Re: Re: [East Bay] Berkeley
Posted: Wed May 25, 2011 6:31 am
kitenaked wrote:BayAreaKite wrote:Windy today at Berkeley, I get there at 4 or 4:30, had a great session at Alameda yesterday and long work day, so figured maybe I'd rest and just wait for my wife to show up and send her out.
Three guys show up for the first time, two went out to kite, one didn't. The wind was totally filled in, blowing 20 or so, they go out. Can they go upwind? No. Kiter #1 is heading out skirting the shore, flying his kite above the Bay Trail immediately adjacent to the Frontage road. Only by luck and virtue of the wind (this is abnormal there) being totally filled, manages to stay off the rocks.
Kiter #2, same thing, but worse, even closer to the rocks, almost on them. Kite even closer on top of Bay Trail. Where does he wobble off to? Straight downwind. When leaving later, his buddy in the car was high-tailing it down the frontage road to go fetch his buddy who washed up on the frontage road beach.
I understand that it is not possible to learn to kite instantly and know that it takes time and practice, but this is not the place to do it. Today was unusually filled in and blowing well. Were it not for that, the both of them would almost certainly have been toast, walking up on the rocks, with the kite on the rocks or Bay Trail or road or whatever. I have no idea what their story was or where they learned or what, but it's kind of hard to shrug and say "It's all good, no worries" when you see it happen more and more. They were fresh off lessons from somewhere, that was clear. The guy launching them didn't quite know how to even hold the kite up for them.
Oh, but yes,you're thinking, I could have approached them, talked about the spot, quizzed them, told them of the hazards, etc., introduce myself, get everyones names right? No. Have been doing that for years. Jaded, can't do it anymore, I didn't sign up for a life-long term of beach ambassador, accident prevention and damage control.
Sorry, that's just how I feel sometimes after seeing this happen again and again and more and more. If you're not ready, Berkeley will eat you up...
Yah Ollie you got better things to do.
I'm SURE OTHERS GOT IT, but PERSONALLY I Dont think it was funny-
It is misrepresentation of THE MAN!
First- it's FLAT OUT WRONG, Ollie almost NEVER BURNS.
Second- He WORKS pretty hard at WORK AND ON THIS SITE.
Third- He's spent TONS OF TIME personally doing the intro (s) but like he said, IT GETS OLD!
Forth and formost- That was my Bong Hit, not his!
So Don't "DISH" my friends- :lol:
L.M.G.
Seriously- Kiting Berkley is a SERIOUS SUBJECT and "WE" tend to get a little sidetracked sometimes- Newish kiters- will need to have ALL OF THEIR FACILITIES IN ORDER to simply DEAL WITH THE REALITIES of "ATTEMPTING" TO KITE BERKLEY. This spot is NOT FOR BEGINNERS FOR GOOD REASON(S)- Like it was said, THIS SPOT WILL EAT YOU UP-
Best of luck-
Gregory Burton Boyington