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Old 05-24-2010, 10:36 AM
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: St. Pete, Tampa Bay Area
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RickI View Post
Considering past events at the launch, accidents, guys getting stuff out of cars with kites flying, congestion, lessons mixed with riders, it should be a great improvement on things. Many thanks to Kent and all the folks at ASM for doing this.

A thought about the lack of comment. It may be related to why these new procedures are necessary in the first place, rider apathy. Apathy can be at the root of access problems in many areas. Let someone else deal with it, well fortunately it looks like someone will and they are putting a lot of thought and effort into it as well.
Not sure why you guys are so surprised with the silence around here....
The "apathy monster" has been running wild around here for what, 4 years now?
Our launches in Tampa Bay definitely show the overall lack of care or concern by anybody to do anything the past few years. The only rule established here is to protect your own image and don't say nothin' about nothin'. In that regard, we've had massive success.

My thought on the new concession:
Personally, I think its the best option for that area, and once again proves the need for standards and instructor training, such as IKO or PASA. I would have preferred to see a more industry neutral, collaborative solution myself, but remain hopeful the respect for quality instruction grows as a result of this.
I can also see the other side of the coin, where some people might view this as a silent backdoor takeover of a riding spot by a retailer, and if you're not in the ASM fan club, you're outta luck (and/ or out of a job), but once again, I am in support of regulation down there and wish them the best.

One might also logically forsee a run by other retailers to stake their claim at other spots, which raises this question in the back of my mind:
Had I done this at Ft. Desoto several years ago when things clearly started going downhill in our area, would you guys be as congratulatory?
No response necessary because I'm 100% certain of your answer, and yes, I did look into it, decided I wasn't going to be "that guy", and subsequently chose to focus my efforts on other ways to help the sport.

In closing, I would like to again give props to Kent for stepping up to help restore access, and to say to those who are "too reserved or refined" to call out a kook, unqualified instructors, or stand up for your spots:
"Look on the bright side, at least you didn't damage that squeaky clean, alias internet forum public image of yours...Nice streamer, BTW, it matches your dress."
I look forward to seeing how this plays out.
Un-apathetically and always truthfully yours,
-KTB
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