Scenario: Busiest weekend of the year for Torquay, EASTER !! Hundreds of families enjoying the safety of Cosy Corner ( called cosy corner because its protected from wind/swell and therefore a family magnet) nice little 1-2' high tide waves for families to play in, lots of swimmers and kids learning to surf, I see a father and son paddling out tandem, blissfully enjoying the moment, on a very long mal, nice pic eh. Wind SE 9-12knts.
Enter the kiting kook, big blue and black waroo, kites straight at the father and son duo, father takes evasive action to avoid collision, kiter just misses them and keeps going closer inshore into the mix of surfers and swimmers, tacks and heads back through the now pissed off throng, back past the father/son, I can see from shore that father not impressed, tries to remonstrate with kook kiter, kook kiter responds by giving him the bird.
Farq me, this isnt first time this kook has kited through surfers/swimmers, Torquay SLSC club has already made complaints to the police about kiters, this kook will singlehandedly get kiting banned at Torquay. Not to mention setting bad example for visiting kiters.
But alas I'm wasting my time shaming him here because he's so cool he says he doesnt look at seabreeze.com.au 
I did however have a chat with the surfing dad and point out the kooks car.
Karma will avail. [}:)][}:)][}:)][}:)][}:)][}:)][}:)]
Thanks for the beat down there Birchy.
There are a number of errors in your "outraged" message that need to be clarified. In addition, you're deliberately trying to paint me as some sort of out-of-control aggressive kook, blasting the sweet father-son tandem team "blissfully enjoying the moment. I'm unsure of the reasons for the negativity and aggression inherent in your post, but will try to clarify the situation:
1) I was in a "sail/kite" zone, ie on the windward side of the line demarcating wind sports from swimmers. I'm quite obsessive about staying on the correct side of this line (others can confirm this, as well as my easygoing and diplomatic demeanour on the water).
2) 99.9% of the time I will give everyone a wide berth and avoid going anywhere near swimmers and surfers. There were a number of reasons I got close to the dad and son on their 11' mal on this occassion:
- I was on a peaking wave and was committed; I couldn't jibe off it without under running my kite.
- I was well clear of the dad/son with my board. Unfortunately they did cop some spray - but as stated - I was committed.
- I rode the same wave from "Mini-Tubes" for 100m. The dad was paddling out TOWARDS me. It was quite obvious from 100m out that I was on the wave IN A WIND SPORTS ZONE. He could easily have changed his trajectory ages before I got close to him.
3) Aggressive territorialism
The issue as I see it isn't so much about "irresponsible kook kiters" but aggressive territorialism. Good manners and civil behaviour are in decline in general society and aggressive territorialism is on the rise. Inappropriate aggression is seen every day at crowded surf breaks and on the road. This surfer dad seemed like he had a short fuse and wanted to make a point. His over-the-top abusive tirade was inappropriate and smacked of actually wanting to have a confrontation.
4) There are a number of factual errors in your post:
a) The father did not take evasive action.
b) I have never kited through surfers swimmers outside of a designated KITING ZONE. If kiting within the vicinity of surfers/swimmers, I deliberately steer well clear and cut them a lot of slack. My track record in terms of consideration for others is excellent.
c) I DID NOT GIVE HIM THE BIRD.
- I'm not sure why you embellished your story with this little gem.
5) To "point out the kooks (sic) car" in the context you've just provided seems to be urging vigilante justice. Interesting angle for a policeman to take.
My reasons for not looking at seabreeze.com.au don't relate to "coolness", but more to the fact I work 60-70 hour weeks. I really can't afford the time to respond to these sorts of posts and have better things to do on a Saturday night than hang on the internet, but your defamatory post, brought to may attention by a mutual friend, does require a response.
Took the bait fatboy 
Good to see you acknowledge you're a dangerous kook but not too cool to drop in on seabreeze 
, maybe Tony tipped you off ?
For the sake of the local and visiting kiters and safety of those who dont know the dangers a kite or inconsiderate kiter can pose, can you just stay away from the casual surfer/swimmers/little children ?
Do what a responsible kiter would do and jibe/transition at least 50 metres from anyone else.
I actually saved you from a punch in the mouth by the angry dad who spotted kite gear in my car ! I didnt really point out you're car, that was a bit more bait
I have told you before that your kiting has lead to complaints but you chose to just ignore the subtle advice.
Nice rant too, shoot the messenger that's the best reply.
