Hi Guys,
I have read most but not all of this thread and I feel compelled to throw my 2 bobs worth in. so here it goes.
1) Kiteboarding is an inherently dangerous sport. We rely on an uncontrollable and unpredictable power source. We ride on an unpredictable and constantly changing medium. These two facts make sure we will never have all the bases covered. Accidents will always happen and unfortunately deaths will never be fully preventable.
2) Self regulation is the only REAL course of action. We cannot rely on IKO, Schools, Shops, Council, Rangers, police or any other government agency to regulate our behaviour on the water or enforce rules upon us or our sport. The way to start regulation is first to identify the culprits. We could have registration on all our kites so we can be identified. This maybe the easiest solution and cheapest. It will meet with opposition by some, but face it, if you ride responsibly and safely, you have nothing to fear and nothing to lose and everything to gain.
3)
Voluntary registration numbers on our kites are a great and easy way to police our actions. You ideally would need to be registered to kite any populated beach such as Mullaloo, Pinnaroo, Scarborough, Cottesloe, Leighton, Melville and Woodies. You could still kite unpopulated beaches without registration numbers where you can kill yourself away from the public and other kiters without any protest from the mass population, you'll barely make headlines.
Problem with self regulation is the majority of kiters need to be on the program. Just Yesterday there were more than a dozen kiters out at Cottesloe when a few kiters turned up at the Phone Box site and started to rig up. They were all riding new Switchblade 3's. I came in and asked them to move further South to the required 100m safe zone and explained the problems kiting has faced at Cott. They asked how much the fine was if caught? WTF? I re-explained the issues.
I rode off. To his credit, one of the riders moved upwind, the other three stayed and launched and landed repeatedly on the banned beach despite the sign and my request. 20 minutes later there was three more kiters turned up and began rigging at the phone box. I came in yet again and a little more sternly asked them to move. Again, only two guys moved, the rest stayed there and continued to use the beach even trying to launch with kite on road side in the lee of the prominent headland. NFI.
No one else seemed concerned or have we forgotten the battle fought by Johnno Keys just a couple of years ago?
The disrespect of the kiters using the beach despite pleas to move, and the apathy of the other riders to do and say nothing. Here within lies our problem. Everyone thinks it is someone elses problem until we get closed down. Then we all bitch about how unfair we are treated and how "the man" is taking away our freedom. He ain't taking it from us, we're giving it away!
So what do we do about it. Compulsory membership to WAKSA with each rider getting and keeping his/her own rego number. You should be encouraged to put these numbers on your kite. If suddenly you are able to be recognised and identified, suddenly I think we will see a different behaviour from all riders. Kiters without rego numbers would identify themselves immediately as potential trouble makers or visitors either way, people would be less happy to see them kite at our local beaches and pressure would be applied by the masses to conform, buy membership, get insured and tow the line. No one is forcing you, but there would be an underlying pressure to do the right thing.
This is the best way to handle our issues in my opinion. It doesn't take away our liberties or freedom to ride where ever we want to, it costs almost nothing to enforce, we exclude "the man" from regulating us, we become accountable. Our numbers in membership swell the WAKSA database and bank account, we get a stronger voice to deal with authorities as we then are ALL represented and most importantly, WE ARE looking after and are SEEN TO BE looking after our own and the PUBLICS best interests. "The Man" is happy
For a couple of extra dollars membership fee WAKSA/AKSA could even supply the numbers/letters for the rego of our first kite and we could buy any additional numbers for additional kites for a couple of bucks on a subsidised fee.
Think about it. The idea has flaws, but it is better than other ideas thus far????
I'd like to hear what others think.
Good winds,
