Hi fellow kiters, This is just a friendly reminder to those kiting the Alley of the precarious situation we have for a banning.
Kiting for over 10yrs and born n breed in Currumbin, I do not want to see this unique kiting spot banned.
The SEQKA was reborn 7yrs ago because of this threat.
At the moment there are a lot of new comers oblivious of past happenings kiting the Alley.
There is also a VERY angry man hanging about the area.. Apparently he thinks the alley is only the right of the short boarders. (now a surfing reserve) He is the secretary of Alley boardriders.. he is just angry .

So, to keep the lifeguards happy PLEASE:
* Don’t kite close to the corner in front of the tower while heading out to the point
* Don’t kite close to swimmers... you know we should be 60m from them. The clubbies have given us a lot of grace. * There is a 6 knot rule.. That means off the plane..
* PLEASE don’t kite there if you are a beginner.. if you take someone out.. that will be it..
* Dont setup close to the tower
* Use someone to help launch and land
* Dont hassle with the angry man.. he wont see reason..

We all have to look after this place.. Don’t be afraid to calmly let the person doing the wrong thing know. We are all quite reasonable people.. The Angry kiters haven’t been around for some time. The windsurfers have been around longer than us, so don’t forget to share with them as well.. They also have issues with the angry man.
As a rate payer for the area I have expressed my concerns to the local Councillor Chris Robbins about the alley boardriders belief. Hal Morris (marine safety Auth) and Jan Stuckey (QLD State Rep) are persons to be contacted about your concerns. Dont be angry. Most of us kiting are well educated, so hopefully brain over brawn can get us through once again.

Just one question, 6 knots rule, is this just to get off the beach or what?

I saw an article on local news saying council are trying to charge surfers for wave use ??

Currumbin alley is a shipping channel.
It is Maritime Safety jurisdiction.
6 knots if you are a vessel
a kite surf board is not a vessel under current state gov regulations
the lifeguard and the local surf club have no legal jurisdiction over a shipping channel.
kite surfers should be responsible wherever they ride
the water police do not want to enforce fines on kiters....i have chatted with them.
please behave!!!!

Angry man

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greenleader said..
6 knots if you are a vessel
a kite surf board is not a vessel under current state gov regulations
the water police do not want to enforce fines on kiters....i have chatted with them.

There is a fine line here at the moment, I have been pulled up myself for kiting to fast through a 6 knot zone and let off with a warning.
6 knots is considered to be walking pace if u don't have a speedometer handy.....

Thanks for the heads up Scottie, as a semi regular kiter at the Alley, I will be down there over the next week or so to enjoy the sweet Northerlies coming through and will certainly do my part in kindly letting other kiters know of this fragile situation.

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bjw said...
Angry man

Haha angry guys, they are always funnier than they are scary. Nothing funnier than a bloke going off his tit. Haha

Thanks Greeny.
I forgot to mention, the angry man was handing out leaflets telling people that it was going to be banned soon, so dont get into it..
Councillor told me he had no right to do that and if he is aggresive, let the police handle it.
I guess no authority really wants to ban kiting there. I think they just hope we do the right thing by the rules. So please try to, and dont forget to spread the word to people not in the know. Thanks Scott

Though I have never kited the Alley, I surfed there all the time when I first moved to Australia. I bought some acreage in the Currumbin Valley and was only 5 k's from there. I would love to kite it one day as it is such an amazing set up for that. I miss that place but I don't miss the Gold Coast. I also miss the Currumbin Hotel where we would hang and drink Tooheys Old after our surf crowd Saturday basket ball game we played. Be good people, it would be a crime not to be able to kite there

The thing about kiting the alley is too many people think that they own it... Get over it.. It's for all too use... Not just Some locals..

<-------- TA

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bjw said..
Angry man

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bjw said..
Angry man

Iggy Pop surfs the Alley??

