That’s right there has been a world first achievement in Kitesurfing made at Bagnalls Beach, Corlette Port Stephens in NSW Australia.

The truth is that this tale comes from one misfortune dude from the bunch that kites our local spot in Baggies, that one afternoon on a sick N/E blowing about 15 on a runout tide he was 25mtrs out and was bitten by a Border Collie where it really hurts!!!!

After a great afternoon of Kitesurfing winding down, a lone Kiter remained with the rest of the gang packing up and spectating and then some folks with dogs began walking up the beach

This dude we all have come to know was kiting alone on the water with the rest of the gang watching and packing their gear up, when some dog owners with their (supposedly controlled) dogs without leashes came strolling down the beach, whereby the two dogs, 1) a black Labrador, and 2) a Border Collie, raced out 25mtrs into the water, which is less than a foot deep.

They began barking like crazy, trying to run for the kiter, with the owner looking on laughing from the shore. Then two greyhounds joined the chase as the kiter (only a beginner) was practising turns came in and as he headed back out, the Border Collie lined him up and the kiter edged the board hard but could not pull out, as it collided into the chest of the Collie, although not hard the kiter checked the mangy thing was ok, then kept kiting downwind, however the on the run back upwind into shore the four dogs closed in trying to line the kiter up once again, as he managed to edge downwind then cut upwind cutting through the centre of the pack untouched.

After doing a controlled turn the kiter headed back out, and it was if the Border Collie had successfully lined him up, as he went past the Collie jumped up and latched on, where else but right between the legs (yes! The place where it really hurts!!!). With the dog still latched on to his groin, the kiter lost control of the kite amid the pain, and with one hand was jolted by a gust, and the kite turned over and headed into the power zone.

For about the next two meters as the kiter was wrenched from his footstraps to the superman position we have all come to know and well kind of love… the dog would not let go until the eventual bellyflop onto the water, then the dude was dragged about 20ft downwind uncontrollably like a ragdoll across the surface.

Eventually he came to and let the kite fly to the edge of the window, where one of the gang grabbed it while another came up and helped remove the harness, amid the dry reaching. The owners however remained on shore laughing as two of the guys from our crew ran up and started abusing them to the point of the Collie owner backing up to protect himself, however the owner never apologised, the kiter, a dedicated Christian spoke with the owner of the Labrador (who is always trying to bite us, snapping and barking like crazy), who inturn abused him, quoting that we should be able to kite around them. The return comment from the kiter was that the beach was allowed to have dogs without a leash as long as they are under control, however a dog 25mtrs out chasing a kiter was definatley not under control as per council regulations, however the kiter said he would forgive her, that the matter was closed, however the owner kept hurling abusive insults, so the kiter, in pain turned and was helped away.

Fortunatly it is heard that there was not permanent damage, just serious bruising for a week or so, the kiter is now learning jumps, yet riders beware of the dogs!!!

God Bless Ya’ll
“That None Should Perish”
Revival 2005


UPDATE 02 FEB 04

I am intentionally writing this to LOCAL and CALM, without any condemnation.

The beach at Bagnalls Beach has been as per affirmation with the council as a leashless (leadless, or whatever you refer to it as) beach. in saying this reading the fine print of "FOR CONTROLLED DOGS ONLY". This certain Border Collie and Black Labrador are never under control, urninating on our kites, and snapping at our heals always. the mystery kiter who was bitten also told the owner that he had no problem with the dog, just that they both had admitted two weeks previous to the incident that they could not control the dogs. The statement was made, "then don't bring them down here, as it will only be a matter of time before someone is attacked..." with two weeks later one of us almost losing any future dreams of children, as he was almost made a eunuch in one painful and terrifying moment.
His quote to the owners was that he never had a problem with the owners running their dogs, however when a dog chases you 25 mtrs into the water with the owner remaining on the shore fully aware of whats going on.... the dog is definatley not under control, and with council regulations, that can be (if reported) a enormous fine, and the dog destroyed.
I don't want this to happen, i mean as the poor dude said also to the owners amid their abuse and laughing, that if the dog wanted to go in the water, if that means to put them on a ten mtr rope and wear some boardies and go into the water with them, then so be it...

i would also like to add that the Border Collie has also bitten another one of our mates who kites at Baggies, about a few months before the incident, the dog leapt over his board and , latched onto his knee. we have video evidence of this, as he was being filmed that day.

so please before you rush out and make statements about the freedom on baggies, and that kiters need to go, remember the beach is only a leadless beach for dogs under control, and the ones that bite definatley are not, apologies for any offensiveness

God Bless y'all
Revival 2005
"Try out Jesus, if you don't like Him the devil will take you back"
"That None Should Perish"

Fn Hell,

I'd be calling the cops and pressing charges. A kite alone is dangerous enough not to mention the thought of having a Dog chasing you.

