How to avoid this in future ...

knyfe · Post by **knyfe** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 10:17 pm

last sunday I ended up with my family on Alameda. We had a nice day in the sun without any reasonable wind. At sunset, the wind was really low, a guy showed up with his kite. It took him a long time to attach all his lines. So I went over to ask him if I should check his lines before he launches as he was obviousely a beginner(normally newbees really like that offer). He refused it and told me that he had lessons at Hawaii a week earlier. Later on I offered my help a second time, but again he refused it. As he was ready to launch his friend hold his kite right in the powerzone what was the right thing to do as the wind was close to zero. At that point I assumed that they know what he is doing.

But as I looked the next time he already stood far behind us upwind. I only saw him launching the kite and after the first few movements the kite stalled backwards. The classic storry continued, the kite opend up in the center and then the kite was already in our highth. I already realized that something bad will come soon and stood up, just for the case. And yes it happend, the kite opened up and with a big swing across the window he directly steered the kite into my family. Although I was right in the middle of everything and tried to catch/deflect the kite he hit the baby stroller with 11 month old baby inside which flipped backwards!

Nobody got hurt, but just imagine his would have happen to a non-kiting addicted family! I am sure an Alameda Kite-ban will be very close. We all want to avoid that!

This should just wake us all up how close and even possible these incidents are. My family and I quitted to go to Alameda over the summer as it was really nuts to be there with a family. We really need to come up (what we already did) with rules, and bring them out to all kiters. This is what we are partly missing. How should this new fellow know the rules at Alameda? How about a reasonable and clearly visible sign on the shack? How about kiting only with license (I never made one..). The wintertime is a good time to work on that.

And of course we all need to follow the rules we placed in order for our selfes. This time happens what I always feared with all the upwind kite walker which keep their kites always over the beach and not outside on the water. The kite always goes directly over all the people at the beach. Not only my kids ...

Lets learn from it and please keep this information inside our group just to avoid trouble. Georg

charlie · Post by **charlie** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 7:21 am

i am sorry you had to go through that; i hope your baby's ok!
we will get a new sign, and be more vigilant about our policing.

dewey · Post by **dewey** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 8:20 am

Wow dude that really sucks. That's the reason I stopped going to Alamed, as well as what has to follow. You should have lit into the guy!! Maybe not throw punches, but mad him feel like a ass. If he's a danger then he needs to be humbled. Most of the newbes are out during the summer. I'm only at alameda in spring. Many good people have tried to police the beach in the past, but it's a free for all with newbies when nobody is around to stop them. It's a shame because alameda is one of the most chill spots on the bay.

knyfe · Post by **knyfe** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 11:36 am

As I mentioned, nobody got hurt, and yes the guy really felt like an ass afterwards. No doubt about that. It was alesson for all sides and that is my point here.

Mainly I want to open up a discussion how to avoid this in future - just to learn from it. A new BIG sign is the right step for example. And I am sure that it will become really BIG if it is in Charlies hands ... It should cover nearly the whole shak wall. CU, G

jjm · Post by **jjm** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 11:48 am

Sign with motion sensor and automated announcements. We can get Charlie or LMG to be the voice actor. Keep people on edge...

On a serious note, what about pamphlets/flyers? Rebecca showed some at the meeting we had that BoardSports provides (to students?). They would probably do, but maybe they could be done better.

Keep them in a little unattended plastic box like they have at open house events. People interested in the sport, or newbies, or people new to the area could grab one, look it over, take it home, etc.

Then, if anyone is kooking out, or looks to be about to, you could politely walk them over or just hand them one. I'd be sure to recycle all the ones thrown at me by putting them back in the box.

windhorny · Post by **windhorny** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 10:21 am

Ollie, I think you should get in touch with Boardsports, and whomever else needs to give permission (i.e. the city) and make a clear sign that reads:

NO KITEBOARDING WITHOUT SIGNING UP AT BAKB.COM

Although some may not do that before kiting, they may be more enticed to go to the site afterwards to see whats going on. Not only will this lay out the guidelines uniformly to everyone, but it will also allow those stroller knocking fuckers to read that everyone knows about what happened.

Your site is the Craigslist of the kiting community. And being non-biased/ non-profitable, it should be easy to be the mediating site for all kiters.

Yuri

dewey · Post by **dewey** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 7:09 pm

Yeah Ollie you should get on that right away!!! Now that your responsable for the bay area kite boarding sceen!

windhorny · Post by **windhorny** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 11:12 pm

I wasnt putting all the responsibility on Ollie, just saying he has a site that plays a neutral role.

dewey · Post by **dewey** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 1:05 am

Hey I haven't been on the water for 2 months. I needed to say something. I know that your not putting it all on Ollie. I'm just being sarcastic.

charlie · Post by **charlie** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 8:19 am

you too ,
we all need to do a little policing.

BayAreaKiteboarding.com

How to avoid this in future ...

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