Police our beach!!!!

[Todd Jacques]

Sherwin said!!!

Notes: A couple of newer kiters found out how bad DC is on a south with multiple bush landings. A nameless individual decided to self launch west of the fence at the end of the really crappy wind. He got pulled around 50 to 100 feet a couple of times and needed a quick hand when his kite dropped in the shrubs just after launch. He eventually went out and probably ended up at the fishing bridge. The timing of the self launch, in my opinion was just plain stupid. At least five of us could have launched him, and most of us would have told him to wait until the wind was no longer SSE. I only bring this up because I know how easily we could lose the DCBB launch right now, especially if someone gets hurt badly. I would have helped out/said something had I not been securing my kite. This is not to say that I haven't done stupid stuff myself, but this guy has been around a while and should know better. Let's keep Deer Creek safe so we don't lose it!

Chris you are right on. We need to police our beaches. The landowner will most likely close the beach when someone gets hurt. I would be sad to loose the DCBB launch. We need to confront people doing stupid shit! If we let this stuff go on we will loose it. As the beaches get more crowded the risk get higher that accidents will happen, hell I broke my control bar today and had to self rescue.
I want to propose making a set of kiting rules to follow in Utah. Austrailia has a ticket system which ensures all kiters use common sense.
http://www.aksa.com.au/
We need to have the UWA take a leadership role on this, IMHO. I would gladly pay more to secure my launches.
Lets start talking.

[Don Losee]

Slow the roll brothers. One of the coolest things about kiting in Utah is that we know each other and help each other out so much. A couple of years ago I owned a home on the fffing beach in Huntington Beach. I was a new kiter, and I had local dicks telling me to get off my own beach. These dudes could not even ride themselves . flip! that.
People need lessons. I teach. And I do it for a fair price. But if new kiters want to do it with out shelling out the measly $100 for two hours. Give them a wide birth. If someone is really endangering others.... then It is time to tell them to get some training or go fly somewhere else.
I say let's fly fast and loose. flip! rules. flip! the iko. flip! the police. LET'S JUST HELP OTHER KITERS OUT. So everyone has fun.
3B

[PeterMiller]

Hey Don get posted on the forum for kiteboarding instructors.

Also do we have any kiteboarding rules posted anywhere? It would be nice for newbies.

[ChrisPSherwin]

Don and Todd and other interested parties - When it comes down to it, we're all on the same page. Todd "policed" me early on by helping me launch in safe areas and manners, and to use Don's lingo I took it as "help" and even teaching. I'm glad he did, because looking back at it, I did some really stupid stuff. The newer kiters that were crashing in the bushes were having a good time and were not really a danger, I thought it was funny that they were enjoyed such crappy wind like I used to... Most notably, I loved the way they asked us about the launch and weather etc about halfway through the day. It goes back to the "Eddie Cut" Ettiquette that others had talked about earlier, it's best to talk to locals about how things are done, because they know the area and also are protective of it.

When I was in CA, I asked the locals about how things were done, and it helped a bunch. The whole wave lineup thing was new to me and gradually the guys made me part of the crew. Their treatment of some other people was less than friendly. The big concern was loss of launch sites, which it seems to be here as well. I'm not bashing new people, but I am asking those with experience to be pro-active (not confrontational per se) with letting people know that we don't think it's cool to jeopardize community access to launch sites with risky launch practices wether they are new or not. I wanted to fly my Zephyr at Lincoln about a month ago, and people told me I was nuts. I launched 13 and had a great time. Thanks for the advice - I appreciate it. What got me going yesterday though, was an individual who appears to have enough experience to know better, but in my limited time kiting I have witnessed needing assistance to avoid possible grave injury when it just was not necessary. And it's this kind of stuff that's going to force us to either A) leave the beach because we've been banned B) have rules handed down to use by some ranger or office jockey that has no clue about kiting C) "help out" or "police" things ourselves. Nut up and say something, when you see risky technique. I've had my fair share of advice from people, and I'm glad they said something. Pushing the envelope on the water is one thing, but jeopardizing everyone's access for frivolous reasons is another. Keep the beach safe whether it's helping, policing, teaching or cheering. We all want to kite for long time. Use your talents to make it happen.

