All these discussions really remind me of the time snowboard was picking up. Back in Europe (sorry not much snow around WA), lots of accidents happened.
I remember a young girl was killed by a snowboarder that just crashed into her at the bottom of a slope.
Suddenlly every body was up in arms against snowboarding!!!...toooooo dangerous
The reason was that snowboarders were going faster, they were doing larger turns, would cross the slope from one side to another...etc.. the rules for skiers are that the one further up should control where he is going and the one further down ( with no eyes on its back) has priority...AS snowboader where sometimes going sideways it was quite problematic.
Most of the skiers were not aware at all of the type of trajectories snowbarder would take. Snowbarders would sit in group along the slopes making it suddenlly difficult for skiers to go around etc....And also one big problem was that suddenlly lost of people without knowledge of the montain at all ( mostly skateboarders) would starts snowboarding....
I recall few Ski station in the French Alps simply tried to ban snowboard from their slopes.
We are now 15-20 years after the explosion of snowboarding ...what 's different???
A lot of snowparks have been created....Skiers have accepted the snowboarders a bit better and are more aware of their trajectories...Lots of the ski stations realized that they needed more safety rules..and installed some light fence to slow down the skiers/snowboarders near the bottom of slopes and restaurants areas.. installed pannels "SLOW DOWN ".etc...Everybody realized that we all would have to share the montain and just needed to find ways of all being able to have fun more or less at the same place....Snowboards schools are working full on.... .
And It is still not perfect but definitely better....
All these progress came from all part...Snowboard associations, Ski station directors, snowboarders, skiers.....
Now Kitesurf is booming and people kitesurfing are not the new crazy wackos trying a new system to get adrenaline rush, it is a real outdoor sport but surely not a little beach toy like a canoe....It is obviously not gone be banned it will just take some time to fit among all other activities.
We all just have to explain the dangers ..to everybody ..even to the general public....and be honest with what and when we are able to control and what and when we are not...
its a wicked sport...some new sensations..some new spaces..some new safety rules.....lots of new happy peoples!!!
that's enough I'll stop now....
