Got an email from KBV the other day saying the st kilda comp was cancelled due to lack of wind forcast. But anyone down there yesterday would no that there was plenty of wind and not so many dudes out. Sucks that we cant organise a comp at short notice coz there was even water in the ponds. Unlucky....
No not unlucky - when have you ever seen a comp/demonstation event cancelled over 3 days out?
If you check the BoM website - over the data years of 2001 to 2005 there is an almost 75% chance in Feb of about 20Knots. No not unlucky just poor KBV organisation.
On Sunday despite high profile KBV advertising as part of the St Kilda Festival [400,000 people predicted near foreshore] there was absolutely no KBV presence whatsoever.
And what ever happened to the Victorian comp advertised briefly on the KBV Website for 23/24 Feb? It's just disappeared.
And if you think I am unhappy with the KBV abilities and organisation process - you are right.
Nothing annoys me more than people who sook and whinge about the associations- these people are giving up their time to make sure everyone else has a good time !!! Maybe if more people put up their hands to help out the organisation could do more and wouldn't have to cancel events.
Lots of people put there hands up to help, but the guy in charge of the event decided by himself not to go ahead. Just like every other KBV event.
If people have a bitch about KBV they have good right to, it is a BOYS club with self interest people on the committee, it is not for the kiters by the kiters but for the ego of the committee.
You can never satisfy everybody- maybe instead of hiding behind a fake name on the forums you should go and voice your concerns directly with the people you have your problem with.
it has been done, they don't give a rats and by the sounds of it neither do you.
This is the 1st time i have said anything about them on the forum, but i have been dealing with them for 3 years.
people don't want to speak up because people like you slap them down, so the truth never gets out.
Think about it
I do not have any affiliation to kbv- I just think whinging on the forums is not the way to change things. If you are serious why not start a poll on the Vic section asking what members of kbv want from their state association and then forward the results to the committee ? Constructive comments are more likely to see action than a few people moaning.
I am totally happy to stand behind my comments and put a real name to them unlike some others.
Whilest its not good to speak behind fake names, sometimes people feel its the only alternative if they get no results going through the usual channels. Business is no different, thats why Sarbanes Oxley requires annonymous whistle blowing in companies. I'm not saying that is necessarily the case with the KBV, but having annonymous feedback is not necessarily always a bad thing.
I think it's pretty sad KBV can’t even get one comp off the ground. Sure it’s a bit of hard work but I am sure there are people out there willing to put their hands up and help out.
The public see advertising about the event but then nothing...
What no wind? Couldn’t it get postponed to another week then?
Hope to see a response from them soon... look at all the other states with heaps more going on, whats the difference between them and KBV? Makes me question why you would want to be a member at all...
It does seem strange that with so many kiters in Vic that something can't get organised. I'm sure the sponsorship would be bigger than us here in SA, the kiter numbers would be more, and there would more people to help out to run the day. When we ran ours we made sure we had a back up day/weekend and we made sure everyone knew about it.
Is it not common sense? Even if everyone got dpown the beach and the wind didn't co up, there's nothing like a few beers, a game of beach cricket and a meal at the pub afterwards, If everyone was at the beach on a day that there was no wind then at least they could all be informed of where and when to turn up for the backup day.
KBV calling off the comp is perhaps not such a bad thing.
Why do we desperately need to parade our sport in front of 400,000 people. ( just hold the comp another day )
How many more people do we want out there on the water.
My attitude has changed , when people asked me about kiting I used to tell them it was amazing and really quite easy, from now on I will tell people it is very dangerous, expensive and very very hard.
Do we really want anymore people starting to kite I know it sounds selfish but every where theses days is getting pretty busy. ( where there was 4-5 kites there are now 15 -20 where there were 15 + kites there are now 30+ ) ie: ST Kilda, When will it end ? probably when the councils ban it..
Lots of spots now are over-run with beginners standing in the middle of the water with their kites at 12 effectivly cutting in half the usable area. I know we were all beginers once but where there used to be one or two beginners learning in a spot there are now five or six. More kites are getting loose, landing on the roads and powerlines other beach users are having kites or bodies crash near them etc....all leads to council complaints and more bad publicity.
