Little girl with smashed face at Alameda today

[marinkiter]

I was at the south launch site rigging up when a mexican family walked by with a young girl, maybe 9, whose face was gushing blood. Her whole shirt was bloody and they couldn't get the flow staunched She pointed at my kite as she walked by as if to say "that's the thing that hit me". I went to talk to the mom and she said (her english wasn't great) that, effectively, a kiter had hit her daughter with a kite and then rode off. She was very upset and completely believable. I asked her what the colors were and she couldn't say. It was pretty F'ing heart wrenching.

It pissed me off but I am not going to vent my anger on this forum. I'm sure I'm not the only one upset by this and it would be all too easy to go off right now on my keyboard to no good effect. So, I'll just say that I think it's vital that kiters are stand-up people when things go wrong. We owe it to the bystanders and our sport to stick around if there is an accident and make sure we go above and beyond to make it right. That's all I'm gonna say on this one. I'll try to do my part.

Jon

[windhorny]

Amen! I hope this douche bag gets his just deserts! This puts the whole sport in jeopardy when something like this happens.

thanks for posting.

[reyrivera]

It was a zoo in Alameda today with lots of near misses:

1) Kite almost ended up at the apartments early afternoon, is the rider okay?
2) A noobie wrapped his kite on another student's kite guided by an instructor, both kites looped and almost decapitates me while helping out, and I think a photog was too close and almost got hit as well.
3) Some noob riding a black and red cabrinha who claimed to have taken lessons did not know how to self rescue, so he released his kite and kept shouting at others to rescue him. Later, after he recovered, he continually smashed his new kite at the beach.

[charliexd]

It's really all ab our integrity and how we maintain a positive attitude that fuels this sport. I loved how it was my first season kiting, and at third I can't honestly say I had any encounters. Everybody wants to help out somehow or explain and such

I think we should be responsible for our actions and if you have the skills to show off near spectators you should also have the will to care ab anyone injured by your kite

[maxsteamer]

Thanks ReyR,

I saw a kiter with a 12m orange and red Naish kite crash there kite near a kid that was pointing at the kites and running up and down the bluff below the shack?? I think this kiter was a women or a man with long hair..who ever it was?, they did ask them if they were Ok...I do know that this person is not a shellgate regular and did not launch here.. I have been hit with a kite before and I did not know I was cut untill another kiter told me my hand was bleeding..turns out it was not my hand, it was my head that was cut" :doh: " and when I went to feel my head there was a peel with hair on it 3" long. It looks bad but is not as bad as you think as any cut to the head bleads alot at first.

This sh*t happens more then you think?? as my wife and I see it first hand as we live across the street from the "Shellgate Launch" none of this ever happens at this Launch because we keep it safe with our crew members like ReyR. who just today asked to diffuse to kites that got tangled. as I did not have my water glasses.. now I do know that one of the kites was an instructor teaching a student in gusty 29+ winds. that is just stupid!!!.. Now the other kiter was a seasoned kiter who was trying to clear a path to the beach suddenly saw a kite water launched in front of him, he tryed to re-direct the kite but it was to late as the other kite crossed with his kite. now the seasoned kiter did the right thing even though he was not responsible he ran over to Rey and I and said he was sorry this happened and that he had no choice but to let his kite go which another one of our crew caught Thanks RussG for jumping on the lose kite.. good job bro..

I have always thought it was wrong to yell at anyone.. but I caught myself doing just that today?? I used to piss on cdog for this and now I'm finding that he may have a point here, in a exstreme sport like kiteboarding when it could save a life?? maybe Mom was wrong as she never had a kite in her hands. Now with winter starting soon we will most likly see alot of new kiters behaving badly.

Max be with you" " fellow kiters..if you crash your kite on someone.. do the right thing... even if you thing you were right?? make sure they are "OK" next time it could be you.

[kitenaked]

:(

[Fassn8]

I'm wondering if there is a way to educate the local beach goers about the dangers of kiteboarding. Please note, I'm in NO WAY saying that the events described above are the fault of the spectators. The events above make me sick.

I meet people all the time on the beach that are simply unaware that they could be in danger when standing too close to kiters or walking by someone launching, etc.

Here's one idea, please post others if you have them:

SPREAD THE WORD
Create a flyer talking about the exciting sport of kiteboarding (read: "Not Dangerous") and print it in english on one side and spanish on the other. Use a few pictures to point out the "danger" of the lines and equipment. On busy beach days folks could pass them out to spectators. We could also proactively approach the city officials letting them know about our "education efforts". I think the two most important spots to hit are Crissy and Alameda given their weekend crowds.

Thoughts?

If folks think this effort would be worthwhile, I'll volunteer to lead it.

-Jason

[kitenaked]

I will help...


Side note, young grom was entering the water at Sherman with wetsuit and trainer kite for some water time yesterday. Kite went into berries. Finn and I helped them wrap up lines and gave pointers that Sherman is probably not best place for early sessions like that.

Belmont has a good permanent sign with guidelines ...,could be tied in with flyers and maybe some similar signs at various spots around bay area!

[Fassn8]

3rd Ave also has some signs with decent info. Might be a good idea to get some of those realtor flyer boxes under the signs in the more visited spots like 3rd ave.

[lieutenantglorp]

While kiters must always maintain the first layer of innocent bystander avoidance, spreading the bilingual word to beach-goers would help for sure. They should get some signs like those posted in a couple spots at 3rd Ave along the bay trail that outline spectator guidelines in addition to kiter safety (not that they are necessarily spectating, but just using the beach, and unaware of kite hazard). This, in addition to the flyers recommended by Jason, would be a great start.