Kite crasher

Three ways to deal with it.

Firstly, give way and turn the other cheek.

Secondly, wait in the car park. Talk to them about what happened. If they are unreasonable, get their rego and then call the police. The police will do nothing but will record it as an incident.

Thirdly, if they are smaller than you, give them a smack and tell them not to do it again.

The big problem with kiting, and the problem I believe will eventually see it banned at most popular beaches is the amount of space it takes up. It can take up as much space as a Hobie Cat.

I just got into w/s after a break of almost 12 yrs, happy to report its going much better than expected...like riding a bike and the 'new' boards are just so user friendly. I'm on the new Futura 111 and it is soooo much better than anything I ever had 'in the old days'.

Anyhow, in the past I had never had to share air, wave or flat water space with kites as there weren't any, so I figured it can't be that bad blah blah blah. However, in the month I've been back at it, I've had a couple of incidents with them already. The first was probably my fault because I didn't realise just how much room they need and had to 'run' upwind to avoid a collision (caveat: he never made a single move to avoid a collision, it was all me). The second was bizarre, the guy was well upwind of me on opposing track (about 3 'string' lengths, is that what you would call it?) but suddenly blasted downwind strait at me, I adjusted by heading further downwind so that he could pass behind me with loads of room, but he kept tightening his turn and eventually I was heading dead downwind looking over my shoulder at him. Now get this, he kept coming and ended up taking my mast out with his strings, just above the boom so I had to duck at the last minute to avoid losing my head. I got nicely smashed as a result (didn't have time to unhook) and my brand new kult is badly scuffed from his strings. Not a word from him, he just got himself sorted out and went off on his way. I chased him down and asked him what the hell he was doing, he just turned around and told me to get f....d. I seriously wanted to smash the cheeky s...t but if I did what would happen? We as windsurfers would look like the agro ones and they would simply get sympathy to our detriment. But, it can't go on like this either because I have to point out that both these incidents were not in 'kite heavy' areas, on the first occasion there were 2 kites in the area and on the second, he was the only one. So from my standpoint it can only get worse from there and there are so many poeple taking kiting up that we are going to get taken out more and more. How long until someone is badlyu hurt? I didn't realise how potentially dangerous the strings could be until the whistled over my head. Now I know I'm generalising and that kiters should not all be painted with the same brush, but what in everyones opinion would the majority of them be, currently and/or in the future...sensible or schmucks? And how do we avoid confrontation keeping in mind that it is almost always them crashing into us and not vice versa, ie; regardless how much you avoid them, sooner or later they will find you. Rules and regs would not be a smart idea in my view, we have too many of them already and they would only cause further grief I feel. When you drive down st kilda way and you see how many poeple are learning to kite, would it be an idea for our local windsurfing organisations to team up with similar kiting organisations (?) and jointly get the schools to teach better collision avoidance and in particular, that students should maintain their own 'micro no fly zone' close to windsurfers with masts just asking to be snagged? I reckon perhaps a big part of the problem is they just don't see the rig for what it is, a kite catcher...if the schools are not interested, then I'm sure their PL insurers would be.

Sorry for the long post
A

I remember when I started wavesailing back in the mid 80's there were few of us and many surfers and it was a very similar situation. I remember ending up in the odd physical confontation at spots like D-Bar which had a very locals only culture back then. That was just the way it was and issues were worked out there and then.

Eventually I think we gained the respect of a few of the surfers here and there for some of the stuff we were doing, getting out in mast high surf out there when they wouldn't even consider it etc. We also stayed pretty much out of the beach break there and rode the outer banks and bar.

What I think is missing so far is the respect from both sides, I don't see a lot of respect from Kiters, except maybe in the case of the ex-windsurfers. After all, in the early days, we never coined any term or nick name for surfers that I know of...they called us wind w4nkers. We also respected that they were there first and made sure we gave them room, I don't know if that is really the case today though.

But all in all they earn't our respect by being there first and making sure we knew our place (even if it meant the odd smack), we got respect from them by showing that we weren't going away and that we were able to "man up" when it came to it. I guess in some areas Kiting may need the same initiation. Seems so far that up here in QLD it's all happy families though.