If the Dog threatens you as well as bites you I'd be not so kind as this guy was.

What a Bitch the owner is. Isn't there some law against dogs that bite ?

Call the cops I'd say and threaten to sue and see how sorry she'd be

I was kiting at Dunsborough simmilar thing long shallow bank perfect for walking the dog.

I had this great Dane cross greyhound thing chase me for about 5 mins solid and I can tell you i was ****ting bricks.

he had me cornered because the outer bank was dry and I had nowhere to go but back and fourth

Must of been hillarious to see but when you dont know if it wants to bite you can be very scary

this beasty was about .5 of a meter behind my ass the whole time with this seriously determined (crazed?) look in its eyes

I was going flat chat and this thing could seriously run, I had to kite then run at full power to the owner and jump behind her so she could catch her now frenzied dog.

watch out for the crazy mutts

that really blows. this is the kind of attitude that makes the general public demonise dogs and their owners, and leads to more responsible dog owners being punished for the mistakes of the few morons out there.....

ive been chased along wellington point spit by two massive rottweilers - owners also having a good old laugh, luckily they were reluctant to get their dainty little paws wet, but damn they looked hungry. i went around the spit and downwind very fast!!!

in the event of a dog attack i think you would be within your rights to use any reasonable force to detach it from your nuts... and to beat some sense into the owner.

good enough incentive to learn to jump boy
send it up!!

goofster

man we get the same crazy **** on the goldy but never heard one that bad. I hate idiot dog owners. Reakon that dog owner needed some serious sorting out!! what a total grub
yea spring loaded side blades. yeea.

OK... there are a couple of things we can learn form here:

- many dog owners aren't truly aware of dog behaviour or that their beloved darling could be a danger. The actions of these owners was extremely irresponsible and dangerous, however it probably stemmed from ignorance, not a desire to see someone attacked. Under the Dog Amendment Act these owners could face fines in the thousands and a court order to have their dog destroyed.

That said, I don't think that is at all necessary here. While these owners SHOULD have called their dogs in and put them on leads the moment they began to chase/stalk the kiter (as any responsible owner should if their dog poses a danger to another party) , if we choose to kite in dog exercise area we need to be aware of dog behaviour and how to keep ourselves in one piece!

Dogs LOVE to chase, its instinctive and if you are faced with a situation where they are beginning to stalk/herd you then unless their is overt agression, stop. Kiting through/past them repeatedly will work them into a frenzy and bring out the prey-killing instinct. Border collies and Labs aren't exactly known for aggression, but border collies are working dogs and this kiter gave him something to work! Also many dog owners have never seen their dog react to a kite before, they aren't aware of just how much their dog is going to want to chase that kite. In particularly, groups of dogs will revert to pack behaviour and you can bet the owners won't expect this, but YOU should. It isn't an excuse, but for your own safety, take it into consideration.

IMHO the best thing to do in the described situation is to stop, signal the owners and explain the problem before it truly becomes one. The moment the dogs look like giving chase the first time is the moment to nip it in the bud, not once the overexcited dogs become aggressive and uncontrollable. The owners might think your an absolute moron but your skin stays intact.

May I also remind people at this point of the benefit of a firm, deep "no" aimed at the dog. While not recommended for use with aggressive dogs (stiff arched tail with slow wag, hackles, stiffly extended legs, snarl, low growl) it works a treat with overexcited bouncing barking pups. So once you stop and are trying to signal the owner, if the dog won't leave you alone, this is the one to try. No shreiking or excited shouting...it will only make them worse.

For those who have dogs, when you see this chasing behaviour or even slight dominance behaviour in your dog towards other people or animals, take it seriously and reprimand the dog right away. It might seem mild but it leads on to real aggression and is much easier to stop early on before the behaviour develops.

Sorry for the long post, I feel strongly on this issue, I'll shut up now

Forgive Cas... She s a vet!!!


Fred

i understand it must have been scary for the kitesurfer, and i totally agree that the dog owners were irresponsible for letting there obviously aggressive dog attack him. however, my dogs are not aggressive. they are simply fascinated by the kite in the air, as soon as it hits ground they freak out and the fascination is gone. unlike some owners i can control my dogs, i just fear that others will destroy the kite,lines etc. for this reason i don't understand why kitesurfers choose to surf at a well known dogs beach. wouldnt you have the same fears and wouldnt you consider surfing at a different beach? i feel there will always be arguements at this beach with dog owners and kitesurfers, but dog owners cant just go to the next beach over,kitesurfers can, and i know its not just our beach for the dogs, but if you choose to surf there, then you should accept that you will probably continue to argue with people and their dogs.

