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Old 12-30-2010, 04:32 PM
Jupiter_Kiteboarder Jupiter_Kiteboarder is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 1
Default Floored.....

Rick,

All due respect, I'm quite put off by your comments. Maybe you don't care, and maybe you are a sponsored pro, but I'm pretty sure you weren't always.

I was a great wakeboarder, and I'll ultimately be a pretty good kiter, but for the moment, I'm in need of flat water to ensure I can hit Juno Kite beach with the masses safely.

I've been nothing but brutalized and frustrated trying to learn in rough conditions. To that point, why don't the experienced riders like yourself go shred the surf, as opposed to areas that are flat and smooth? That way, the newer riders can learn and gain the skills and confidence necessary to not put spots at risk.
J
I can assure you the minute I'm good enough to be confident and safe in east coast launches with rough water, I'll likely only kite at home.

Your position is like an environmentalist that builds a home in a remote area, but then tells everyone else they are destroying the environment when others want to build.

I want so badly to learn to master this sport, but its attitudes like yours that make me doubt what I was told when I got involved which was that it was a cooperative and helpful community. I am finding that to be true about 50% of the time, and the other is aloof, rude, impatient, or downright self consumed.

Simply put, who stands to benefit most from flat water? Newer riders, but really the whole community because a rider that's learned the fundamentals in smoother water is going to be safer for everyone involved.

Maybe you meant well, but not everyone has a boat, the money for taxis, or even the knowledge of how to launch off shore. Before you suggest more lessons, I'm absolutely certain I can't afford any more lessons nor do I understand how how someone can even teach you in the water unless it's in an area like the Stuart Flats, but even at that you know at the end of the day newer riders have to get out there and crash and burn many times and I know my many attempts in rough water have only frustrated me and temporarily made me doubt my commitment to learn the sport. I've been asking anyone and everyone at kite beach for 3 months and I finally found someone that was willing to share Marco with me that wasn't looking to sell me more lessons that are really only expensive water taxis to somewhere flat. I know the safe way to fly the kite, set up the kite and I've become quite proficient at self rescue due to the conditions being more than I can reasonably manage, and having been a competitive wakeboarder years back I know the board, but putting it together on the water is entirely different.

When I finally reach a point where I'm as good as you must be and as good as the guy who suggested Marco to me was, I hope I'm more like him and interested in seeing more spots open because experienced riders are helping rookies come up and get better much quicker and safer and the forces behind anti-kiting movements will have far less ammunition.

I'm not going anywhere. I'm learning this sport. When I reach a point I can help others, I'll be the guy volunteering to help others enjoy the sport in any way i can. I hope I always remember what it was like to be new so Im always helping others.

In fact I know I will be.

Thanks.

Jupiter newbie
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