New kiting policiess in effect at Alameda's Crown Beach.

[kief]

:^o
I,for one,appreciate this glimpse into a possible( sad) future.
i can't believe some would WANT an IKO (or any org. )
mandatory certification for all kiters.
TO ME,that just means our self-policing failed.
IKO is a FOR PROFIT company OWNED by STAR KITES.
TO ME,any governing body that claims to be in the best interest of beach/kite
safety would be a impartial,non-profit....maybe thats just me.
definitely not coast guard government based bureaucracy.
so..the next time you see someone's kite crashed at the waters edge or on the beach
how about running over and lending a hand,and giving some valuable advice.
we need some people on the beach that give a sh!t,i see TOOO MANY turning a blind eye.
the non-profit mentoring/kite club is sounding more and more like a solid idea.

[friggin old guy]

I've been kiting Alameda for years but only when it's windy.....which unfortunately is not as often as I think most people would like. Maybe that makes people in the area irritable?

I will admit to having problems being all stoked about going out there the other day when it was doing it's typical tease of gusting to 15.....so could be I'm one of the negative old crusty assholes reffed in the previous posting....or maybe somebody's mistaking CDog's enthusiasm for telling newbies to get it right for something else. When I was new I know that's how I felt until I took the time to know him some.

Sheez, SOMEBODY has to say something when there's stupid stuff going down. And honestly, at Alameda you have to expect there's going to be some of that. We all did stupid stuff when we learned.

I haven't noticed any real difference in vibe at Alameda except that the current crew that's learning doesn't seem as friendly overall as it was a few years ago....maybe a bit more.......I don't know, self absorbed or something. Too serious. Less inclined to take constructive criticism? But despite less welcoming attitude than the past, I don't notice any more assholes old or new than there used to be (there's always going to be a few).

Never had any problem with the BS folks, always been friendly to me and nice if you're nice. Course they never called the cops on me, either. Since it's a place where there are a lot of new folks, they have to put up with a lot of stuff and seriously they gotta have rules.....I have to admit the joke posting really got me for a second though.....

If new kiters will listen to the advice of others about what to do and what not to do without getting all offended, we won't need any stinking IKO......personally I think the general vibe in the Bay Area has been good until now, but honestly I do think it's slipping some.

But then I'm just an old gink anyway, what do I know? I just want to get in the water and do my thing without any drama.

[J-GAR]

Impostors should be hung by their epididymis.

[kitenaked]

http://youtu.be/xxvdvoQgAy8

[Rob]

I just got my iko laminated, can't wait to show it off. :D

[sloughslut]

I have been to Alameda one time for a lesbian wedding, and all i saw besides lesbians was 20m kites falling out the sky with people swiming in. Oh yeah they had to keep the wedding on the down low cause they did not have a permit :)

[Aloha]

I think the shack launch would be much less of a cluster if everybody ran their lines on the grass & then wrapped up until they were ready to drop into the launch zone to unravel, unspin & go. Or simply ran their lines to the point that it was READY TO ATTACH to the kite, and then brought their kite in to attach and go.

I've been trying to show people the benefits of the "don't spend time untangling your lines in the cluster $#!@ launch/land zone while your kite sits there taking up launching/landing space" technique to get out much faster--and how it make things easier for everyone.

On the landing side--People waiting to land could come in slightly upwind (standing in line w/ the shower on the beach), drop their board... keep their kite angled out over the water and then swing their kite over to land it slightly upwind of the people launching out further downwind on the launch when they spot someone to catch them.

The spot just needs a good launch/land rotation that everyone understands like Sherman has in effect.

As far as the lower launch goes--I feel like there's a good culture down and much more real-estate to keep all that running pretty smoothly & safely.

The biggest challenges to the spot right now are the "hybrid 3rd launch spot" that seems to be forming somewhere b/w the shack and the Shellgate launch (basically on the only narrow space where beachgoers could walk).. and the learners walking up the beach kite in the air flying over the beach (then again walking upwind with kite in the air as a newb prob isn't a good idea even if you're keeping it over the water)

Anyone have any ideas how to improve the efficiency and safety of the launches?

[Boardsports]

maybe we should just dedicate the beach to fishing...the fisherman were right in the launch zone (3 of them) this weekend...and they have been crowding around the only launch areas at the beach lately. Are there no fish a mile down the beach? I hope I don't step on a hook of theirs. And does anyone really eat fish caught inside the Bay? Is that good for you? Don't forget to carry a knife unless you want to be caught like a big fish!