I don't know the situation in NSW where all of this took place, however where there are empty beaches available I would agree with local that it would be safer for all concerned to pick the empty beach wherever possible.
In my opinion this applies not just to dogs but to all other beach users, most of whom don't realise the danger the kites can pose and hence unwittingly put themselves and the kiters into dangerous situations.

While the owners of the dogs in this story should never have let this situation escalate, there are lots of owners like local who have very limited access to areas where their dogs can 'safely' run and play off the leash. Enter kiters who unwittingly set off the dogs instinctive behaviour and otherwise sociable dogs can become a danger. It takes time and effort to acclimatise and train dogs to react as you would wish them to in new situations (i.e. the presence of kiters). Many dog owners are barely getting their dogs to come when called and sit when told (just watch them chasing their dogs down the beach) so to honestly expect them to exhibit the forethought and control of calling their dogs in when they chase that 'funny kite' is like expecting men to put the toilet seat down...it seems simple, obvious even and yet it rarely ever happens.

If you can avoid the dog beach, do. As Hizakite stated, its rarely the dogs and almost always the owners but that won't save your skin. A crowded dog beach, like any crowded beach is a dangerous place to kite.

stop whinging guys... just pack some doggy treats in your harness pockets as backup
i rely on that all the time and it works a treat

quote:

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i just fear that others will destroy the kite,lines etc. for this reason i don't understand why kitesurfers choose to surf at a well known dogs beach. wouldnt you have the same fears and wouldnt you consider surfing at a different beach?

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a dog ripped my kite and then the owner threatened to punch my teeth down my throat because he said I approached him in a threatening manner (me being at least at least half his size). He swore that the dog was no where near the kite so I must have imagined it all!
We cant kite anywhere we want. Otherwise we would obviously be no where near beaches with heaps of dogs running around with dickhead owners.
I dont think revival2005 was suggesting anything about the dogs on the beach rather the owners behaviour. To be laughing at the kiter, who as pointed out was a beginner (a stage that is dangerous enough), is pathetic behaviour.

quote:

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If you have a problem with them swimming or running near you, then I think its quite obvious; dont kitesurf at a dog beach. Can't teach an old dog new tricks? Huh! Can't teach a human to learn from his mistakes.

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How can you as a 'responsible dog owner' support the owner of the dog that chased someone and latched onto his old boy. Perhaps we should get a happy snapper at your genitals and see if you enjoy the same experience?

Irrespective of whether its a 'peoples' beach or a 'dog' beach why are people making excuses for a dog attaking someone?? If any dog bites anyone, whether they are kiter or otherwise, the owner is responsible.
If it were taken further the dog could be put down and the owner liable to a fine...not that it would be likely to happen because kiters are a nice bunch. The kiter is allowed to be there as much as the dog so why differentiate between a 'peoples' beach and 'dog' beach.
You are right though, it is a dog beach. But I would have thought that anyone going down to the beach would not expect to be bitten...especially by a dog belonging to a 'responsible' owner.

With regards to the comments on 'responsible' owners - Dog beach or otherwise, in any situation in which your dog poses a threat or even frightens someone else, the responsible thing to do is to restrain the dog, not to laugh. If kiters are posing a real difficulty for the owners in that they can't release their dogs while the kiters are out for fear of the dogs chasing the kite then that is something the owners need to politely bring up with the kiters or the council.

Personally I feel their is a great need for dog beaches and other exercise areas where owners can safely let their dogs run, play and socialise. Such areas are already few and far between. I would prefer that kiters avoid these beaches since the reality remains that dogs will want to play with the kite (aka dog toy) and owners aren't necessarily aware of the risk the kite poses (i.e. the danger if their dogs distract the kiter from his kite by chasing or even friendly jumping up) or the strong prey-killing instinct aroused by an object to 'chase'.

The possibility that fifi could bite will not be taken seriously by the majority of owners, its a kind of blindness, similar to that of parents who gush on about the musical prodigy that is their 8 year old while the violin shrieks like a strangled cat in the background.

People choose dog beaches because they are generally free from objects which pose a danger to the dog or to which the dog may pose a danger. Kiters seem to do the same so with yet another long post may I urge everyone to be sensitive to both sides of this issue. That said under NO circumstances should kiters or anyone else be bitten while on a public beach.

i also got bitten by a sand mite once but thats another story

CALM & LOCAL your both missing the point. Yes kiters can go elswhere but thats not the point, if someone was just walking along this 'dog beach' and attacked what are you going to say? that they should walk elsewhere? It would defy logic. The point is people should be responsible for their dogs actions (dog beach or not) just as kiters should be for stupid or inconsiderate kiting actions (on any beach and there aren't any exclusive beaches for us that I'm aware of). The point is as soon as your dog hassles ANYONE ANYWHERE you should take action not stand there and laugh.