National Kite Boarding Organization :Yes Or No

[Wind Breaker]

Same issues with mountain biking over the years. The organization that protects access is a pretty good model for what kitesurfing may need...

http://www.imba.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Kite-4-Life]

28 votes? out of how many "concerned" kiters in the US?
The posts on here are all very good and most of them have very simple answers. Please encourage your kiting friends to vote in this poll.
Safe Kiters Unite

[scklandl]

the needs of such an organization could be very simple and by doing so would have the greatest strength in numbers

protection of beach access is critical and paramount
insurance is another
safety standards for equipment

education should not be brought into the fold nor regulations, individual riding spots and local organization/ subdivisions would be best suited for that rather than a national organization.

I organized a loose local group after a few close calls and the results and ground rules looked good on paper, but once in practice it did create static, mostly because it limited freedoms that had been had for years. But after a few sessions and talking it out, things are improved and more accepted. It is for the best, but there will be some grumbling and rumbling and that needs to happen locally where kiters can have it out face to face and get past things quickly. To have a faceless organization controlling your local riding would seed animosity that would never be atoned

[tautologies]

No. I don't want an organization representing me to the media. Kitesurfing is an individuals pursuit and and with that goes self responsibility.
....

More rules = less people thinking for themselves

If you crash into an innocent bystander no organization is going to dig you out of that hole you dug yourself into.

This is nonsense. When you are kitesurfing, whether you like it or not, you are not perceived from the outside as individual. We are all perceived as kitesurfers, as a group. Every stupid thing you do will affect the rest when the beach is banned because of your actions (hypothetically speaking of course). The fact that you are organized does not relieve you of responsibility, I'd say it is quite the opposite. Organizations have the opportunity to do some significant peer pressure. Also by pulling together in the same way, you seem like much more collected front.

I can say from experience, that matters a lot. If we had no organization here, the situation might be different from what it is today. It is a lot easier to "attack" a scattered crowd. Funny thing is that a lot of people here benefit from all the hours put in by some, without knowing or acknowledging it.

Your more rules = less thinking doesn't make any sense? What do you mean? Why would riding rules and guidelines preclude people from thinking for themselves? I mean there are rules in the line up, does that preclude people form thinking while riding? Again having a set of rules doesn't relieve you from personal responsibility. This is the way it works in society in general.

..and of course no organization should dig any one out of a hole, BUT an organization could help avoid the situation at all by negotiating a dedicated launch area, by educating members, band an organization can help keeping that launch open since the actions of one stupid person isn't necessarily representative for the whole group...even if it is perceived as such.

or at least thats my 5cents.

[Kite-4-Life]

kites are cool

[Mug]

We might have to go the route of paragliders in that the sellers will have to require license to purchase kites, although I really don't want to go that route, but it might solve many problems in an unregulated sport.

[ian c]

Well I will carry on promoting mutual respect , self responsibility , and not judging a whole group of people based on one persons stupid actions as I think it goes a very long way towards resolving problems. Sure a few basic rules/guidelines but some posts here make me think if they ran one I would have to be wearing full safety gear, fluro numbered rash vest, have valid insurance, broker deals with authorities so I had to be a member, pass my proficiency badge grade 3 certificate.. . I kind of like the freedom of kitesurfing.

As more and more kiters start there are also more and more kiters to help out and talk to the ones that may cause issues in a friendly way and this goes a very long way.

I am not against some basic rules (they already exist for common sense people), and not saying all kite organizationsclubs on a small scale are bad but that it is also easy for an organisation to make things worse if the wrong people get involved.

I was in Kailua this summer and they were teaching while people were busy swimming under the kite, sure it is crowded with beach goers but this is a bad start to developing the kind of respectful kiters that kiteboarding needs to keep access.$

[BullsShit.com]

I was in Kailua this summer and they were teaching while people were busy swimming under the kite, sure it is crowded with beach goers but this is a bad start to developing the kind of respectful kiters that kiteboarding needs to keep access.$

Kailua has other issues, like : swimmers don't respect the kite and windsurf zone, 5 miles of beach and beachgoers have to put their towel down right where we launch, etc.

Hard to respect others if they don't respect us.
Just my 5 c

I think we are at the same level as snowboarders been 15 years ago.
We have to fight for our rights.
An organization would help but will not be worth anything unless it's sanctioned by the....well, who actually would recognize it? The gov?