It would be a crime to have it in the same spot i was judging an can tell you that we needed binoculars to tell what the guys were doing how good then is it for spectators????

Rys right WOODIES is the best place we have already tested kickers there an it was perfect we could have kickers/sliders at the far end then the freestyle part about 1/2 metre from you face:-) Cant wait to see the sick **** Rubens going to pull in the flat water:-)

I would have to agree with Damo, Cott. would be the place as nothing really happens there anyway. A great piece of coastline, with viewing and party fascilities to boot and it is deadsville..........no people here. Woodies is a great place to kite, but really no infrastructure for the fans there.

Having a major kiting event at Cott. would be very good for the local image and business. Kiting all day with foam parties at night.........come on Perth get with the program.

Ian Young was the technical director for the GG last year and despite all his advice and suggestions against holding it at that location he was over ridden . Money talks .
I think a petition is a good idea as it will give Ian ammo this time around .
Also pretty sure Tracy is right that no other councils were keen to give permission .

as much as a petition would be good ammo, im pretty sure the location, dates and basically everything for this years gravity games is already set in stone...

having said that petitions etc might help the 2006 event be in a better location.

also, fyi, cameras were on site for almost all heats afaik... to the point that start times were held up on one or two days until the camera crews arrived... most of the filming was taken from in front of the judging area

and damos spot on about spectator presence... there was nothign to attract them :(

So in other words all they got was tiny distant black figures sillhouetted against the shiny silver on the water of the setting sun. aka Blot! Nada!, Nil, Nuttin!, SFA!, Zip!, Donut!, and bugger all.

I also stopped by just to check out the action and after a few moments couldnt see who was who or what they were doing so used the time to catch up with old mates.

Really poor spot for kiting when thinking of public interest and facilities. Hope we can do better next year

Just my 2 bobs worth

Last year or it could've been the beginning of the year the old boys had a Malibu comp at the top of Isos. They set up tents, had sponsors selling goods, cool 60's music and even a massage booth. I recond that spot is gold especially to introduce kiteboarding to the public. If they allowed that, they shouldnt have a problem with any comps going on there.

Tim Thirsk is the man u got to speak to. IF u could have it on the north side of the big groin at cott in front of indianas then that would be insane and i would retract my previous statements. good luck with cott council. im pretty sure that time of year surfers are allowed to surf there so they might be able to close the beach for a couple a days.....

I await Tim Thirsk's reply with interest but Ian Youngs idea of moving it into the city is not bad and would certainly suit spectators nad gel the evnt together. Maybe a river option should be accessible in the days leading to the event in case we get forecast strong easterlies.

No problems Ryland - you sign off on the safety then :-)

With suicide leashes, reef, rocks and updrafts on the cliffs downwind of that spot?????

It's always fun until someone loses an eye as they say. As soon as something goes wrong people always look for someone to blame. At the end of the day the comp area has to be safe.

if safety is such a big concern why did we have to kite back up wind after a heat. WHY COZ OF THE HUGE ROCKS DOWN WIND. personally why would we get any if those pros come over and kite their again. besides the fact they are throwing a heap of money up 4 grabs its not the most enviting location. mullaloo scarbs trigg woodies pinnaroo leighton are all a heap better. if they are putting so much time and money into the event at least put it in a spot where it would be money well spent. it is the biggest thing to come to australia and we stick aaron hadlow 500m out to sea and say go rip it up in 2m chop. it aint all that hard.

Hey Guys,

It's not the businesses you have to win over it's the hoity toity residents that don't want change or unruly young people coming to disturb their morning coffee at the Tropicana or heaven forbid they should have to line up to get the morning paper.

Council is also deathly afraid that we may invade peoples civil liberties by denying them access to their fave swimming beach (especially the rich vocal oldies), not to mention god forbid, a local being injured by a failed suicide leash letting a kite go onto the beach during a comp.

I'm sure the businesses would be all for it, however it's the residents that pay the rates and the ratepayers cast the votes and that's what council wants.

It's pointless getting hundreds of kiters saying "Yeah! Cott rocks, lets have it at Cott", because we have no impact on their revenue or voting in the council elections. Win the ratepayers, assure the councilors of absolute safety, get the comp site!

Think about it, if you were a councillor who maybe just scraped in during the last election, would you risk a cushy fat job by allowing a bunch of aquatic misfits to take over a popular stretch of beach with a dangerous extreme sport ..... I wouldn't, would you?

G'day Ry

Tim Thirsk here mate! Mosman Beach is definitely out of the question and we have been granted input into the venue; Ian kite Herrison Island which providing there is wind was pretty good so that is our first choice venue and all going well will be set up with as park style riding with kickers and sliders. Back up venue is Woodies. i am keeping my eye on how things pan out at Octagon as there have been many changes in the management there so all going well we will get out way.

please stay in contact with me or Ian for up dates.

best regards

Tim

I would have to defer to what KH has to say about this subject. It is a sad state of affairs when an outback, isolated place like Perth (which could actually make a name for itself and some foreign currency to boot from this cool new sport) can't find it in itself to put on a show at Cottesloe because of the "government." In the government I include all those on the land grab/primary industry gravy train....no value add, just sit on the asset....boring!

The rich and famous don't want change. They want us all to look at them only and no one is to have more fun in their back yard then they themselves....because they were there first and own it.............WA does mean wait a while though, so I believe they will wake up to the modern world some day, .........and as I have said before.....get with the program Perth. "Extreem" sports like kiting are the future for so many young and bright people....come on you sad old men and women of the "goverment," free yourselves up a little and let it happen at Cottesloe

Perhaps Cottesloe could take a lesson from the town of St. Moritz, Switzerland. This little place has really become the home of the rich and famous and it embraces "extreem sports" and has so for hundreds of years. The "crazy" British first came to St. Moritz to ski and sled, and they built the world's first Skeleton Course (where you go head first down a bob sled run on a little sled with lead weights). Today St. Moritz is one of the kiting meccas in Europe as well as many many other "extreem" sports. This town makes millions and millions embracing change and youth. The rich and famous of St. Moritz like to have entertaining stuff to look at.

Now, I bet there are a few councilors who would first schedule a little trip to Switzerland to check it out and learn how they do it. Don't spend the dollars on flights and hotels...just do it here in Perth and do it properly. It will be good for your real estate assetts too.

VOTE 2: Cottesloe: the most valuable real estate in WA..what a great opportunity for the town!.....for SW winds.

AND...some good River spot for Easterlies....a real Perth kite fest...still dreaming about having the first Australian foam parties in this great city of ours.

Hey guys, does anyone know who is going to compete this year and if its still only guys competing?

Hey Wavey,

DOH! Didn't think of that! <slaps forehead>



Good Winds