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Help Create the HR Kite Park
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Post new topic   Reply to topic    Northwest Kiteboarding -> Gorge / Portland / Oregon Coast
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magicmaker

Since 29 Oct 2006
895 Posts
da Hood
Opinionated



PostWed Feb 14, 07 12:48 pm    location location location Reply with quote

wakeup- I am curious as to where you think the kicker and the slider should go, provided we have a very similiar sandbar this summer as the pictures kirsten took today? it seems like most of the areas around the sandbar drop off fairly steeply into deep water, and well, i just dont know about putting the slider and/or kicker in the Hood River, i dunno; maybe it would work.

If we can figure this stuff out i'd be down to throw ~75 bones in the fudn when i get back from vacation after the first week of april.

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Inept_Fun

Since 14 Apr 2005
1417 Posts
Hood River
XTreme Poster



PostWed Feb 14, 07 9:13 pm     Reply with quote

They will be able to go anywhere, im pretty sure that the water above the sandbar gets gradually deeper, so taht could be an option. Also the Hood River could have cut a pretty deep new route through the sand? If the hood is deep that could be a good spot as long as its clear of debris.
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EdG

Since 19 Dec 2005
424 Posts
Just a Kook that's
Obsessed



PostThu Feb 15, 07 7:35 am     Reply with quote

At the meeting it was said that the north side of the sandbar SHOULD be steep. A more detailed photo will be displayed once all the technical data is entered into 'that guy's computer (sorry, I forgot his name) and SHOULD be available online. He will also be able to show what the bar will look like at various water levels. Alot of money was spent on data-collection of the sandbar. This is what I got from the meeting.

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Inept_Fun

Since 14 Apr 2005
1417 Posts
Hood River
XTreme Poster



PostThu Feb 15, 07 12:12 pm     Reply with quote

Im talking about the west side of the sandbar.
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magicmaker

Since 29 Oct 2006
895 Posts
da Hood
Opinionated



PostThu Feb 15, 07 4:45 pm    the western edge? how Reply with quote

Inept_Fun wrote:
Im talking about the west side of the sandbar.


You should have been at the meeting. One of the topics was how the west side of the sand bar inland toward the event site, is going to be the extremely crowded and congested area. As far as water depth, im pretty sure they said at the meeting that the water depth was somewhere around 15 feet to the point west of the sandbar in front of the eventsite, but i may be wrong on this one.

It is going to be full of windsurfers at all levels, possibly beginner kiters and even intermediate/advanced kiters lauching to go out and coming back in. I imagine we will have to implement some kind of slow zone, and no jumping zone to ensure safety of all sand spit users in this congestion zone. I mean the event site has basically been cut in half and unless fewer windsurfers come to the event site, i can only imagine how crowded it is going to be on a 20-30mph saturday in the middle of july.

If you're thinking about putting the slider and/or kicker anywhere near the event site, then i think you should get involved a little more in the water front recreation comittee meetings and see how quickly that idea gets squashed. Putting the slider and/or kicker on the very northern most west point or the western most north point of the sandbar may work. Only until after the spring runoff will we know how much of that is left. ok, i guess this rant belongs in a different thread, but ohwell.

Another idea would be to put it where the Hood River meets the columbia. Like wakeup said in his original post, we wont know of its placement until after the spring runoff.

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Inept_Fun

Since 14 Apr 2005
1417 Posts
Hood River
XTreme Poster



PostThu Feb 15, 07 7:16 pm     Reply with quote

My bad dude, I guess I should just shut my mouth cause I dont know anything about the waterfront... Its chill you can just figure out where to put them, ill just hit it wherever.
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tekko

Since 20 Feb 2006
376 Posts
White Salmon
Liquid Force



PostFri Feb 16, 07 9:50 am     Reply with quote

On a positive note.. from someone who was at the meeting...

at one point during the discussion Sherry (port) even asked the question to the group..."what about things like KICKERS"

No real answer or resolve, but at least it's on the table and recognized as one of the aspects of kite recreation.

I'm sure when things start to fall into place and we see the spring flows, sandbar, etc... we will find a place.

Remember.. we will have april and may to figure it out amongst ourselves before the summer crouds show up.

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wakeup

Since 11 Sep 2005
328 Posts
always
Obsessed



PostThu Feb 22, 07 8:13 am     Reply with quote

so much drama in tha H double O D
sorry guys, i was in fla last week

magic man
you just answered your own question
we won't have any ideas until the spring runoff

but after seeing the bar evolve over the 5 yrs i ve been here,
i would say maybe east of the bar is a possibilty, along with up near the island( there is a sweet sandbar up there now, not sure of the deadheads though

the north side is kinda out of the question. it is like 60 ft deep and really close to the navigational channel

and ian, i thought you volunteered to swim it out rambo style with the rope in your teeth

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Inept_Fun

Since 14 Apr 2005
1417 Posts
Hood River
XTreme Poster



PostThu Feb 22, 07 10:01 pm     Reply with quote


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dangerD

Since 27 Jun 2005
223 Posts
Bingen Heights
Stoked



PostFri Feb 23, 07 9:14 am    gorge comission bs Reply with quote

I heard folks whining last year(not kiters off course!) about how UGLY the kicker is...
I say whatever, but to keep all happy, maybe some camo paint instead of that reflective white.... ? hmmm?


   fat_camouflage.jpg 

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tinyE

Since 21 Jan 2006
2004 Posts
not really an
XTreme Poster



PostFri Feb 23, 07 9:39 am     Reply with quote

I was on a water ski team for a while, and for our jump, we found a local shop that would pay us to put a huge sticker on the face of it. If a kite store was smart, I'll bet you could convince them into the same thing. You have to use a little of the money to get the sticker made, then clean the surface and put it on. Then, I would *highly* recommend a thin layer of wax over the surface (I can help with this if you want - i've waxed way too many jumps), but it protects the surface, the sticker, and it makes the jump/kicker way more solid to hit...you won't stick to the surface, and the surface will have a consistent feel while you are on it. Just an idea....

