Respect for your Fellow Kiters' Safety and Access

[ChrisPSherwin]

I’m not in the habit of flaming people on forums, but last year we had lengthy discussions about how to keep places like Deer Creek safe and accessible for the future. Generally, it was agreed that if we saw unsafe conduct, we would speak up.

Today I saw unsafe conduct, I addressed it, and I am still unsure that the unsafe party is on board with our plan. Numerous experienced kiters saw what happened and agree that it was a very foolish and completely avoidable situation. What was most shocking though, was the complete lack of respect for the general kiting community’s safety and access that was demonstrated by this person.

When I walked up to this person there were a number of red flags already.

1) They were ready to launch ten feet upwind of the entrance to Barb Wire Beach. Yes, they were BEHIND the barb wire fence, with their lines running through the one opening downwind to the kite.

2) The kite that they were launching was a 14 meter foil kite, completely in the hot launch position (naturally), and it was pretty windy. Many people were contemplating 9m and 11m kites at the time. If you can handle a big kite safely, be my guest, but it still didn’t look good.

3) The kite was in between a SunShade structure (about 8 feet tall) and several kites. There was no more than four feet of open grass on either side of the kite.

At this point I approached the person and suggested that there was a safe and better way to be doing this launch. He immediately responded in a fairly snide and all knowing way that “it’s a foil kite, it needs to fill with air.” (I have seen foil kites and know how they work. I am also older than five years, and I have common sense.)

Despite my suggestion, he launched without changing his plan, and things didn’t go very well. He was pulled about 80 feet downwind immediately. The kite was now almost overhead and didn’t look like it was filling properly. Less than a few seconds passed, Peter grabbed his harness, and I ran over to help out. He got pulled forcefully downwind again, and ultimately detached from his kite, which sailed all the way to the parked cars. I am thankful that nobody was hurt, and that the kite didn’t end up on the windshield of a moving car on the road.

Later in the day he apologized for being a bit grumpy with me. I thought we were going the right direction, until (in the same breath) he mentioned that he “founded” barbed wire beach, owned a shop, was flying a prototype kite and few other things. It was obvious that he did not take any responsibility for the problems that he had with the launch.

This is the point in time where most kiters would say something like, “Dude, I really blew it.” And we could all move on, with lessons learned. But he couldn’t admit that he had really screwed up and could have hurt numerous people beyond himself. It is important to note that several inexperienced kiters launched without incident today, and that the danger was easily avoidable.

If I see this person (or anyone else) set up this way again, I will tell him the same thing. I will offer help, I might even stand on his kite until he agrees to launch in a safer manner, in better conditions for a foil kite of that size, or a kite that can be launched at the edge of the window like he did later.

But I will not stand by and simply shake my head while someone jeopardizes OUR safety and OUR access to launch areas.

The person in question doesn’t owe ME anything, but it is my opinion that they owe the kiting community an apology, and a commitment to launch more safely in the future.

I write this to ask for the support and commitment of all Utah Windriders Association kiters. Please speak up and help each other to launch and land safely.

[Kenny]

Chris,

It is not a flame if you don't name the guilty party...

At least we know it is not BMW guy

You are correct that a foil kite can be launched with a side launch. The reason that you usually see me do a hot launch is I use foils when the wind is light, when the wind picks up I like the increased stability of an LEI. The clown you mentioned is going to get himself of someone else seriously injured or killed if he doesn't change his attitude.

kenny

[Mark Johnson]

With all the new kiters out there maybe it would be a good time to start a safety tips thread on this forum. I see a lot of complacency starting to show up as people get a bit of confidence in there skills. I hate to see anyone get hurt . Kiting is meant to be fun!

[David Kyle]

Lets give the guilty part a chanch to explain.
Remember the movie "Hangover" ?
It might be one of those oopsies that he might not want to remember but
might like a chance to appologize for. I just thought it was way off key for this guy.
, but that was really funny to watch as I was walking back in with my kite.

[John Guay]

Fortunately the situation Chris described didn't result in any injuries to the kiter or spectators. It did elevate concerns and conversation about our tenuous access to BW Beach. With all due respect to the work that Peter and Jake did to host the event I'm not sure it was good idea at this location. My understanding is our access is based on conversations with a neighbor who leases the land from the BLM. Hopefully they had proper permission and appropriate liability insurance. From my perspective and many other local kiters this is not a good location for lessons or events. The additional attention and exposure may very well result in it's closure and that would be a disaster for our kiting community. Just my 2cents.

[Todd Jacques]

john I agree. we need to get the facts straight. we need to all come up with a agreed plan of action to secure this launch. my .02 cents

[David Kyle]

I kinda dissagree John.
I think BWB is a great spot for (ground) lessons and was a killer venue for the events, because it was
scrutinized, tested and pulled off by everyone who rode there. I dont think we are in any danger of loosing the
BWB just as long as we help the clueless and hault the reckless like we usually do.
On the other hand no one reamed my ass for riding in the shallows trying to trick near launching kiters,
looking back, someone should have. Speak up!

[james holland]

bmw guy here-

A couple of weeks ago I errantly gave Kody Hoover a bad launch at DC. As I was crossing my hands over his bridal so I could raise his kite up, a wind gust abruptly yanked it right out of my hands. I’m guessing that’s why I’m being called out here (understandably). I just want to say that I felt really bad about this and that I fully understood how sketchy it was. When Kody’s kite dropped on the ground in the bottom of the window, I started running to grab it but Kody said “I got it, I got it” (he had mentioned earlier that he often self launches at DC). When his kite lit up fast, Kody went for a sprint (and a short drag!) across the field but then skillfully recovered after a brief adrenalin rush. Please know that safety is the top priority for me (and I welcome any feedback as relates to safety and/or my meager kiting skills). Although I only just picked up kiting this past fall, I have probably launched 50 kites since that time w/o issue and if ever you were to entrust me to launch your kite, I probably wouldn’t do this to you!