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Scottie Lit-tle said..
Thanks Greeny.
I forgot to mention, the angry man was handing out leaflets telling people that it was going to be banned soon, so dont get into it..
Councillor told me he had no right to do that and if he is aggresive, let the police handle it.
I guess no authority really wants to ban kiting there. I think they just hope we do the right thing by the rules. So please try to, and dont forget to spread the word to people not in the know. Thanks Scott

Scottie, only state court action after an "incident" involving an innocent party being injured by a kitesurfer's negligence can result in a sport being banned.
A. maritime safety don't want to know about kitesurfers. B. water police don't want to know about kitesurfers. C. government employees don't don't want more paperwork! leave it be! in the meantime......everyone behave! p.s. you can find me at narrowneck!

Kiteboy Dave, haha, its the inner you!

Also a reminder that guys coming down the line on a wave have right of way over those guys tacking back out to the point or zipping in and around the whitewater in no particular pattern.

The Alley is a great point break so if you want to muck around on twin tips and boost off a few ramps rather move to the other side of Laceys where there's heaps of waves and heaps of room.

Excellent thread and I commend you for taking a stand.
It's also a good reminder that anyone kiting in a new spot, should do their due diligence (ie: ASK SOMEONE!) and know the area a little before setting up thinking you have it all to yourself.

Could anyone please post up an image defining the area on a map? I'm new to the GC and have kited around that area before, but I'm unsure where the spot is exactly?

this is the flat water spot just south of palm beach right?

thanks

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greenleader said...
Scottie, only state court action after an "incident" involving an innocent party being injured by a kitesurfer's negligence can result in a sport being banned.

Theres been a bystander killed at currumbin by a kiter years back.

With the amount of show ponys boosting close to sand banks with families around within 5m or so, its no wonder someones got their angry pants on.

Come hit some kickers and get away from the beach goers, ya muppets

Where's Gino when you need him?

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gcdave said..


Theres been a bystander killed at currumbin by a kiter years back.

ummm, there was an elderly beachwalking lady who suffered neck damage from a beginner who had one lesson and "went it alone" in the mid 2000's or Chris "the nightrider" who died after dropping his kite and suffered a suspected heart attack trying to climb to safety up Elephant rock in big surf.

please share this new info dave!

in the meantime...behave!

^^^^

Id been told the eldery lady kicked the bucket after being hit.

Scratch that content then. Cliche story of the alley imo. Theres minimal room for error in the butter isle and the same gig happens nearly every northerly

I just got someone local telling me a kitesurfer did a jump and landed on someone and killed them 5 years ago here.... I reasonably good at google searches and found nothing. I am worried this is an urban myth/ not quite what actually happened.., and I cant refute it without knowing what really happened.....

I simply need to be able to set the record straight because if this story is not as being told (which i suspect... nothing in google that i can find..), its pretty dumb to have this rumor floating around like this. The person I spoke to was a pretty reasonable dude...

I know that 2 surfers have been hit by boats here - one died.. sad stuff.. and quite a few bad surfer vs surfer

I just want to be able to tell the truth in the community.... (where I live)

Hi Scottie, I am the subject of your rant and to be quite honest you should really get your facts straight before letting loose on line.

I am also very disappointed that members of the Board riders have been targeted because of your post.

I would prefer that if you have an issue you come through the correct channels.


Firstly, I personally believe Kite Surfing is a great sport and deserves recognition just like Surfing at the next Olympics.

We just do not believe that you can have up to 30 Kiters travelling safely at up to 25 knots within close proximity to surfers and swimmers in an area as small as the Alley estuary and mouth when crowded, no matter how experienced.

Secondly no one wants to see anyone banned from the Alley especially the Board riders, and most people with common sense will support Kiters rights to be there.

Speaking about common sense we cannot see why why would you power up your kite on the estuary beach on a Sunday with no help and then rip through the hundreds of swimmers and kids at speed, it defies logic.

I have spoken to some of the old hands who started kiting on the coast and they appear to agree?

Oh and the angry man,

I am guilty of speaking to an ex member of the Alley Board riders in the car park about what I and others see as a danger to our Dads and Mums and our push in groms in the water when Kite surfers are in close proximity.

I am guilty of showing this person a copy of the '" Kite Boarders association" code of conduct.

I am not guilty of handing out any other material to any other person.

Just for the record after I showed this person the associations own guidelines he then replied and I quote " I don't care what regulations are in place I will still still kite here and that old fella over the other side got in the way of my jump"

I have to ask is this what you want as an example for the sport?

We all have to share a shrinking resource and work together.

