I have had 4 good collisions with Kites over the years.

3 of them with the same guy - coincidence ?

Sick of this guys Bull**** so i am going public.


Collision 1 - couple years ago
Lancelin South passage in an incident so woefully comical that it was almost hard to be pissed off.

I am Coming in on a wave from miles out, wave is about 5 m from breaking, kiter comes out through the break and turns 180 onto the wave placing himself very close downwind of me as i am bearing away down the line.

This is a big no no in surf etiquette. As big a red card as you can get.

My sail is now resting on him and i can't sheet out- result - powered up sail and offending kiter driven under water. He crashes his kite and goes under for a while. Drinks some water. What a dick i am thinking but got his just rewards. Totally put himself in this situation.

A move like this can only come from complete ignorance of surf rotation and right of way rules - so you cant be too mad. Must be a fresh newbie

Collision 2

3 minutes later the guy jumps rails and fins out at me - into my sail screaming that i tried to kill him. Totally lost his cool and is near hysterical. I am telling him to calm down.
Again hard to be too mad and as this guy is just learning and misguided with aggression - possible mental health issue suspected. Result small tear in my sail , small ding on board - could have been worse. Lots of staring and waving at me for the rest of the session. At the time i remember thinking we need to instigate a surf licensing system for these clowns.Some sort of compulsory signage like the surfers have maybe.

Collision 3

Yesterday - Scarbs -first run out - i tack about 400m out to sea.

i am stationary (as we tend to be when the wind is a little lighter) and this guy lines me up and jumps low and fast straight at me - and there is the same view again - fins and rails out - impacting my sail and mast hard knocking me off my board. I get the red mist and start to swim after him - then realise its the same guy!! He has followed me out , lined me up and in a fully premeditated act jumped at me. This is not some sort of near miss in the break situation -He must have been planning it the whole way out. I abuse him as you do. He indicates that this will continue to happen in future.

Now it doesn't take a genius to figure out i have a high profile in being outspoken about the kite / windsurf conflict that seems to be happening at Scarbs regarding a small section of beach that windsurfers use and are getting frustrated with. I can only assume that this mad act was partly to due to some misinterpretation to my role in trying to get a semblance of organisation going on at the beach.

So now a Police report has been made - with the goal of documenting some past behaviour - as they say - past behaviour is a good indication of future behaviour. I do some work with Police ancillary services and am known as a person of reliable character.

So we now have a pattern of behaviour on Police record.
And what this guy is doing can be classed as criminal behaviour.

- i have a family to provide for and a small business to run and don't need to have to worry about a maniac trying to hospitalise me by jumping fins and rails out at me whenever he gets the opportunity or imagines that he is protecting his slice of beach or whatever it is that goes through this guys head.

Put simply - the next time this happens - and i have a feeling it may as he indicated that this wouldnt be the last time- there had better not be any witnesses as its going to go very VERY badly for this guy.Not sure what your WAKSA public liability covers but i suspect with a track record like this it may be null and void.

While i don't want to id him here - lets just say he doesn't ride and inflatable.And it isnt the kiting legend that is Ian Young - a top bloke in my book.

Moving forward i am willing to forgive this clown- as i'd like to just enjoy some after work windsurfing. But to protect myself in future - the report is sitting there- for insurance.

So right now i reckon cool heads need to prevail - we arent rock starts or world champs trying to win heats - just after work crew letting off some steam in a very fun and healthy way.

So While most kiters are cool the bell curve unfortunately prevails. Same with the windsurfing population.

The talk amongst the windsurf crew at Scarbs was that if anything - the situation with kites buzzing through has gotten worse - with a few now seeing it as a ?bit of sport ? to buzz through the windsurfers. Ahh - got to love that Aussie sense of humour and larrikinism.

Collision 4

And what was the 4th incident you may ask? Well in an effort to lighten the tone here and have some fun (after all what we are doing is supposed to be fun- right?)

it was self a inflicted kite / windsurf video accident gone wrong - ohh we laughed! (once we realised we hadn't killed each other)

For those of you that havent seen it - here it is.

Luckily at my local there is harmony with the windsurfing/kiting populous, most of the kiters are former windsurfers anyway which helps. I regards to your situation Reflex I have nothing to add other than;

Be safe Matt, just keep an eye out, perhaps shoot a new vid as it's been a while

I would tell everyone that is windsurfing who he is and ask everyone to try to run him over to make him feel uncomfortable, or approach him on the beach to discuss the situation just after you have unrigged and carrying your mast extension to your fancy new van, you will be amazed at how much of a hero these tools aren't when they have an angry windsurfer standing in front of them.

