Unfortunately it seems the major underlying issue with kiteboarding has slipped your mind: we are the new sport and as such impressions are easily created in the public. This filters through to councils and other government bodies. If you don't care if the council bans your local think about this, your state level departments such as WA's DPI will be creating legislation that may not intend on impacting on kiteboarding yet defining the term might become very bad. ie: life jackets become mandatory. The more bad **** [DON'T kid yourself, it's only the accidents that people remember in the end] that happens the worse it will be in the future when it comes to the time that DPI or who ever your states dept is stops over looking kitesurfing.
Showing off is not that good either, people don't think better of the ricer boys after seeing them do perfect burnouts around a round about [the skill involved to do some of them is high level stuff] but instead create "hoon laws" ect that put kids doing burn outs in empty residential areas through tougher penalties than people high on drugs. Reflect this into the kitesurfing scene and it is easier to see why it is so hard to get permission to hold kite events, keep a positive image ect.

All these actions such as the one that has been described in the thread are like those images of a couple sooped up cars fish tailing at midnight on to empty roads that get played over and over again when ever "hoons" get mentioned. This guy, bondi rescue guy and images of kites in power lines are our equivalent.

So i guess the best thing for us is no publicity at all. I agree with that anyway. Who wants more people on the water to have to share with.

Any publicity brings us into the spotlight and the nature of the sport is that it can be interpreted as dangerous (look at those ling razor sharp lines and boards with fins).

We should remain out of sight and out of mind. I'd guess that 80% of riders are cool with that but maybe shops and brands see things differently.

We can't want coverage on TV and big comps AND to stay out of the scrutinizing eye of the councils. Pick one, not both.

mike

sebol said...

Any new council law will only affect you if you choose to obey them.
Might sound a bit anarchist but i strongly believe that the world would be a much better place if people did not act like sheep and follow stupid rules.
I will never wear a life jacket for kiting in the same way that i never wear a helmet to go on a push bike.

Amen!