VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

i think this would be awesome, especially if they add some big fans so i can practice my goiter.

fwd:

Hi All,

My name is Leah Bertrand Im the Aquatic Leader at the pool in Duncan, yes the idea of a Flowrider in Duncan with our new facitlity is getting closer and closer I just need you help and support to pass all the info on to our commissioners. By sending an email of support with your name, city, comment and (phone number if wanted) I will then pass them all forward, the more responce we get the better .... Im decorating my office in surf posters stickers or anything else i can get my hands on to help promote to our community ... the responce so far has been great keep it going. The referendum will be this spring after if everything goes as planned they could start breaking ground next Feb. 2006 it will take 18 months to 2 years to build. You have to understand that it isnt just the Flowrider its a whole new Pool, Arena and Gym. It is going to be world class.
Ive read the forum if anyone has any ideas of sponsership for the Flowrider that would be great I just need to find all the right connections, If you can do that for me I will do my best to make it happen.

For those of you who asked: NO it's not an April Fools Joke !!!

Again I thank you very much,
Leah Bertrand

umm no thanks ... why contribute to the over-population of local spots, or even surfing in general?

i highly doubt it will ever happen
___________________________________________________________

if you don't surf, don't start

well you got a point there PH, but im thinking me and dunkinguy would get our fix on the flowrider and there would be 2 less dudes out in the cold ocean not more! it would be interesting to note if there was suddenly more surfers popping up at the breaks after the wave pools opened up in nanaimo and victoria, since all those folks started liking waves and all.

Sorry to bust your bubble Leah but I have a hard time believing that a community the size of Duncan can support such an endeavour.

Look at the other communities around the world that have Floriders (ie. Moscow, Cinccinati, San Dieago, San Antonio, Dublin, etc.). These are cities with millions of people. There is enough interest in cities that size to allow for such an operation.

I'm afraid that, even if the entire population of Vancouver Island was using the Florider, you still would not be able to support such a product.

Take it for what it is worth but it's just an opinion.

i would love to have a flow rider on the island but i dont think you will have enough support. plus, even if it does go through with construction there will be about a thousand surfers,kiters and windsurfers alike cursing your name because you made this shit happen. a week later every kook out there will want to surf, kite, windsurf cause its the cool IN THING!!!

do yourself a favour and dont get involved. if i want to use one i will go to cali.

nice to hear youre keepin the island kook free, i think ill do myself a favor and quit this thread

good call - good bye waverider

what a weird thread. If Duncan wants a Flowrider, and can find a way to fund it - good for them. Why would anyone be so parochial and do something to STOP others from joining these sports? There is more than enough wind / wave for those souls, brave enough to squeeze themselves into a wetsuit and brave the elements. More participants = bigger watersports community = critical mass = more used gear / store support etc. If they all take up the "new thing" and then quit when they step into the cold Pacific then it is a plus because stores off load a bunch of new gear and then a bunch of good used gear enters the system.

tempy wrote:what a weird thread. If Duncan wants a Flowrider, and can find a way to fund it - good for them. Why would anyone be so parochial and do something to STOP others from joining these sports? There is more than enough wind / wave for those souls, brave enough to squeeze themselves into a wetsuit and brave the elements. More participants = bigger watersports community = critical mass = more used gear / store support etc. If they all take up the "new thing" and then quit when they step into the cold Pacific then it is a plus because stores off load a bunch of new gear and then a bunch of good used gear enters the system.

this post is just wrong in so many ways ...

i think 50 people sitting in a pack waiting for a wave has reached "critical mass"

and getting good "used gear" is a weak excuse to over-populate surfing

stick to nitnat buddy and don't post shit you know nothing about!

Overpopulate surfing? At a couple of spots on a couple of long weekends over the summer. Me thinks thou dost exaggerate the threat somewhat. Don'tchya think you'd find a lot of noisy little punks (no offence to little punks) hanging at the Flowrider while real surfers would remain in the cold Pacific. The Ocean is a lot of messy hassle that most folks won't put up with. I don't think it would create new surfers. just Flowriders. I don't think I would be interested; it just sounds too artificial. You wouldn't get any of that blissed-out far-out wilderness thing happening in a cement pool. Totally different experience. Fun for kids. I'll stick to Nitinat.

Hey Pimphand.....I can totally appreciate your stance about overpopulation. Perhaps you can clarify a few other points for myself and others so we can better understand this surfers' dilemma. Is the problem that there aren't enough spots to surf or that there are too many new people trying it, and the only spots they know about are the big name places like JR and Tofino??

It seems with windsurfing that there is a hierarchy of places to sail which match ones skill level. Most beginners tend to avoid places like Cook St in favour of more appropriate locations/conditions. However, if Cook St was all that people knew about, it would be a nightmare.

Is there not some sort of unwritten hierarchy for surfing that dictates where beginners should go?? I'm not a surfer but if I wanted to try it, where would I go??

Keep the good breaks a secret but make the beginner spots as public as possible. Like Tempy said, most people just want to try it, they aren't likely going to stick with it. We live on the Coast and people are going to want to try surfing. You can't change that. However, directing them to a spot which is appropriate for their level keeps them away from the good breaks does it not???

Just a thought. If I'm way off base, you can tell me to piss off but at least give us all some kind of rationale so we can understand.

Cheers

windsurf247 wrote: Is the problem that there aren't enough spots to surf or that there are too many new people trying it

yes to both

windsurf247 wrote: I'm not a surfer but if I wanted to try it, where would I go??

long beach

As far as the flowrider is concerned, i hope it never becomes anything more than talk. it will bring more crowds to all water sports because of the interest of what it may be like in mother nature if man can produce this(flowrider). as far as kiting and windsurfing places like cook st, gordons beach, jr etc..... all the power to ya. there are only a handful of guys out here that can handle a day like last tuesday anyway. plus i find it comedy hour to see newbies try it out sailing or kiting. usually they just get the shit kicked out of them and get worked and never come back. HAHAHA
in terms of surfing though if you wanna learn stay the hell away from south island(anywhere). if your not invited to go someplace by someone who has been going for years or you yourself have not been going for years, DONT GO PERIOD............. If you want to learn go to long beach. i surf south island all the time but you dont see me there ever with my girlfrind trying to teach her. for one she would get spanked out there and two she is not welcome there even though i have been going there for 10-12 years and she knows it. i take her to tofino where she is comfortable and she will not get in anyones way or piss anyone off.

ONCE AGAIN - WINDSURF AND KITE WHEREVER YOU LIKE BUT WHEN IT COMES TO SURFING DONT BOTHER TRYING TO LEARN IN THE SOUTH REGION. I WILL AIM FOR YOU COMING DOWN THE LINE IF I EVEN SOO MUCH AS SEE A SIGN THAT YOUR A NEWBIE OR ON RENTAL GEAR.

MATTHEW[/quote]

all this thread makes me wish for is a few surf nazis to experience a quiet Point Break type demise drowning all this unfounded hatred and anger while some pimply-faced office geek experiences nirvana the next sunny afternoon on a huge rental catching just the one little wave he's been reading about and waiting for most of his little life

This thread is just so unfortunate

KUS, that's really funny. Hockey Players and Surfers, man, don't bother asking why, they'll just go into the tirade....Sometimes I'm glad I live on an island with absolutely no surf.