There is a guy that kites a Peli point that is a major safety issue and I had seen enough of him boosting gay jumps threw the windsurf school and buzzing them with his lines about a metre above there masts, so I deliberately played chicken with him just to get his attention, we both pulling into the shore to have a grown up discussion about him acting like a bit of a tool, he accused me of trying to hit him (which was true) and mentioned that everyone on the beach who was watching him being awesome had seen me doing this (as everyone loves to see a grown man dangle from a bag with strings on it) I refreshed him on the kiting rules which apply to even the most Radical of this sport and I stress how dangerous kites can be and by pulling down on his bar sharply on one side turning his kite into the power zone for him just to show him how quickly this action can launch them out of the water and turn a kite into a dangerous weapon, he started to agree and I directed him to the kite area with some encouraging words and he headed off down wind to collect his board that I had politely thrown away for him as he was trying to regain control of his kite.

Its amazing how a few polite words can help when someone is acting dangerously.

^^^ classic

can see I did it all wrong
I thought I had seen kiters do really dangerous stuff but when I mentioned it here politely, even with constructive suggestions, I was told that I am totally wrong.

I now realise I am a H8R and I deserve to be like boosted ovr lolz

I can only assume this guy genuinely thought you were trying to drown him (or at least give him a hard time) on the first encounter and is very angry at you.
The best approach would be to calmly explain to this fellow the circumstances of the first encounter, stressing that in the position you were in you could do nothing else. You could point out that he had broken the right of way rules, but the point is really that you couldn't avoid him - and you are a good enough sailor that if it had been possible to avoid pushing him under you would have. Apologise.
Now I can understand if you don't want to go near this guy, it would take some courage, but a calm chat will likely defuse the whole situation. If you don't want to physically approach him, perhaps a post on the kiter's forum may be read by him or one of his mates.
Any aggressive retaliation will only make things worse.
I do think that making a police report was wise and wearing a gopro could collect evidence if necessary, but the primary aim has to be to avoid further confrontation in the water, and to be able to sail at your favourite spot without having to worry about being attacked.
I wish you well.

Wow! I thought this guy just loved to kite like a witless idiot and now it turns out it is not the laughter of a court jester we have heard, but that of a psychopathic loon. I am starting to thing 'Wolf Creek 3' needs a storyline and this guy is in the starring role. I am thinking Jack Nicholson in The Shining', laughing as he peers around the door with an axe, or the sneer of Anthony Hopkins in 'the Silence of the Lambs' . He certainly does the revenge thing better than Hannibal "Revenge is a dish best served cold" Lecter . Two years!!!!!!! I think not even Hannibal waited that long. I am not for a moment suggesting he had anything to exert revenge for by the way, at least nowhere except in his own sick little mind.

I think I know who it is and will confirm with Matt. If it is who I think it is he has few friends in the kiting community. A few crew actually hate him but I think he may be understood. I recall that he did us all a favour a few years ago when he didn't show up at Brighton for a few months after a stoush with an Angler where he couldn't see what the other guys issue was. He was widely lambasted on this forum. I had thought him as a bit of a harmless idiot with an unfortunate penchant for crashing his board/kite/self on top of me. I could never figure out why he always had to jump his strapless board just upwind of me on his way out - everytime with the same foreseeable consequences... board dropped, then kiter crashes and then kite crashes. Slow learner maybe, very slow. I thought it just his crazy way of being friendly. Now I am not so sure. Maybe that is all it was, a show off jump gone badly wrong and if so then he might need to explain himself and apologise profoundly, but I doubt Matt could have misconstrued why he was jumped upon. If this was an assault and it sound like it then it is just as, if not more, criminal than some star footballer exacting revenge on the mandibles of his ridiculers outside a night club. I think indeed some quiet words need to be spoken.

Matt's post bears a lot of resemblances to Ads' post a few weeks back on the kiting forum 'Dangerous Windsurfer at Brighton'. Have a read . It seems neither kiters nor windsurfers are immune to a few crazies in the ranks.

What time did that first encounter happen? Any chance it was late in the afternoon and he simply couldn't see you on the way out?

While it doesn't justify being an ongoing dickhead it would explain why he was startled the first time around.

That said, there are plenty of dickhead kiteboarders and windsurfers. Just go up to Gnaraloo and it's almost like it's a dickhead magnet. Don't know at what stage people got so agro about having fun?

I think going to the police was the right thing to do though.

Hmmm, some editing needed-

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niall barrett said..