Seriously, I would never post anything like Joey's joke above. Staying safe is serious. Joking about it is funny though. Alameda has always been entertaining with a lot of newbies who have never had lessons, had casual lessons from their friends who don't teach them safety stuff, or had proper lessons and don't remember a thing from them. We can only try to help people, but in the end each individual hopefully can help themselves.

Anyone who ever needs help/advice on safety stuff can stop by the shack and we give that info away for free (of course) to help riders stay safe. We hosted a FREE SAFETY clinic last summer after a not so nice kiter (who never stepped forward) hurt a young girl who needed to go to the emergency room and get stitches. If you think Joey's (or whomever is behind this prank post) joke above is funny, try talking to the kiters in Florida who just got kiting banned at Hobie Beach near Biscayne Bay after kiters ignored local guidelines and got kitesurfing banned as a result.
http://www.surfertoday.com/kiteboarding ... 1ee23f%2C0

The two biggest gaffes I see on a regular basis is not punching out on a failed launch (blow your safety system if your launch goes wrong...is that too much to ask?) and not respecting a buffer zone (staying 2 line lengths away from the shore line while kiting). It would be nice to see everyone ride out away from shore and stay out away from shore so we don't endanger the kids and beach goers....there are more families that use that beach than kiters...so we should respect all safety stuff and realize it is a privilege, not a right, to kite anywhere.

Maybe this joke email can catch enough people's attention to be a reminder that there are safety "guidelines" at all sites (not rules, kiters need to self police and understand local guidelines themselves). East Bay Parks has established and requested that kites only be launched from the shack (upper launch) and down to Shellgate (the lower launch). They request this so families have somewhere to go where kites are not launching (so please don't launch upwind of the shack or south of Shellgate...that is supposed to be an area little kids and families can go to get away from kites launching).

This Spring we have seen more than usual kite crashes in the launch area...with people hanging on and not punching out (blowing their safety). I am always willing to give FREE SAFETY ADVICE and when in doubt PUNCH OUT. I would love help from Joey and all the locals seeing this post to help educate newbies that just don't have the instincts, knowledge, or judgement to keep themselves and others out of harms way. I also constantly educate the families with little kids to be aware of kites and know not to get near lines in the water, etc. Only our community can effectively do this...so helping out on this would be awesome.

That is why it is best to tell your friends to take lessons from a certified school (any school, just take lessons from people who are trained instructors) so that we don't have people showing up with no clue how to launch, perform a self rescue, stay clear of the launch area, etc. We want people helping their friends who have already have had lessons and need more support while they are learning. But it is technically illegal (ok bring it, if anyone wants to talk to the park attorney we can go there again) for anyone to teach kiting at Crown Beach except for the sole concessionaire who has trained instructors and liability insurance. This is to protect all of our access and reduce liability for East Bay Regional Parks. The only lessons I have shut down over the years have involved people with no teaching experience who are blatantly violating basic safety guidelines while teaching their friends. I am committed to not having kiting banned in Alameda so I will continue to shut that down if I see it...because it's not good for anyone to have clueless kiters with no safety knowledge endangering themselves, the public, and all of our access.

For anyone who wants to take safety seriously, try visiting this site for some refreshing reminders on kite safety.
http://kitemare.com/wisdom.htm

And does anyone know who the joker is who posted this? Maybe he would like to volunteer to help educate people for free on actual safety guidelines? I would love some help. We plan to offer another FREE safety clinic in June to help newbies with self rescue, responsible launching/landing, and beach etiquette. Email me if you would like to volunteer to help out the newbies who may appreciate the help.

Sincerely,
Jane from Boardsports

--
Boardsports School & Shop
Alameda - San Mateo - San Francisco
Voted "Best of the Bay"
http://www.BoardsportsSchool.com
415.385.1224

[windhorny]

"The only lessons I have shut down over the years have involved people with no teaching experience who are blatantly violating basic safety guidelines while teaching their friends."

Now Jane, we all know this is not true but whatever. I feel pretty confident that the few people, with a very few exceptions, you have "shut down" have WAY more kiting experience than you do.

But regardless of how one brings in business the point here is that this joke post could very well one day be a reality. We face an over population issue as does the rest of the world. People don't listen enough to fix things and we will inevitably be shut down. We can only try to slow down the process by attempting to communicate with the stubborn and inherently bullheaded community of entitled kiters.

All I know is if the guy on the damn orange cabrinha ruins my personal launch zone I am gonna be really pissed off when I am finally able to get back on the water and there is a sign out front of my door. Do I need to start posting pics again? I personally think the wall of shame is effective.

[OliverG]

Wow, I missed a lot today!

Popcorn is in the microwave...+1 subscribed on this topic too...:)



Looked it up and all I found for the prankster is this email: boardsportsalameda@yahoo.com