The guys have been working hard in the Emerald Isles to
Keep 'Em Flying Free And At Will, NATIONWIDE!




For more details checkout:
http://www.kiteforum.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=131

I just heard that Dubin kiteboarders also managed to get local government agree to let them install a windmeter for Internet access near the launch on the Council building. If anyone has ever undertaken to find a party willing to allow installation of windmeters at a good location near the ocean you can appreciate this accomplishment. That fact that the local government is the one providing the access is even better. I understand that Shay purchased, installed and maintains the windmeter at no charge. Thanks Shay and well done guys! More at:

http://www.kiteforum.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=131

congratulations to ireland !!!
for the kitesurifing areas and smoking prohibitions in pubs as well !!!

Yeah...'tis great......no smoking.......next no drinking and no laughing!!

Well done guys.

Pre-empt the accidents, attitudes, ignorance and negative reporting.
I hope us english follow your lead soon - before bans.

all the above has been done without an national kitesurf organisation/assocation.

Hopefully we will have something sorted later on during the year.


also the main kitebeach where we are installing the meter, is hoping to achieve blue flag status for summer 2004. Making Dublin, the only capitol city in europe with a blue flag!!

For us folks on the far side of the Pond, what is Blue Flag status?

Well its more progress than they made trying to find a sloping lake to water ski on.

I wonder how the various micks manage to connect themselves to the kite with the bars being closed periodically.

basically its an award for beach and lake management.

it covers all aspect water quality, beach access, facilites available, water and beach saftey an dalot more you can read about it here: http://www.blueflag.org/

the scheme is expanding and includes south africa among other countries.

I received an PM from Collly that I wanted to pass on to the Forum. Colly mentioned that:

"...... it was sparked off by the French Minister for Marine last May. He wrote to ALL his counterparts in Europe asking about "Wichard Shackles and kitesurf safety".

Sounds like a heads up to me and perhaps an opportunity for other areas in Europe to possibly head off problems. The riders in Dublin/Ireland were able to start a good thing and with little advanced organization too. Well done guys! It is good that your governmmental authorities got proactively involved with a desire to first understand then to facilitate the safe enjoyment of our sport. Going hands off, the public sector is left to try to figure things out on their own which may not be such a good thing. It would be great if this might be repeated elsewhere. Anyway, on to Colly's message:

"Thanks for the acknowledgement Rick. Great to see our little sign up on this site.
Yes it is a huge achievement. But I can't and Won't take all the credit.

For the record...... it was sparked off by the French Minister for Marine last May. He wrote to all his counterparts in Europe asking about "Wichard Shackles and kitesurf safety". It was prompted in part by some highly publicized accidents last year in France and I think the ongoing efforts stemming form Silke's accident.

The IWS (Irish Water Safety) found us through shops and schools. We had (still have) no association but we had to react. We met with the IWS at our local beach were they observed every aspect of our setup from were/how we park to kite setup and launch, how we conducted ourselves and of course we clarified the "chicken loop release issue". Satisfied with the demonstration of several branded production bar release systems and one fitted with Wichard Snap Shackle they asked "what could they do for us?â€