I posted this on the windsurfing threat a mo' ago. This is not an excuse for ranting about windsurfers, just an FYI about this guy, OK?

"About 5.45 last night I saw the aftermath of an alleged deliberate collision between a windsurfer with an orange sail and kiter with a purple kite at Dutch Inn, Cottesloe,. The allegation is the windsurfer - described as "big blond guy" - deliberately aimed for the kiter. I know the kiter, and he's a nice guy who knows the water rules, And I can believe there was an aggro windsurfer out there because I was warned twice about one before I even got my gear to the beach. The kite and board were interwined about 50m form the beach for some time. It was howling. It could have been a lot worse. What concerns me is others on the kitesurfing Facebook page reported having similar aggressive interactions with the blondie in the past, at Dutchies and The Pond. If you know him, please tell him to desist, or head the fark offshore to get his kicks. We are all not kids, kiters and windsurfers, and this is not place for surf nazi carry-on. Others will not have cool heads, and I'll punt eventually someone will be thumped, giving Cottesloe Council yet another reason to review both our sports' use of Dutchies. Please police your water brothers, if that's the case. Thanks, and good winds to you all."

In the rest of the country Windsurfers are cool crew. They get along with the kiters and enjoy the beach.

In WA there is an attitude of us and them. They get agro and it's made worse by places like Geraldton where they can't kite in the same location. Rules made when kiters were dangerous to be around. It's a joke. Get over it guys.

In the 90s surfers hated windsurfers. The same windsurfers that got hassled by surfers are now pretending to be tough guys against kiters.

It's all the same crap guys. Get over it. Shouldn't we all be joining forces against the next level down? Drone flyers?

*heads straight to windsurfing thread hoping for flaming comments, returns disappointed*

Just jump over them and give them a wahooo

Select to expand quote

alverstone said..
I posted this on the windsurfing threat

no pun intended. hope he gets called out.

they do have a "we were here first" mentality, and yes they try and cut you off so they don't lose an inch of upwind or 0.1kmh of speed but most are good guys and I know many that do both. I do sometimes feel sorry for them lol with all their gear/sails etc

If anyone lined up anyone that is fkn disgraceful conduct.

However for about the third time in as many seasons, I remind the kiters of the threads over 4-8yrs started politely and respectfully by windsurfers, reminding all of the segregation at Dutchies (for a reason) and the need to be a WAKSA or AKSA member to kite there and the signs that clearly show it, and the pics online showing the areas...... The rules WAKSA liked / made / agreed to / whatever.

And every time windsurfers were trolled, shouted down, called haters blah blah. In the first thread some 6-8 yrs ago a kiter who agreed was shouted down and has hardly been back since. Comments about boosting over you all old fart lolz and all that crap is read by the councils considering bans, and the Transport mob trying to regulate.

So - fkn yay for all us adults huh. Way to go protecting our spot. So far this thread looks the same as the last few.

BTW for the 'tothersiders, its a spot with a 1m wide area for windsurfers to get in and out,
its full of rocks, there are about 20 competing activities there, a cliff, all sorts. It is not a them and us mentality, its the reality of a 300m beach in between 2 rock walls with a lot of people chasing the little wave there so a segregation rule is helpful.

Anyway I am just grumpy as I gave up a windsurf today to glass a board. Grrr.

BTW major respect to Alverstone for all they have done to ensure access for all of us at that spot .

Mark
This is not the same thread as the ones over the last number of years. We are calling out one asshole who deliberately lines up kiters and aims directly for them.
Suggest you dont try and defend that crap and call it something else.

Blondie with orange sail is welcome to sail wherever he wants but not welcome if he wants to smack into kiters deliberately.

If there are a few poleys, everyone plays together well from what ive seen..
If the winds up and there charging inside - thats the Poley area we all know to keep out of.

Why hasnt someone got this Kook on mb video ?

It would be pretty funny if there was a war. Only kiters that could boost would be safe, and we'd have to stay upwind of the windsurfers in preparation for boost-to-headkick counterattack combos. The only problem would be when metal hydrofoils join the war and start cutting people clean in half.

Max Max style destruction derby?