It seems neither (insert selected watersport) nor (insert selected watersport) are immune to a few crazies in the ranks.

(insert selected watersport) - kiter, windsurfer, shortboarder, longboarder, SUPer, goatee, swimmer, fisherman, Jetskiier etc.

Totally agree.

Its very sad to hear this sort of stories, it is easy to understand that this is a lose-lose situation. I think you did well, but I would also try and find a kiter with good reputation among his fellows that can mediate before things escalate further.
Hope this can be forgotten soon.

And I chose to take up sailing again after 15 years coz I have the cr@ps with how many kook surfers, groms, chicks, boogs, mal riders etc there are at every beach in Sydney. I even stopped skating the halfpipe recently coz I was sick of being injured by scooter riders who have no respect.

These sort of tools ruin fun. I hope I don't come across the same sorts in my sailing endeavours.

Peace yo!

I did enjoy sailing at Peli Point the other week when a windsurfer ran over the lines of a learner Kiter, the kiter coach was not to happy and a few words were exchanged, making me have a good ol laugh

Better to do the hitting and not get hit ,you should have chucked your rig at him as he boosted at you, what were you thinking ,put the end of the boom / mast right up under his exposed rib cage. Problem solved he wont come so close next time ...........Everythings sorted then and there ,
and he may have been the one having a bitch post

I've been cleaned up twice by kiters. My last incident was more than 12 months ago. Whilst sailing a wave at Brighton, a kiter dropped his kite directly onto my head from behind which catapulted me into my sail. I ended up being entangled in the kite lines while waves were breaking over my head. I understand that accidents happen but what did leave a bitter taste in my mouth was he did not even apologise or ask if I was okay.

good luck with a police report for incidents on the water !!
last time we called 911 - they sent a cruiser = nice @#$%^&*()_

the way we do it at the beach - the regulars are all like buddies - windsurfers AND kiters
when there are dickheads - and they come in all shapes n sizes - we show that we are all together
power in numbers + ownership of the beach as far as i am concerned
wish you lots o luck and yes - nip it in the bud !!! together + azap

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Put simply - the next time this happens - and i have a feeling it may as he indicated that this wouldnt be the last time- there had better not be any witnesses as its going to go very VERY badly for this guy.Not sure what your WAKSA public liability covers but i suspect with a track record like this it may be null and void.

I didn't read that. Did anybody else read that?
Oh, it's gone. I don't know where I got that quote from. I'd better delete the above too.

Crash 4 sounds like it was just too many disco bikkies.

One day many years ago I just missed landing on a female jet skier as I was on my way out through the sets because she was running up the gutter between the waves parallel to the beach. I couldn't see her when I lifted off but apon becoming airborne there she was. She only saw me when I nearly took her head off during the landing as I fully jumped over her. Scared the poop out of her and she took off and was never seen again. I call this a happy accident.

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waterpistol said..

One day many years ago I just missed landing on a female jet skier as I was on my way out through the sets because she was running up the gutter between the waves parallel to the beach. I couldn't see her when I lifted off but apon becoming airborne there she was. She only saw me when I nearly took her head off during the landing as I fully jumped over her. Scared the poop out of her and she took off and was never seen again. I call this a happy accident.

Thats the problem , look before you jump if you cant see where your going to land will definitely be free dont jump . No one else knows you are about to jump and get dragged down wind .

Had a few funy close calls with tea bags at Pinaroo point while racing my yacht, we have a turn point just close to shore, the dicks always insist to cross the yachts pathright in front of us (wont cross behind for some reason), going to that mark we are sailing very close to the wind in a SSW situation and sailing starboard. One of those day I can picture myself cutting tangled lines...........
The good thing is they very often do the gay mating call before the jump as close as possible!

haha ha haha haaaaa

bunch of skirts

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hamburglar said...



haha ha haha haaaaa

bunch of skirts

At least with all the skirts around we know you'll keep your pants on, being a kite surfer n all.

i could see how things could get out of hand, possible lack of visibility in those condition could be a factor



kind regards
Walt

yes, few years back got to Peli Point early with a modest seabreeze. Windsurfing school was still out pooting around and there was this one kiter, right in the middle of them, boosting jumps like the beginners were ramps and worst still he has hooting all the way !

having rigged and launched the big gear and watched him carry one doing this the whole time, sailed out following this guy, without him noticing until i was literally sitting on this harness. he was rather surprised by my appearance like an uncloaking Klingon vessel.... I used a number of polite hand gestures to indicate the appropriate course of action that he should take to adjust his sailing style.

