WBL DAWN PATROL?/ NOT A BEGINNER LAUNCH!

[JRN]

I'M STUCK IN TOWN. Is anyone else up for an early Saturday sesh @ Ramsey? I want to avoid the crowds, but would like some company. How about it? :idea:Please see the post below about Safe Kiting @ Ramsey, thanks, JRN

[Elkman]

If by dawn you mean "noon or later", I'm in. (Sorry, I'm not a morning person.) Besides, the wind doesn't look all that promising until noon anyway.

I've got too much stuff to do this weekend to go up north, and my 11 meter T3 needs a new bladder, so staying in the cities seems to be my most realistic option.

[krazykatie]

i was thinking about heading to reddy but maybe i'll join you if there's wind. I'll plan on that!

[JRN]

THANX KATES! Now I won't be lonely out there, & you can show me all those new moves you learned at the Round-Up.

[krazykatie]

winds not looking too hot in the am

[Elkman]

Does White Bear Lake get a lot of swimmers and kids in the afternoon, making it problematic for kiting? If that's the case, maybe Waconia would work on Saturday afternoon instead. Any takers for either the Bear or the Wac in the afternoon?

[JRN]

RAMSEY has been crowded and no one is heeding the beach closed signs. I may shoot for a later hour, but at Rutherford if it's packed again. Eyes on the wind.

[Dave Z]

Odds are high that the Ramsey lot will be a cluster today. Good call about Rutherford Jim - I almost forgot about that place! Thinkin' late afternoon.

[Elkman]

Sounds good. I'll look for you guys at Rutherford sometime this afternoon when the winds pick up. Actually, I'll look for Rutherford first, since I haven't been there before and there aren't any directions in the Lakes section.

[nickfastswim]

I believe Rutherford is in the north east of Ramsey?
show here: http://localkitespots.com/kitesurfing/M ... 9417427098

[JRN]

I was worried to see newbies learning to fly their kites on the beach at Ramsey, even being dragged on the sand, an advanced kiter going between groups of swimmers, and other bonehead behavior. PLEASE, let's use some common sense! If you're the one who screws up and gets us banned, there will be lots of people mad at you, kiters, swimmers, beach goers, and anyone who enjoys the lake. Be smart, Be careful, Be respectful of everyone, and PRESERVE OUR ACCESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[nickfastswim]

How about that indecent where the two kites collided? That was one epic and scary fail...

[JRN]

Luckily, I wasn't there for the incident. I think they were far from shore, out at the rock pile and only involved other kiters, not involving the general public. I don't want the role of policeman, but would still like kiters to be more careful.

[rookie]

http://www.kitemare.com/Save%20our%20Sport!.htm

[Randy]

Windy and warm, and school's out. Just a reminder about Rutherford. I suspect moms and kids will not heed the beach closed sign and I cringe at the thought of people launching upwind of them. Rutherford is a brilliant solution. Exit strategies which ultimately yield a final release of kite and bar mean launching anywhere upwind of this final release endangers those downwind. Anything we can do to avoid endangering others seems a good move to preserving our rights to launch and creating goodwill, let alone the suffering we'd all feel for anyone injured by our lack of awareness to all the unexpected outcomes of a blown launch or landing. To all those who I've endangered from my carelessness, please accept my apology and I acknowledge I may be perceived as throwing stones in a glass house.

Today looks awesome, time to have great fun after a dry spell. Ride on!

Ps. Ride's at Washington Square tonight and it's the first night of Marketfest, so consider a beer or two to soothe your joints. "you can't stop the wave, but you can learn to 'ride it'"