his kite up at Cypress on an East Wind. That dude just flat out lied. I'm sure he wasn't the first, and won't be the last to lie and get gear. Anyone can pick up a phone, say the right thing and get a kite. I am sure I can get my wife to buy one tomorrow from any shop in the country.
If you want the madness to end, then work towards a sport with certified standards much like diving. I would love everyone having to be certified to buy gear. Alot of problems solved IMO. Don't we have to show ID to get a drink or buy cigarettes?
The world is not a perfect place but I can assure you this. I will continue to teach my 3 hour safety class. I will continue to go out and teach the best way I know how in the safest locations I can find. I will work with my instructors to become better and safer teachers. I will continue to tell people to get lessons and to head my warnings. I will continue to pat our team riders on the back and thank them for choosing to do business with us. They are some of our best customers and safest riders in the bay area.
Oh yeah one last thing to this incredibly tiring post. Had a nice lesson with a student of mine Wednesday at Sunset Park. Gentlemen in his 40's. I worked with him for three hours and got him up and riding. He took all my advice. Sat through my safety class, did lots of time on a trainer, and worked on board skills this summer behind his father's boat when there was no wind. Great student. Yesterday he bought a 14M Contra. Great deal by the way at 1099. He showed up back at Sunset and was hanging out on the beach. He asked me if I thought he could put up the kite a practice with it. It was hard, but I told him it was too windy for that size kite and he would have to wait another day when it was less wind. He understood and left. That dude has spent over 20+ hours preparing for this sport, and I still recommended he not go. That was tough.
By the way, that store in Largo is Watersports West.
I think I am going to take a vacation from the forum. It's crazy up in here. Face to face communication is so much better.
Peace out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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