Dangerous launching at 3rd

[jbirdmarin]

plus I'm pretty sure you are one of the 'do the right thing' kiters, yesm? Spread the LOVE MAN! :partyman: :banana-wrench:

[Greg]

plus I'm pretty sure you are one of the 'do the right thing' kiters, yesm? Spread the LOVE MAN! :partyman: :banana-wrench:

True DAT!
I can be quite the tool- #-o

#1 RULE: LEAVE PLENTY OF ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.

Love you Angel,
Gregory Burton Boyington

[HelmKites3rd]

Every Certified Kite School in the SF Bay Area SHOULD teach the proper hand signals, launching and landing techniques and WHAT TO DO WHEN S*^t hits the Fan. (Unhook, hit your chicken loop release, and have the knowledge to know how)

BUT as we are reading in this thread, Lots of New Kiters do NOT know what to do in those situations.

As far as self policing at 3rd, YOU KIND PEOPLE are doing your BEST to make sure no one goes face first into the rocks-and that cannot be expressed in words.

Yet, we still find ourselves out at 3rd ave, with a small guy on a 16 C kite he bought off Criagslist trying to hot launch straight downwind.

My Question to EVERY customer who walks through the doors (experienced or not) is "How far along are you in your Kite Experience."

Some people tell the truth and notify us that they are complete and utter beginners, others say they have had lessons elsewhere but have no idea how to Launch or Land a Kite.

There is no answer to this puzzle, but I would like to make it CLEAR that Helm of Sun Valley will do its BEST to assist any or all Kiters in having the Safest experience they can have.

Forums like this are KEY for beginners to understand. And that speaks volumes about how much the community CARES. It is all about FUN and Safety.

If you have any questions, concerns, or problems you can notify me via email:

NorCalKeleko@gmail.com

Safety First!

Greg Stupplebeen
Helm of Sun Valley
333 North Amphlett Blvd
San Mateo, CA 94401
650.344.2711

[shred_da_gorge]

Thank you for that promise, Greg, because otherwise I say certified shmertified. I've run into plenty of people who say they've taken lessons but are doing incredibly unsafe things, including a certified instructor in Texas who would have clotheslined my buddy had it not been for an open Subaru hatchback upwind of us.

Saturday I met a young man ready to launch a Cabrinha with lines hooked up wrong, kite leash dangling, lines not depowered, leading edge floppy, and board leash ready to attach while not wearing a helmet. Though I was frustrated, I took the time to explain through a number of things and his buddy and I got him out on the water. He told me he took lessons - honestly, I don't believe him - but having taken lessons is only the first qualifying step (I've seen debates around this, don't care to start another one... yeah, I remember Wipika pain back before there was 'certified', blah, blah). I gave this kid the benefit of the doubt, thinking yeah, I was a newbie once (and not currently immune to stupid decisions), but I don't think I'll do that often.

Please don't be offended if I refuse to launch you. I've only had two days on the water this season but was reading the posts thinking "how bad could it be, any worse than last year?" So far, yeah. With this sport growing so much we do need to self-police. I will tell you why I refuse the launch, but if I have to go through that extensive an explanation again then I say don't take lessons... go take *better* lessons.

Greg, thanks for piping up, because the onus is on instructors not just to teach proper gear operation, safety techniques and practice, reading the wind and water, etc, but etiquette such as discussed here, local knowledge like tide and sandbar and wind shadow info, and signaling and on-water communication. Better you than me! :)

[baypirate]

after last Sat, I would upgrade the condition at 3rd a notch above "cluelessness", heading fast towards "assholeness".

Had a bad line tangle on the water, released and redid the QR a couple of time, freed the lines etc. but something was still wrong, couldn't really figure out what other than one bridle was way shorter than other, of course making the loop on recrash etc. Anyway managed to fly it of sorts and get self back to shore in a mix of riding and dragging (e.g. was pulling on a foot of leading line on one side, trimming the strap etc.). Bottom line, I had a clearly disabled kite coming in to the beach.