After returning to the beach later, this little brown asian chap came storming after me and we had a polite discussion about why i didn't know who he was (kitesurf champion of Bali apparently) and who i thought I was (I'm whatever my wife tells me I am ....).

After further pleasant discourse about the unconventionalism of boosting through a windsurf school, we parted aways, not as friends but with a better understanding of the rules of the road.

I also saw Ant Baker doing exactly the same thing on the water some years even before that to another errant kiter who again seemed to think that the windsurf school provided a convenient obstacle course.

I've also had kiters at Safety Bay do stupid and unannounced things in front of me without looking around or sideways, not just putting my and their lives at risk but even someone 30 feet downwind.

is there a theme here ?

for what it's worth, I'll continue to to make my point to any kiter who i think is crossing the line, in the safest manner possible (e.g. cramp their line, push them upwind), so they get the message, otherwise they'll never learn or respect those around them.

yes, few years back got to Peli Point early with a modest seabreeze. Windsurfing school was still out pooting around and there was this one kiter, right in the middle of them, boosting jumps like the beginners were ramps and worst still he has hooting all the way !

having rigged and launched the big gear and watched him carry one doing this the whole time, sailed out following this guy, without him noticing until i was literally sitting on this harness. he was rather surprised by my appearance like an uncloaking Klingon vessel.... I used a number of polite hand gestures to indicate the appropriate course of action that he should take to adjust his sailing style.

After returning to the beach later, this little brown asian chap came storming after me and we had a polite discussion about why i didn't know who he was (kitesurf champion of Bali apparently) and who i thought I was (I'm whatever my wife tells me I am ....).

After further pleasant discourse about the unconventionalism of boosting through a windsurf school, we parted aways, not as friends but with a better understanding of the rules of the road.

I also saw Ant Baker doing exactly the same thing on the water some years even before that to another errant kiter who again seemed to think that the windsurf school provided a convenient obstacle course.

I've also had kiters at Safety Bay do stupid and unannounced things in front of me without looking around or sideways, not just putting my and their lives at risk but even someone 30 feet downwind.

is there a theme here ?

for what it's worth, I'll continue to to make my point to any kiter who i think is crossing the line, in the safest manner possible (e.g. cramp their line, push them upwind), so they get the message, otherwise they'll never learn or respect those around them.

Who is the bloke that kites at Peli in a balaclava and boosts over people and the boat ramp and as he been pulled into line yet?

Photo Caption : ^^^

Bagger totally burned by dancer.

lol.

Or a more sensible caption than Mr 'slave's one:

That should never happen. Reason:

First on wave owns it. (Ie: don't turn onto a wave that somebody is already on, be it in the break, 50m out or 300m out. DON'T do it.
Then, don't stall on the inside waiting for waves to catch you, cos somebody will be on it. Of course if nobody is planing and it is really light, then you can as everyone will be)

Second - if you can't tell who was on the wave first, then upwind / closer to the peak has right of way.

That is very obviously a down the line frontside riding wave ad one of them has made a very obvious **** up (deliberate I'd suggest) for that to happen. It is very bloody simple.

(Disclaimer - presuming they are not mates mucking around. But it dun look like it...)

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waveslave said..





Photo Caption : ^^^

Bagger totally burned by dancer.

lol.

The windsurfer was riding the wave, did a big jump with re entry in the wave (don't know the name) when the kiter thought he could drop in.
No one got hurt.

Happened here (check sail id)

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wa881 said..
... and worst still he has hooting all the way !

I remember this guy! Wearing a flouro vest and baseball cap. He'd hoot just as he was about to boost to make sure everyone was watching.

A very special case.

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Man0verBoard said..
Who is the bloke that kites at Peli in a balaclava and boosts over people and the boat ramp and as he been pulled into line yet?

Yep, that guy used to sh1t me as well. As someone else mentioned he used to hoot to make sure everyopne was watching him before he did some lame jump.
Ive never seen a windsurfer do anything like that, maybe thats the difference between the two sports, one is enjoyed by doing, and the other needs to have others watching for them to enjoy it. ;)

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Maddlad said..

maybe thats the difference between the two sports, one is enjoyed by doing, and the other needs to have others watching for them to enjoy it. ;)

You think ? ^^^

I think the big diff between the two sports is that kiters have the ability to access instant acceleration on demand,

by smashing a downstroke whip which produces a massive powerspike.

In compassion, all a poley can do in a lull is pump his rig in a fit,

which feels a bit like jerking on an air-oar in a little rowing boat.

*Try saying air-oar several times fast.

lol.