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Old 09-05-2011, 10:42 PM
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Default What to do with dangerous people?

Quote:
Originally Posted by dyyylan
Today during a 17-19 knot session I saw this older guy with a bunch of kids setting up an old 17m gaastra 4-line c kite. He was struggling with it a bit having his 12 year old launch him, and looked like he didn't really know what he was doing so I went over (also being mildly curious about the kite which he said was from around 2003 I think) to see what was going on. The bar had no safety systems at all just a leash tied to the bar with a chicken loop made from rope. The depower throw was about 6 inches with two knots tied... looked like he set it up himself. He was telling me that his 12 year old was interested in kiting as well.

I asked him if he knew what he was doing and he told me he knew how to fly a kite and body drag. He was getting thrown around a bit on the beach just holding it at 12 oclock (I was very very powered on my 12m so I can't imagine what it was like on a 17). He ended up crashing it in the water then yelled at some people when they ducked out of the way and told them that kites are very dangerous and they shouldnt stand around them :roll:

I told the guy several times that he really needs to take another lesson or two and get a modern kite so that he doesn't get hurt, this thing looked like a flying death machine.

Ended up going out (after self launching far away from him lol) by myself and while riding I noticed he was trying to get his kid to fly it. He crashed the kite right after he was launched by dad, and got dragged down the beach into the guarded area, in the prime time of labor day. Luckily some college guys grabbed the kite until dad could retrieve it, after giving them a lecture about how they should land kites because they are very dangerous :roll:


Anyway, the lifeguards had already talked to one of the other kiters there earlier that we were riding too close to people (in the unguarded area -- Rick or anyone else who knows this area it was at palmetto in boca). Luckily the lifeguards didn't say anything but this guy was really scaring me, especially letting his kid fly it. I could probably still pass for a highschooler so I don't really feel in the position to lecture him about how he's being irresponsible letting his kid fly the deadly kite without ever having a lesson or anything, the most I really did was urge him to get rid of the thing and get something safer, at least, and to take a lesson.

What else is there to do in these types of situations since it was an unguarded area and he didn't actually end up hurting anyone thank god...
This went up on Kiteforum today at http://www.kiteforum.com/viewtopic.p...713963#p713963.
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Old 09-05-2011, 10:45 PM
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This was my response:


Quote:
Originally Posted by RickI
I was north of you guys this afternoon. I won't ride directly upwind of the out of bounds guarded areas, i.e. south wind days. It is too easy to drift into it. When I saw your email I thought someone got messed up in those nasty squalls (see below) that blew through. Glad that wasn't it.

Anyway, what you experienced is way too common a problem. I blame the industry first and foremost for not taking more effective efforts to impart respect for basic kiting hazards through awareness building. They won't do it as a rule so it falls on us or at least responsible concerned kiters like yourself.

You will commonly encounter denial even anger in cases like this. It is how we are wired and as long as the sport is made to look so easy with no penalties for stupid destructive behavior it will likely continue. Trouble is that launch is a postage stamp with room for very few kiters and exists by sufferance through the Beach Patrol. On days like today with folks blowing into the out of bounds area is just turns up the heat to shut us down.

What you did was correct and seems to have been tactfully undertaken. The main thing I could suggest would be to get as many other folks to walk up with you to speak with the guy as possible. They don't even have to say anything, just stand close and look concerned. It adds weight to what you say and no one wants to look like an idiot to a crowd. Selling this to the guys might be a problem but losing the spot hopefully should be motivation enough to devote 10 minutes to try to preserve it. The only other thing, which could cut both ways would be to speak with Frank, a Beach Patrol lieutenant. He suffers more heartburn with kiter antics than most, still he might speak with a guy along with you if you ask. If I am at the launch, I sure would do it. It is way to easy to lose that launch and it is no place for people who can't stay upwind. They need to go to Delray and NOT south of Casurina but way to the south so they have room to drift downwind in southerly wind.

Thank you for what you did, I hope you can motivate other kiters to jump in next time. Numbers amplify the message and improve the odds it won't be so easily ignored.


The first of two nasty squalls this afternoon. You folks were by the last build in the distance to the left. The second stronger squall boosted winds higher and I saw three kites up very close to it. I had already secured and was trying to catch beach umbrellas tumbling at high speed in the gusts toward me.



The second squall, this one stayed intact once it moved offshore unlike the first squall, the shelf cloud.
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Old 09-05-2011, 10:45 PM
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Dylan's reply:

Quote:
Originally Posted by dyyylan
Yeah those squalls were pretty intense. I sat under my kite for the first one and kited after it passed, one guy ended up getting caught in it when it switched offshore and ended up down the coast a bit.

Thanks for the reply
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Old 09-05-2011, 10:46 PM
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and mine:


Quote:
Originally Posted by RickI
I did the same thing as you did. I was uncertain if the wind would come back or not. It did but took about a half hour. It stayed sideshore as the squall approached, then shifted side offshore and then died as you noticed. The second squall did the same thing only went a bit higher. They guy was lucky to only end up doing some swimming. Lots of guys have been lofted and messed up in pretty much identical conditions. Thanks again for getting involved, we need to get more of the local guys on board with this.

I just looked up the livecam shot from this afternoon as the second squall moved in, see below. You can see two guys standing on the beach well inside the guarded area to the north. This will cost us this spot, count on it. If the wind is south we need to go someplace else where there is a downwind buffer zone.

Quote:
Originally Posted by dyyylan
Yeah those squalls were pretty intense. I sat under my kite for the first one and kited after it passed, one guy ended up getting caught in it when it switched offshore and ended up down the coast a bit.

Thanks for the reply
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