Informal Contest at Waddell 4/27

[whit]

As far as fin gouging goes, looks like we should have a decent amount of water there that is filling throughout the day. There might have to be an award for whoever makes the best wipeout/damages their gear the most....

[pablito]

I'm a kiter and I know you guys hate us, but we would never have an event at Waddell and publicize it for all skill levels.

Waddell is crowded on the weekends, and beginners/low level intermediate riders pose a hazard to everyone on the water. Kiters do a pretty good job of advertising Waddell as an advanced intermediate and up place to kite.

Beginner kiters and windsurfers alike are not used to having riders coming down the line across their tack. And when they wreck, it's usually right in the wave zone. It's in everyone's best interest for them to windsurf and kite somewhere else until they get their skill levels up.

Just sayin'... if we did this, you guys wouldn't be happy. You think it's bad windsurfing at Waddell with good kiters around, you really don't want to see what it's like with kiters who suck...

[beallmd]

Dear Pablito; I doubt very much you will see very low level windsurfers at Waddell. Waddell is very much an advanced windsurfing spot. When low level sailers go out they quickly end up way down the beach. I wouldn't worry except there could be more sailers there than an average weekend day...hopefully everyone has a good time.

[kevinkan]

I think the invite was referring to windsurfers w/ varying levels skill in the waves... not necessarily trying to attract beginning windsurfers and throw them into the wash cycle. There are a lot of good windsurfers who never go to the coast, and it just helps to know you can go there and not be alone. This deal is just to get more people out there and to have a little get together.

But hey, everybody has to learn to ride waves somewhere...

[madspaniard]

[kevinkan]

[smpitt]

bayareakiteboarding.com writes...
http://www.bayareakiteboarding.com/about5495.html

[gerritt]

Kevin,

Lets be fair. I think his point was this isn't a beginner spot, which I think everyone understands. Don't enter the contest if you can't waterstart, hit your jibes most of the time, and get over the white water. Beyond that, as Whit said, its open to all abilities.

I'm not sure what Whit has in mind for the "contest area," but my guess is since its informal and as he said, there are likely to be other sailors and kiters in among the contestants, WAVE RULES SHOULD APPLY! Don't go cutting people off just because you are in a "contest."

I wish someone had told the kiters that when they "took Davenport." They were plain rude - short jibing onto waves and expecting windsurfers to yield because, hey man, I'm in a movies. BFD. Respect each other. The kiters at Waddell are quite good, understand waves rules, are almost all windsurfers or former windsurfers, and share the place very well.

[SWE106]

[kevinkan]