Calling Fl kiteboarding business owners

[The Kite House]

Recent bans, teaching, selling ect have continued to plague us in Florida. I belive we could start out with a forum, then after some talk the sba [small bus asc] will charter us. Reason i sugest this:

1- As a person or persons operating a business, the feedback for problems should come from us when it is business related, as we have more of a pulse on it and will come foward more as per riders. This can keep it from not getting personal or who likes who.

2- We as a group can seperate ourselves from things going on that we dont agree with.

3- As a group or numbers will help a city our county listen to us if a problem arises, as we pay taxes, have licences ect..

4- Areas can be shown of who is teaching where and what the rules are.

5- As business owners in Florida we can push for different things from companys as well as other businesses to make a increase in sales and in lessons.

I am sure there is more, but if this is not a good idea i would like to know either way with some feed back. We can ask Rick to set thgis up and go from there. I will put up a list of all schools and shops in florida in the next day. After that will wait to see if they all agree or some do, or this is not a good idea. I love doing this sport, but it is also a business, so either way i dont want to see people hurt or getting things baned......plain truth its bad business

[The Kite House]

Sorry this also includes people who work in this industry. It will be password protected, so you have to use your real name to sign up.

[TBKA]

Please keep us informed Paul, the Tampa Bay local kiting businesses and TBKA are ready and willing to help out in an exchange ideas for an organized effort.
I am happy to add an "industry roundtable" section on www.tbka.org if needed. There's info there that may be of assistance, and we are already using our real names to maintain the integrity of the site.
Thanks for your continued efforts to move the sport in the right direction, we would love to help.
PM'd you also

[b-rad]

sounds good...but what exactly do you want to do? Form an association? a forum without aliasas?

B-rad
Seven

[TBKA]

Not sure if you're asking me or Paul, but I will explain my view real quick while we're waitin' for the new forum. I should have posted as Kiteboarding Tampa Bay instead of TBKA... sorry
Steve Sadler here, this is my opinion and not that of TBKA members.

my understanding and thought on each point in Pauls post:
1. I think what Paul's getting at is that, the kiting business owners and operators need to form a trade association that will serve as the "figurehead" that makes the rules and deals with the problems. (GREAT IDEA on the dealing with the problems, but in general, kiters don't want the retailers deciding what's best for them!)

2. Isolate themselves from the problem. (Not possible,part of the problem is team riders,shops selling gear to inexperienced kiters,manufacturer's perks,friendships,etc. )

3. Retailers represent us at meetings with officials. (GREAT IDEA! I'll give you a list of associations to join that will help, and a list of spots to regain access. Chip in and hire some professionals, we're gonna need them.)

4. Lay out specified teaching areas and regulate instructors. (GREAT IDEA!) -(Draw the line on uncertified/uninsured instructors, learning on your own, friends teaching friends, etc.
-(Make certified instruction a standard to enter the sport.)
-(Use regulated instructors to finish training all their half taught kiters out there and give them a skills test and certification card with emergency info on the back.)

5. I am not really interested in.(no comment)

The reason I chimed in as TBKA is because our efforts here are really coming together to address these issues as kiters to protect our sport. We are actively working on soultions for #'s 1 thru 4 already that has nothing to do with the retail end of the biz.
None of what I am speaking of is breaking news.

[TBKA]

Wow, I figured there would be a lot more interest in this topic, as it does have possibilities to do some good.
I think I made a few valid points in my perspective, hopefully it didn't ruffle too many feathers this time. Since we are all on different paths trying to conquer the same mountain of problems, its important that we begin to work together to make any progress.
I would ask that the leaders take into consideration the general kiters opinions, as making them happy is ultimately what will make any effort to succeed.
At least there's have a few here who are willing to speak their mind, wish more could do the same...

[The Kite House]

Thanks for some of the fill in TBKA, was a busy wind weekend,so havent hadtime to comment.

The first thing i belive we will start out with is a fourm for people who work in the industry. You will use real name, and have a password. The idea is to be like a small buss asc, in where we can promote buss together, try and solve problems before they get out of hand, discuss this away from the public, then release something latter that calls for certin action. Example: Hobbie beach, we[people from all over florida] see whats going on and try to figure a way to corect it, but offering sugestions or if people are doing something wrong, calling it out, so we can get it out in the open and clear it up[not out in general public where there are more sides taken than ever]

After words can but something out to locals on what might help. Seems like nothing, but i am telling you people getting hurt, teaching in places you shouldnt be, creating some fear is all bad for the sport and business.

As a business owner and someone who works in this field, i feel we are more affective as a group than individuals.

All business have they types of asc in one way or another. It helps to have the people dong it voice sugestion and alsohelps further the sport to make everyone sucessfull. This sport is still way imature, and people are doing what ever they want with teaching , riding ect.... Florida is one of the main spots for the fall, winter and spring as a riding spot in the world. I bet you this, keep up all the crazy stuff thats been going on, i have been told by officals" its eaiser just to shut it all down" riders and schools that really dont have to be let in certin areas. I have been watching this for 10 years in florida and everywhere else, time is coming, numbers are way bigger and stuff is happening way more frequent.

Anyway, i would like to see something professional happen with all this.


was trying to form a list for schools and retaliers i know i missed some, please help.


www.kitetricity.com

www.eastcoastkiteboarding.com

WWW.KitesurfUSA.com tiki-niel

www.seaandskysports.com


www.extremesportsfloridakeys.com /seven sports

www.kitesurftheearth.com

the other side mike


the kite house-miami-key west-marathon-


www.bigkitemiami.com

www.miamikiteboarding.com

Sky Banditz Int'l Location: Miami, Florida

Kitesurfing Of N.W. Florida Location: Pensacola Beach, Florida
Email: Jodiane[O]aol.com
N/A

www.tampabaykiteboarding.com

www.kitemare.com

www.LearnToKiteboard.com


www.eastcoastkiteboarding.com/

www.jupiterkiteboarding.com

www.southfloridakitesurfing.com/

kgbkiteboarding.com

www.xlkites.com

www.tksmiami.com

www.firstcoastkiteboarding.com

[ricki]

Paul suggested making the new business forum public for a few days. Sounds like a good idea to me. So it will stay visible to all visitors until around June 7 when it will revert to access limited to business members.

I would appreciate it if folks could pass word of the existence of this new forum. I would ask that business participants let me know (via PM to ricki or email to flkitesurfer at hotmail.com) that they are signed up by providing their screen name and full name so that I can tweak the settings to allow them access. Also, Paul, Kent, maybe we could put together an invitational email and send it out to the list of businesses that appear on this thread? It might be better coming from one of you.

[Jur]

If it is interesting for the ridier community to see whats happening, and I'm sure it it, why don't you make the forum 'read-only' for everyone.

This way everyone can see what's going on, without polluting the posts, public opinio can be vented on this forum then.

[ricki]

If the membership wants to do this sounds fine to me. I think it may be more likely that there will be a publicly accessible permanent thread or sub forum dealing with the WBF (World Ballet Federation?) for riders at large or forum members to put up comments and questions on. Did something like the later back in the day for the KBTA. Thanks for the suggestion.