Guys we will be BANNED from Pelican Point if the following keeps up!
Anyone who was there between 1630HRS and 1730HRS please back me up if you saw the following happen there!
SSE winds GUSTING 22 - 30KNTS approx.
In the 20 mins I was on the setup grass area these things happened.
1. Italian tries to launch kite across cycleway people trying to walk past and one cyclist.
2. Coupla mins later a guy launches into the tree at takeoff.
3. Another Italian does a unhooked maneuver just enough to land on beach at launch area and lets his kite go and lands it in the trees just before roadway, as his kite hits tree a person walking under his lines had no idea he was saved by the tree cause that guys lines would have taken him out, the lines stayed about 10 foot above walkway!
This Kiter was doing ALL his tricks about 20 -30 M from grass launch area and going about 10M from the carpark!! He stuffed up 3 times just before the MAJOR balls up!
4. Regular Kiter from Pelican Point does a HUGE BOOST and lands into a WINDSURFER's sail 3/4 the way up! YOU KNOW WHO U ARE!!
5. Learner was doing his thing between the boats and the playground area, was stuffing up a lot of the time and coming back up wind he was about 10M from the carpark where the wooden walkway is.
Then the worst thing could happen, he took out another kiter in that area between the wooden walkway and launch area! He had the totally black kite 9M. He was saved just in time before his kite nearly ended up in carpark!!
6. Last thing I saw was another Kiter BOOSTING near a windsurfer and he landed min one metre away from him fell off his board then went into the power zone and was coming straight at the launch area and just saved it!
ALL this in 20 mins of watching!!
Geez I'm glad I've had 13 years of kiting cause the way were all going there WON'T be many spots to go to, it's getting to the stage where we will be governed like the JET SKIS and Water skiers! AREA set aside only for us and it will be a small spot or two!!
This was crazy stuff, I've read about these things happening here and there but due to the wind direction most of the ppl were down at this spot and mate it was scarey!!
I hope there weren't any rangers watching or people recording via cameras cause WE WILL LOSE THIS SPOT!!
WAKSA better have someone down there ALL this week as the wind direction and strength is the same all week!!
Regulars at this spot better start policing people or we will be going else where!
The RANGER has been watching us lately from the bird sanctuary and telling people to keep out of the yellow area !!
Let's all take care this week guys please as I love this great spot so close to PERTH!
I have an idea!
All WAKSA members with maybe two years membership & experience and say over 21 year old should be given a distinctive Fluro T-Shirt!
I put it to the forum for the wording on the T-Shirts!!
So at every spot in WA say, 20% of the kiters will have the T-Shirt to wear if they choose to!
So when they are setting up they don the T-Shirt and when packing up and hanging around. I know a lot of guys will forget or leave at home but if a few do it and a idiot does something stupid at least there a a few guys who could have a talk to the individual about the local rules..
I'm only trying to save the great kite surfing spots guys, if you want to bag me as a whinger so be it BUT REMEMBER this post in say 5 years and mate bye bye kiting spots and thats a FACT,if we don't start doing something NOW. Just look at whats happening over east bans left right and centre and what happened to ALL the ski area only FULL STOP
Hello from the other rigging area at Peli point
I too noticed a couple of the above mentioned incidents, maybe we need to develop some more unwritten rules for a S'Easter at peli point, everyone goes there on a S'Easter cause its on of the few (only?) places that work in that breeze.
Maybe something along the lines of clearing the space between the boats and the kite launch area asap (no freestyling or mowing the lawn in this area) for everybody (including poleys
).
Usually everyone sorts themselves out pretty quick after some inital issues at the start of the day on a S'Easter down there. I dont know what happened today that everybody decided to stay in close, it was a real mess.
Who's the dude that wears the red helmet and the fluro jersey (he likes to attract attention to himself right before a trick with a yelp or holler), he's certainly got some schmick skills on him, but us windsurfers are all laying bets as to when he's gonna land one of his boosts in the car park and break a leg (or worse)
Subsonic
Thanx for the reply!
I know the guy your talking about and he was next to me when all these incidents happened, I could hear the cogs ticking ova in his head about what NOT to do!
Hopefully he took note!
Hi all,
Coldshot I'm not having a crack at you but WAKSA is a VOLUNTARY organisation that does everything it can to keep access to all our favourite kiting spots opening. They do not have the time or man power to man every local spot to enforce rules nor is that the role of the committee.
My personal point of view is that a fluoro T shirt shouldn't be required for local kiters to have a polite word with another kiter who seems to be out of their depth or is causing a safety issue. As you said the sport isn't regulated and to keep it this way everyone needs to take responsibility for these issues - there are 10 volunteer committee members but over 800 WAKSA members.
Unfortunately tourists kiting here is a problem and is a difficult issue to deal with. Again as locals we all need to setup and say something to keep our favourite spots open.
Travis
Just don't Kite there. Far too many gooks, smelly, crowded lots of trees and horrible crowds.
Hit the coast there are 100's clean uncrowded spots.
