Power Kite Forum

WBB Safety Committee

shehatesmyhobbies - 8-2-2012 at 10:39 AM

As some of you know, at the end of the BBQ on Saturday night in the fall,safety on the beach was brought up. Todd and I have now set up a safety committee for the bash. It consist of Dan Delpapa(aka buggy danny) and Mike Dioguardo(aka soulflyer). With Sam(aka indigo wolf) also adding in his support as well.

The three of them have vast experience in the kite and buggy world and will be a great asset to the safety aspect of the Bash. Safe flying is fun flying.

Not going to be Beach Patrol or anything like that, they are just going to set up some suggested guidelines about general kite and buggy safety, right of way, passing, set up areas, buggy parking areas and any other aspects of using the beach together in a safe manner, to make the bash as fun and safe as possible for all that attend and all the watch.

There is a lot of beach at WW, we can definitely use more of it. There is always room for one more!

If you are interested in helping in the safety committee, send me a u2u and I will respond quickly. Thanks

Safety is key to having a great Bash. If you have any ideas or suggestions, let us know. We want everyone to have the best time possible. :wee:

cheezycheese - 8-2-2012 at 10:48 AM

Does this mean Sam is gonna be there....? :bouncy:

shehatesmyhobbies - 8-2-2012 at 11:19 AM

We can always keep our fingers crossed! I would love to finally meet him.

lad - 8-2-2012 at 11:43 AM

Excellent idea!
I didn't get to ride much last time, but was amazed how many more people showed up this Fall.
Its gettin' HOOJ, and with that, there's alwayz growin' painz! :o

DAKITEZ - 8-2-2012 at 03:08 PM

Rule #1 ... Go that way really fast ... if something gets in your way ... Turn!

Thats my fav LOL

sorry for the hijack but it is a good rule to follow :saint:

WELDNGOD - 8-2-2012 at 04:21 PM

Uhhhh..... I personally suggest "not going between the piles of the storm drain jettys" :embarrased::wee:

http://vimeo.com/35915688

shehatesmyhobbies - 8-2-2012 at 04:25 PM

Nice one Dino!

lad - 8-2-2012 at 05:08 PM

Uhhhh..... I personally suggest "not going between the piles of the storm drain jettys"

You're supposed to pop up a two-wheelie just BEFORE you get to the piles! :P
(say, just what happened to that big Reactor of yours...did I miss it here someplace?)

doublespeed360 - 8-2-2012 at 05:36 PM

it will make a better flier out of you cuz your experience[weldngod].....daring.

snowspider - 8-2-2012 at 07:08 PM

As WBB has become somewhat of an international event I think some knowledge of French language will make it safer. I believe a key phrase to learn would be: "gros cul kite a venir par le biais , de sortir de la voie" . If I'm not mistaken I heard this phrase several times on the beach , and while I did not understand the words I understood quite clearly what I needed to do to stay safe. :spin: Such a good time!

Todd - 8-2-2012 at 07:17 PM

Safety is paramount and I would like to keep this event to see it grow. Thank you to all for such hard work in this effort.


Special thanks to Rich for picking up my slack while I'm on the road.

shehatesmyhobbies - 8-2-2012 at 07:19 PM

That is what a team does brother! Team work is also paramount!

MikeDobbs - 8-2-2012 at 07:47 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by snowspider
As WBB has become somewhat of an international event I think some knowledge of French language will make it safer. I believe a key phrase to learn would be: "gros cul kite a venir par le biais , de sortir de la voie" . If I'm not mistaken I heard this phrase several times on the beach , and while I did not understand the words I understood quite clearly what I needed to do to stay safe. :spin: Such a good time!


LOL I love Google Translate :singing:

MikeDobbs - 28-2-2012 at 06:53 AM

Hey everyone- so as Wildwood is approaching I had an idea that I wanted to throw out to the safety committee to see what you all think.

Keep in mind I haven't been to wildwood, so I'm not sure if this is even feasible, but I thought it may be a good idea to designate a particular area as a beginner friendly area (think bunny slope). This way the guys and galls doing speed runs won't be mixing it up with someone getting their first runs in.