Merry Christmas

Andrew McCarthy.

Totally agree with you,I'm a kiter and a surfer and have visited the alley many times and can't see the attraction of kiting in the estuary mouth when there are so many other open and less populated beaches nearby.More than 5 kiters would be chaos out there so many groms,sups ,mals and swimmers.

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godless said..
Hi Scottie, I am the subject of your rant and to be quite honest you should really get your facts straight before letting loose on line.

Merry Christmas

Andrew McCarthy.

While he has mentioned a person that may fit your description it does look like the bulk of his words are not personally aimed at anyone at all and are just an attempt to get people to do the right thing, something it seams both of you agree on

In situations like this it would be great to get individuals banned because of their actions and not a whole sport.

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wdric said..

godless said..
Hi Scottie, I am the subject of your rant and to be quite honest you should really get your facts straight before letting loose on line.

Merry Christmas

Andrew McCarthy.

While he has mentioned a person that may fit your description it does look like the bulk of his words are not personally aimed at anyone at all and are just an attempt to get people to do the right thing, something it seams both of you agree on

In situations like this it would be great to get individuals banned because of their actions and not a whole sport.

I also agree, however Life Members of the Boardriders were bullied and threatened with no work because of this post by Scottie and I find it hard to comprehend why they would be so vindictive?

I surf and kite there. Spoke to dude from Alley boardriders club and he was a sound dude. Lifeguards are pretty cool too. If people kite with their brain switched on and operational it's all good. Seen a couple of most bizzare scenes kind of like kiting Borat, but on the whole all good. Fortunately when kiting is at it's best and it's cranking there are few other people that want to be there.

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gcdave said..

greenleader said...
Scottie, only state court action after an "incident" involving an innocent party being injured by a kitesurfer's negligence can result in a sport being banned.

Theres been a bystander killed at currumbin by a kiter years back.

With the amount of show ponys boosting close to sand banks with families around within 5m or so, its no wonder someones got their angry pants on.

Come hit some kickers and get away from the beach goers, ya muppets

What year was that when a Kiter Killed a bystander. Where can we read about it ?

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GMKKiteboard said..

gcdave said..

greenleader said...
Scottie, only state court action after an "incident" involving an innocent party being injured by a kitesurfer's negligence can result in a sport being banned.

Theres been a bystander killed at currumbin by a kiter years back.

With the amount of show ponys boosting close to sand banks with families around within 5m or so, its no wonder someones got their angry pants on.

Come hit some kickers and get away from the beach goers, ya muppets

What year was that when a Kiter Killed a bystander. Where can we read about it ?ummm, there was an elderly beachwalking lady who suffered neck damage from a beginner who had one lesson and "went it alone" in the mid 2000's or Chris "the nightrider" who died after dropping his kite and suffered a suspected heart attack trying to climb to safety up Elephant rock in big surf.

GMKKiteboard said..

gcdave said..

greenleader said...
Scottie, only state court action after an "incident" involving an innocent party being injured by a kitesurfer's negligence can result in a sport being banned.

Theres been a bystander killed at currumbin by a kiter years back.

With the amount of show ponys boosting close to sand banks with families around within 5m or so, its no wonder someones got their angry pants on.

Come hit some kickers and get away from the beach goers, ya muppets

What year was that when a Kiter Killed a bystander. Where can we read about it ?

<div>ummm, there was an elderly beachwalking lady who suffered neck damage from a beginner who had one lesson and "went it alone" in the mid 2000's or Chris "the nightrider" who died after dropping his kite and suffered a suspected heart attack trying to climb to safety up Elephant rock in big surf.

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greenleader said..
Currumbin alley is a shipping channel.
It is Maritime Safety jurisdiction.
6 knots if you are a vessel
a kite surf board is not a vessel under current state gov regulations
the lifeguard and the local surf club have no legal jurisdiction over a shipping channel.
kite surfers should be responsible wherever they ride
the water police do not want to enforce fines on kiters....i have chatted with them.
please behave!!!!

The reason I did not put the site details into this guide - I had not been there.. and the original guide comments were sketchy and mentioned restrictions...

However if you want this site added....
The offer is still there.....
Cheers
AP

Chuck it in, lets have some funn!!!