Windfestian , its getting close to start thinking about this years event, so keen to hear your thoughts on this years event, its an event thats revolved around retailers , brands and us, taking into account when the new equipment is released November seem a natural choice in that regard and weather,Dongara shire are commited to having the event in the region also were keen to get a grommy and girls section added , plus anything else that youd like to be added, ive been really impressed with the new crew running KWA these guys did a great job at the pond with nationals so keen to hear on thoughts of their involvment, FIRE AWAY Cheers mick

* windfestians.

The event was a ripper, but a downwinder from 7 mile to s bend would be epic if it's logistically possible. I understand you'd have massive safety hoops to jump through.

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Nathe said..
The event was a ripper, but a downwinder from 7 mile to s bend would be epic if it's logistically possible. I understand you'd have massive safety hoops to jump through.

Criteria of insurance wouldn't allow , im looking at an unsupported option, the one we did is epic when swells running and yep the 7 mile to little sbend or flat rocks is a great run, great mix of conditions

Great to see you are putting this on again Cauncy!!

Dongara is a great location to have the event. Keeps everyone together in the same spot and it brings money into the home town businesses who support the kiters. Gero tended to lose everyone.

If you could just organise someone to set up a beer tent down the beach...Indo style with frosties on ice that would be awesome.

Had a ripper last year! took a couple extra days, was awesome.
What dates are you thinking!

I don't have an issue with KWA, if they provide assistance to you - maybe they can get some more government funding to chip in?

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shi thouse said..
Great to see you are putting this on again Cauncy!!

Dongara is a great location to have the event. Keeps everyone together in the same spot and it brings money into the home town businesses who support the kiters. Gero tended to lose everyone.

If you could just organise someone to set up a beer tent down the beach...Indo style with frosties on ice that would be awesome.

Definitely going to push this Avenue this year
i wanted to have a band and bar at the cafe and crank the paella dishes, the local cops got a bit too heavy on regulation, fencing, guards, rsa, duty manager, really didn't like the vibe, plus $25000 fine if any rules were broke, nanny fa##ing state

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Sauce said..
Had a ripper last year! took a couple extra days, was awesome.
What dates are you thinking!

I don't have an issue with KWA, if they provide assistance to you - maybe they can get some more government funding to chip in?

I'm pretty sure the shire , infigen energy, dept sport n rec would help again, was good to see the event break even by a couple of hundred in the green

Maybe a kitesurf race. Some bouys out back. Winner has to come in land kite, skull a beer to finish

or even a 3 person team race... with a beer boat race at the end.

Ask the pub to have happy hour every night until closing...(I'm noticing an unhealthy theme here)

and / or 10-20% off price of meal for paid up Windfest participants...and other such incentives to attract the crew to the pub at night.

A kite gear raffle, wheel spin of some kind. Winner has to skull a beer to get a prize...wait hang on.

We had blast there Sat' night hey. Brings everyone back together a night. Centralise numbers.

Make sure the Richard Branson look alike turns up again - but he can keep his movie...

Evolve GT skateboard races in the carpark across from the pub!!

Great work Mick!!

Eppo, I thought we found the Branson movie quite entertaining :)

I hope you dont take offence Cauncy but after last year i dont get it. It was more just kiting at back beach.
Unless i missed it there was one competition, the big air comp which was good to watch, except that a load of ignorant crew were kiting in the zone whilst the legends were trying to boost.
I spent loads of time hiking between the beach and cafe to see what was going on. nothing.
we were a bit skunked for wind.
Was no wave comp, well there was next to no waves but we could have done something with the lumps.
My recommendations:
- move everything to the beach, i.e. noms and events tent. too far to go back to cafe/slsc unless ur hanging for some caffeine.
- have a deticated event area. Only kiters in an event kite in this zone
- setup loads of little fun comps. short comps, silly comps, trick comps, keep it interesting.

Im sure ill cop a load of stick for this but i feel like a paid a load of coin for a crappy t-shirt and could have kited there for free. And quite a few people did which was even more annoying.
I guess i did not really go to the out of kiting events as i had my family with me.
I hope you take this as constructive criticism and work to make it better each year.

