THE SPRINGTIME IS WHEN FOLKS BUY NEW GEAR SO NOW IS THE TIME FOR THE ENTIRE KITING COMMUNITY TO SHOW THEIR SOLIDARITY AND NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM REAL, INCLUDING LESSONS.
NEW KITERS:
YOU CAN GET BETTER LESSONS ELSEWHERE.
YOU CAN GET THE SAME EQUIPMENT FOR A BETTER PRICE ELSEWHERE
YOU CAN GET A BETTER INTRODUCTION TO THE SPORT ELSEWHERE
YOU CAN DEFINITELY MEET NICER PEOPLE ELSEWHERE
(LIKE PEOPLE WHO DON'T CONSTANTLY KEEP THEIR EYES GLUED ON YOUR WALLET)
AND YOU CAN GET BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SUPPORT ELSEWHERE
JUST SHOP AROUND, DON'T FALL FOR THE B.S.
LAST TIME I WAS IN HATTERAS, I DID A DOWNWINDER AND WENT THROUGH THE SLICK NEAR REAL KITEBOARDING. THERE WERE LIKE 20 KITERS IN IT, ALL WITH THE REAL KITEBOARDING LOGO ON THIER KITES AND REAL RASHGUARDS. THEY WERE LIKE DELIBERATELY CUTTING ME OFF AND TRYING TO FLY THEIR KITES CLOSE TO MINE,,VERY UNFRIENDLY AND HAD SOME ATTITUDE. BAD VIBE, VERY UNFRIENDLY.
Whatever. Good luck organizing that one. All of the guys and girls at Real are just as nice as can be. It's a real shop with real people, not just some internet mail order company. Maybe you're the one with attitude - and a bit of an ego too if you think we're going to rally together and boycott a company because you had a bad experience there.
dude, relax. The folks at Real have always been great to me. Your perspective is just one but mine is that they are a first rate operation, truly care of teaching and promoting the sport of kiting, and yes they are in business to make money. Their website isn't http://www.realkiteboarding.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. I for one, will continue to support them when possible.
Lastly, did you check the local rules on the slick? I believe it's counter to the traditional rules of the water in that the circle goes counter clockwise....could that have been the problem? If so, maybe you were the kook ruining everyone else's stoke. Just a thought.
I was in little compton near newport at this river spot and asked the lifeguards if kiting was legal and they said yes. So I pumped up and the hole time there was a real instructor watching me and when I was fully rigged not before he came over and said that there was no kiting on this beach. So being the nice guy that I am I put my kite right away. About an hour later I see the same real instructor teaching a 1st time rookie on the same beach he kicked me off of! So I went back to the lifeguard and had her call the head lifeguards office and confirm what she had said earlier, that I was doing nothing wrong. So I rigged. I was dealing with one guy and I would not hold them as a group responsible for what this one bearded guy did! Just my experience! I found it rather strange. I still would like to check out hatteras and the real kiteboarding center without prejudice! kite on!