[robertovillate]

I agree...Scott, thanks for bringing this important issue up.

I've also been noticing a lot of questionable teaching and riding practices lately, specifically related to riding/lesson location and environment. Anyone reading this forum knows exactly what we are talking about here, which is not to say that everyone reads the forum. So, unfortunately, it is often necessary to confront people at the beach about this - not anyones favorite thing to do when they would rather be riding.

I'm not intending to blow my horn, however if someone is a certified instructor they should be concerned with this type of reckless behaviour, which can lead to being "de-certified". Maybe the fact that some "instructors" are not certified makes them feel that they can do as they please(?). However the situation you describe is blatantly irresponsible any way you look at it.

Anyone teaching, certified or not, needs to set good examples, discourage reckless behavior, influence students to be responsible in order to maintain access, and avoid situations that are prone to accidents. As Scott states - it's not that hard to follow some of these standards. Respect for these issues should start with the first lesson and should be reinforced along the way by the instructor and other riders.

One of my students went to East Beach (after a lesson with me) on a 20+ rider day to watch the action. They were shocked and appalled by what they saw going on there with respect to safety practices, rider etiquette, rider conflicts, uncontrolled draggings, kite-to-kite contact...WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND HERE???? I'd venture to say that all of this is unavoidable and unnecessary. I am convinced that the conduct of many riders is based on the direct influence of their instructor and the people they ride with.

As the rider population increases so does the probability for accidents. There are going to be some very irrate people around here if even ONE of the beaches becomes off-limits due to this sort of thing.