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#1
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I'm all in
Oh yeah,
We need to step our efforts to protect our sites. I really agree with the Belmont beach group. Let me know when and where and I will show up with my wallet. :O) |
#2
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removed
Last edited by Whitey; 12-19-2010 at 07:36 PM. |
#3
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I'm in...
The facts are in...numerous active instructors teaching what? 10-20 students a season? Minimum?
Finite number of launch sites. Crowding and incidents are going to occur. Sooner rather than later. Those with skills need to set the example. Set up, launch, and get away from the beach. Get upwind and get away... It's never crowded upwind... If showing off near the beach is your thing, then you need to wait until the groms and noobs are out of there. For you long time kiters, sorry but it's not 2004 anymore. You have to use your skills to make room. If you crowd a noob he/she is 100 times more likely to have a problem and cause an incident. Sucks, but it's how it is. So, organize, post simple but clear rules, and follow them. Never been to Rickenbacker in Miami, but losing a launch hurts all the way up here.... Gives the haters power... |
#4
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Good points, Rando. Simple. Common sense.
After all these years of watching this stuff, I still think the best way to get a good start on this situation is to have all the local instructors agree to some basic riding standards to be followed by themselves as well as their students. I am not big on rules. Just a few simple ones. Don't jump kids at the beach, don't spray watching unknown bystanders at EB, don't zoom through the swim zone at beach Mach 2 when there are people out there, and stay 2 kite line lengths away from shore in on-shore/side-on conditions. These are common sense to me, to avoid aggravation/injury to bystanders and lessen odds of losing access. Still, I see this stuff all the time. It's obvious to me that instructors (most are good, but some aren't) influence their students more than any other people. A few bad instructors can have an unreal negative influence on local scenes - as evidenced in Miami. Instructors can also choose to step it up and make a stand to set a good example. Sort of blows my mind that they have backed away from this request in the past (to list some basic common sense rules and publicly agree to them). It's never too late to step up. |
#5
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veterans must set the example ...
I'm not a big guy and as an OG I sure as heck don't look very threatening. I never look forward to talking to someone but I always go do it. I usually start out with "Hey man, I don't mean to be a dik but ... "
Most times I'm talking to our own local riders. Most are much better riders than me but I still man-up and talk with them. All of us (especially veterans but newer riders too) have to set examples - just last week we had a local guy cutting further and further into the swim zone - a visiting kiter watched him, figured it was OK and went even further into the swim zone. I spoke to both. They were both cool and stayed out. The way I see it, one of our biggest problems (short of an incident) is JUST ABOUT ANYONE can take a picture these days with their phone and easily send it to the County Commissioner (or Park Ranger). It is pretty hard to defend hard evidence like that. No way are communities going to risk vacationer's $$$ especially in this economy. ONE LAST THING and ALMOST AS IMPORTANT - just like most of you, I wish I had a dollar for every time a tourist asked me a seemingly dumb question about the sport. BUT we all must be ADVOCATES of kiting ALL THE TIME. Be friendly and courteous. Explain kiting a bit, just don't blow them off and DON'T be rude. These are the people we can influence. They may be the next beach-side condo owner. OK, sorry about the novel. Kiter Jo |
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