Posted: Sun Sep 01, 2013 11:29 pm
Kevin, the 3-4 times I went to Nitinaht this year there was plenty of W/S.
I know that I am going to be in sh## for this comment but oh well, to each their opinion:
2002-2007, when learning kiteboarding with Jordon (BigFoot on BWD) and Allen, we always thought that there was an actual windsurfer / kiteboarder zone. Other kiteboarder learning on their own thought this as well. We all (most of us anyway) thought that unless you were learning with a school & seadoo, we (learner) or other kiteboarders were not allowed in that W/S zone.
I actually learned that there was no W/S zone in a BWD post 2011 or 2012, while trying to "defend the windsurfer zone", so considering this fact, I am pretty sure that there are a lot of windsurfers that still believe that there is an actual W/S end of the lake zone.
- Why? Because almost every day since the the last ???? years, 90% of windsurfer rides in that 50m-100m end of the lake. (with students going through and the occasional kiteboarder)
*** But it made sense to us, to come back to shore before going through the windsurfer zone, by respect, being considerate *** We often saw some learner kiter or good kiteboarder not respecting that rule (which didn't even exist, so they were not braking any rules) crashing their kite in the middle of high traffic W/S, on their mast, near their launch zone, etc... etc... etc...)
Obviously the water belongs to everyone, or to no one. But, as kiteboarder, we do take a lot more space, provoke accident/incident and close call quite regularly. (there is more of us, all level)
Even though there is no such thing as a "windsurfer zone end of the lake", the end of the lake is where 90% of W/S (with school kiteboarder student and seadoo going through) windsurf and upwind of this is where 90% kiteboarder kiteboard since ??? years.
You can be in the 10% of the kiteboarders that goes in the ~50m - 75m lane where most of windsurfer rides, or, go somewhere else in the
~1000m + upwind where 90% kiteboarders kiteboard.
I do not mind when a windsurfer ride upwind because they take a lot less place than a kiteboarder. I would not mind if there was an actual windsurfer zone only (which allow kiteboarder learner w school/seadoo to go through) AND that they would still be allowed to windsurf where ever they want on the lake. Simply because 1. I have seen / will continue to see lots of accidents from kiteboaders towards a W/S. 2. Lots of them, especially at Nitinaht, are kids/teenagers learning to windsurf, and 3. they take a lot less place than us.
There is so much place upwind, I do not feel the need to go kiteboard in the windsurfer lane just to claim/prove a point that the lake belong to everyone. Also, since there are a variety of kiteboarder (beginner-advanced-crazy-inconsiderate-considerate etc....) the chances of something happening is higher, why not giving them a brake? (especially since lots of kids/teenagers are learning W/S as well at Nitinaht).
I know that I am going to be in sh## for this comment but oh well, to each their opinion:
2002-2007, when learning kiteboarding with Jordon (BigFoot on BWD) and Allen, we always thought that there was an actual windsurfer / kiteboarder zone. Other kiteboarder learning on their own thought this as well. We all (most of us anyway) thought that unless you were learning with a school & seadoo, we (learner) or other kiteboarders were not allowed in that W/S zone.
I actually learned that there was no W/S zone in a BWD post 2011 or 2012, while trying to "defend the windsurfer zone", so considering this fact, I am pretty sure that there are a lot of windsurfers that still believe that there is an actual W/S end of the lake zone.
- Why? Because almost every day since the the last ???? years, 90% of windsurfer rides in that 50m-100m end of the lake. (with students going through and the occasional kiteboarder)
*** But it made sense to us, to come back to shore before going through the windsurfer zone, by respect, being considerate *** We often saw some learner kiter or good kiteboarder not respecting that rule (which didn't even exist, so they were not braking any rules) crashing their kite in the middle of high traffic W/S, on their mast, near their launch zone, etc... etc... etc...)
Obviously the water belongs to everyone, or to no one. But, as kiteboarder, we do take a lot more space, provoke accident/incident and close call quite regularly. (there is more of us, all level)
Even though there is no such thing as a "windsurfer zone end of the lake", the end of the lake is where 90% of W/S (with school kiteboarder student and seadoo going through) windsurf and upwind of this is where 90% kiteboarder kiteboard since ??? years.
You can be in the 10% of the kiteboarders that goes in the ~50m - 75m lane where most of windsurfer rides, or, go somewhere else in the
~1000m + upwind where 90% kiteboarders kiteboard.
I do not mind when a windsurfer ride upwind because they take a lot less place than a kiteboarder. I would not mind if there was an actual windsurfer zone only (which allow kiteboarder learner w school/seadoo to go through) AND that they would still be allowed to windsurf where ever they want on the lake. Simply because 1. I have seen / will continue to see lots of accidents from kiteboaders towards a W/S. 2. Lots of them, especially at Nitinaht, are kids/teenagers learning to windsurf, and 3. they take a lot less place than us.
There is so much place upwind, I do not feel the need to go kiteboard in the windsurfer lane just to claim/prove a point that the lake belong to everyone. Also, since there are a variety of kiteboarder (beginner-advanced-crazy-inconsiderate-considerate etc....) the chances of something happening is higher, why not giving them a brake? (especially since lots of kids/teenagers are learning W/S as well at Nitinaht).
