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Kiters at Leo, continued...
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rowena



Joined: 13 Aug 2003
Posts: 168
Location: Mars satellite

PostPosted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 10:59 am    Post subject: Kiters at Leo, continued... Reply with quote

Well, the "Yellow kite crashed at Leo" forum got over 4,000 hits, meaning there is obviously a serious problem between kiters and windsurfers nationally.

Although half of you might just be "tuning in" to hear from the funny Italian lady! Will she move to America and find a nice windsurfing guy? The plot thickens....

Yesterday at Leo, talked to a lifeguard watching 4-5 kiters hotdogging it a few feet from shore. Turns out kiting is actually BANNED from Leo. Why? A few weeks ago a kiter took out a man on the beach. The poor guy was sent to the hospital with a back/C4 injury. The kiter? He ran to the beach, packed up, hopped in his car and took off. The lifeguard called it "a hit and run", and kiting was IMMEDIATELY BANNED. He also said that "windsurfers, when they crash, take up 15 square feet, kiters, hundreds of square feet."

So the lifeguards already know the dangers. Why can't they enforce the ban? Not enough personnel, and they can't exactly swim out to them. But, they are watching. We can only hope they'll set aside a separate place for kiters, like they do in Maui and the Gorge before someone gets hurt.

So, who wants to start posting on the kiting forums? Because if kiter will take someone out and not stick around, do you really think any of them read this forum? Or care about our musings?

We need to keep the dialogue up with the lifeguards, maybe write letters? I don't want to be the next casualty, and yesterday, again, 5 kiters were clogging up the small sailable space around the rock at Leo.

Someone a while back suggested litigation is the only way to protect yourself. Do we want this? I don't think so.

Nealpar, aren't you an attorney? Can to offer some insight?
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rowena



Joined: 13 Aug 2003
Posts: 168
Location: Mars satellite

PostPosted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 12:04 pm    Post subject: Hmmm... Reply with quote

Lots of hits, no comments.

Could it that the term "litigation" scared everyone off?!?!

Everyone's mixing it up with MKrasnoff trying to figure out what makes the wind blow. It think it's the rotation of the earth on its axis, but I'm not sure. Eighth grade science is a little fuzzy.
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theq



Joined: 10 Apr 2000
Posts: 707

PostPosted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 1:53 pm    Post subject: Kiter's reckless trespass:Unacceptable and intolerable. Reply with quote

The way one of the kiters was acting yesterday, perhaps at least he should be banned from Leo. Some kiting hotdogger, I was told that his name is George, got about 15-20' away from me and sprayed me while I was standing in waist deep water and heading in. DaBull was an eye-witness to it, and was familiar with this kiter. His comment to me, when I got on the beach, was "That was a little close". Ya, it was. I don't give a sh-t how dangerous these guys get with themselves or each other, as long as they don't put me at risk. At times such risks may be hard to avoid, and arguable in terms of freedom to enjoy..., etc., but to purposely get that close puts us both at risk, especially me. Notice:You, reckless kiter(s), do not have my permission to invade my space to that degree, and put me in danger. I'd think that such actions would amount to criminal reckless endangerment (Counselor np?), at the very least, whether or not they result in actual injury. I will not hold the apple atop my head so that you can do your modern William "Telling". You do your fellow kiters no favors by acting like that. It's dangerous, and shows that you'll willingly, and recklessly, put others at risk. Daredeviling's cool with me, just don't use me, or other unwilling participants, as your "mark".

Conversely, there was a kiter who asked if I was o.k., after my taking a mid-jibe, high speed wipeout on a kelp patty. I appreciate his concern. That stands in stark contrast to the reckless kiter's actions.

One thing I guarantee to any showoff kiter(s): If they injure a windsurfer, and try to flee (It also happened at County Line a couple of years ago. I know who that guy is, but haven't seen him since.), they won't be getting far. They will be held until the police get there, or watched until they hit the beach. I may even get a picture of you causing the injury, and fleeing the scene. Perhaps this constitutes a felony hit-and-run? I'm sure that after being expressly cautioned to stay clear, and not put others at risk, the penalty will be much stiffer.

Don't risk ending up having your sport banned, if it hasn't already been.

