Is teaching at the Toll PLaza, Good or Bad...?

[MehYam]

[Hana]

If a kiter let go his/her kite, it could potentially roll into the area you are talking about, C-dog. Then that could cause multi/single-vehicle collision, and/or passenger injury. Who will be responsible for the accident? Is it an owner of the kite? If an injured party decided to sue the kiter, will the IKO insurance cover it (if they were during the lesson)? :-k

I kite there only once in a while but it's definitely not a safe area for lessons or a beginner's beach...

[CdoG]

Good points Yoko...
and you dont launch there or land there you just kite over to there
and
what i worrey about is beginners going back there without an insturctor..
thinking this is the thing to do?

[consumer]

Not a good place to teach

[OliverG]

Pictures of the area? maybe google map location?

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 8&t=h&z=17

[windhorny]

is that michael jackson eating popcorn? I like popcorn.

[Greg]

I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH BULLDOG-

That Sat map makes it almost look GOOD- But ZOOM IN and take a little LOOK-SEE...
and- the section right behind the spit (beach) is a tidal mud flat that is a bird reserve. MANY YEARS AGO it was littered with debris that people turned into ART, it had tires and all kinds of CRAP everywhere. Since that time it has been cleaned up by bar area conservationists including members of the Autubon Society as a tidal wetland-

As far as kites ever making it to the freeway there, I suspect that would be almost IMPOSSABLE- Pt. Emery on the other hand..., I dont even want to think how bad that could get-(thats the area Hana was referring to)

Should a kiter get pushed into the muddy area beside the toll plaza, they will likely get tarred and feathered in more ways then one :lol: :lol: :lol: Sounds funny, I know, but in reality it would not be funny at all if "they" hear about it-

Not to change the subject but today a person was hit by a car walking across the street by Shell Gate Beach. I'm glade to report NO KITES WERE INVOLVED and the ped only had minor injuries -
Looks like a distracted driver meet a distracted walker... I wonder what the distraction was?

As cars round that corner heading South they are often awestruck by kites being walked up the beach... BTW: i was told by Anne Rockwell (East Bay Regional Parks Director), that that corner was the area they receive the most complaints concerning kites being walked up the beach-

Take Care EVERYBODY-
L.M.G.

[tgautier]

I went to KGB's demo day a few weeks back.

They had two skis so I don't think there's as much danger as you guys are imagining.

We started way upwind with a water launch (I'm not a beginner but I figure they water launch for lessons too)

I'm sure Royce will weigh in on it but my opinion is if you've met him you'd realize he's a level headed dude that wouldn't endanger his students.

[Jeb Mud]

Seems like a bad place to teach

[Greg]

I went to KGB's demo day a few weeks back.

They had two skis so I don't think there's as much danger as you guys are imagining.

We started way upwind with a water launch (I'm not a beginner but I figure they water launch for lessons too)

I'm sure Royce will weigh in on it but my opinion is if you've met him you'd realize he's a level headed dude that wouldn't endanger his students.

I agree Royce is doing the best he can with what there is to work with and I AGREE he would not INTENTIONALLY endanger his students . The problem is the limited options with which to TEACH LAND BASED LESSONS in the East Bay and the number of students that need such instruction/introduction to kiting off land.
Sure- teaching OFFSHORE from ski's is GREAT but the LAND options are extremely limited yet SO VERY NECESSARY! I just want the students to get the full monty without placing "them" or "others" at risk... (For me, OTHERS include my feathered friends)

Also I'm concerned Alameda may be reaching a CRITICAL MASS-
Today I was working up the street from Crown Beach for a GrandMa who has lived there for 35 years. She expressed concern about what was going on there by saying, "there are just so many kites and they going in every direction"-

I suspect kiting may get "cancelled" next-
Greg Boyington