That would be sick.

Mark_australia, you could be Mel Gibson

Select to expand quote

Mark _australia said..
If anyone lined up anyone that is fkn disgraceful conduct.

However for about the third time in as many seasons, I remind the kiters of the threads over 4-8yrs started politely and respectfully by windsurfers, reminding all of the segregation at Dutchies (for a reason) and the need to be a WAKSA or AKSA member to kite there and the signs that clearly show it, and the pics online showing the areas...... The rules WAKSA liked / made / agreed to / whatever.

And every time windsurfers were trolled, shouted down, called haters blah blah. In the first thread some 6-8 yrs ago a kiter who agreed was shouted down and has hardly been back since. Comments about boosting over you all old fart lolz and all that crap is read by the councils considering bans, and the Transport mob trying to regulate.

So - fkn yay for all us adults huh. Way to go protecting our spot. So far this thread looks the same as the last few.

BTW for the 'tothersiders, its a spot with a 1m wide area for windsurfers to get in and out,
its full of rocks, there are about 20 competing activities there, a cliff, all sorts. It is not a them and us mentality, its the reality of a 300m beach in between 2 rock walls with a lot of people chasing the little wave there so a segregation rule is helpful.

Anyway I am just grumpy as I gave up a windsurf today to glass a board. Grrr.

BTW major respect to Alverstone for all they have done to ensure access for all of us at that spot .

Thanks, mate.

Select to expand quote

JoeMc said..
Mark
This is not the same thread as the ones over the last number of years. We are calling out one asshole who deliberately lines up kiters and aims directly for them.
Suggest you dont try and defend that crap and call it something else.

Blondie with orange sail is welcome to sail wherever he wants but not welcome if he wants to smack into kiters deliberately.

No its not quite the same
The windsurfer had ROW it seems. But they both turned downwind at the same time so he's a prick, or it was a mistake and at the moment we don't know. Sometimes on opposite tacks both turn downwind at same time. But see my first line - if he is doing that then its fkd.

OTOH, similarities started when the first 4 responses were not productive at all........ thus my drawing analogy.


Edit: JoeMc, upon reflection I did read a bit too much into it though...

Select to expand quote

cauncy said..
Just jump over them and give them a wahooo

Yep, not much better than looking down on one, you know they wish they could

I always give way to windsurfers
Much in the same way I would give way to a person in a wheelchair or I wouldn't park too close to the back of a special needs van

In all honesty I actually do usually give way to windsurfers as they are a lot less manoeuvrable and if the wind is 20knots or less they are struggling to get moving, there are only a couple spots in the Perth metro area where you will see a congregation of windsurfers and only on certain days, let them do there thing and just keep clear the few times there might be an issue.

I like to keep clear and avoid accidents regardless of so called right's and just enjoy the stoke!
Unless you can read someone's mind I have found that this approach work's well and doesn't upset the odd egomaniac out on the water. It's a sharing kind of thing that big ocean....

Select to expand quote

JoeMc said..
Blondie with orange sail is welcome to sail wherever he wants but not welcome if he wants to smack into kiters deliberately.

"Hey Blondie ! (with the orange sail), You know what you are ?!?"



The Good, the Bad and the Mark_Australia

Anyone confronted him in the car park or beach about it?

Hmmmmm, why would you? just bear downwind. Kiters have 5x the manoeuvrability. Life's too short to interact with muppets.

Bloody out of control kitesurfers

Just imagine for a moment if kiting was like driving on the roads and we had to pay rego, insurance, and membership fees annually.

The tax revenue would then fund designated locations to ride, and it was deemed illegal to launch anywhere outside of those spots. At the kiting location, there would be lines of coloured buoys, and signage showing where you rode upwind, downwind, who gives way, and clear segregation between all riders.

It would also be heavily surveyed and patrolled by "kite police", who had the legal authority to issue on the spot fines and bans to any individuals who went outside the marked limits, or who had no rego/insurance etc.

That would be fun times.

Special times.

Sitting here looking at the add on the top of the screen (naish kiteboarding).I wander what Robbie Naish or Pete Cabrinha, would think of this. I think they may use the term mutual respect for all.