Please help and sign petition to save Cold Hawaii

[Toby]

One of the most popular kite- and windsurf-spots in northern Europe is Klitmöller/Hanstholm in Denmark, known as Cold Hawaii.

That spot is threatened by a project of the Danish government and the local municipality who like to build up huge windmill-powered-plants directly at the spot. If that project will be realised this important spot for all northern European water-sport-athletes will be dad. The Danish wind- and kite-surfers initiated a petition against that project. Please sign the petition and share the link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIp ... Q/viewform

[Toby]

signed!

my pleasure to help

[abel]

With all the respect, as one that successfully participated in stopping real estate sharks from crippling a surfing spot;
I would like to be reasonable and fair regarding clean energy projects that could conflict with surfing spots.
I trust that clean energy is more important than a surfing spot, as opposed to real estate than surfing spots.

The documents are in Danish, so I can't estimate if the prosecutors proposed a suitable alternative for the location.
Should the prosecutors show a reasonable alternative (that probably will be more expensive), I will be keen on signing up the petition.
Can any of the danish kiteing mates please translate for us the relevant arguments of the petition (alternative location, to much nature destruction, ...) ?

[LetsFlyaKite]

I don't get how having a windmill on land is going to effect kiters? Just kite away from the windmill?

[TomW]

There is wind power at one of our spots. The masts are actually just a few meters from the water, but not right at the launch. But we kite right in front of them. No problems.

Edit: I saw on the map. It's 2 towers. Not nice for the locals.

Don't understand how it effects kiting, but I'm sure the locals will think they are ugly and make a bit of noise.

[ulx]

They should definitely put some English info to their site. The spot is one of the best northern European wind- and kitesurfspots. It would be dramatic if it could not be used anymore. But is that so? Or will it only be less charming. I will probably sign anyway because windmills at the spot will probably make launching and landing more complicated and there is so much coastline nearby outside the spot.

[BenBen]

Actually this project is 10kilometers to Cold Hawaii...

[ulx]

Actually this project is 10kilometers to Cold Hawaii...

From what I can see, the windmills are planned for Middles which is in Hanstholm near the fish factories. Middles is very good quite often. Usually better than Klitmoller, depending in the wind direction. For most people Klitmoller is just the base they start from to the several spots nearby, depending on wind and waves.

[Peter_Frank]

Here in Denmark we have an extreme amount of wind power, maybe even the most in the world, GREAT

I can hear many of you dont have that amount, thus not the same experience with the effects on wind and kitesurf ?

Some are situated at open sea, we have one close to where I live, 111 power generators (windmills) far out, they generate sufficient electricity to almost half a million households, excellent

These, and those on land, do not disturb anyone, as long as they are not close to houses where the "wing shadows" (when sun is low) disturb, so there are strict rules for that.

Back to the real problem:
The best wavespots are always behind piers, wind sideshore so long and clean beatiful swells even when wind is nuking, no chop, and it turns perfectly perpendicular to the wind as desired, and bigger distance between them.

We rarely have big ground swells here, so it is only when windy the size builds up, and you need a point break, or much better, a pier, to give you good waves, but then they will be just as good and peel well, just like a clean groundswell on a windless day.

When a windmill (or like we have at a good wavespot close to where I live, with 5 mills on the pier) is placed on the pier, the shadow extends several miles (kilometers) leeward, so far that if you ride downwind for cleaner wind, the waves get bunk and chop

You CAN ride 20 meters behind a big windmill yes, but your kite will be tossed around either powered to nuclear winds, or it will drop like there is no wind at all - it is really a horror movie riding just there

And precisely behind the pier, the best and cleanest waves roll in.

If the pier is long, the waves will work reasonably further down yes, but the wind is really disturbed far far away from the pier.

See this picture from another windfarm that shows this, on a day where the dew point / fog makes this impressive effect that illustrates why you dont wanna ride behind these.
On the picture they are not as close as on a pier where it would be even worse, as they are very close together so no clean wind anywhere behind them:

So no, you can not "just ride at another place", when the waves are only good behind (and some miles behind) the pier.

And as waveriders only go out when sideshore wind, it will destroy everything

There are two mills right now, not on the pier but on land - these make a huge bad shadow a long way behind, so can be scary to go out/in if you dont know this, but when a bit out when bigger waves, it is okay as almost free now.

When several mills are on the pier, they dont only make a shadow behind each, they really extend (as you can see on the picture somewhat) the turbulence into each other, so it is multiplied hugely and true horror behind these

Would just explain the real issue, as I have loads of experience both from wind and kitesurf directly and far behind windmills here

Peter

PS: And I am not really picky regarding gusty turbulent winds, so when I ride and think it is okay fine, most others find it gusty and difficult - so when I find it gusty and bad, it is REALLY bad, believe me....

[or6]

Signed. Windpower is great, but not everywhere.