Locals at Salts Bay

I don't often post but here goes.
I'm a local at salts bay in nsw. I have kited there for over 3 years and always made an effort to help absolutely everyone and everyone. Today I was packing up my kite after an average session and I was off the beach area in the grass packing up when someone yelled OI! at me. I looked up and there was a nice new cabrinha kite just inches from my head. I dropped my gear and grabbed on to save the kite from ending up in the salt bush and sharp trees but I couldn't hold it. I just managed to keep it still until the kiter dropped the bar and came into the bushes. We untangled and disconnected two lines and he was able to take the kite from me and walk back around to the sand. From the way this person landed so quickly it was crystal clear he was not familiar with the beach and or how where to land safely.
I went back to packing up my gear and said kiter came up and told me I should never grab a kite anywhere but the leading edge.
I was expecting something like "gee thanks so much mate for saving my kite from being ripped to shreds in the trees" (or something like that) not to be lectured on how to catch a kite that was landed dangerously and uncontrolled millimetres from my head.

Now don't get me wrong I'm definitely not complaining about helping a fellow kiter, I have dropped my own gear to rescue someone else's gear or them from danger many many times and will continue to do so.
I am complaining about people that just turn up somewhere and think they will be right without asking a local about the conditions. Even if it looks calm and flat ASK SOMEONE.
Not only will you find out any hidden dangers you will meet some great friendly people too.

I'm sorry this went so long but it needed to be said.

Kite safely people and look out for for your fellow kiters!

Mate I hear you sort of, however, I was there on sunday. aswell. I helped a good looking woman in a nice dress land some dudes kite that looked out of control this dude launched me (this was my second launch the first dude who tried to launch me (thanks mate anyway for helping me) rotated my kite and tried to launch me against the wind) and it went up and tottally five line hindenberged and dropped over said womans head, missed her and she launched me again and I got away ( thanks mate and sorry ). There is a freaky wind thing going on at your launch point. Sorry my point is the average skill level at salts is 0 which is good because it is a good place for beginners none of you can jump for sxxt and none of you have even tried (by the look of it) to upgrade anything in that spot- no shower no grass dirt road in no place to land- by the way that you post you have not been around for a long time ( a kiteboarder said something nasty to me instead of singing my praises no shxx) we are all in this together stop trying to make yourself a hero- if you want to be a big dog go join the army or something- also well done for being a local it means sxxx to any body else also to take the sting out like you did
.

Asxxxxe.

Ok you are right in the light of day the above is a pretty toolish comment by me so to you lot and flako I apologise, I was more reacting to the "local" part than anything else which is not what the post is about the post is about talking to each other and working together which is obviously the right thing to do. I had a run in with two locals (their words) last year at squids for riding a surfboard on the flat and then another at nobbies for pumping up my kite near the carpark on the grass when I then saw these dudes on the water they were very average kiters. But that has nothing to do with this and none of you are probably these bullies so once again sorry.

No offence taken and no superiority intended either. I use the word local only to explain that I understand the area launch land etc. I have had the unfortunate experience of tearing a kite there and it sucked. Just trying to help out.

And waveslave I grabbed it where I grabbed it. Being so close to my head and coming in fast I did what I could.
Sorry don't know how to cut and paste you comments

To bjw: agreed I don't care if someone kites a boogy board (I saw a dude do this was pretty impressed). I travel quite a lot along the east coast for work and will try to kite any place I can which means I meet quite a lot of different kiters (pretty much everyone of whom is awesomely helpfull).

Usually if I pitch up at a joint ill check it out on seebreeze/google and google usually takes you to an old seebreeze post anyway to see where the spot is what wind it works in etc then head down. Ill set up where everybody else sets up and then just wait a bit usually you get to land someone pretty soon if you are just standing there and then you have a intro and can ask them the big three: 1) is this where every body launches and in what direction if its not obvious 2) where are the no go areas 3) are there any rocks oyster leases etc to look out for. Just about every time I do this you get a real helpful reply and probably a launch:
BUT for the first time last year after coming in a guy landed me and then as I said thank you his buddy came up and was like " is that your surfboard?" I thought he wanted to see it so I went and fetched it for him ( like a dickhead) when I got back the other dude goes " we are locals we have been kiting here for five years this area is only for freestyle you cant use a surfboard here else you are just going to piss everyone off". So I tottally apologise and pack up scurry off as fast as I can and then sit in my car to watch these two poostance moxxxfxxs mowing the lawn one of them trying to ride toeside and falling off every time. Turns out there is no rule they miss understood a basic curtesy thing: if you are not going to jump stay upwind and out of the flat launch area so other guys have space to land downwind (well on that day I was upwind of the sunken jetty thing at squids so yea pretty much the furtest upwind from everybody ).
Probably a month later I'm pumping up at the nobbies carpark where I have seen other kiters inflating and deflating and I'm the only guy there ( but I've read the seebreeze post about not launching till after the surfschool) and this tottal random marches up with no intro nothing goes "you can't do that here the locals are tottally losing their shxx at people who don't know the rules you are going to get us banned". No lie I nearly shat my pants is was so abrupt plus this was the first time somebody had chastised me in front of my wife while my kid is holding onto my leg I honestly just stood there with my mouth open and old mate turned and marched off. Anyway had a chat to another kiter (who I ran down and landed no shxx next to the volley ball nets under the carpark (Im not saying this is right)) and he was like no he'd never heard of anything like that not even the part about the surfschool and he'd been kiting there for two years.
Stay with me I know this is getting long, the next time a dude aproached me it was in queensland over christmas this fat bastxxd kiter with a freekin board leash and go pro who obviously knew most of the other people there, approached the guy next to me and went "only locals are allowed to launch here you have to drift launch" then waddled over to me, I was straight on him "cheers mate yea just grab the kite and ran over and hooked up and gave him the thumbs up" old mate just stood there with a dumb look on his face till I started tugging on a steering line so it looked like I was going to self launch upwind of about six other dudes setting up, then grabbed the kite and pretty much flung it in the air. What a winner.

Anyway now as soon as I hear the word local or I've been kiting for xxx or blow in my blood boils, I will never lose my temper on the beach because even if you are right you are still a dick if you do this, so am pretty much restricted to venting on here or to my wife who laughs at me, on the flip side to all this at my original spot the only time you would hear the word it would probably be towards a newbie and in line with "na dude all these guys are locals so they will know you are a beginner/not from here and stay out of your



way you just keep both hands on the bar and worry about yourself".

Hey I I'm not trying to steal anymore buzz in the last year and a bit I've kitted about 18-20 locations between Darwin and Newcastle met countless awesome people (only four dicks) thats a pretty good deal here's a pic to make everyone feel better, its funny because for once it looks like a man is crashing into a cabrina instead of the other way around.