At the place I do most of my kiteboarding in the summer we have this type of setup and it's nice because it helps beginners like me feel a little more confident and have a little more space- while being sure that we aren't in the way of the more advanced riders and messing up their ride.

What gave me the idea is the increasing trepidation I have about riding with lots of others riders at Wildwood. Worried that I'll make a mistake or be unable to respond appropriately in a tight situation and cause a wreck or something.

hiaguy - 28-2-2012 at 12:48 PM

After the great time I had in the fall, I've convinced my wife* to let me bring my 11 year old this spring. We're not buggiers, but are trying to learn the world of the board. As a relative newbie, I appreciate that we are all concerned about safety; thanks to the committee for stepping up its visibility.

* She's thrilled that a bunch of grown kids on the beach actually care about safety.

shehatesmyhobbies - 28-2-2012 at 03:07 PM

Mike, we have actually discussed something of this nature. The beach is 8 miles long, about 300 yds deep or more in most spots. We will be discussing this more in the near future. We definitely want everyone to come and have a good time and leave in one piece! I was also timid around other buggiers when I first went to WW, (there were only 19 then) I never wanted to mess up in front of anyone to cause an issue. cool part is if you can ride on the soft stuff, it really makes for some extra riding in a less packed area. The hard pack usually gets pretty big. Timing is everything with the tide there.

Hiaguy, your son is going to have such a blast just seeing all the kites in one spot! Glad you guys are making the trip!

buggydanny - 29-3-2012 at 06:16 PM

This may seam like a long post, but please read it carefully.


Safety is of primary importance to our sport. Under the stewardship of the current organizers the Wildwood buggy bash attendance has grown sharply and at times the flying area can become quite full. Last bash we had an injury and some close calls. We formed a safety committee to reduce the risk of mishaps occurring again. We decided the best and least intrusive way to do this is to offer friendly advice and suggest some “best practices”. This is what we are proposing:

Have base camp a good distance away from the hard pack to avoid a dangerous bottleneck.

Have a novice area just south of the base camp in the softer sand that can allow generous room between flyers and not have them feel like they are in the way.

Have pilots travel at a slower and reasonable speed near base camp.

Minimize the amount of cars/trucks on the beach and encourage them to make trips to drop and pickup gear and not park on the beach. Fewer hard objects on the beach is just safer.

Encourage flyers to please wear safety equipment when moving, a minimum of a helmet. This is a good idea and shows the general public that we take safety seriously.

Provide a handout that explains etiquette and the right of way for flyers. Have flyers announce their tacks, passes, and position. Most flyers don't have experience with the high kite densities of the bash. Communication and a common understanding of the “rules of the road” will greatly increase safety.

Lastly and most importantly flyers must respect the general public and operate at a safe distance from them. Remember that most don't know what wind sports are and have no clue about the potential dangers. Use common sense and remember that we are guests of the Wildwoods and have to share the beach with the general public. Also any unfavorable actions or incidents could have us loose our good will and get us kicked of the beach ending the bash and ruin it for the locals.

We want feedback; please respond to this thread with your questions, concerns, or ideas.

hiaguy - 29-3-2012 at 06:30 PM

My thanks to the organizers for carrying the torch on our behalf.
As a buggy-newbie, I like the idea of being able to learn without getting on the way of the hard-pack cruisers.
As a dad, I always require that my kids wear a helmet, and I do too.
While I'm sure that Chris' nose is OK by now, I'd like to see an event without a repeat. (But I expect to be launched once or twice before I figure out the logistics of staying in the seat.)

update to earlier post: my son is in basketball playoffs and won't be there. i'm proud of him, but sad for me.

shehatesmyhobbies - 29-3-2012 at 07:09 PM

So people are aware, the safety commitee is made up of Buggy Danny, Mike Diguardo, and some help from Sam. They have been working together since the fall bash to come up with a good safety minded ideas to help everyone enjoy themselves at WBB and go home in one piece.


Like Dan said, any questions or suggestions should be posted here. Cant wait to ser everyone at the bash.

