Attention Kiters:

There have been a number of stolen kite boards from St Kilda Beach in recent weeks. Please take extreme caution not to leave any valuables lying around on the beach.

These thefts include:

1. Saturday, Jan 30th. SLINGSHOT SX 2010 137 board stolen from sandbar at St Kilda West Beach while lessons were in progress. Board was placed down for the duration of a skill exercise (~10 minutes) and was gone by the time the instructor went to recover it for board starts.

2. Sunday, Feb 14th. During St Kilda Festival a group stole a NOBILE FIFTY-50. This board was recovered and the group are still in custody a month later for other crimes as well.

3. Sunday, Mar 1st. NORTH JAIME PRO stolen from in front of trailer for Melbourne Kite School. Board was found at the end of St Kilda Pier and later returned to the owner.

4. Monday, Mar 15th. NAISH HAZE 141, 2010 (with faded top and white UV epoxy resin on tip) stolen in broad daylight from St Kilda West Beach. Has been reported to police. It is believed a construction worker (who turned up in a green high visibility t-shirt and orange high visibility vest) was involved and was asking questions about lessons distracting the beach manager while his friend waiting in the parked car ran out and stole the board. There was nobody else around on the beach at the time. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Hope to see you out on the beach soon, remember to take care of your valuables!

Chris & the Kite Republic Team

If you see gear in cash converters, post the details (model, size, colour) on seabreeze in case its been nicked.

Apparently with stolen bikes, the thieves just cart them interstate and then bring a load back to make identification a hassle. So if you see something in cash converters, post it in the general forum to get interstate coverage.

ice said...

To discourage board theft, don't buy second hand boards unless you know the person selling is a kiter.

And don't buy boards from Cash Converters.

good ideas, but I has something a little less subtle in mind *

* Please note the above views are mine and mine alone, and do not represent the views of Seabreeze or the management

Not a great one here guys, since this article was written I've had reports that another board has been stolen, therefore...

5. Sunday, March 13th. ROYAL ONE 2010 130x39. With Dakine footpads and KR KITE CLUB sticker on the top.

what is the world coming to???

yeah wouldn't be suggesting leaving the light wind board on the edge of the water like we all did a little while ago.

Apparently one of the chicks that tried to steal that second board on the list has a court date coming up pretty soon. Hopefully word of this'll spread among the thieving community...