Kites in the sky are pretty conspicuous so why not let the people come to the kites rather than take kiting to the people.. at least that should help to filter the wheat from the chaff or something like that.
I feel better after that
now to open google earth and find a quiet secret all time spot..... heres hoping
Love how quickly people jump up and have a little sook in this sport, can see why it has become a joke to so many people. Fact is a call would have had to be made a few days out for most of the competitors to make arrangements to lug gear in there. You guys would have been the first to stick your hands up and have a sook if you had carried all your gear into the competition zone and there was no wind. Maybe you guys need to take up another sport…? I hear rollerskating is the ****!
I was annoyed that the comp was cancelled, as was the previous comp and the downwinders so far there has been nothing this season organised by KBV. At the start of last season I sent 2 emails to KBV voluntering with no reponse so direct contact doesn't help either.
I think it would be nice to have some event, be it a comp, downwinder or a BBQ...
And why is KBV about the only state with no presence/forum on here..
I am not overly keen to allocate time to running a committee as I have enough of politics doing my normal job. However, I am happy to pay my membership under the belief that some of the funding is used to compensate those more civically minded. When I troll through the events organised it seems KBV have done very little compared to WA, Qld & SA, maybe somebody should talk to those guys and learn from their successes.
A link to KBV on seabreeze would be a good start, every other state has managed to do this. It is a good point of reference for people new to the sport looking for Info on rules etc.
Events cancelled 4 days out seems to have disappointed quite a few. Turned out to be a great day, sunshine, spectators and WIND, oh well back to the daily grind….
Wow looks like we have hit a neve here.
"airush geoff" you need to check your facts. Firstly KBV unlike all other major assocaitions does not have a Seabreeze Forum link. You may ask why?
Let's look at KBV activities a little further.
No announcements of events such as StKilda Festival Demo/Comp or the 23/24 Feb weekend Comp were or have been listed on the Events Section of Seabreeze.
The StKilda Festival was not even in their Website News Section but under "Features" playing second fiddle to the Wave Nationals. And then it was listed under "Feature Product" - go figure.
KBV has a Website and it is next to inactive. The Site did list the Feb 23/24 Comp then it disappeared. I notice it has been updated today [12 Feb] with a apology from the KBV Event Director for the StKilda Festival cancellation and a news item off Seabreeze. Maybe things are changing.
KBV has a recent history of not running events. "picker" and others of made this glaring observation.
"jordy" gets it right when suggesting in respect to events you should have fallback situations when the wind fails.
"airush geoff" - I congratulate all Committee Members/Event Members of the Associations for the obvious great work they do. But when an Association is so disorganised as KBV appear to be questions need to be asked and action taken. And a poll among KBV members [past and present] or Victorian Kiters generally may not be such a bad idea.
"Harry Potter" - sure we should bring in a limit on how many kiters should be allowed on our beaches - you may care to try to enforce this - good luck - what country are we in again??
"smurfo" - again check the facts - the competition area is right next to Pier Rd with no access problems. A car shuffle was even proposed to help kiters get gear to the site as Pier Rd on that day is by VIP pass only. PA's, tent, barbeque etc can still be used to promote water safety and assist future Sponsorship opportunites. And the StKilda Festival organisers were seeking a presence from KBV as an event was clearly programmed. No cancellation signage was posted at the site.
As it turned out in the 18+ knots a few kids - old and young - put an awesome display on in the designated demonstartion area. Hundreds lined StKilda Pier and the Pier Rd seawall - the crowd's gasps at jumps well above peir height were inspiring. Not to mention the special "rockstar" exhibition by someone who should have known better [only 6 stitches].
Oh "airush geoff' just to put your mind at rest I am on the KBV Committee as Secretary - started on 1 November 2007 as a direct result of concerns over the KBV administration and lack of events.
Rob as a member of the kbv committee surly if you where so upset you could have sort out and posted signage yourself? I guess you didn’t have to deal with gear last year when we got skunked with wind.
RobR,
Please dont get me wrong I am not suggesting any limits on numbers of kiters at beaches obviously that is almost impossible to enforce.
