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When will the sandbar (hr) be ready for launches?
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Post new topic   Reply to topic    Northwest Kiteboarding -> Gorge / Portland / Oregon Coast
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ldhr

Since 21 Jul 2009
1470 Posts
Hood River
XTreme Poster



PostMon Jun 05, 17 5:55 pm     Reply with quote

Over the years - there's been plenty of accidents on the sand bar too.
Accidents on the sand bar used to be a weekly occurrence.
Luckily our equipment has gotten better.
You haven't convinced me the Grass is any more dangerous than launching a kite anywhere else in the Gorge, including the sand bar.

IMO - the solution is a kite guard - much like a life guard at an ocean beach.
They could patrol the beach, assist in launching and landing and give advice to newcomers.Maybe even give them a jet ski for water rescue?

I think if we could have the lines redrawn to expand the launch to the west side of the bathroom - that would allow more space for landings.

Finally - let's cut the tree down and remove the log from the beach.
I volunteer to plant a new tree in the woods to offset the carbon footprint from cutting that one down.

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sleestack

Since 07 Dec 2006
181 Posts
Land of the Lost
Stoked



PostMon Jun 05, 17 9:56 pm     Reply with quote

[quote="ldhr"]

[b]IMO - the solution is a kite guard - much like a life guard at an ocean beach[/b].
They could patrol the beach, assist in launching and landing and give advice to newcomers.Maybe even give them a jet ski for water rescue?
[/quote]

Yes, let's get a kite guard on duty there. Lots material and stories could be written with all the stuff that goes on down there. Pardon the non-pc an insensitive term about to be used, but the Sand Bar has been called the Gay Bar many times in the past.

So of course such a show could be called Gay Watch.

Pilot show could potentially have David Hasselhoff, fat, old, overweight kook visitor, not from the area, taking the GB aka Sand Bar by storm after one 3 hour lesson.

SO MUCH POTENTIAL! Razz Laughing Wink

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wylieflyote

Since 30 Jun 2006
1634 Posts
Puget Sound & Wa. Coast
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PostTue Jun 06, 17 5:49 am     Reply with quote

If you've ever launched at Palapas Ventana, you would know there's always a person with a flagging vest waiting at the beach for you, to assist. Tim's got a great system there on a beach that's also occasionally is crazy gusty & crowded. Of course.... flagging vest guy is making a salary, and likely we'll not find any free volunteers to stand around all day long.
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Kip Wylie

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Justsmile

Since 20 Jul 2009
1523 Posts
Not Portland
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PostTue Jun 06, 17 10:22 am     Reply with quote

I will sign up to help any days I am not at the fire station. Stipend for beverages might me nice Smile
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Sella

Since 21 Apr 2007
1794 Posts
Doin' The Dalles
FLY'IN HIGH PIE GUY



PostTue Jun 06, 17 11:11 am     Reply with quote

sleestack wrote:
Pilot show could potentially have David Hasselhoff, fat, old, overweight kook visitor, not from the area, taking the GB aka Sand Bar by storm after one 3 hour lesson. SO MUCH POTENTIAL! Razz Laughing Wink

But Slees........I've had my 3 hour lesson and my IKO card to prove I'm now a kiteboarder!!! Woo-hoo let's shred! Rolling Eyes

As Scriffler once said very wisely we are all very lucky we have not seriously injured ourselves during the learning curve. I'm 18 years into this sport and I got blown off the water last week like a little bitch with 2 other kiters I consider "Gorge Best" had the same issue. We ended up at the Marina handing out cash to our booted amigos for their gracious gear retrieval. Mother Nature brought her A game and we got caught when she pumped up the volume mid-session so let's just say my butt was so puckered the GB was getting no action as I Crying Gamed the rest of the day out.

A kite liason/guard/ambassador is a solid idea but I see a lot of kiters already playing that role and its been working pretty good considering peak weekends can be Thunderdome-ish so any and all help from all is not an option, it's a must, because let's be real, one guard cannot oversee hundreds of kites coming and going and good luck with that liability hurdle when another beginner goes logging because the "kite guard" should have been aware. WTF???

BEGINNERS........invest your time because once that kite goes in the air you are on your own and if you do not fully understand your dick and tits will get rocked in 2 seconds if you do not know how to fly your kite with precision.....while moving downwind.....instead of standing on solid ground.....because yes it's different......before you ever put on your board the gusty gorge is going to give you a brutal wake up call....at EVERY launch site up and down the river. I don't know what they're teaching today but you cannot go from rigging, to wind window, to body dragging in a 1-2 day setting and think you're ready. Please don't get me wrong, lessons are an absolute must as a starting point, especially self-rescue, but then you need to make a serious effort and go fly the shit out of your small 4-line kite over and over and over again. It will make your experience so much less stressful and you will graduate into the club, but be prepared the investment is not based on hours...it's years.

Lo siento...rant off.

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FreerideWhiteSalmon

Since 17 May 2012
64 Posts

 

CGKA Member


PostTue Jun 06, 17 12:30 pm     Reply with quote

Sella wrote:


BEGINNERS........invest your time because once that kite goes in the air you are on your own and if you do not fully understand your dick and tits will get rocked in 2 seconds if you do not know how to fly your kite with precision.....while moving downwind.


This is the best thing I've read on any forum in a very long time! ROFLMAO.

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chrissmack

Since 08 Jun 2005
515 Posts
portland
Addicted



PostTue Jun 06, 17 12:48 pm     Reply with quote

Sella wrote:
fully understand your dick and tits will get rocked in 2 seconds


are you saying we need a transgender bathroom at the sandbar?

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FreerideWhiteSalmon

Since 17 May 2012
64 Posts

 

CGKA Member


PostTue Jun 06, 17 12:51 pm     Reply with quote

FreerideWhiteSalmon wrote:
Sella wrote:


BEGINNERS........invest your time because once that kite goes in the air you are on your own and if you do not fully understand your dick and tits will get rocked in 2 seconds if you do not know how to fly your kite with precision.....while moving downwind.


This is the best thing I've read on any forum in a very long time! ROFLMAO.


And just to be clear, totally agree with the message, just cracking up at some of the wording. Smile

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Sella

Since 21 Apr 2007
1794 Posts
Doin' The Dalles
FLY'IN HIGH PIE GUY



PostTue Jun 06, 17 6:14 pm     Reply with quote

chrissmack wrote:
Sella wrote:
fully understand your dick and tits will get rocked in 2 seconds


are you saying we need a transgender bathroom at the sandbar?

Ha! Sure, I am always in full support of the rainbow brigade or whatever it takes for all beginners, regardless of gender, to take flying the kite seriously because everybody comes to the table with wakeboarding, snowboarding, surfing and skating skills and everybody tells them "Bro, you'll pick this shit up so easy!!!" but the reality sets in when your power source is looping 23 meters up in the air while you're upside down heading for a rock jetty it gets real, real fast. No other sport will shoot a 200+ lb person 30 feet in the air with a simple move of the bar and then slam you to the ground only to power up again just for fun.

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