WELDNGOD - 29-3-2012 at 08:06 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by snowspider
As WBB has become somewhat of an international event I think some knowledge of French language will make it safer. I believe a key phrase to learn would be: "gros cul kite a venir par le biais , de sortir de la voie" . If I'm not mistaken I heard this phrase several times on the beach , and while I did not understand the words I understood quite clearly what I needed to do to stay safe. :spin: Such a good time!


google translate = "big ass kite to come through, out of the way"

rocfighter - 30-3-2012 at 06:06 AM

Dan thanks for the post. (not to long for the subject) You and Mike are doing a great job as far as I can see. Keep it up.

snowspider - 30-3-2012 at 10:34 AM

Dear safety commitee: I have 40 orange soccer cones (thin almost flat) that would work nicely to designate a "go slow zone" on the hard pack , a line of them on the north and south of the busiest area would remind flyers to please slow down thru this area. A number of them could also be use to designate trenches , goffer holes , sand castle remains and misc. other difficult to spot hazards.

indigo_wolf - 30-3-2012 at 10:46 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by snowspider
Dear safety commitee: I have 40 orange soccer cones (thin almost flat)


Something like this?


Do they just flex or crack, if they are run over by a 100+lb buggy and pilot?

ATB,
Sam

lad - 30-3-2012 at 11:02 AM

You can also find those small, cheap, day-glo, wire marker flags at the hardware stores - about .19 ea.
They might be useful for marking where lines are laid out.

Kober - 30-3-2012 at 11:24 AM

orange marking spray paint .... eco friendly ......??? would have to be refreshed after a while ......

shehatesmyhobbies - 30-3-2012 at 02:23 PM

Patrick, bring the little cones, they may help out a little especially at base camp, I am not sure I want to put them down by the hard pack, someone may think we are trying to limit where the general public may go, that would be bad juju! When we used the cones during the last spring bash at base camp, it worked out pretty well! Can't wait to see everyone!

rocfighter - 30-3-2012 at 03:16 PM

I have a couple dozen of the same cones in the trailer. Not all orange though. Plus I have a few of the tall thin driveway markers for when it snows.

Todd - 30-3-2012 at 06:20 PM

Great job Danny, Mike, and Sam. Time to put this plan in action and have a safe event.

buggydanny - 31-3-2012 at 06:10 AM

Quote:

Dear safety commitee: I have 40 orange soccer cones (thin almost flat) that would work nicely to designate a "go slow zone" on the hard pack , a line of them on the north and south of the busiest area would l remind flyers to please slow down thru this area. A number of them could also be use to designate trenches , goffer holes , sand castle remains and misc. other difficult to spot hazards.


Patrick

The cone are a great idea as long as when we use them we don't give the impression that we are partitioning of a portion of the beach from the general public use. Thanks in advance for bringing them.


Quote:

orange marking spray paint .... eco friendly ......??? would have to be refreshed after a while ......


Konrad I don't think that it would be politically correct to use some paint and I feel that beach overseers would not like it. I think that the cones will be fine.

Thanks for the feedback, please keep it coming.

indigo_wolf - 31-3-2012 at 02:02 PM

Safety pamphlet is out for final review with the committee (y'all should have something in your inbox now ;-) ).

So now's a good time for a round of thanks. :wee:

bobalooie57 - 31-3-2012 at 02:22 PM

Just wondering, is there any chance the pamphlet could be posted as a PDF, for everyone's benefit? Thanks to all involved for spending the time to compile this information.

indigo_wolf - 31-3-2012 at 02:42 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bobalooie57
Just wondering, is there any chance the pamphlet could be posted as a PDF, for everyone's benefit? Thanks to all involved for spending the time to compile this information.


Yuppers.... closing out review process Tuesday evening.

It should be cool to post a link to the PDF late Tuesday or Wednesday morning (if there is any editing to be done).

