CGKA - Marina Beach Kiteboard Access User Guidelines

Pepi · Sat May 11, 13 1:11 am **CGKA - Marina Beach Kiteboard Access User Guidelines**

As part of the CGKA's continued working relationship with the Port of Hood River, Kiteboard access along the Marina Beach Park waterfront has been renewed on an official basis.

The Marina Beach Park kite access for kiteboarding has some specific rules and requirements in order for kiteboarders and swimmers/sunbathers to enjoy a mixed use recreational experience both safely and sanely.

Below is a map showing some simple zones for kiteboarders to understand and respect.

PUMP/DRY AREA : is available all along the waterfront beach area, specifically north of the parking area, but not to along any of the maintained grass areas (these are understood to be specifically for all beach users, but NO KITEGEAR!)

LAUNCH/LAND AREA : is available all along the waters edge where the Hood and Columbia Rivers intersect. Is it requested that all kiteboard users specifically launch/land only downwind of other beach users and far enough away from the swimmer/sunbathers to avoid any safety issues.

REMINDER - This is recommended as an advanced launch due to the extremely cold snowmelt river water, strong currents, floating debris, Slider Project features, and funky winds. You must have strong upwind boardriding skills as well as capable self-launching and self-landing skills
Always give families/beachgoers plenty of safety room, no boosting near beachgoers and always try to stay downwind of any kids or families.

If you are unfamiliar with the rules, please refer to one of the information map/signs installed at the upper section of the Marina Beach.
The rules are simple playground rules and are in place for both our safety and the daily recreational beach users safety.

The CGKA and the Port of Hood River thank you for your commitment to follow these rules that allow us this privilege granted to the Kiteboarding community.

sanderson84 · Since 06 May 2015 2 Posts New Member

Jonpnw · Since 22 Jul 2010 959 Posts Pacific Northwest Opinionated

This guy was nicely told earlier this week that the event site grass area was closed for launching and landing . Today he decided to land his kite on the grass on TOP of non kiting visitors. When he told nicely that he was wrong he got very agressive and was ready to fight .Some one must know this a**hole and can kindly let home know he is not welcome here.

Dog Patrol · Since 20 Jul 2009 1283 Posts Stevenson XTreme Poster

Douche bags like this cause us to lose our patch of grass and make it a struggle to get it back earlier!!!! Dam tourist!! Someone who knows who they are will bite at this term:-)!

Gator · Since 15 Sep 2012 40 Posts Portland

What pissed me off the most about this guy was that when another kiter and I saw him attempting to land his kite over a family on the lawn and told him it was not allowed he basically told us to F off and dropped his foil over the spectators with lines landing on a mother carrying a baby on one side and on a toddler on the other side. Pretty much the only thing he had to say to anyone was "shut your pie hole" and I can do whatever I want. Even if landing were allowed on the lawn right now choosing the 3 foot slice of it with a family standing there and dropping your lines on them is blatantly stupid.

This may have been the dumbest kite activity I have personally witnessed and people like this should not be allowed to kite in public areas like the event site.

Pepi · Sun Sep 06, 15 10:23 am

The kiters name is Felix and he is a racer/foiler from the Bay Area, I believe.

If any other persons see him at the beach, let's just use a friendly 2nd attempt at speaking with him about what the current beach guidelines are and why they are in place, at least until Sept 15th.

I do not know him personally, except for being a fairly friendly customer in the past.

But, actions speak louder than words, so if he has not been following the same rules that we all stick with to keep the peace, then we need others to step forward and speak with him.
If I see him soon, I will do so as well.