okay, some comments on what i have seen happen with old, badly made homemade gear down in australind,
numerous chicken loop breakages- most often on the beach when
2. launching the kite, bad for the person launching the kite as well as the kiter,
1. safety leashes breaking, being pulled off the harness causing the kite to fly away and need it being chased. bad for anyone who gets in the way of the kite
3. when safetys are pulled, there is not enough slack in the system for the kite to fold away safely, this rips the rider forward at a point in time when i think they would be wishing everything to stop. if it is a wrist leash it can be worse as shoulders are easy to dislocate.
4. fins coming off of homemade boards at intervals so regular you can set your watch by them.

there is nothing wrong with old or homemade gear as long as its properly made, not done on the cheap and is maintained. if you are 100% confident that your gear is up to scratch then ok. but if it isn't and a member of the public gets hurt, bye bye kitebeach. by the sounds of it flake, this guy was just concerned for your safety and the safety of others and as such maybe he approached you the wrong way but he probably wasn't trying to be an a#$%^&*e.

hey if we aren't proactive in regulating the sport and ensuring that what we do is safe for all beach users then we will lose more beaches. i would say he is just trying to do the right thing. on the other hand, if he was just having a go at the age of your gear and not the general safety of it, i take it all back.

punchy

These guys have the right attitude:

www.zeroprestige.org

yeah thats right thank u jan i'll make sure i'll do that next time