All mistakes will be blamed on certain furry creatures walking back and forth on my lap or trying to stand on my shoulder while I was typing/mousing. :rolleyes:

ATB,
Sam

shehatesmyhobbies - 31-3-2012 at 05:48 PM

Thank you Sam for your hard work on the phamplet! The entire Safety Committee has done a very good job getting things lined up and ready for the Spring WBB!

just throwing these out...

skimtwashington - 31-3-2012 at 07:27 PM

*Horns! Beep beep beep!-Means passing on right(?).
* Use brakes!
*No texting while buggying
* Designated driver
* turn your Buggy stereo down so you can here French Canadian folks yell, "gros cul kite a venir par le biais , de sortir de la voie" !
* All Nerf buggies
* blinking turn signals
*Wear full hockey padding!
* Stay away from Rocfighter's nose-cutting kites
*Buggy air bags
*Cancel idea for demolition kite buggy derby...drat!

snowspider - 31-3-2012 at 08:16 PM

Thems the ones , light and flexible , could run them over all day no problem. No need to make a wall of them across the hardpack , use just enough spread out as a reminder to use extra caution.

snowspider - 31-3-2012 at 08:39 PM

Actually cones could be lined up parallel to the beach in front of the busy area giving it a race track "Pit Row" effect. It would be a much more visible string of orange when coming down the beach 3" off the deck at 35mph.

indigo_wolf - 31-3-2012 at 10:18 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by snowspider
Actually cones could be lined up parallel to the beach in front of the busy area giving it a race track "Pit Row" effect.


Extra points for high intensity blinking LEDs for that "Landing Strip" effect at dusk. :wee: :lol:

ATB,
Sam

indigo_wolf - 31-3-2012 at 10:19 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by shehatesmyhobbies
Thank you Sam for your hard work on the phamplet! The entire Safety Committee has done a very good job getting things lined up and ready for the Spring WBB!


No problem.... glad to have something to keep me busy and keep me off the police blotter :rolleyes: :saint:

ATB,
Sam

rocfighter - 1-4-2012 at 06:32 AM

Skim I'm not bringing that kite this time. It's still on parrole and can't leave the county. Plus I dought Chris wants to ever see it again.
I like the idea of the cones for slow zones and pitting areas.
Mostly I like the concept of keeping the club and group bases far back on the soft sand areas. Making more room for turning and stopping.

snowspider - 1-4-2012 at 07:58 AM

www.extremeglow.com , mini glow sticks , hot pink after dark always looks good and will not encourage airplanes landing on the beach. Perfect size for in or on a kite.

indigo_wolf - 3-4-2012 at 06:07 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bobalooie57
Just wondering, is there any chance the pamphlet could be posted as a PDF, for everyone's benefit? Thanks to all involved for spending the time to compile this information.


Here you go....

The pamphlet can be found in PDF format here:

http://tinyurl.com/kite-traction-safety-pamphlet

It is meant to be printed on legal size (8.5" x 14") paper in landscape mode and then folded as a double-parallel format pamphlet (folded in half and then folded in half again).



ATB,
Sam

hiaguy - 3-4-2012 at 06:36 PM

This is the pamphlet that should be included with every kite sale, new and used, with flashing lights to draw attention to it. :thumbup:

Thanks to you all for putting this together and making it available for us. (Can we make copies to hand out to people we meet?)

bobalooie57 - 3-4-2012 at 09:29 PM

Very nice work! Thanks again for all of your efforts.

ragden - 4-4-2012 at 05:00 AM

Just read through the pdf. Very nicely done. If it wasnt "fraud, waste, and abuse" I'd print off a whole bunch at work here... but.. yeah, that could get me in trouble... lol

Kober - 4-4-2012 at 08:39 AM

Nice .... Thanks guys for putting this together ..... :thumbup:

shehatesmyhobbies - 4-4-2012 at 10:17 AM

I must say you guys did a great job on this. So glad we got this safety committee together! See and talk to you guys soon.

soulflyr - 13-4-2012 at 04:30 PM

I'm really glad that there has been such a positive response to the saftey guidelines.

Paulo and I will be getting there Wednesday night and be ready to go on Thursday.

BTW, I am a long time member of the kiting saftey comittee if you know what I mean:wink2:

shehatesmyhobbies - 22-9-2012 at 04:41 AM

Just a reminder that we have a safety committee. Danny, and Mike our guys for safety. If anyone else wants to help out, let me know. We still have plenty of phamplets around if you want one or need one. I will make sure there are some at the front desk.

