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  #11  
Old 05-31-2007, 09:16 PM
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Originally Posted by Kamikazi View Post
Where did you buy your kite?
Since only one shop in the area sells Monkey kites.... Wondering though did he have lessons and if not how did he buy the kite?
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  #12  
Old 06-01-2007, 07:49 AM
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Stevil Kenevil Stevil Kenevil is offline
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My suspense is now turning to worry.....

I'm calling the Coast Guard......

****ALL POINTS BULLETIN*****
MISSING BOATER SEARCH
SEARCH RADIUS- 380 NAUTICAL MILES
Be on the lookout for one missing kiter, a missing Jet Ski (brand unknown), and a 12m Monkey kite with bar and lines attached. The only clue to this mystery is a small puppy found at Cypress beach,lovingly waiting for its owners return, attached to a tree with an odd looking ,bungee-type LEASH. Onlookers at the scene reported a runaway kite heading towards the freeway,but before the frantic victim launched the jet ski to recover the kite, he pulled the drain plug ,drained the gas out and removed his life vest. Friends and family have not heard from him since......
Any information on his whereabouts should be reported directly to authorities.
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  #13  
Old 06-01-2007, 01:19 PM
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Erick Erick is offline
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Lightbulb

It seems like we are not going to get an update from TwnTrb15 perhaps someboady should give him a call. That Monkey could be hiding in the mangroves!
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  #14  
Old 06-02-2007, 04:05 PM
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Steve-O Steve-O is offline
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Default No more mystery

Spoke with Victor....he ok....kite is lost. Who knows where it ended up.

This story brings up an interesting debate in our sport currently being covered in the latest kiteboard magazine.

Victor came into the shop and was going to have a friend help him get into the sport. As all shops do, we preached lessons throughout our conversation. Victor was short on money, was going to get with his friend and if he got frustrated, would get some lessons. Obviously things didn't end up well. Lots of mistakes that could have easily been avoided even if just watching a training DVD. Kiting 101....don't fly in offshore conditions.

The mag discusses the effect that Best Kiteboarding has had on the industry with the start of online direct sales. Not to mention, all shops sell stuff online. A new kiter could lie their ass off and basically get what they want. I am not saying Victor lied, but his friend was not the best choice for instruction.

Tom seems to want to point the finger at us (WSW). It ultimately is the kiter's responsibility to get training and continue to kite safely thoughout there time as a kiter. Same goes with buying a car. It is your responsibility to drive safe, within the speed limit, follow basic rules of the road, not drive drunk....ect. The solution to this problem is simple....require by law for anyone entering the sport to get certified and receive a card. This card will allow for purchase in a shop, online, or over the phone. This is already in place for skydiving, hang gliding, paragliding, scuba...and various other dangerous sports. It is a way to insure that the sport stays as safe as can be. I don't see any other solution.

Currently, you can fill a shopping cart online, purchase off of EBay, IKite, or simply call a shop and get what you want if you say the right things.

We all here at WSW want this to be a safe sport, but there is only so much we can do to police the sport until the industry as a whole makes better choices about the future of the sport.
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  #15  
Old 06-03-2007, 08:13 PM
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Stevil Kenevil Stevil Kenevil is offline
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I am glad to hear that Victor is OK.He is lucky it only cost him a kite.... The guy that found Victor's shiny new kite will UNDOUBTEDLY show up at East Beach on a crowded day to mess around with his shiny new kitethingamajigger and get us banned......I just hope he stops by the shop and picks up a leash first...

I also read that same article a month or two ago. So if shops and online retailers arent going to police who they are selling gear to, who is???I think that there should be REQUIRED certification to purchase gear whether it be at a shop or through an online retailer, but business is business, and everyone wants to sell you that shiny new kite today, not after you are a competent, independent kiter with a certification card to prove it.....

We could all have KITE SPECIFIC INSURANCE for 89.00 a year, but thats too much money to blow on safety.....To have insurance you must be a minimum level 2 kiter, who is proficient in everything enough to safely practice on their own, including self launch/land ,self rescue, attaching the leash, etc.. (That means they have taken a lesson and learned properly, and understand there is a learning timeline in this sport, and that they're not an expert just yet.)
I am through bustin Victor's balls, but his kitemare is a good example- If his kite went into I-275 and caused a 14 car accident, he would be insured. If he swam after his kite and the coast guard had to rescue him, it would be covered. If he got impaled by one of the many hazards at Cypress and had to be Bayflited to the hospital, he would get a free ride. Victor would not have lost a kite if, when he went into the local shop or asked someone about the sport at the beach, he was told "Lessons are a requirement in this sport, period. We will be happy to sell you gear as soon as you have a certification card."
Having a certification system would probably be the best thing to curb the rapid growth of this sport, or at least let you be confident with who your on the water with. This sport would not suffer with a few rules- only the egos of a few knuckleheads....

We couldda
We Shoudda
We Wouldda
Oh well, I am done rambling for now.
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