I just dont see the point in peddling kiting to the public at an event like the St Kilda Festival.
What is the benefit of raising the kiteboarding profile amongst the general population ? Get the house in order first !
I am certain that a huge amount of planning and preparation would have to go into arranging the St Kilda Festival comp but surely that effort, time and expense could be put to a better use.
IMO KBV could do a better job of looking after it's members rather than arrange comps for a few or trying to encourage new kiters/ members.
Let those who are interested become involved on their own
I would recommend KBV raise its profile amongst its members before looking to the public.
At the moment i would suggest that 80-90% of KBV members are only members for the insurance benefit. 
If you paid on the basis that you could attend events ( once in a blue moon ) etc.. you would surely be very dissapointed.
People like to be part of a club or association but only if they see some benefit.
How hard can it be to arrange a few more down winders perhaps combined with a social BBQ at the end ( just advertise it on the website ) and people will turn up. If it has to be cancelled on the day then so be it, we are kite surfers so we understand that if there is no wind there is no fun. ( throw the sausages in the freezer and bring them out the following week.) if needed charge a $5 donation fee so that a rescue boat/ jetski could be arranged for the afternoon.
I understand that the Association is run primarily by volunteers and they should be commended for the work that they have done, but maybe it is too much for a few volunteers. I would happily pay and extra 20 bucks a year if I felt it was worthwhile ie: more events, more contact with the association I am sure many would agree. Perhaps someone could then be paid to keep the website up to date. And deal with the logistics of the events.
Does KBV need more volunteers ?
Do the local kite shops sposor KBV ?
Ask the membership base for assistance if needed. I am sure you will at least get a few to help out.
In the end it comes down to the members and it would seem the association needs some help so it is up to US the members to do what they can rather than complain but offer no help
so......
I will put my hand up in fact I will buy the sausages.
( RobR PM me if you would like any assistance . I have had a rant now I am happy to help where I can )
Good for you Rob R,
As i understand it the St Kilda role was given to the KBV events committee, It is that committee that has the responsibility to let all know including the public if there are any changes. Some of the members of that committee weren't consulted at any stage, (great management)
Now watch the other members of the committee have another secret meeting and vote to kick you off for being a man and telling it like it is.
As a member You have my vote
X 2.
I'm not so flash at kiting but I'm happy to help in regards to logistics and planning.
If your supplying the snags Harry, I'll throw in a case of Heinies.
So would it be safe to assume that KBV is up ** creek without a paddle?
Why can such a large kiting community not get enough members/volunteers to run a day? In SA while we only have 7 committee members doing the main amount of work needed to run a comp, I suggest that there would be double that again not on the committee helping to organise things on the beach on the day, competitors, photographers, BBQ's, shades, flags, judging, etc etc etc.. The best thing is that these people are not asked to do it and while they could be lazing around on the beach waiting for their heat, they choose to get involved and give a hand where needed. We couldn't have these events without the extra hands and if we did they wouldn't run as smoothly or as well.
Maybe it's not the committee who has the problem. Maybe it's the general kiting community in Vic who expects to just walk onto the beach and into a comp without having to give anything themselves. These things take effort and teamwork to get going and people need to realize this. Stuff does not happen by itself!
To think that nothing was put on Sea Breeze to advirtise the comp, plus the fact that there is no link or seperate forum to KBV is just plain stupid and iresponsible and they are doing nothing for the sport or the promotion of it. It doesn't matter who is on the committee, to do this is just a common sense thing.
We in SA are not an elite organisation, don't have the sponsorship dollars or the largest kiting community but I think our events here in SA would have to be some of the best run in the country. We are lucky to have a great close knit crew who have the time, effort and respect for one another to lend a hand and know when it is needed. The rest of them who don't want to be involved well thats their choice but they are the ones who are missing out on all the fun!!
Maybe someone from KBV should come and see how we do it over here.!!
WOW! I do believe this is the first time I've seen a Committee member (of any industry/association) give the very association they're meant to be representing such a spray... If we have KBV's own secretary shooting the organisation down, what hope is there?