I would again stress the importance of safety for this event. It can get crowded on the beach pretty quick. Need I say, helmets, helmets, helmets.

We will have a blast as always!

safety is fun's friend?

skimtwashington - 22-9-2012 at 05:55 AM

Quote:

BTW, I am a long time member of the kiting saftey comittee if you know what I mean


Hmnn.... Does that mean you have a previous history of doing the actions the pamphlet suggests not doing- and thus great contribution..?:wink2:

Will Rocfighter be there...Clear the beach!... or bring a suture kit.

I think we need a safety brochure for the after-parties...
...this might prevent injuries or say cop and ambulance appearances...not that I know about any of that..:P:wow::megan::o

rocfighter - 22-9-2012 at 07:14 AM

Sure I Accidentally attempt to remove one kiters signature appendage and I now a safety threat :( , At least there was no ambulance or EMT's!! And I have NEVER brought a can of foam :lol::crazy:

snowspider - 22-9-2012 at 09:42 AM

I actually do have a suture kit , and I have stayed at a Holiday Inn.

Bladerunner - 22-9-2012 at 11:14 AM

Excellent pamphlet ! Saved it and will use it !


This isn't a security thing but if I hear right you also had an all too common family plant themselves in your space issue.
Any advice on how to handle people who choose to challenge the space ? Perhaps the folks at WW council have some ideas of how they would like you to react ? It is them that you want to avoid conflict with in the end .

Knowing how you folks are dealing with this issue that many of us share can help us all !

cheezycheese - 22-9-2012 at 12:36 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by soulflyr

BTW, I am a long time member of the kiting saftey comittee if you know what I mean:wink2:


I know.... :saint:

rocfighter - 22-9-2012 at 02:31 PM

Pat I am very glad you stayed at a Holiday Inn. This will help with the suture kit. And maybe many other issues that could arise!!

shehatesmyhobbies - 22-9-2012 at 09:37 PM

Ken, in the situation of people taking up camp right in our fly zone, we just do our best to avoid them. If kids are continuing to run in front of the buggies or boards, then it may be time to reach out to the parents and explain how our reaction time to a kid running in front of us is not fast enough to get through safely and the kids are endangering themselves . We share the beach as much as possible. We had a situation a couple years back where a guy dug a trench to keep us from riding in front of his family. Not that they were in the hardpack, he just didn't want us in "his part" of the beach. Todd, stopped and infromed him that he was more of a danger than we were. Then we had a small meeting amongst ourselves and just avoided him and his family for our own safety.

It is tuff dealing with "curious" joe public, but it is a necessary evil. Too many complaints and we may not be welcomed back! Best to just co exist for all of our sakes!

bobalooie57 - 23-9-2012 at 01:23 AM

While I agree with the "best to just co exist for all our sakes" to a certain extent, with all that "the Wildwoods" has required from you to make our event "Legitimate" aren't we now afforded the same rights and protections that other events have? No one would expect that it is their right to set up their family in the middle of the Monster Truck rally, or the moto-cross.

Shouldn't "the Wildwoods" let the general public know that our event is taking place, and if you see an obvious "runway" of tracks in the sand, please stay clear for everyones safety? I have seen the event grow from less than 20 buggiers just getting together, to what it is now, a legitimate, insured event, that has the potential to actually be a "draw" for tourism (apart from just us wind nuts.)

What happens if (and we can only hope for such an eventuality) we are allowed to hold NAPKA races? We certainly wouldn't want to have anyone and their kids setting up in the middle of that?

I'm not criticizing, I know all the work you have put in to make this event legit, I'm just hoping that "the Wildwoods" also appreciates our efforts, as a group, to make this a safe and successful event.

shehatesmyhobbies - 23-9-2012 at 06:43 AM

I agree with you on some parts Bob. One step at a time to assure that we can keep on having our event. Our actual set up space will be a space that I can defend, but once we hit the hard pack and start traversing 8 miles of beach, not much we can do. The Monster truck races, the dirt bike races and other events like that are all set up in confined spaces next to the Boardwalk or Convention Center. If we wanted that kind of protection so that we could mark off a piece of beach for us, I am sure it would be a small piece. We have a small set up area then ride the entire beach which encompasses three different municipalities. We have our permit for the municipality that we are actually set up in, but does not allow us to "section" off the beach just for us. I will make contact with them again and see exactly what we can do to make sure if we have any issues with a family setting up camp in our area we take the right course of action.

