Mentor a Soloist

[Greg]

Thanks max and you and pam too have a grate memorial day too
i dont think he was behaving too badly he just needed a kite buddy....
My kite buddy really liked the vibe at shellgate and on another visit loved it when pam hit the bull horn to alert evey one of a falled luach

So Pam's really got a "BULL HORN"?? :lol: =D> :D [-X #-o 8-[ :lol: :o :oops:
Life just keeps getting more "interesting" every day :mrgreen:

Thanks Pam for TAKING CHARGE! My lungs have given out.... :^o
I dub her "Queen of the Crown"- (beach)

The UP-SIDE of Alameda is it's reasonably safe from being overrun by Sherman Island locals -
L.M.G. O:)

[eldon2836]

To me, kiting is a bit like learning to fly an airplane. You go through school, but you have someone experienced, flying next to you for a while before you're allowed to fly 'solo'.

I like the analogy, and it'd be great to require that every kiter get a check ride, but I feel the situation is more like a motorcycle safety foundation class. The people attending are safety conscious enough to attend. Problem is, the people who don't attend can purchase a 600cc sport bike and do stupid stuff. Kiting is different in that bystanders can get easily hurt while the squid beginner motorcyclist ends up splattered by himself over the road.

The great thing about kiting is that I've never ever had a problem getting information from a fellow kiter when visiting a new site. It's easy to find enthusiastic people who genuinely want to help you. Just need to ask is all.

[WindMuch]

The people attending are safety conscious enough to attend. Problem is, the people who don't attend can purchase a 600cc sport bike and do stupid stuff. Kiting is different in that bystanders can get easily hurt while the squid beginner motorcyclist ends up splattered by himself over the road.

Maybe I read your post wrong but, I don't know how kiting is different in this manner. The squid on the 600cc bike is just as likely and able to hurt others (innocent bystanders, other drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, etc.) as the guy/gal who orders a 12 meter kite online and tries to launch it somewhere stupid.

Kirk out

[eldon2836]

You're right- i usually think of the motorcyclist as assuming all of the risks

[CdoG]

moniter,and mentor..everytime you go to kite
show someone how to and them tell why.....
i wounder how luz would have fared if that kiter had a mentor or just someone there who cared?

i would like to see more 3 to 4 year kiters step up to set the exsample
from setup to keeping tthe lz clear to how they ride and where
also get invaled in keeping an eye on others who show up and dance just outside the norm

[jbirdmarin]

cDoG
olD sChool
=D> =D>
=D>

[kitebuddy]

Hello,

I'm new at posting, but not new at BAK....if you just read Cdog's post regarding "Luz" - it was a very unfortunate incident involving a kiter who cut a little girl's face back in Aug 28th 2010 and within weeks, the kiting community got together in a fund raising rally to pay for her medical bills (fund raising event was on 9/18/10). Many thanks to Cdog, David Lyon, Greg, Windhorny, T.J. and the BoardSports staff.

Recently, I was with Cdog at Shellgate and witnessed the father attempting to relaunch his kite, while his inexperience wife was throwing the kite up in the air, and the baby crawling towards the both of them....Cdog and I just stood and stared with our mouths open, paralyzed....(luckily nothing happened to the family) and we couldn't even talk about it for at least a couple of days. When we did finally speak (rare for Cdog), we knew that the Luz Marcelo incident of 8/28/10 was already forgotten and we wanted to prevent another like incident from happening.

Beginners not only need mentors, they also need kite buddies....Greg, Cdog and Windhorny mentioned this over and over again. I would like to offer to be a kite buddy to anyone who has taken lessons and would like some kiting time in the water. I shall launch you, land you, walk into the water to retrieve your kite, reiterate kiting etiquette, call the Coast Guard when you've drifted off into the Bay and high five you when you get up riding on your board. I am available Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays (only in Alameda). I must stress that I am not an instructor or mentor.

Please let me know if you are interested, and once again, you must have taken lessons from a reputable school and have lots of patience.

Thank you.

Kitebuddy

[WindMuch]

Wow.

A+ Kitebuddy!

This is *exactly* why I started this thread!

Kirk out

P.S. If it wasn't obvious from my original post, I'd like to also make myself available to anyone who needs a kite buddy. Same rules apply - you need to have completed your pro lessons first.

[Greg]

I want to restate the value of the MONITOR position...

Heres an example of HOW IT WORKS:
I showed up at Sherman, kites EVERYWHERE- Kiters NOWHERE to be seen. I didn't get upset or trip over everyones stuff trying to set up my own,.. I simply took the time to CLEAN UP THE LAUNCH AREA by CAREFULLY moving about 15 kites into the STACKING AREA...(it took ten minutes and along the way I got to speak to a really beautiful lady) Anyway- one guy did YELL at me during the process so I moved on to the other kites not wanting to start trouble just clean up the LZ..(I figure if he's around he should clean up his own kite anyway) SO- for the next few hours kiters launched and landed and STACKED THERE OWN KITES =D> =D> =D> =D> ... Those kiters were able to ENJOY an area to SETUP, ROLLUP, LAUNCH AND LAND WITH EASE---- (and safety!)

It only takes a minute to roll up your rig and stack it when YOU CARE and it REALLY HELPS SEEING OTHERS DOING THE SAME...(thats how you MAKE FRIENDS) I had fun all the rest of the day , EXCEPT FOR THE ONE JERK that yelled at me, and hay that only lasted for 2 seconds- NO BIGGE'

Enjoy- :D
Greg

[kitebuddy]

Hello,

First of all, thank you Windmuch for starting the thread and I would hope that the community would not only read this topic, but step up and participate.

I think we need to define the roles of a mentor and a kitebuddy so we, the community, could see how we can help a newbie, not only to be a more confident kiter, but aware of the public. A kitebuddy could be a beginner who has knowledge and experience in launching, landing, retrieving the kite, plus willing to walk the beach. What the kitebuddy will not do is advise. The kitebuddy allows the newbie to spend more time with his/her kite, dragging, attempting the board etc...The mentor is an experienced kiter who can answer questions regarding the hump that the newbie is experiencing and perhaps transform the newbie into a confident beginner. Once again, the newbie must have taken courses with a reputable school.

I would like to begin taking names and info on kiters who could be kitebuddies, mentors or both. Please be specific in areas where you are limited to because that would help me match you up with a newbie e.g. I'm only going to be in Alameda on specific days, so once I have a list going specifically for Alameda, I shall give the list to Boardsports to post on their bulletin board. Once I have a list going for specific areas, I shall distribute them to the designated schools of that area. Not all newbies read BAK, so let us try to get the word out as many different ways as possible.

Thank you,

Kitebuddy