[Todd Jacques]

sorry for thge tone Don, but I was trying to say wwhat chris just said. I dont want police out there, we just need to figure out how to keep everyone safe without loosing our launch. I do think at some point the landowner will have some thoughts on the liability of his land and its use. We would be better off IMHO to be organized before that. I dont want to be a nazi like you say and tell people they cannot kite, I just want to kite there forever.
sorry

[bordy]

What The FUCCCCCC!

Are you guys kidding me? this shitttt really went down?

First off Barb wire beach is not a spot for anyone but experanced kiters. If any of the BWB locals were on the beach and didn't speak to the kiters they didn't know setting up they are to blame and I personally hold them responsible for this incident.

Don, I don't care what happened to you in CA or at "your beach" but if you want to be a instuctor and a "retailer-manufactor" you need to police the beach, reguardless of your personal take, on athority figures and rules, You really cant say "we need to get the land owners a bottle of wine to help keep our beach open" one day and then lets run it fast and lose another??????

Chris, you already fly fast n lose, I have had to "mention" kite selection and or weather safety to you before and you are still around kiting and having fun. Sure at the time you may have thought I was being overbearing, but I never took advise from more experienced kiters about safety as anything but a bro looking out for a bro. Even here in New Hampshire I got put through the ringer by the locals,(later another local told me they have cut the lines of visiting kiters with attitude and gotten into fist fights on the beach with kiters who they didn't want to launch there because they didn't have the talent to be at the harder launch) before launching and I did not care one bit, Once I proved that I wasn't going to create any issue at there local spot then I could kite. I had no problem with that, they only have a few spots to launch from and they are protecting them. As a side note to you, I have watched you do stuff i would not and not said a word, I really only speak up when there may be true danger, like puting up zephyr when Jason Morton is out on 11 jumping and what not. You would do the same for some one with less experience, and we all should I hope you consider yourself local and feel confidante to to speak to other kiters at your beach< I count on all the locals to do so!

If BWB gets shut down for any reason all it is going to do is put us as kiters on the danger radar, and we should all be doing what ever it takes to stay off the danger radar. DC is a state park and any rule there could trickle to every state park, If we as a community hurt some one there we could lose kiting in the state on water, and if we have a fatality it could jeprdize winter kiting as well, when Jake and I met with the strawberry rangers years ago we were told the state was still reviewing kiting and the dangers involed, not having any injurys reported has been a plus for our access.

Let's be real boys there ore only 20 people kiting water in the state, no one makes money off of us, we are not even paying to use UT lake or DC, we really have no pull with the state or the Park and Rec folks to arguee about them letting us kite or not kite. If they want to shut us down they will and no one, again I say NO ONE is going to care about 20 guys who don't get to kite, so it will be a quick and easy choice for anyone.

DC BWB is not a beginner spot, it is not a intermediate spot, It is a expert launch and land any local kiter who is out there and doesn't make that clear to any kiter who they are not sure of, is doing Me and our community wrong, I am not saying we should be cutting lines and getting into fist fights, but we should take a moment and educate people about the dangers of DCBWB, because it really is the beginner kiters that have not been educated that are going to have problems there.

Experanced Kiters some time forget the spot is dangerous becuase its our local spot and we ride it daily, I have stood on BWB with some amazing out of state kiters that were shocked that we even kite from there, and have not found some were alse to launch from, problem is there really isn't anywhere else to launch from, if there was I would go there myself. Lets not place this one launch spot in jeopardy.

Smart Safe kiters that always have access to kiting should be everyone in the community's goal. If it gets so out of hand that we need rules, then those of us who should be protecting "our" beach failed. If you try and ride BWB more then once a month then this means YOU! I have heard so many people at BWB trying to convince newer kiters they should go out and sit waist deep and practice, etc... We should be saying NO this is a expert only spot, and if you can't stay up wind and self launch and land you should be riding at Lincoln, I know in the summer dooldrums that's hard to do when ULLB fire once every few weeks, but Ithink it is the smart move, prove me wrong if I am. I would love other ideas!

[salvador]

no comprendo. lest go kite!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111