NO KITEBOARDING HERE!

[RickI]

What do these places have in common?

CALIFORNIA
ENGLAND
WALES
ITALY
SPAIN
CAPE COD
and on and on ...

RECENT KITEBOARDING BANS

Try to work some change or plan on giving up your access to ride in quite a few areas.
Bans at more densely populated beaches are on the rise all over the world. Crowds and kites generally don't mix well. Add new or incautious, careless riders and things go from bad to worse. So what to do, a couple ideas follow:

1. Nothing or try ineffective measures and wait for the AUTHORITIES TO SHUT YOU OUT.

THIS APPEARS TO BE THE PREDOMINANT APPROACH IN MANY AREAS TODAY.

2. Negotiate with the authorities for designated launch areas.

Try to get one or more areas at least 300 ft. or 100 m wide (doubling this or MORE is vastly better), marked with signs to alert bystanders as to what goes on there. Prepare kiteboarding guidelines and circulate them widely through your kiteboarding association, if you don't have one, start one. Have riders launch and get out far enough from shore (100 m?) and STAY OUT until time to land. Give kiteboarding orientations to local lifeguards, rangers and city officials. They will better understand us and will have more of an idea on how to rescue riders that need it. Here is a big one, get a few of these guys hooked on kiteboarding and you will have some major allies where it counts!

Ideas on these subjects appear at:

phpbb/viewforum.php?f=96
phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=11313
phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=3881

Try to negotiate with the authorities to have them enforce the guidelines or rules, that way the kite cops will not be volunteers. Try to get several of the local leading riders onboard with this concept. Self policing is still likely to be necessary. Avoid peak crowding periods if necessary with time and/or day restrictions. Have designated areas for new kiters where downwind runs should be feasible while avoiding bathers and bystanders.

WE CAN ACT FOR BEST EFFECT OR CONTINUE TO WATCH OUR ACCESS BE TAKEN AWAY. IF WE CONTINUE TO DO NOTHING OR BE INEFFECTUAL, WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO LOSE.

[Toby]

Hi Rick,

thx for this.
I think soon we all have to face the problems of bans.
Thx to the intgernet we can discuss about it and prepare for this and take a step before it is too late and before something happens.

We all love this sport and the most are addicted, like myself, and I wouldn't know what to do if they close all spots around us.

So better to think about it now and try to find a way how we can keep access.

The more people write their opinions and comments, the better for all of us. Specially comments and experiences from people trying to lift a ban or already achieved the lift of a ban should post.

If some magazines are reading this, I think you should contribute as well maybe by publishing the results or warning or "must be" on a spot, etc.

Later I willmove this topic and all about bans into the "Ban Prevention Forum" in the "Groups" to make sure it doesn't get lost in the database, therefore this is too important.

Greets
Toby

[MadMick]

Could be some serious bans coming up on Maui !!

Council is looking at banning lessons on the beach on the weekends and holidays!!

What next?

[RickI]

Again, doing nothing or undertaking ineffectual efforts to avoid bans seems to be the norm in many areas today. As a result we are being kicked off of beaches in various parts of the world and particularly the more crowded beaches.

One solution is moving towards designated launch areas. Work towards a solution or possibly be shut out, it's your choice.

Some of these bans were inevidable given beach crowding and poor riding practices, e.g. no buffer zones, riding near bathers, leaving kites rigged up in crowded conditions, cowboys wrecking things for other more realistic riders, etc.

So, take it on the chin and D R I V E further to your next session or try to take care of business at home. If you have obvious problems get together with some other concerned riders, talk it over and go see the authorities. They are no doubt examing kiteboarding or may soon be and what they conclude may or may not be to your liking.

Present a proposal for a designated launch just like surfers, sailboats and even fishermen have at some beaches. There is a LOT of precident for this. Write some reasonable, enforcable guidelines and promote them.

Sounds like a hassle? You could be correct but what is worse, having to drive further and further away or taking care of access close to home. Deal with it now or later, it's up to you.

I will make some inquiries on the current Maui situation and will post an update on this later on today ideally.

[Mr Jo Macdonald]

Recently due to various incidents, fights and hotheads, kiting has been baned for the rest of summer along a whole section of the Italian coast near Naples and the authorities are talking about doing the same thing in the Rome area.