Happy winds
No editing now fatboy
Saffer,
Yeh, I do realise swimmers/surfers aren't confined to the "swimmers" area. As a member of the local marine rescue service, I had to get a "Boating Licence", so am well versed in the rules of the road. Yeh, I know about the 5 knot rule. 5 knots is equivalent to a brisk walk - probably about the speed I was riding (wave riding with a 6'7" surfboard). The business or otherwise of the beach shouldn't enter into this argument: I was in a "sail" zone jibing away from the "swim" zone. On those few occasions where surfers were in the "sail" zone (most of them were in the "swim" zone), I gave them a wide berth. As previously stated, I work up to 70h weeks, so have to make hay when the sun shines.
I think this wind sport zone would go well at my local. Would that mean i have right of way over everyone that enters the zone?
Defamation—also called calumny, vilification, slander (for transitory statements), and libel (for written, broadcast, or otherwise published words)—is the communication of a statement that makes a claim, expressly stated or implied to be factual, that may give an individual, business, product, group, government, or nation a negative image.
It is usually, but not always, a requirement that this claim be false and that the publication is communicated to someone other than the person defamed (the claimant).
...pretty close, even for a wiki answer.
Holy smoke's guys this is getting out of control!!. easy to see why surfer's pee'd off!! i'd be pished off too if i saw anyone going through the flags at any Qld beach. Fatboy, Does'nt matter a dam whos in wat zone, if the father and son's on a surf board on an empty beach, AVIOD LIKE THE PLAGUE DUDE. Are you stupid enough to get the sport banned for everyone??.
WTF.
This is way out of control. and Surfers version does not correlate with what I saw.
I also was kiting there, albeit underpowered wishing I had the extra 6m2 of the blue kite and a surfboard.
In fact when reading the first post in this thread and the description of Busiest and the illusion of huge crowds etc. I am wondering if Surfer62 was maybe in a different town.
Plus from my own experience kiting there on that day and at that time. All other water users in the vicinity were trying to get closer for a better look, so the real issue was keeping a distance due to others heading towards you.
On each and every time that I saw "The Kiter" ride in on a wave he jibed away from others in the water when he saw them.
Not like the manyfold more SUPs that were going the same speed due to riding the same waves but rode those waves right through ALL the swimmers.
Then of course in the description given by 62 does it mention that the kiter did stay in the 'Sail craft only' zone and that the other water users going into that zone were, as I previously stated primarily doing so to get closer to us.
this whole thread appears to me to be born of sensationalism born of boredom.
there is no substance to these allegations, No threat to kiting areas, no threat to public safety.
a thread best put in a UFO magazine.
starting to sound to me like ole 62 didnt have a big enough kite to get out themselves.
Holy guacamole!
Threats, machismo, widely divergent versions of events, this thread has it all.
Seriously, when I see this much bluster, I suspect there are some other issues bubbling away below the surface of what seems a simple disagreement about etiquette and protocol.
Sure the etiquette and safety stuff are important, but if they're being distorted by other angst then this is not the way to resolve it.
It takes a certain type of strength to fight, and another type of strength to be able to back down and consider perspectives other than one's own.
Take care,
Dojo
You have to be especially careful in Victoria because the vast majority of people There are very poor swimmers.
Fat boy, are you serious? Are you really taking legal action?
Would that be worth the money?
Why don't you just face him man to man at the beach.
Sounds a bit soft fatboy..
This reminds me of the story a few years back of a well known Vic kiter that thought all the folk on the beach waving and yelling at him was because he was 'Going Off' ...... actual fact he had jumped over a couple of kids swimming....he is probably still oblivious to his stupidity
In Victoria most of the signs posted stating sailing areas are local guidelines only in an attempt to create some harmony between the water users. Fact is areas can only be designated by Parks Vic. After 25 years the signs along the Kingston council foreshore that indicated windsurfing areas were removed because they were not legally correct. Rediculous as they still indicated to all beach goers the activities to be aware of in the area.
If kiting gets banned by one council in one location many will soon follow, its is up to us all to kite responsibly and speak up when others dont!!
Select to expand quoteSmithy said...
This reminds me of the story a few years back of a well known Vic kiter that thought all the folk on the beach waving and yelling at him was because he was 'Going Off' ...... actual fact he had jumped over a couple of kids swimming....he is probably still oblivious to his stupidity
seems like he made a good job of "evasive action" 
