Snowkiting.com is beginning a how-to series. It will provide to everyone information that is normally only learned first hand and in person. See it at:



Will making this information public circumvent the "filter" process provided by instructors who identify and moderate students with dangerous attitudes? Or will it help educate people who wouldn't otherwise seek instruction? Can posting more information be dangerous?

yes.........no....................maybe......wait is this a trick question..................................what the hell dude screw you to!





just joking Eric...
I think your all set!

Crabnebula,
No trick question here... just want to get some honest opinions on just how free information should be. What do you think?

Simonsez,
I'm glad to have another ND resident so stoked about the sport... I know the feeling. Thought the guide was a plus? Excellent.

-Eric

I think posting the beggining steps of "How To" snowkite is a great thing. It will pump awareness and get folks to learn and excell in the sport the RIGHT way. Emphasize the trainer kite and lessons; and you are safe. Also letting EVERYONE know that this is an EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SPORT. Anyone who launches a kite is at the mercy of the wind. But yeah . . . pump up the awareness Eric!!!


Chris

i wish i had a video to learn a few things when i was learning, we had to figure stuff out for ourselves, and we took a few lumps too,

i say make a video, it will save more lumps than it causes, joel

I think the real danger comes from someone's lack of judgment... I like to compare snowkiting to driving. You can chose to push the accelerator to the floor and put your life in danger, or drive at a reasonable speed with your wits fully aware. Likewise, you can chose to take your kite into strong or gusty winds, or you can wait for steady, reasonable conditions. If kiting is dangerous, it's like driving being dangerous... youchose how safe you are.

Here's one big difference: It's easy to judge speed & safety in a car... judging the invisible wind is tough (especially at first).

It takes a while for a beginner to sense the difference between "good wind" and "bad wind." Before someone starts kiting, it's all the same; one category: "wind." After two kite sessions (or so) it becomes "strong wind" and "light wind." Followed by "light steady," "light unstable," "moderate stable,""moderate unstable," "strong & gusty" and so on. Pretty soon, someone has a natural sense of what wind is good and what is possibly dangerous. One or two adverse experiences can really solidify this sense of "good" & "bad" wind... but then again those experiences can hurt.

The best way to maintain good judgment is to identify and moderate your bad ideas... don't abandon your senses on impulse, because you want to impress someone, because you think you're too good to get injured, or because "it's the only day you have to snowkite"...other days will come. (Yeah, if you're a pilot you know where I got this list.)

Joel,

I appreciate the video suggestion. We've been thinking this would be a good route toward the overall reduction of lumps.

-Eric

Hi ERIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
you know I was kinda joking about the trick questions thing...I think that there may be some serious merit in getting more OUTSIDE the bubble things going.....infest the main stream....get more people involved by letting them know what they can be involved in!
in terms of this thread,...great...we shall be talking cause I have some brilliant ideas that may be on the fore front of near genius opertions that would need some follow up.....email me ERIC we'll talk talk talk talk..........