We had our family with us too but yet everyone made us more then welcome the fajitas I had in the Irish pub up there were epic !! The accommodation me and the missus scored was also epic. Catching ****e house and eppo sniffing my board shorts in the morning was a bit out there. I think it would be good to have it a bit later so the winds defo in. It killed me leaving Lano to go all the way up and get little wind but we had good food good beer good sunshine and **** I wear that so called crappy t shirt with so much pride ! I'm keen as again this year Cauncy pencil us in !!!!

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CAUTION said..
I hope you dont take offence Cauncy but after last year i dont get it. It was more just kiting at back beach.
Unless i missed it there was one competition, the big air comp which was good to watch, except that a load of ignorant crew were kiting in the zone whilst the legends were trying to boost.
I spent loads of time hiking between the beach and cafe to see what was going on. nothing.
we were a bit skunked for wind.
Was no wave comp, well there was next to no waves but we could have done something with the lumps.
My recommendations:
- move everything to the beach, i.e. noms and events tent. too far to go back to cafe/slsc unless ur hanging for some caffeine.
- have a deticated event area. Only kiters in an event kite in this zone
- setup loads of little fun comps. short comps, silly comps, trick comps, keep it interesting.

Im sure ill cop a load of stick for this but i feel like a paid a load of coin for a crappy t-shirt and could have kited there for free. And quite a few people did which was even more annoying.
I guess i did not really go to the out of kiting events as i had my family with me.
I hope you take this as constructive criticism and work to make it better each year.

The event was $180 all up
this got your tshirt
cost me $25
insurance $60
paella movie night at drive in
friday Saturday Sunday breakfast, free keep cups
transport for downwinder over $1000, sea rescue and Slsc support costs, $1000 plus,toilet hire over $400, bin costs, muso, bouncy castle hire. Land support for dwinder,mate I'm happy to take it and I'm happy for you to help this year, some good ideas, flick me a pm and let's get into it, it was non for profit and a big workload, yeh it could be better but I actually made a massive loss if I took my hours into it, we had big swell and 35 / 37 knts prior, looking at it 18/22 knots Friday Saturday and mid-day Sunday wasn't bad from an allround , retailers wouldn't set up or wouldn't allow or be arsed standing on a beach all day in usual winds, tbh I'd prefer a fu#king big piss up on the beach, camp out, beach party, music, etc etc but I'm living in nana state La La land

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CAUTION said..
I hope you dont take offence Cauncy but after last year i dont get it. It was more just kiting at back beach.
Unless i missed it there was one competition, the big air comp which was good to watch, except that a load of ignorant crew were kiting in the zone whilst the legends were trying to boost.
I spent loads of time hiking between the beach and cafe to see what was going on. nothing.
we were a bit skunked for wind.
Was no wave comp, well there was next to no waves but we could have done something with the lumps.
My recommendations:
- move everything to the beach, i.e. noms and events tent. too far to go back to cafe/slsc unless ur hanging for some caffeine.
- have a deticated event area. Only kiters in an event kite in this zone
- setup loads of little fun comps. short comps, silly comps, trick comps, keep it interesting.

Im sure ill cop a load of stick for this but i feel like a paid a load of coin for a crappy t-shirt and could have kited there for free. And quite a few people did which was even more annoying.
I guess i did not really go to the out of kiting events as i had my family with me.
I hope you take this as constructive criticism and work to make it better each year.

There are actually some really good ideas Embedded in that whinge.

Dave ...
Cant remember the movie we well and truly on the funny bus by then. Bahahababbabab

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eppo said..

CAUTION said..
I hope you dont take offence Cauncy but after last year i dont get it. It was more just kiting at back beach.
Unless i missed it there was one competition, the big air comp which was good to watch, except that a load of ignorant crew were kiting in the zone whilst the legends were trying to boost.
I spent loads of time hiking between the beach and cafe to see what was going on. nothing.
we were a bit skunked for wind.
Was no wave comp, well there was next to no waves but we could have done something with the lumps.
My recommendations:
- move everything to the beach, i.e. noms and events tent. too far to go back to cafe/slsc unless ur hanging for some caffeine.
- have a deticated event area. Only kiters in an event kite in this zone
- setup loads of little fun comps. short comps, silly comps, trick comps, keep it interesting.

Im sure ill cop a load of stick for this but i feel like a paid a load of coin for a crappy t-shirt and could have kited there for free. And quite a few people did which was even more annoying.
I guess i did not really go to the out of kiting events as i had my family with me.
I hope you take this as constructive criticism and work to make it better each year.

