Now the Cottesloe situation is bad enough already but I think the potential for bad news is much worse at Point Walter. It might just not have been so imminent but with NE dominating over SW now it sees more action. I have been down there both yesterday and today to watch the action as I certainly would enjoy to kite there once I get more confident. Saw a good crowd down there yesterday and I saw some spectactular aerials x-ing the sandbar. I was down there rather late at lunchtime today and saw two guys launching the kite with 3 kids, maybe 5 or 6, watching, standing maybe 2m downwind of the lines. I did shout to make them move away and the launch was smooth but I really didn't like this at all. When approached the guys told me the kid's wouldn't listen, which I know just to well from my small boy, but I think they could have waited the extra minute to get them away.

On a sunday like this, sunshine and all, there's maybe 50 kids all over the place and some on the sandbar. now kids and kites would make a bit of an explosive mix, i'd say. Just imagine, anything goes wrong there at any time, for whatever stupid reason, kid strangled by a kite, or dragged and drowned, and you have the evil kite thing on the first page of every newspaper and all over the media at your 6pm news including special reports and all. the media really likes to go deep into the "scary thing", that's what sells. A single event like that and it would take years of "nothing happened" to get the image of kitesurfing out of the @#*&$! again.

Now I don't really like to write this, I'm normally not even the guy who's known as the "oh, he's always so responsible", and as a beginner I don't want to insult all the experienced kitesurfers who are responsible. But: it just takes one serious mistake, doesn't even need to be a local bloke, and I won't ever be allowed to kite there. or cottesloe or maybe even peli pt or safety bay for that matter.

... just my 2 cents

to finally lighten the mood: maybe "HAHN Light" could sponsor those warning signs mentioned: "some drink it because they are responsible"