i like euro chick kiters... does that count?

Hooray for the Aussies!
Who welcome us nicely and make us wanna stay more than expected! (2 years so far, can I be a "local" now? )

Silence said...

well, I'm italian, but came to oz 3 months ago, and looking to get a permanent visa after finishing uni here (so i'm not a tourist who doesn't care if a spot is closed),
but after some things I read here I don't know if I need to worry about my car being smashed or my lines cut xD

I am a newbie, I admit it. I got 3 lessons from a school and went out just a handful of times on my own, but I try to avoid crowded beaches and if in doubt I put the kite at 12 and wait for other kiters to pass me by. Of course I do some mistakes, but I'm tryin to get better and better (two days ago my 9 meters was too small for dolls point, until 15. now I know, and won't make the same mistake again, for example).

every sport has its idiots, but not every outsider is one of them.

The concern about euros is largely aimed at those who come to Australia and kite in areas they are not allowed to kite with no common sense or respect for the other beach users or kiters. I.e. someone kiting 5m from swimmers in a swimming area between the flags, sometimes they'll kite in the flat water sections and will hog these areas as if being a tourist gives them more rights to use these locations than other users. When confronted about it, they sometimes pretend to not understand english and then go off laughing to their mates. In most cases you hear them talking english so you know they claims of not understand are bull.

If you're not one of these kind of people, you have little to worry about. Most of the kiters are friendly, hospitable and happy to have euro kiters provided they abide by local kiting rules and use common sense to ensure they don't endanger other kiters or beach users. If on the other hand you are one of the douchebag variety kiters, then you probably have reason to be concerned because there will come a day when they come across the wrong local and he retaliates.

The short answer is to chat to locals in the area to find out where you can and can't kite and what the local rules are. They will often warn you about hidden obstacles (rocks) or will identify whether the conditions may not be ideal for a beginner. Most locals don't have a problem if you ask first before making mistakes.

superlizard said...

Silence said...

well, I'm italian, but came to oz 3 months ago, and looking to get a permanent visa after finishing uni here (so i'm not a tourist who doesn't care if a spot is closed),
but after some things I read here I don't know if I need to worry about my car being smashed or my lines cut xD

I am a newbie, I admit it. I got 3 lessons from a school and went out just a handful of times on my own, but I try to avoid crowded beaches and if in doubt I put the kite at 12 and wait for other kiters to pass me by. Of course I do some mistakes, but I'm tryin to get better and better (two days ago my 9 meters was too small for dolls point, until 15. now I know, and won't make the same mistake again, for example).

every sport has its idiots, but not every outsider is one of them.

Howdy Silence...

Look, i'd be a little concerned about car getting smashed up there in NSW too...[}:)]... but seriously, i don't think you should have any issues. Like down here in VIC the whole kite crew (99%) is very friendly... i've chatted to several euro kiters on the beach over the years... (most recently a cute british chick )... So in the end it's not about euros but more about bogan kook kiters (from any background) who disrespect common sense and who disregard everyone around them...

The only issue with euros is that sometimes their kite videos, whilst usually demonstrating impressive kite skills, come across a bit gay due to fashion choice like femenine hairdos, sily scarfs, boardies over wettie, pretend-kitesurfing-in-a-carpark-hanging-of-a-rope, etc etc... there was one video couple years back where I thought one dude was a female for most of the video...

But aside from that, euros are ok. They make some great foods, and know how to drive properly...

anyways, enjoy this great land Silence and good winds...

p.s. often keeping kite at 12'oclock is not the best option when waiting for someone to get past you especially if they are upwind... lowering your kite down to one side is often a better choice and appreciated by the upwind passing kiter...

Thanks,
yeah, until I saw some of the posts here (probably as a reaction to the guy who got into the powerlines at safety beach) I've never even thought about it, but those made me wonder..

and now I learned something new, too! I'll try keeping the kite lower, if in doubt of rights of way and similar!

by the way.. I actually thought that the boardies over the wetsuits were for having a bright color on (bright colors = not in sharks menu, or so I heard) xD

@Saffer: well, I'm the kind of guy who spends 2 hours on seabreeze and the aksa website to make sure the spot I'm thinking of goin is ok and if there's any rule, so I guess I'm on the safe side :) I was more concerned of over-reaction in case of my involuntary mistakes, but you guys confirmed what I saw on the usual beaches, so I guess my gear is safe for now ^^

Most of you guy's seem to be learning here so you don't have the mindset that some others do when they come over here to kite. Unlike the rest of the world we aren't used to kiting amongst crowds and give each other plenty of room as well as leaving plenty of room so beachgoers feel safe (note that most beachgoers don't want a kite crashing anywhere near their kids) Aussies also aren't very competitive and would prefer to share the flat water than compete for it which overseas would see you not getting any flat water.
Respect everyone else's right to enjoy the area and you will get respect.
Also it's not just the euros it's anyone coming from a busy place to a quieter spot.

dbabicwa said...

rickwindt said...

yeah I must say I find it quite stupid.. all this blabbering on about europeans.. It is not making the atmosphere any better. People talk about all the euros being like this but that is just rediculous! surely there would be the odd annoying european but there are just as much annoying oz bogans.

C'mon mate ! We all well know how you like Germans, since u Dutch!

Silence said

I would be worried if parked my car in Venice or better leave a bus door open when parked there :) Or travel on train through It south, or....

about Venice I haven't heard, but yeah, southern Italy is definetly rotten, on that point of view... lot of good people, but it's not a joke: if you don't leave your car open, d-bags are gonna assume you have valuable stuff inside and they are gonna break your window to check..
(and that suck for tourist, living in some neighbours in Napoli is hell... luckily I used to live in the northern region, close to the austrian and swiss border xD)

^^^ You are Euro if you speak any EU language other than English

The UK is pretending to be in EU anyway:)

dbabicwa said...

rickwindt said...

yeah I must say I find it quite stupid.. all this blabbering on about europeans.. It is not making the atmosphere any better. People talk about all the euros being like this but that is just rediculous! surely there would be the odd annoying european but there are just as much annoying oz bogans.

C'mon mate ! We all well know how you like Germans, since u Dutch!

haha yeah I must say Germans are an exception to the rule off course... haha

Well, I lived 20 years in Europe and the last 20 years in Scarborough WA so please tell me, am I a Euro???

yes....