There are actually some really good ideas Embedded in that whinge.

Dave ...
Cant remember the movie we well and truly on the funny bus by then. Bahahababbabab

When I picked up the paella equip at 5.30 am at drive ins Dave's prado was the only car in the park, he looked a tad pale the next day

Awesome grass roots event and looking forward to next year!

Can't fkn wait!!! Two tickets for me and shoot me the date via pm so I can snipe a booking before the lot knows about it

Too many flies

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quikdrawMcgraw said..
Too many flies

Tell your wife to keep her legs closed then.

No

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Gazuki said..

quikdrawMcgraw said..
Too many flies

Tell your wife to keep her legs closed then.

oh boy...there's a line dude......too much wind for flies by the way.

I suppose the central theme is to create as much centralised interaction as possible given realistic logistic limitations.

Also mick maybe donate say 10% of all coffee sales to a worthy kiting cause, (and even a ticket prize of some sort) like sending some gear overseas to some children who can't afford it but are keen...somewhere. Add a grass roots aid fund raiser of sorts.

...lastly mick you might like to take into account these seemingly colder pattern relative to our man made monthly clock we use. Might pay to have it even early December of sorts? Although who knows what the weather will do. But all current evidence points to a late start to the season.

Please don't make it the same weekend as the Merrimbula event.

It doesn't sound like there was too much wind for flies

Not many flies at merimbula

The wind wasn't that bad it was still more than enough to have a blast, but I suppose some people are glass half empty.We also had the grommets up there and they had a ball especially the bouncy castle. I've already re booked for the same weekend again but for 8 nights and if it happens to fall the same time as windfest bonus, if not I score epic wind on a beautiful coastline with no one around
It made me laugh, as soon as the masses left town it was 30+ knots with me and another bloke out.

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CAUTION said..
I hope you dont take offence Cauncy but after last year i dont get it. It was more just kiting at back beach.
Unless i missed it there was one competition, the big air comp which was good to watch, except that a load of ignorant crew were kiting in the zone whilst the legends were trying to boost.
I spent loads of time hiking between the beach and cafe to see what was going on. nothing.
we were a bit skunked for wind.
Was no wave comp, well there was next to no waves but we could have done something with the lumps.
My recommendations:
- move everything to the beach, i.e. noms and events tent. too far to go back to cafe/slsc unless ur hanging for some caffeine.
- have a deticated event area. Only kiters in an event kite in this zone
- setup loads of little fun comps. short comps, silly comps, trick comps, keep it interesting.

Im sure ill cop a load of stick for this but i feel like a paid a load of coin for a crappy t-shirt and could have kited there for free. And quite a few people did which was even more annoying.
I guess i did not really go to the out of kiting events as i had my family with me.
I hope you take this as constructive criticism and work to make it better each year.

I think if you go to the WindFest purely for the comp events then you are not going to get the most out of it. The comps (wave and big air) are both relatively informal and not intended to be super serious.

You didn't mention if you did the down winder, but these are pretty special in unique locations and are a real buzz to do with 100 or so fellow kiters. And the non kiting events Mick mentioned are also a lot of fun. (Apart from the hangover from drinking red wine with Eppo and his mates!).

The spirit that Mick has built for the event is very much about having a fun weekend with a bunch of new and old friends.

Yeh i did the downwinder. it was a buzz to see the coastline, skunked with wind and waves but nice to cruise along with a heap of others. Worth it if you are a city slicker or from another state.

I have realised your point above that it is not a "comp event". I did not expect it to be a full blown comp, tho i guess i did expect more than just kiting. I did see and meet loads of people having fun and smiling which was wikid.

Im not whining, i just would like Cauncy's event to keep going so as per his post give points to make it better.

With a family, not gonna be able to get to the night events. Im not the only one. Seems this is where the money is in breakkys and dinners and movies. Perhaps give an option for those that want it, and those that dont.? maybe too hard.

More things to do during the day, fun comps, talks, expression sessions, constant PA with music and talking and commentry and tips and tricks and banter etc. Seems on the forums Cauncy has a silver tongue, get it to work but on the mike!
Defo need mroe presence on teh beach. I think this will make all the difference.

It's be hard to pick a date knowing how unreliable wa wind is