PS – although I drive a bmw, I’m actually a reasonably nice guy

-Jim

[jason morton]

James-
You're not BMW guy. That was another fellow. He is now one of us and we love him.

[David Kyle]

Jim,

It's really no big deal. Those things happen from time to time. Even seasoned riders flub up a perfectly easy
launch just for the fact that these kites are so asolutely powerfull that they can take most anyone by surprise.
BMW guy... that was some preaty funny stuff way back when but now just a bad joke.

[Jacob Buzianis]

Pepe- Thanks for looking out for the spot and addressing this issue. I'm with you on this. If I see a person that isn't respecting our kite spots and the kiting community, with everyone's best interest in mind we all need to take a stand to make sure that safety is a top priority. That totally sucks that you were treated that way, when you were just watching his (along with everyone else's) back. For anyone that isn't familiar with kite areas & rules.. I would hate to see something go wrong and the kite access gets banned. It would only take one serious incident & our beaches could ban kiting in a second. There are so many areas out of state that have already banned kiting in particular ares....FL and NY right now. Our good beaches are very limited here, so I say we all do our part to keep them safe.

John G- Utah Summer Games does have a permit and the appropriate liability insurance for the kite event. They have always had these over the past 5+ years. The State ranger was very aware of the race/freestyle area being set up by BWB out on the water. No event was "hosted" at BWB, only communications and launching in/out from there. I would not run or be involved with an event that didn't have the appropriate permission and liability insurance.

If you feel like the event shouldn't be hosted there, please start a new forum and let's see what the kiting community decides. It's only one weekend of the year. There isn't really a better location to showcase kiteboarding in Utah. Is there? It's an awesome event, and so great to get locals involved in. It's also sweet to get everyone out at an organized event and share the stoke together.

Jim- This was other situation that happened this weekend at the Utah Summer Games. It was definately not you Dude, Shit Happens! Wind happens! Gusty winds can be hard to predict and hard to see them coming. I think the best word of advice would just to remember before launching somone just look upwind and around you and see what the wind is doing. Sometimes you can see stronger wind coming. As you already know, be ready to hold down the kite if the wind decides to get nasty. You are rocking it out there!

HAVE FUN and BE SAFE. See you guys out on the water!

I will be at Rush Lake most of the week kiting and having fun. Watch out for storm clouds on Wed. afternoon and Thursday.

[PeterMiller]

To my knowledge the Utah Summer Games Kiteboarding is really the only event on water in Utah.
That was I believe the first time in the last 3 or 4 years that we had the Kiteboarding at the Utah Summer Games
I appreciate the concerns about launch I think as a group we need to work on the transition of new kiter to the sport.
Anyone can point to a problem now lets look for solutions. We need to be proactive not reactive. The sport is going to grow.
The Challenge I see is in the group cooperation of the kiting community. I do not think that a scorch and burn tatic is the best
way. Our compassion for our fellow man or woman will be our strength. If you think about it even if every one is certified their still
can be accidents. I think that the approach needs to be stop the illness before it ever happens. I see our illness as not having a good
program of transitioning from not being a kiter to becomming a good kiter. Education is the key.
Also the power of many will persuade few or one. When seeing some one doing something wrong "not stupid" approach and ask them if you can help if they say im alright explain you would like to help because your concerend about them and the launch. We as a community need to adopt the newbies.
Belittlement and Intimidation are the marks of the lessor of people. The small man puts people in darkness and the big man pulls them into the light.
We have to be a community of guidence. That I believe is our best approach. Stop the illness before it happens.
We cannot afford to be shy introduce yourself to everyone and if you voice a concerns think of solutions.
I have thought that having a set of red flaggs in everyones bags might be a solution for spotting a microburst.
Spectators need to be thought about too. Wether we have events or no events.

[Ralph Morrison]

There's something that some of you guys don't really see and that's how important Deer Creek is to the kiters that live near it. Kiters that don't rely on BWB as their main spot don't care as much about what happens there. I care so much that it makes it extremely hard to watch somebody that doesn't give a damn at all. When an event rolls in and there are so many people that it's out of control, it makes my skin crawl. I don't think that the responsibility of an event holder ends at permits and insurance. There's traffic and parking control, spectator control, launching and landing and obeyance of local rules control and a rescue team. There needs to be people designated to these things for the whole event. I think that preserving our sites should come first before growing the sport. There's no sense growing the sport if there's no where to go.

[MikE mAy]

Ok, i'll join the soapbox here. i just have one simple question that can avoid much confusion for the future:


what ever happened to the idea of posting a simple diagram at the parking area to BWB with "suggested" launching techniques, areas, and directions to launch and hit water as soon as you can, incoming riders have right of way, etc. Was it scrapped or just not acted upon becuase it was the end of the season last year?


there are many new kiters as everyone has suggested and this is becoming more apparent. most of the seasoned riders here would rather be riding than verbally teaching and policing launch areas. a simple sign would clearly state the message and general guidelines that we all should be adhering to. this way if a new kiter who is perhaps shy or even intimidated by the other riders who know what they are doing don't have to work up the courage to ask someone or make the mistake- they just read it and get it (hopefully).

[David Kyle]

Mike,

Sounds great on paper but,
beeing me, I role into DC and rig up wherever it suits me
and land just the same, because I am used to that
kind of environment we have afforded in our small community.
For the events, yes perfect idea along with a Skipper's Meet before
anyone crosses a ropped off area?
Also I think a new rider is more conserned with getting his or her
harness right-side up, the colored lines on the right notts and
will completely forget what that sign said the second he or she walks
past the gate.