Our wind/kite club is almost lawless but we've still managed to protect our access to the sea so far even in an area which is infested by tourists in summer.
At the moment we're getting evicted almost every year from where we are, in old colonies on the italian riviera, so we haven't got somewhere permanent or a corridor although this is what we're asking for, there have been a few articles in the papers, one last week asking the municipal authorities for a place for watersports.
For now we're outlaws so we have to use our heads. In the winter, spring and autumn we do as we please, the beach is ours, but in summer we understand that the beach is more the tourists' for at least 2 months. In summer to launch a kite we politely ask the people strolling along the shore to please stop and wait while we launch a kite to keep them away from potential dangers, then we walk the kite into the water, walking or bodydraging out until we're further out than anyone playing in the shallows who are also kept more or less away by the lifeguards, we don't go blasting off in the middle of the people in the water, if there's no one around we start from nearer to shore. We go out straight away and have fun without coming in too close to shore. We come in using the same technique as above. If someone who isn't in the club wants to launch here, if we know them and know they are capable kiters and use their head no problem, if we don't know them we ask them if they know how to go upwind and relaunch the kite, if they do we tell them they can launch but must go staight out avoiding the people in the water and then stay out, if they're learning they have to wait until evening when the people leave the beach. We also wait for evening in limit wind conditions.
Until now we seem to be tollerated by the authorities. If we behave and no one complains the harbour office leaves us alone, let's hope it continues like this and maybe we'll eventually get our own space with a corridor.

Even if you are breaking the rules, if the people who can ban you see that you try to respect them and other beach users you still have options.
Jo

[ced1]

Jo, Kite surfing has been banned in Rome... Officially. Gear has been taken away and fines of up to 1800 Euro dished out. Only one place has been left for kiters on Roman beaches, Focene, which is where the tiber goes to sea... Needles to say just walking on the beach is life threatening, broken bottles, needles, etc...

The subject is so hot that the other day I ended up having an argument with some fisherman on one of the few empty beaches because I'd laid out a foil (well away from anyone) and wanted to do some beache flying. He felt compeled to come and argue with me that Kite surfing was banned, and the police would come. I tried to explain that his lines were safe 'cause I wasn't going near the water... Nought would appease him. Seems like everyone is pissed off at us. And I have to admit rightfully to some extent. It takes one rotten egg to f*** up the cake...

Ced

[Mr Jo Macdonald]

Gottcha Ced,
I definately think getting clubs and/or associations together may be an answer, not for this year obviously but for next year because then for the powers that be we're a group of people trying to act responsably instead of a bunch of nutters acting like they own the beach.
For this year look for a secret spot.
It's a good thing we're talking about this here and on the Italian forum, if small clubs like ours can survive by being tolerated, if we manage to organise some sort of national association/voice we would definately be getting somewhere.
There are already places in Italy where the local authorities have given kiters their own kite beach with a corridor, really just as long as they agree to use it with a snap shackle and leash on the kite. The nearest to here is in Pesaro as far as I know.

[tux]

I think it is time to start thinking to set up something in owr countryes that rappresent many kiters,''=many people that votes''maybe a meeting of the representative of every local club,school,association,.Count owrselfs and go to the authorities and say, we are many owr sport is kitesurfing, please find for us a place were to play.
Another way suggested by the harbour authorities was this:
If in your club you have a team who enjoy official competition you have right to ask a spot for training.

By the rest I remain on the opinion expressed on 1st May:
phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=9641
Tux

[Mr Jo Macdonald]

Hi Tux, missed that other thread, must've been out n about.
Saying you need a spot to train a competition team is a good idea, also asking for permission to hold competitions.
Do you think it's better for each club to ask for access locally or try to organise something on a national scale?
Did you get any answer to your request in May for a spot?

[papi]

Hi Rick
unfortunately I 'm living your same discomfort, I live in rome too
and I cannot launch my fly fron May
why is it possible? cause I 'm not an expert kiter and I'm not feel free to kiting when there are people on the beach.
unfortunately, not all people feel the same and just this person are the cause of this situation... madhead that aren't any respect for sport sea and other peolple in general
my teacher refused to give lesson to one of this mad, but how many people do you know who should give up its money?
if the fisrt step is to got reserved beach for kiters the first on fisrt is we, right kiters, keep the dickhead off the kite
clear sky and good wind to all