my, my, is it that time of the year? I guess the sport is running out of room to accommodate new riders. Any way to educate new riders, or should we get the popcorn popper started, specially with the coming holiday the next few days?
1) Crissy...trouble in paradise - jetski taxi service for the business minded, or do we need more self-policing? 2) Sherman 4th of July Week - Gang bangers, conservatives, democrats, liberals, poop on the grass launch, I thought that place was self-regulating? 3) Waddell vs. Dillon - Sharky of course, but always ride with caution. 4) July 4th, weekend Alameda - We only need 18 firefighters, two helicopters, and a coast guard cutter to rescue one person. 5) Hey 3 rd ave hot shot - hot shots part deux?
I find that I have plenty of room 80% of the time. There are the occasional days where the beach is packed and circus-like, experienced riders should help correct behaviors. Most people are cool, they just don't understand what they are doing wrong...even if it's wrong.
pipedragon wrote:Same story every year. Look through the posts from previous years.
Chris... Alias.... pipedragon ? It is not the same as previous years do to the exponential growth of the sport... and ... the use of resources are being maxed out in certain locations and a pro active attitude towards safety and looking out for others is essential.
Didn't you seriously wreck your body at Alameda a while ago jumping in shallow water?
Over at Crissy there has been one windsurfer who drowned, a kite boarder whom dislocated there shoulder getting yarded down the beach, and another kiteboarder getting a split lip from another kiters bad launch. Way too many Coast Guard Rescues from people not taking the time to really talk to the local riders for advice. Not to mention Hotshots like the one that stuck there kite on the tour boat mast with many people on board.
We have had people showing up this year rigging up on the handicap beach access and trying too use the emergency call box pole on the promenade as an anchor point to launch there kite.
Self policing is very necessary to prevent regulation.
Everybody can have fun and kite if done safely at all skill levels, newbies on up.
Self policing is very necessary to prevent regulation.
This. Last Sunday, 3rd upper launch, I turn around, and right behind me is a guy standing on the bike path, kite in the air towards the golf course. Someone had already run up and started shouting at him. I wanted to shout too but I was kind of dumbfounded. It's like trying to warn someone all the reasons they should stop juggling kitchen knives with their eyes closed.
The best part was that he was standing right beside the new sign that says "NO KITES OVER THE BIKE PATH".
Self policing is very necessary to prevent regulation.
This. Last Sunday, 3rd upper launch, I turn around, and right behind me is a guy standing on the bike path, kite in the air towards the golf course. Someone had already run up and started shouting at him. I wanted to shout too but I was kind of dumbfounded. It's like trying to warn someone all the reasons they should stop juggling kitchen knives with their eyes closed.
The best part was that he was standing right beside the new sign that says "NO KITES OVER THE BIKE PATH".
i think it is more effective to approach the person and try to help them and explain politely then to shout at them
tomerp wrote:i think it is more effective to approach the person and try to help them and explain politely then to shout at them
Yeah. The shouting in this case was more about being heard above the wind noise than about anger. The guy took the advice (after about a minute), brought his kite down, it ended well. Still funny that he was standing right beside the sign though.
Yeah, once I was at Alameda around the shack and saw a hot-shot with a race board launched from the grass area behind the shack right across the bike path behind the shack !!! WTF
I wanted to shout at this hot-shot but he was too fast, he raced across the bike path, ran into the water with a whole bunch of people rigging, launching or doing whatever they were doing on his path
Of course, he went down wind and had to be rescued by a kayak when the wind died out.
