[sweetpeach103]

Ok I wasn't going to chime in... but there's 3 points that I can't help but put out there.

One is that I find there's a major difference in what I call FORUM talk and BEACH talk. I hear all the time on the forum that the injured kiter should've done this, shouldn't be out in that and why wasn't he wearing a helmet? But on the beach, I see no one practicing their releases, lots of talk about epic storm / hurricane riding and other than Rick and I think one guy in Pompano, I've never encountered another rider wearing a helmet. I'm often tesed for wearing mine and often asked when am I gonna "outgrow" that thing. Rick talks the talk AND walks the walk. I can't say that much for most kiters I've met.

Another point is I agree with OC... beaches are public. That means no one other than officials can close down the beach. It is not on Neil's shoulders to do so just because he has a concession stand there. Though he often TRIES to give kiters his judgement, he has no authority to do anyhing about other people kiting. Unfortunately, other people's judgements often have the biggest impact on his business ... shame ;( But the reality is every beach is ALWAYS kite at your own risk. And IMO- every kiter is a leader. The stories we tell and the actions we do have influence. You think kiters should wear helmets... wear a helmet. You think storm riding is crazy, say so when someone is telling their epic story. And certainly don't be out in it yourself. Make it OK to ask someone to practice your releases without being looked at like a kook or newb.

And lastly, recognize that Kevin's accident could've happened to anybody. Experienced and skilled or not. Snowbaord park riders wear helmets, impact vests and shorts under their gear for a reason - when you are pushing your physical and mental limits, it's not a matter of IF you're are going to have an accident, but WHEN. Add to that an unpredictable element of wind for kiters, you increase your odds. So while you always have to mitigate the risks, you also need to be equipped to reduce the severity of your accident. So yes, learn to be a better read wind and weather followed by the use sound judgement. But also wear proctective gear for when shiz hits. Seems simple. But then most things are...