As I didn't want to walk on land w/ a possessed kite and it was low tide, I brought it to the edge on the window on the water line. Now, not only NOBODY bothered to walk 20ft and grab it, but while coming in / hanging there, no less than four people - two at the time! - launched, forced their way out both upwind and downwind of me. After the first two, I actually yelled at remaining and made landing/grabbing sign to the people around there. Amazing, one of the "I must get out right now even if there is a returning kite in the launch" was ridiculously overpowered (hint: if you can't WALK your kite comfortably ON THE BEACH fully depowered - via strap - YOU RIGGED TOO BIG).

So in the end my buddy Peter (stone) saw me, came in, landed his kite, and grabbed mine from the launch.

For what's worth, two pairs of eyes couldn't see even on the beach what was wrong w/ the bridle, only putting the kite on it's wingtip for launch could see that the bridle was wrapped around the inflation valve!!! notch that one to another thing that only the assistant can spot in a launch.

(yeah, yeah, could have just flagged the kite fully right there by myself and walk in; but that's not the point; even a non-disabled kite returning has ROW over a not-yet-launched kite)

[Aloha]

The disregard for helping other kiters land/launch is un$#!@ing believable I agree..

People fiending so hard with the just get out and ride attitude going on like you mentioned they wouldn't even notice someone coming in w/ a breakdown who needs help

The only launch to me that feels like it has a local feel but has a friendly culture of making it a point to help ANYONE using their launch is Shellgate

[behindThePeak]

Just yesterday I watched a kiter get caught by that 5:00 lull and loose his board during SR. Once he made it back to the upper launch, he hadn't even unhooked his leash before someone was in the watter retrieving his board for him. I've been riding third for less than a year now and in that short time I've received heaps of friendly advice, been towed in when I burst a bladder, had people swim from the shore after my lost board, hell, once a complete stranger drove down to last chance beach just to give me a ride merely cause he saw me SRing down there on a light day.

Sure we gotta work to keep it this way, and this is all good dialog about how, but i maintain that 3rd is still a pretty friendly place to kite.

Not to detract from your experience Baypirate... Just my $0.02

[Aloha]

The J self-rescues but he don't need to swim in if yanamean

[nexus]

I've only been frequenting 3rd for a couple of weeks but I've witnessed a handful of launches that give me a renewed faith in natural selection.

As a counter point, I've been amazed by the friendly and supportive attitude I've received from pretty much EVERYONE I've met. I'm a beginner, I'm learning my lessons and I'm asking lot's of questions. I tend to show up early and get out before the crowd packs in. I also have a habit of saying thank you. Maybe these these things help but I wouldn't describe my experience at 3rd thus far as anything even remotely close to "assholeness."

Looking forward to getting back out there today. :)

[friggin old guy]

Natural selection/Darwinism in kiting is......sort of funny......but the truth of the matter is that doing stupid things when you kite really can kill you.

Unfortunately it can kill other people too.

So far the Bay Area kiting scene in general has not gravitated towards too much asshole behavior, but it seem inevitable that the more crowded it gets, we'll see more of it.

People may have a tendency to say stuff that seems a little harsh or undiplomatic, especially if they see something REALLY stupid that endangers others. I don't think that should qualify or be misconstrued as assholeness. It's ok not to mind your own business when kiting, especially in launch areas.....somebody that will take offense if you offer a word of caution or constructive advice......is probably an asshole.

And the real assholes are people that insist on doing dumb stuff, or who ignore the need to help other guys out. Everybody needs some help now and then. Everybody.

The wind has been really weird lately, which can make launching/landing sketchy even if you know what you're doing.

Part of not being an asshole is to know your limitations, not endanger others, and not depend too much on the kindness of strangers to pull your fat out of the fire when you screw up trying to do something that's beyond your skill level.

On a weird day, sometimes that means just don't even try to launch.