i put this letter on my web site

[ricki]

It seems an important component of the current problem involves instructors. Guys that are teaching in poor locations among other beach goers and causing complaints. If folks are still going to teach starting lessons from the beach instead of from a boat, they need to be particularly sensitive to maintaining bystander, kiter safety and avoid complaints. A few complaints can be the start or even the finish of the process of closing an area to kiting.

In still other cases, ironically, it involves new kiters in need of proper quality professional training who have been injured in kiting accidents and/or scared bystanders through incidents. We can't handle that many of these type of avoidable problems.

Some in the Industry care which is only right and logical, while a good deal more seem indifferent to this problem. This makes no sense as lost access only hurts public perception and freedom to responsibly practice our sport and ultimately their income.

ASM has pursued one solution, to try to effectively maintain responsible riding practices at a specific venue and in that way trying to secure access there. Is this the only way these problems will be resolved? It would be great if the training organizations properly policed instructors and motivated an initiative to compel all instructors to acquire quality training and use good teaching practices. This seems to be lacking at this time. If people don't pull together then it falls on individuals to put systems together to secure things when and where they can for best effect.

[Kiteboarding Tampa Bay]

The training orgs. aren't going to do anything about their instructors, because in a membership (fee-based) org. they rely on selling memberships to these instructors and their students. They are limited by their membership structure, and limited to, selling memberships that don't come with a vote.

FYI-I think EVERY instructor should have training and have nothing bad to say about IKO or PASA other than they are limited in their effectiveness and potential for growth.

My suggestion is that if you earn money in this business, you should be required to have a publicly accessible profile page where your customers can comment on your service. When a prospective student is searching for an instructor, they can read through others firsthand experiences with that business. This could work in favor, or against them, depending on how they treated their customers. It would immediately create more instructor and retailer responsibility because as we know, nobody likes being called out....
Apply this to team riders and manufacturers would have a place (their profile) to go and scout new (respectable) talent. You know, find out who the person is that is repping their brand and whether they are a respectful kiter or not. Would "Rider B" obtain another sponsorship if they knew he intentionally caused a ban? Not a chance in hell...
I like to call it the Court of Public Opinion- simple and effective!

[Kiteboarding Tampa Bay]

Not sure why you removed "Rider B's" name from my post, but hey, it really helped prove my point- Creative stuff man!

Originally Posted by RickI

Some in the Industry care which is only right and logical, while a good deal more seem indifferent to this problem.

I prefer what is right and logical.

[ricki]

I only deal with one liable complaint per day. Let's keep names out of it which is old an old request in that matter.