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wakeup

Since 11 Sep 2005
328 Posts
always
Obsessed



PostSat Feb 24, 07 8:53 am     Reply with quote

i already paid about 10 times as much as everyone else to build the kicker
and i spent at least 2 days of my time building it
so that is why it stayed that fabulous, brilliant white primer color

if you don't like it
and you got the time, money, and skills to paint it camo
gimmie a pm and i'll let you know where it is

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dangerD

Since 27 Jun 2005
223 Posts
Bingen Heights
Stoked



PostSat Feb 24, 07 9:30 am     Reply with quote

I 'ear dat, wakeup
but it aint me...
We need a kite company to sponser it, fur sure
It be good to go local with Slingshot but they are still busy catching up with the industry...
Maybe Best is best, lots of $$ and bad judgment....
Any company will do, eh, if they got money for wood, paint, and beer
hmmmm....
EDIT: YES, WERE BETTER KEEPIN' IT ON THE D.L. my bad

Last edited by dangerD on Thu Mar 01, 07 8:20 am; edited 1 time in total

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wakeup

Since 11 Sep 2005
328 Posts
always
Obsessed



PostSun Feb 25, 07 9:22 am     Reply with quote

my plan is to do a rider built and funded project
it's not about the kite companies, it's about core riders-living everyday to ride, and push the limits of what we see kiteboarding as. some people do it in the waves, others on speed boards, we do it with kickers, sliders, and wake tricks.

for 3 or 4 yrs now, a group of us have taken it upon ourselves to save scrap wood and spare change, and we even went the route of sponsorship, just to have something out there to slide or to hit and do 3's without the kite over your head.
now we've refined and proven our design, and just need the funding from others that feel the same way we do. if people don't feel that way, oh well, we are not hurting them.

i think the gorge has a lot of core riders. i have seen 40 something year old dudes and chicks sliding some of the other rails we have had out previously. and you go to places like florida where 25- 30 has people sitting on the beach wishing the wind would die down so they can be on their 12 or 16. in the gorge from stevensville to alrington you would see over 100 -- 5 and 7m kites out in those same conditions.
cause that's how we roll

i think the idea of camo is a good one that a few of us were planning on last year. but when august rolled around and the kicker still wasn't in the water, i put up the rest of the money to finish it. not cause i wanted to put my name on it. i wanted to freakin hit it. so we didn't bother with the cost and time of maiking it look good. it only got the primer to some what water proof it.

but judging by this thread most people would rather talk about it, than actually fund it

my thought was 50 people throwing in 20 bucks(almost pocket change by todays standards) would build the thing
so far i think we have had 4 or 5 donations to this point
the good thing is that we are already have around $200.
we are averaging over $50 per donation
by that, there are obviously people who are really interested in this plan
and want to see it through

so with all do respect, we don't need a kite company to fund it--fur sure
and the invitation is still out for anyone wants to paint the kicker camo

Last edited by wakeup on Sun Feb 25, 07 10:45 am; edited 1 time in total

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Sol-flyer

Since 21 Mar 2006
1280 Posts
Dude, where's my Bus?
Otto Mann



PostSun Feb 25, 07 10:09 am     Reply with quote

sorry to hear your having trouble,

it can be frustrating to get people's involvment. the best thing i can advise would be to find "recycled" wood and even wood pallets are made of hard wood and can be used for pieces under 4ft.
those plans seem pretty dailed in and you should have a good idea of what needs to be bought, and can be found. maybe post a list of things you need to aquire?

i feel like since i hardly ever ride the gorge, why contribute? i guess i just expect there to be a slider there, not giving much thought to how.

i hope my $3.00 donation at least buys some beer Laughing Laughing Laughing

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wakeup

Since 11 Sep 2005
328 Posts
always
Obsessed



PostSun Feb 25, 07 10:42 am     Reply with quote

we aren't having any trouble, other than dealing with peoples opinions who don't wish to contribute anything but their opinion.

but thanks for the contribution, every little bit helps

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kitezilla

Since 22 Jun 2006
453 Posts
gorge
Obsessed



PostSun Feb 25, 07 2:48 pm     Reply with quote

How about contacting the Columbia River waterskiers and wakeboarders for support and contributions. Maybe you could design a combo Jump/Kicker that other water sport recreationalists could use.

It would be fun to watch waterskiers and wakeboarders jump off it on calm days.

Some of the the experienced water skiers or wakeboarders may be able to help you out with advice about permits, insurance and sponsors. Scotty at the Gorge House would be a good person to contact.

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