It seems to me the best kiters, attitude and skillwise, are ex windsurfers.(or also windsurfers)

I believe Poida uses the boom in the head technique if the kites dont get of his wave !

I havent collided yet but I normally aim at the meat on the end of the string, that way we both have the same amount to lose.

At Lancelin I found all kiters give way most of the time when in the bay, in the waves they dont always seem to understand that the first person on the wave owns it. I suspect its partly because they dont have to go as far out to get the wave and think that if they just sit in the break they can take any wave they want. Then again some windsurfers think that as well

I am yet to have a confrontation with a kiter.
I had a great day out at Woodies North side with some brilliant kiters (no ramp) sharing the strip in 24 knots late on a Friday afternoon.
Maybe big and ugly helps and that I keep a copy of a Coffin Cheaters jacket in the 4WD
I sailed at Gnaraloo with a couple of brilliant kiters and had no problems either.
I think it is the 2% wan.ers in every breed that spoil it for everyone.
Melville Beech is a different matter when you drop down towards the majestic with lots of kite learners now that's a dangerous place to sail.
I now have a kite rope slicer permanently attached to my waist .
Having water skied and seen the damage done by ropes at speed this is for emergency use and might save a limb or my life.

Recently at local spot on the bay its blowing 30-35 knots about 18 windsurfers out, they have been sailing there many years before kites came along. So up comes an experienced kiter and decides to kite amongst the area we sail jumping and so forth. Given the conditions this was stupid and he should of been down wind or well upwind of the windsurfing pack. None of us windsurfers take likely the prospect of razor wire etc close/upwind of us in 30 knots, accidents happen no matter how good you are.
I have plenty of ex windsurfer friends that kite and dont mind sailing close with them in the moderate conditions, this is only because we know each others style/skill. Its just a shame when theres no respect for the safety of others, when theres plenty of room to sail elsewhere or just downwind a bit.

A tip FatBoy, some kite harnesses come with a string cutter inbeded in a hook so it poses no threat to cutting yourself. Mount on your mast tip and facing forward, it will catch string as it slides up the leading edge of your mast. These are also handy if you ever get caught up in string and your about to have your head limbs etc decapatated.

Most of the augusta kiters r probably learners so not in control anyway

Do any Kiters get registration thru their association like we had to, for insurance purposes?
I think they should let people who are registered sail at beaches which say WINDSPORTS BANNED ie. Bondi, Maroubra.

It's much easier to track a person down when they have a number.


PS - I find the "Tea-baggers" at Wanda are mostly ex-wavesailors anyway and behave well.

Spotty that kite line cutter that you were talking about sounds like a great idea to market - perhaps KA can manufacture one? Kind of like a safety box cutter?
It would just need to clip onto the mast somehow - perhaps like a mast protector?
Not that I have ever slammed into kite lines but the idea is that if they do dip the kite in front of you and you collide with the lines there would be a reasonable (?) chance that there lines would get sliced - swim dude

it should be enough of a deterrent.

I had a collision today - well, almost. I had just waterstarted or uphauled (forget which) and was moving very very slowly, just about to steer the board downwind, when this clown (an Aussie, as it turned out) just came barrelling towards me from out of nowhere. He was on collision course for my rig (and me with it) so all I could do was stop dead and drop backwards into a waterstart position. He just missed my board and then fell off too. Silly bugger.

I love it when you're on starboard (the tack, not the brand) and well upwind, and some kitey-poo 100m downwind decides to go upwind across your nose. They try and they try...the look of shock and incomprehension on their face when they finally realise that you're probably not going to move out of the way for them...

I did some research - hey I really wanted to know... and found this in another forum......

"Yes Florence, kiting is indeed the dangerous and evil plague you suggest! The stories of decapitation and castration are unfortunately true. Actually, it's just one story...apparently the guy lost his "little" head...but it's shocking none the less. With that in mind, I think it's best to not go balls out in this sport just yet or maybe wear a cup. "

Maybe it explains the boardshorts on top of the wetsuit