In the future, I will be bringing a camera with me in order to document such reckless "boating" behavior, just in case it's needed in the future. Perhaps I'll even donate a camera to the lifeguards for such purposes. Whatever it takes to keep it safe. Pose pretty and smile. Razz
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rowena



Joined: 13 Aug 2003
Posts: 168
Location: Mars satellite

PostPosted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 2:10 pm    Post subject: yup! Reply with quote

Whew! Well put, The Q.

Where's Nealpar when we need her?

What could be happening is that many kiters we're seeing aren't locals. Maybe they read about our little bit o' paradise in a kiting mag. So they don't care about what we think or this forum, and most likely aren't reading it. To the Kiting forums en masse, anyone?

A lot of the guys who live here and have been kiting for years come in to Leo, play a little, wave at us, and then move on. That's what makes me think that the guys we're seeing hotdogging, jumping over the surfers and kiting recklessly might be from somewhere else. (Not the "kiter formerly known as George"---he's the worst!)

A sign on the beach that said "No Kiting" like the one that says, "No Dogs" would be nice, but can the underfunded State Beach lifeguards install one? We could hand letter one, slightly misspelled, so that they think we're unbalanced, and desperate. That might do the trick.

I'm going to have to remember to match my wetsuit with my sail if there's a camera out....
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jp5



Joined: 19 May 1998
Posts: 3394
Location: OnUr6

PostPosted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 2:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good posts rowena and theq. As I saw it there were 3 kiters which were wreckless and out of control. There were a few other kiters who were down wind and not bothering anyone.

I waiting for one of the wreckless kiters and had a little chat with him. This kid may not have even been 18. I told him he was dangerous and out of control and he was going to hurt or kill someone. Of course he denied it and claimed to be in control the entire time. I told him that he was not watching for others around him and that they (kiters) are being told to launch down close to zeros and they should say down there. He told me that he launched up north. I told him to stay up there. He appologized for cutting me off and said if he did so it was because he didn't see me. I said "yeah, because you're not looking for anyone else". He didn't get it. My last words to him were "don't come back".

Kudos to the guards for using the bullhorn to tell one particular kiter to stay outside. Unfortunately this ended at 5:00 and that is when the free-for-all began.

Not all kiters that go to Leo are wreckless and inconsiderate and I say to any kiter reading this that you will have to police your own otherwise you will lose your right to be there. We windsurfers are going to have to seek out the bad ones when they land and tell them they are dangerous and not welcome. If we do nothing this will continue until one of us is hurt. Mad
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rowena



Joined: 13 Aug 2003
Posts: 168
Location: Mars satellite

PostPosted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 2:34 pm    Post subject: good post jpbassking... Reply with quote

A few bad apples spoil the bunch. Kiters need to police their own

We have all had our moments of self-delusion concerning our skills and sailing prowess. Only self-delusion doesn't hurt anyone windsurfing, but it does in sports like kiting (and skiing), where what you do has an effect on a lot of people on the water and on the beach.

Glad you confronted the guy, JPBassking. He may have been just delusional.

Let's talk to the lifeguards when we see them. Tell them we support the difficult job they have to do. Tell them we don't really have a way to keep the reckless kiters out of the high traffic areas (except yelling and screaming), that we need a sign of some sort, or permission to go ahead and tell the reckless kiters that by law they aren't allowed there.
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bowen1



Joined: 17 Mar 2001
Posts: 47

PostPosted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 2:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

rowena's right about directing this dialogue to the kite forum. The kiters at Belmont are taking steps regarding safety around the beach goers. The issues are a little different (eg novice kiters vs. sunbathers as opposed to experienced riders vs. windsurfers in the waves) but the responsible kiters (ie the vast majority) who ride at Belmont know what's at stake for everyone. There are more posts on the ikitesurf forum on this subject (at Belmont) than there are here.
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jp5



Joined: 19 May 1998
Posts: 3394
Location: OnUr6

PostPosted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 2:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Delusional? maybe, oblivious, definitely!
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jp5



Joined: 19 May 1998
Posts: 3394
Location: OnUr6

PostPosted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 3:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"rowena's right about directing this dialogue to the kite forum"

consider it done.
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bowen1



Joined: 17 Mar 2001
Posts: 47

PostPosted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 3:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

hey jp I read your post on ikitesurf and i see your getting some input.

By the way I'm a windsurfer, just trying to be constructive and direct some of this chat at the folks you're trying to reach - regular guys who happen to like kiting.

Cheers!
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