If and when we have NAPKA races then we will be able to "rope off" a course and a safe area for launching and storing gear. I am working in baby steps here as to not become unwelcome group. I am working on the event becoming part of the Greater Wildwood Tourism Group. This can open the doors for many more advantages for us in the future. When I first started talking to some of the people in the office over there about this event they had no idea what a kite buggy, or landsailer was. When I told them that people had been riding that beach for 20+years, they had no idea.

Bladerunner - 23-9-2012 at 08:33 AM

Thanks Rich,

I guess I was wondering if the potential for " interaction " has been discussed with the folks at WW ? It would be nice to know how they want to see attendees react since it is them the the public will go to. If we have been pro-active and dealt with these people in a manor they would like then the public can complain without hurting our image ? ( as much )

snowspider - 23-9-2012 at 01:12 PM

I'll bring the little orange cones again. If nothing else I think they do give the impression that the event has some claim to a section of beach (the launch and land area, and a good stretch out on the hard pack in front of the L+L area). While there is no way we want to restrict ourselves or others from using the beach any "heads up" in the high traffic areas can't be a bad thing.
Bob who are you calling a wing nut?

shehatesmyhobbies - 23-9-2012 at 04:20 PM

I will see if maybe we can put a
"Caution, kite and buggy event in progress, please be watchful" sign somewhere at the entrance of the beach where we go on, or anywhere else that may help. I will call the lady in charge tomorrow.

Todd - 23-9-2012 at 04:38 PM

I believe this worked well at the JIBE event and would like to see buggy camp be away from the hardpack again.

rocfighter - 24-9-2012 at 05:23 AM

I think it was a lot better last year with every one setting up in the high soft sand and leaving a good open space between the hard pack and the camp.There is plenty of room around the ramp for every one to set up there and especially to the right. On the left is a great place to newbies to practice in the semi firm sand. (directions are looking at the water)

shehatesmyhobbies - 24-9-2012 at 07:02 AM

Very true dave. Setting up closer to the dunes is much better and safer to boot. Leaves tons if riding area for whatever the conditions might be.

buggydanny - 24-9-2012 at 12:05 PM

Safety has always been important to the bash and for the last one we formed a safety committee to actively reduce the risks that come with power kiting. We came up with a list of "best practices" and a safety handout. These suggestions are further up in the thread, but will be easier to read here:

Quote:

Have base camp a good distance away from the hard pack to avoid a dangerous bottleneck.

Have a novice area just south of the base camp in the softer sand that can allow generous room between flyers and not have them feel like they are in the way.

Have pilots travel at a slower and reasonable speed near base camp.

Minimize the amount of cars/trucks on the beach and encourage them to make trips to drop and pickup gear and not park on the beach. Fewer hard objects on the beach is just safer.

Encourage flyers to please wear safety equipment when moving, a minimum of a helmet. This is a good idea and shows the general public that we take safety seriously.

Provide a handout that explains etiquette and the right of way for flyers. Have flyers announce their tacks, passes, and position. Most flyers don't have experience with the high kite densities of the bash. Communication and a common understanding of the “rules of the road” will greatly increase safety.

Lastly and most importantly flyers must respect the general public and operate at a safe distance from them. Remember that most don't know what wind sports are and have no clue about the potential dangers. Use common sense and remember that we are guests of the Wildwoods and have to share the beach with the general public. Also any unfavorable actions or incidents could have us loose our good will and get us kicked of the beach ending the bash and ruin it for the locals.


I believe that these suggestions worked well and made the bash a safer and less intimidating place to fly. I also feel that they were well received; I have to tell you that when I saw Jessie wearing a helmet I knew that they were making a difference.

We would like some input on what everyone felt worked and did not work well, and if possible how to improve the suggestions. Also and fresh ideas on how to make the event safer would be appreciated.