I find it really disappointing that someone such as James has pulled the pin on supporting/promoting events, just coz some new cowboy decides to enter into the sport a solid 4 years after someone has pushed and pulled off events, that this person clearly isn't even aware of prior efforts coz they're too worried about a slander match and having a crack at everyone else instead of taking a good hard look at themselves... should I list a few...
1. 2004 Australian Kitesurf Tour - Round 2 or 4 (was awesome and went off, even got some TV coverage)
2. 2005 Downwinders
3. 2006 Vic Titles / Downwinders
4. 2006 Australian Freestyle Nationals (Went back and forth from St Kilda to Point Henry due to shizzle winds. Had all of Aussie's top riders here from Qld, WA etc. etc. )
5. 2007 Vic Titles / KBV Extraveganza (Was an awesome event)
6. 2007 St Kilda festival demo event (only a handful of us turned up for)
I'll leave you all with something to think about, the amount of time spent with everyone throwing their two bobs into this topic, I'm pretty sure a ripping event could have been drafted...
Lets just ride!
WOW! I do believe this is the first time I've seen a Committee member (of any industry/association) give the very association they're meant to be representing such a spray... If we have KBV's own secretary shooting the organisation down, what hope is there?
I find it really disappointing that someone such as James has pulled the pin on supporting/promoting events, just coz some new cowboy decides to enter into the sport a solid 4 years after someone has pushed and pulled off events, that this person clearly isn't even aware of prior efforts coz they're too worried about a slander match and having a crack at everyone else instead of taking a good hard look at themselves... should I list a few...
1. 2004 Australian Kitesurf Tour - Round 2 or 4 (was awesome and went off, even got some TV coverage)
2. 2005 Downwinders
3. 2006 Vic Titles / Downwinders
4. 2006 Australian Freestyle Nationals (Went back and forth from St Kilda to Point Henry due to shizzle winds. Had all of Aussie's top riders here from Qld, WA etc. etc. )
5. 2007 Vic Titles / KBV Extraveganza (Was an awesome event)
6. 2007 St Kilda festival demo event (only a handful of us turned up for)
I'll leave you all with something to think about, the amount of time spent with everyone throwing their two bobs into this topic, I'm pretty sure a ripping event could have been drafted...
Lets just ride!
ooops didnt mean to start a cat fight just thought it was unlucky coz the wind came up anyway i thought that they boys did a great job last year with big wheels bar and ruben lenten even comin down to say g'day anyways i think kbv is doing there best and that i look forward to the next event hope theres wind and P.s if theres anything that we can do to help just ask coz i'm sure the boy's and girls who had fun last year would love to help this year.
So Matt why was the 2008 St kilda event pulled?
Arn't you on the KBV events committee?
If so, were you informed?
Actually arn't you the guy who does the lessons for James company "Katani kiteboarding"
Hi Chris - the "Cowboy" here. You must be naive not to understand why a person may distance themselves from a decision supposedly made by an organisation to which they belong. Please let me explain.
When the cancellation notification for the StKilda Festival goes out under an email titled "committee@KBV..." then as Secretary I will set the record straight. As a KBV Officer I was not consulted prior to the cancellation. It appears we might have more than one "cowboy".
And KBV knew immediately after I received my cancellation email at 9.33am Thursday 7 Feb about my concerns of how the StKilda Festival event scheduled for Sunday 10 Feb at 3.00pm was prematurely cancelled with no fallback position. On Thursday all winds were still forecast by BoM to be 20+knots on all days leading up to Sunday and for Sunday to be 10 to 15knots. It was not unreasonable to suspect that Sunday would also be higher than 15knots. I presume you did not get this email as you are not a member of KBV. By Friday BoM were forecasting 20knots for Sunday.
Interestingly, the Minutes of the KBV indicate you are a member of the KBV Events Committee. How did you get this position when not a KBV member? Does this go back to an earlier comment made by "wind power" - "it is a BOYS club with self interest people on the committee, it is not for the kiters by the kiters but for the ego of the committee."
I notice you are apparently associated with Katani. Isn't James and another member of the Committee directors of this company and you get paid by them?
