CGKA - Dealing with Kiters showing off near beach/kids

HRnico · Since 22 Mar 2008 262 Posts Da Hood Obsessed

I want Pics

pdxmonkeyboy · Thu Jun 11, 15 4:10 pm

I vote we hire kevin kearney to be the kiteboard police and ambassador.

knotwindy · Since 25 Sep 2011 615 Posts Addicted

first time, find them on the beach afterwards and ask them to be nicer and play better with others
second time tell them to knock it off, best done with others kiters around to help defuse the situation, or you will deflate their kite next time
third time, deflate their kite and tell them the next time you will damage their kite or lines, maybe they will believe you or just get pissed off and leave?
not advocating violence tp persons, just trying to get the message across to "people" who will not listen or learn and put others in jeopardy.

jaksavage · Since 02 Dec 2009 216 Posts hood river Stoked

Or turn their gear into the lost and found at the port office.
Wink

Windance Crew · Since 18 Apr 2008 473 Posts Hood River Kite Shop Obsessed

Hats off to the CGKA for tackling this issue. Good work.
I endorse the peer pressure solution. It works and is peaceful.

I also suggest no kiting within 2 kite line lengths of anywhere near the sandbar except for launching, landing or in the freestyle pool.

Dave

SalmonSlayer · Since 27 Nov 2005 648 Posts Addicted **CGKA Member**

kitebug · Since 27 Apr 2015 40 Posts Hood River

I kind of disagree...

When I've had the opportunity (only twice) to confront someone doing this, they seemed receptive to the information. They were both tourists ... or teourrists as I like to call them ... and they were used to kiting on the ocean where all the fun is at the surf line.

I explained to one of them (the Aussie) that the fun surfing is down river past the green buoy or to Swell City.

There are definitely people showing off for their significant others at the event site as well. That was the case with the German that tangled my lines. I told him that was not ok, he apologized profusely and I explained the rules here.

The big issue I've found is how do you explain to someone that is out on the water when you're 150 ft away trying to launch or land. The follow through to be able to tell someone is really tough. IT would take a huge effort to wait for them to come in or something. Plus when you're so far away it comes off as yelling and hostile.

If I have to yell and someone is too close, I use Mark worth's phrase "IT'S A BIG RIVER" or "TOO CLOSE".

I think a solution would be MUCH better signage at the event site and maybe even at the spit. Maybe a big banner that goes up that we can make that has a catch phrase on it that we can yell... When teourrists hear that catch phrase and read the banner, maybe hung over the restroom, they will put one and one together.

My vote is for a banner that says:

"IT'S A BIG RIVER"
It's dangerous to board in front of the Spit.
Move your kite upwind.
Don't be a "Teourrist"

I'll help pay for the printing... how can we organize this?

Let's give people a break... they just don't know. Let's not yell at them, let's inform them.

user124 · Since 02 Aug 2012 391 Posts Portland Obsessed

cgka · Since 18 Jul 2006 278 Posts Obsessed

Thank you all for the constructive and well-thought reply posts.

Some thought and ideas to take from this seem to be :
Is this a problem (or concern for the future) => Yes.
>The tighter and narrow nature of the beach in conjunction with the continuous flow of vacationing tourists used to dissimilar rules, results in overcrowding and unintentionally unsafe riding/launching conditions. In addition, we have a local individuals who appear to have some disregard for the rules as they feed their needs to unnecessarily show off in close proximity to others

How do we improve communication to the vacation/tourist users ?
Signage was brought up, or the lack thereof in regards to appropriately located or sized signage that catches peoples attention enough to be noticed, read and understood. From a CGKA standpoint, we would have to agree with this thought.
Tourists come to the Hood stoked to park and get on the water as soon as possible, and this probably makes reading signage a low priority for them and the results are that the existing signs may not be getting read as much as the Port would like.

How do we develop a solution for managing local repeat violators?
First - taking the time to speak to the individual one on one at the beach while the incident is still fresh in everyone's minds (note - this requires an even keeled head for approaching the violator in an effective manner. Yelling and swearing do not cut the mustard with this scenario and just increase the divide of communication)
Second (or alternative) - utilizing other peers at the beach to help affirm the logic of why and how the violator is affecting the safety and happiness of everyone else on the beach, and that continued violations most certainly jeopardize the launch access for the entire kiteboarding community.
Third - Taking photos of violators and posting the images on either a social media page, or on NWKite? - This would have to be done in a careful manner as well. Pulling a camera out at any kite launch does ask for trouble, but the use of a photo posting would make a point stick and a lesson learned.

I'd like to leave this post up for a little longer to continue this line of discussion. There are some very good ideas and feedback that are being contributed that are good not only for our immediate concerns, but also for educating old and new users about how and why our rules and requirements at the Event Site, Sandbar and Marina Beach exist.

If you wish to submit a non public comment, please feel free to PM CGKA or Pepi directly.

Thank you
CGKA Board of Directors

Sasquatch · Since 09 Mar 2005 2102 Posts PNW Bigfoot

Put video screens in the bathrooms stalls. Have the screens give a quick 10 second vid and somehow mAke the watcher take a quiz before access to a toilet or standup stall is granted.

Mark · Fri Jun 12, 15 3:26 pm

How about we have the ticket booth at eventsite pass out a users Etiquette/Rules. Hopefully that will help inform the masses.
Also put that non compliance (repeat offenders) will not be allowed to park at the eventsite.

hilton · Since 15 Aug 2008 801 Posts Opinionated

ridercentral · Since 20 May 2009 38 Posts PDX-Coast-Gorge

kitebug · Since 27 Apr 2015 40 Posts Hood River

That is HILARIOUS "Rider Central" Really in front of the sandbar is some of the best riding? OMG that is funny! You obviously don't know the Gorge, it's some of the gustiest, wind-shadowed, lamest kiting. The good stuff is down river. Good stay there and "slash up the spit" I'll be out having fun. What a tard!

wylieflyote · Sun Jun 14, 15 5:48 am

So true! While I'm not a well-seasoned GorgeHead... every year at Kiteboard 4 Cancer, Tekko puts a buoy inside "Rider Central" so the crowds can enjoy the show. And every year I'm out there thinking: OH FCK! WHY MUST I GO IN THERE AGAIN?!! Gusty-Holey-Kitetangling-Klusterfck.
Famous quote from KB4C rider history logs: "I'll cut your fcking lines!!"
Smile

The only hope will be to place a Dangler in this hole to save the day.
https://donate.athletes4cancer.org/fundraise?is_new=1&fcid=433364

ridercentral · Since 20 May 2009 38 Posts PDX-Coast-Gorge

wakeup · Since 11 Sep 2005 328 Posts always Obsessed

^^if they don't get it they most likely never will....