it could work in our favour, but than as you say if they mix us up than it will really stuff it,

was kitesurfing invented way back 93' as the article says?

This is interesting: Western Power responded this week by recommending that people "keep a safe distance from power lines when engaged in overhead recreational activities such as kite surfing''.

What constitutes an "overhead recreational activity"

I think they mean 2003, not 1993...

Perhaps General will be the next in the power lines[}:)]

jp747 said...

was kitesurfing invented way back 93' as the article says?

I think they are referring to Mike Easton who stacked in at Rockingham in 2004.
It was a blowing quite a gusty North Westerly at the time and I was driving down that way thinking what a rotten day for it was kiting.
Anyway, he found that out too but a bit too late.
There was a sudden wind shift, his kite ended up in the middle of the power zone and he was lifted up, dragged off the beach and over the car park, smacked into his own 4wd putting a large dent in it, lifted up again and across the carpark into the power lines and slammed into the shopping centre wall.
At the time it was though he was electroluxed by the power lines but as it happend, he was dead before he hit them.

So for all you kiters out there who weren't aware of this, beware of North Westerlies.
They are notoriously gusty and variable in direction, and downright dangerous for kites.
He was not a novice by the way. He had been doing it for some years and was quite good at it.

Mark _australia said...

As much as I hope windsurfers don't get dragged into this also, it really is their own fault (kiters) and hopefully it will give them a heads up abotu how to behave.
The responsible few need to start pulling up the d!ckheads in the sport and have words with them.....

Reckon they need to adopt the surfing fraternity approach, a hard up chat right at the launch site from the top crew if a boof head stuffs up
Works in surfing, should work with tea baggers

mineral1 said...

Mark _australia said...

As much as I hope windsurfers don't get dragged into this also, it really is their own fault (kiters) and hopefully it will give them a heads up abotu how to behave.
The responsible few need to start pulling up the d!ckheads in the sport and have words with them.....

Reckon they need to adopt the surfing fraternity approach, a hard up chat right at the launch site from the top crew if a boof head stuffs up
Works in surfing, should work with tea baggers

Sorry Mino,

All the hardcore hard nuts either surf or windsurf, that leaves no one to stand up re the kiters.

Seriously, Kiters have a right to be on the water just like any member of the public, it just so happens that they need more room, are exposed to more risk, expose the public to more risk, appeal to a younger generation who already dont deal well with rules (Generalizing big time, not all young people are like this it usually the bad 10%, I am just getting my point across).

The marine and harbors have a lot they should be worried about with kite's, the various local councils as well, so as the eastern states councils start introducing laws I am sure the other councils will follow, not to alienate the kiters but to protect them and the other water users.

I know of polies that carry string cutters for protection, so they bl00dy well should, I would hate to see a kite guy give a polie a mouth full for cutting his lines in the event of a collision.

My opinion is, kiters just need some guidelines, managment and safe play areas, Woodies is a classic example, they play on the north and south side and we play at the west end, sometimes we get a kiter hanging with us but they are generally very good and we pass without incident, but the fact is there are some unwritten rules for the 2 to co exist, they should stay away from any crowded surf spot.... Give them fair and defined areas and police it until an understanding is received.

I hope resolution and common sense is found one day, more for the inexperienced kiters than the experienced guys, unfortunately as per the sad example of Safetybay even those guys get caught out.

I agree, I hope the councils do not combine the 2 sports, pandemonium will surely ensue.

Kiting is more dangerous IMO, I hope the controllers and associations can get all the help they need in educating the sports users.

Cheers and good wind to Polies and kiters.

Cheers GT

Holy Generalisations Batman!!

Here's a tip for the cheap seats......every sport, no matter what it is, has its share of idiots. Now as much as you guys who are perpetuating this counter-productive 'them and us' mentality don't want to admit it, that includes windsurfing. In the short time I spent at Elliott Heads yesterday, I watched (among other things) a windsurfer come within a flysh!t of running over 2 kids swimming near the beach. Just because it's harder to spot than a guy on a kite getting hauled into power lines doesn't make it any less damaging for all beach users if those children's parents decide to complain about it.

So get over yourselves. People in glass houses and all that......

What a load of rubbish Mr Bonk.

In 17 years windsurfing I have never seen a windsurfer deliberately speed past a swimmer / surfer etc. I have seen one or two near misses which were understandable as neither party could see each other (or predict that the other could possibly be there)

In the last 5 years I have seen countless near misses where the kiter should have predicted that there is likely to be people there (mum n dad on beach and little kids run to the water. 5 min later, don't gybe right there!! Duh)
I have seen at least 10 examples of pure stupidity, showing off in the shallows with lines missing people walking on the beach by a matter of a couple of metres and edging hard to throw spray at swimmers / surfers.

In December I saw 3 kiters on a downwind run. They did every inside turn from Leighton to Cott (that was all I saw) right where people were swimming or where a windsurfer was beach/waterstarting. Three turns at Dutchies alone were near misses.

17 years: no d!ckhead windsurfers witnessed by me. 5 years and at least 10 by kiters.... just seen by me so strewth how many is there!!!????

That is why I say the responsible ones need to pull up the young dumb sh!ts and give them an attitude readjustment before they lose spots to kite at.... or worse still we lose ours also due to their behaviour.

Mark _australia said...

In 17 years windsurfing I have never seen a windsurfer deliberately speed past a swimmer / surfer etc. I have seen one or two near misses which were understandable as neither party could see each other (or predict that the other could possibly be there)

Well I guess you're lucky. Either that or you've got a lovely set of rose coloured glasses.....

I witnessed the same thing again today (albeit to a much lesser degree, owing to the cr@p wind)....guys on windsurfers coming straight at the beach and then attempting to gybe or stop at the last moment right next to swimmers.....so that's 2 days running now.

However, I digress. As I've already said, I have no interest in participating in 'them and us' blame game cr@p. The reality is that it happens, whether you've personally witnessed it or not.

as a former windsurfer for over 20 years,
and now a kitesurfer for 9 yrs..
i gotta say it would seem that kiters are determined kill kiting.
and i'll be back to windsurfing.
already trying to make the switch back.
cant believe how bad my windsurfing has become after only kiting for the last 5 years or so.

kiting is only dangerous to bystanders because of idiots with either
(1) no consideration
(2) show offs
(3) no brains.

If we all launched in a launch safe area , and then headed out to sea immediately, and stayed at out away from other beach users, there wouldnt be an issue.
but lots of us like to do tricks next to the shore/bystanders, jumps on beaches, teach our mates on crowded beaches , etc.

Kiters and kiters are just as dangerous - if not more so than jetski's and if we continue to abuse the fact that we are not regulated by strict rules we will be regulated by strict rules.
All other water users should be give a wide wide berth.....

Personally I cant think of a solution to this because how do you manage to control the idiots above. .... most of them are too dumb to realise or careless to do anything about it. And everyday there is a flock of new ones coming out to play.....


one good thing tho.... when the beaches are banned outright, the newbies will struggle to get as much water time as Ive had - and hence get better than me.

wave knave said...

as a former windsurfer for over 20 years,
and now a kitesurfer for 9 yrs..
i gotta say it would seem that kiters are determined kill kiting.
and i'll be back to windsurfing.
already trying to make the switch back.
cant believe how bad my windsurfing has become after only kiting for the last 5 years or so.

Mr Bonk listening I hope?
Wave Knave you are one of the responsible ones I spoke of above. Please please get together with others who are likeminded, and ream out the idiots before we all lose our beaches.