Hood River Port closes safe access to Kiters this weekend!!!

vangondc · Since 03 Jul 2008 105 Posts Hood River Stoked **CGKA Member**

So I went down to the sandbar for my daily session and found a chain across the road to the Kite Beach. I called the Port to get the scoop and was told to swim to the Spit from the Marina lot, launch from the rocks at the Hook or go to Stevenson. (There is absolutely no sandbar to access from the Event Site today.)

Some people are choosing to launch from the boat ramp upriver of the Event Site. I don't recommend joining the people being blown into the jetty and bushes. Even if you do make it out unscathed you have to play roulette with the swirling or nonexistant winds in the lee of the docks to get back in.

This unsafe and unequal (windsurfers still get all their safe launch sites) situation could have been avoided by setting the water level to have sandbar to access.

-Call Linda Shames' office at the Port Authority (removed by request - pkh) and email porthr@gorge.net to express your expectation of safe and equal access for kiters.

-Email the Chamber of Commerce at hrccc@hoodriver.org and the Downtown Hood River Business Association at downtown@gorge.net
to let them know the Port is telling us to take our money to Stevenson.

!!!Remember to be polite and professional no matter who you contact!!!
Anything less will only hurt us.

genek · Since 21 Jul 2006 2165 Posts East Po KGB

I wonder how many of the visitors to HR enjoying the fireworks are there for kiting. Seems like they're just shooting themselves in the foot by closing off the most important part of town on the busiest weekend of the year.

forrest · Thu Jul 03, 08 2:05 pm

Swim across the Hood River? Are they really telling people to do that? That's so dumb, someone is going to get washed out and drown.

Bettyboarder · Thu Jul 03, 08 2:09 pm

It's only closed till the fireworks are cleaned up on Sat prob around noon. Help clean up maybe they will open it sooner.

jcohenx · Since 28 Aug 2007 250 Posts Portland Obsessed

tstansbury · Since 06 Jun 2006 649 Posts Rowena and P.C Addicted

this happens every year the fireworks were their before the kites. Their are lots of other launches to try out.

pdxmonkeyboy · Thu Jul 03, 08 2:48 pm

Ike · Since 12 Mar 2008 216 Posts Central Oregon Stoked

Look at the bright side, if you can get out there looks like the water is pretty much yours. Lemmons = Lemonade

Matt E. · Since 22 May 2008 318 Posts West Coast Sales Rep Obsessed

we went to the port to talk to them and they did not seem to care.

sherrybohn · Since 16 Jun 2006 71 Posts

What would you have the port do? Do you have any suggestions for ....

another location for community sponsored/payed for fireworks that have be in the same location for longer than I've been living, working and playing (17 years) in Hood River?

Safe water access on a major holiday weekend for everyone? Shall we open the Event site access up for ALL users and see what happens? This has been discussed and discussed and discussed. Suggestions

I'm sorry if port staff didn't seem to care and I'll inquire as to what was said but it's the commission that sets policy. This policy has been in place for longer than the spit's existence and kiting in general.

The corps control the water level and only they know their reasons for the different levels are but I just came back from the Tri-Cities and all of the dams between here and there are running wide open.

bookmyer · Since 23 Feb 2008 6 Posts New Member

on the Detroit River in MI they shoot fireworks off a barge, no need for a sand bar, what a novel idea!

Optimus Prime · Since 23 Jul 2007 49 Posts

launching from the boat ramp area was actually pretty fun. it is fun to go to new spots. kiting really is versatile! a couple of days of the spit not being open will increase our skillZ

Chooch · Thu Jul 03, 08 6:15 pm

Plus it made for some really good entertainment in the lot. Very Happy

laura · Since 22 May 2007 111 Posts Stoked

okay a suggestion, on the days that the port chooses to close an access, then those days the other port property will have to be shared, is this really that hard to figure out? whether the event site or marina. you pay to park at event site, sandspit, but not marina or hook, mmmm.... schools at both places yet free parking, seems odd. The Lions club I heard is who raises the money for the fireworks, seems like it maybe time to relocate the fire works out on a barge, the water level was asked to be raised for the fireworks so it would be safer,

Rico · Since 13 Mar 2005 1219 Posts Vancouver Photographer

It would be nice to have shared access when the spit is closed. Or maybe alternate years at the event site when its for kiters and windsurfers. It has not been fair for many years to kick out the kiters.

Also does it really take days to setup the fireworks?

registered · Since 12 Jul 2005 1319 Posts tsunami Sandbagger

um the fireworks usually are going off when its darkish ..... enjoy them .

its one day a year.

more than one day seems excessive

wimper wimper Crying or Very sad

wakeup · Since 11 Sep 2005 328 Posts always Obsessed

all right sherry, you asked for options, here ya go

as laura stated
1. barge for fireworks
2. shared access(event site or marina) several years ago we were allowed to use the marina and no incidents occurred, why can't we use that for a day or two. we have a brand spankin new swim beach for swimmers.
3. dropping river levels so we can walk out(the corps has and will cooperate if they are asked)

just a few but i am not going to waste much more time, cause the fact is the port could care less about kiteboarding.
you are a windsurfer. the rest of the port comissioners are orchardist/businessmen.
why would any of you care about the kiters? there is no interest there
there are several folks at the sand bar who have been around here living, working, playing just as long (if not longer) than your 17 years. scared of a little change. that is so like people from your age group.

it is kinda odd not seeing 80-90 kites on the water.
where are all those people gonna buy gas, snacks, drinks, lunch, dinner, staying in a hotel, when they kite from the sand bar? probably in hood river--MAYBE EVEN AT SAGE'S
but the port would rather them just go to stephenson, or launch off the rocks at the hook where an injury is bound to occur with beginners trying to use an advanced launch. WAY TO CARE FOR YOUR FELLOW BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE COMMUNITY!!!

what about the mess that the fireworks leave down there every year. there is still a ton of debris on the lee of the jetty from last year. little papers and pieces of foil all getting blown downwind and making its way into the hood river. WAY TO CARE FOR THE COMMUNITY!

the times they are changing. as i said, a normal day, nowadays, would have you seeing about 80+ kites on the water and 15 to 20 windsurfers using the event site. is the event site going to still be exclusive to windsurfing once all the windsurfers are gone or have taken up kiting. YOUR NUMBERS ARE DWINDLING!!! kiteboarding now carries your whole dying industry on it's back.
WON'T BE LONG BEFORE A KITER IS ON THE PORT COMMISSION, THEN TWO, THEN....