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Old 05-24-2010, 12:58 PM
kent kent is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 430
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Thanks for the comments. Regarding the meeting time, in an effort to insure that all feel welcome, we made the decision to hold the meeting in a public area as apposed to ASM. Additionally, we were also trying to make the meeting convenient for Park staff as well and therefore 6 P.M. was as late as we could start. I agree that traffic at this time is horrible, but this is the best that we can do for now.

While we hope to have a large group on hand to show our appreciation to the Matheson officials, anyone that’s not able to attend will easily find all pertinent information online and at the concession trailer.

Regarding the management of this venue, I highly doubt that any non-interested party would have volunteered to manage the venue with little potential to re-coup costs, etc. Additionally, as the trailer must be there 7 days per week (windy or not) this might not have been too attractive to many groups. As only a small handful of instructors have even bothered with getting certified to teach, it's a stretch to expect that they would have obtained the proper insurance, captains licenses, permits, etc. to become a long-term and successful management entity with in the park. Aside from the organization required to do this properly, the implementation of management at this venture required a significant start up cost. Computers, generators, compressors, trailers, automobiles, and boats all needed to be purchased in order to accomplish our mission. There is a financial risk involved, but to our organization it's worth it. We have more invested in the industry than any other entity in Florida (and likely the United States). Preserving access is vital to all that we do and it's a responsibility that we take very seriously. All recreational riders that want to continue to ride great spots like Crandon Beach Park and Matheson Hammock will benefit by these efforts.

In short, the issue remains that "self policing" of the venue has never worked. Just in the last week, 1 kite flew into the kiddy pool (this was a beginner taking a $39 lesson that ended up getting away from his “instructor” and had to emergency release his kite), and 1 rider that found himself down wind of the normal riding venue decided to climb the rocks with his kite in the air and walk though the kiddy pool exiting to the north (this can NEVER happen). Saturday was the final straw that could have (or may have) broken the camels back. A rider that clearly wasn't ready to be riding on his own kited through the no kite zone and then fell resulting in dragging over the rocks directly to the east of the launch zone. He landed in the parking lot, hit the side of Francisco’s truck (resulting in a dent), and then hit another car resulting in a larger dent. This necessitated 2 police cars and an emergency trip via ambulance for the rider. No word on his status yet, but broken arm and foot are likely according to those that were closest. A similar accident resulted in a fatality at this park not long ago. The guidelines presented would have prevented all of these incidents.

After learning of Saturday's accident, I made the decision to move the trailer to Matheson to allow riders to get used to the idea and to check the spacing required for the operation for a final time. I sat and watched riders the entire day. While some meager attempts were made to inform people of the "no ride" zone directly to the east of the launching area, people didn't have any real authority to enforce it. Riders were walking with their kites high above their heads only 2-3 feet from parking lot and curbs. The same girl rode back and fourth though the zone as did many other riders. The Park has repeatedly asked that this no be done. They not only wish to avoid getting riders hurt, but also those that are walking on the path around the kiddy pool (keep in mind that the Park is for ALL, not only kiters). While watching on Saturday, I witnessed 4 separate kite wraps, 2 of which happened in the "no ride" zone. One kite wrap happened only half a kite lines lengths from the parking lot. With our management of this venue, potentially disastrous incidents like these will not happen. Reasonable riders that are simply looking to enjoy riding at Matheson will have no problems with the new guidelines or the enforcement of them. Those that are only interest in showboating meters from the parking lot or those that are unwilling to abide by the reasonable guidelines presented should probably ride elsewhere. We can not allow the actions of a few to endanger any individual or threaten our riding access in Miami or any other location for that matter.

Lastly, while no one wants to be “that guy” (just ask Tim or Lock, who thanklessly undertook the task for several seasons resulting in continued access, when closing the venue was probably easier for the County), clearly someone has to be as our riding access depends on it. We have come a long way with respect to equipment, etc., but we have never been able to jump the "self police" hurdle. The new management of the venue will be better for all recreational riders regardless of which shop they like or which brand they choose to ride. Give us some time to work through the initial implementation as there are sure to be a few bugs. After things are running along, let us know about the things you like and please inform us of those that you don’t. Matheson is YOUR beach so let’s all help to protect it. Hope to see you Wednesday night.
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