Given you were at the 2007 KBV AGM you were aware that Katani advertised on the KBV Website without permission from the Committee. [The KBV Web Officer is also a director of Katani so KBV Website access was easy.] I understand there was some sensitivity about those related to Katani acting without permission [more "cowboys" maybe]. As a result all advertising was pulled from the KBV Website immediately.
So when you ask "wind power" - "what's your point..." from my perspective you should be declaring your self interest not hiding behind a watery name. As it stands James pays you so I would expect you will support him. That's the "point".
And in my capacity as "cowboy", given you are, by the 2007 KBV AGM Minutes, a member of the KBV Events Committee, I have been trying to contact you [Ref email sent to James and KBV President 5 February 2008] to send you a copy of the KBV Committee Meeting Minutes. Despite a reminder nobody has come back to me so can please provide your details by PM. It appears you are not on the 2007/2008 KBV membership list and are therefore not financial - maybe I am a cowboy for trying to sort this out.
And "smurfo" as for trying to get something sorted out for Sunday after knowing of the cancellation I immediately sought permission from the President to see if KBV could at least have a presence at the StKilda festival - promotional tent etc even if to advise that the primary demonstration/comp was cancelled.
James was fully aware of the efforts made by me [the cowboy] to try to get permits and passes transferred so KBV would at least be on the beach. Without these permits/passes access is impossible.
Also on Thursday and then Saturday I was advised that KBV has no signage or tent etc - they do have a generator though - so any KBV public presence was going to be very low key.
I was finally advised by an industry party [a financial member of KBV and a Member of the Events Committee who was not contacted by James to assist in the StKilda Festival Event] who at my request attempted to assist in giving KBV a presence and who has a tent and kiteboarding signage to establish a KBV presence at the designated KBV StKilda Festival site that the StKilda Festival Officials were not allowing transfer of permits at this late stage. For the record other local industry reps were also contacted but were unable to assist at such short notice.
What's the "point"? James [who it is now apparent has an interest in a Kite School] did not include a fellow member of the Events Committee who runs another School and was keen to assist [and was later the potential fallback position for KBV]. Yet James included yourself [an instructor working for James]. Again - was this self interest? And if KBV had your contact details you could have read for yourself in the last Committee Meeting minutes dated 31 January 2008 what James was requested to do regarding StKilda.
Don't forget "wind power's" comment - "it is a BOYS club with self interest people on the committee....".
And it's commendable you are able to list all the events James has successfully run. This is the same James that pays you though.
Before I go you might care to check why the KBV Member contact system did not advise all members of the then forthcoming StKilda Festival Event. I and many other members received no notification so something appears wrong with their system. And with no Seabreeze, posting unlike all other States, it's a bit hard for anyone to know what KBV are doing unless you are in the know which, as an employee of James, you no doubt are.
Anyway hope that explains my earlier so called "spray" and I thankyou for the "cowboy" tag as it appears I have uncovered a few people who would not otherwise contribute to KBV.
I will follow up with all who have indicated they are keen to assist KBV going forward.
And in closing I congratulate James in issuing his apology posted on the KBV Website for pulling the event too early.
PS - Update - I may have got the christian name wrong - H2O is Matt not Chris - but two people are on the events Committee with these christain names and nether are financial KBV Members. 1.40pm 13/2/08.
<60 MINUTES COMMENTARY>...and this concludes a valuable lesson on why those with a commercial interest in the sport should never be allowed to chair an organisation supposedly to look after the non-commercial interests of a sport...
So sick of all the bitchin so I've dicided that I will hold a new comp it will be at st kilda,there will be two divisions opens and girls just to make it fair but everyone rides together for an hour then at the end I will decide on the top six boy's to stay out and the top girls and the stand outs will be awarded prizes.The prizes will be a surprize and i hope everyone in victoria turns up for hookstock.
I will arrange plenty of people to take photos and make sure there are plenty of drinks in the slingshot bus for those over eighteen and maybe some soft drink for the kiddies.
It will happen this weekend on sunday the 17th so make your way down wind or no wind there will be plenty of fun to be had.
P.s anyone wanting to contribute to this would be greatly appreciated will keep you posted
