No more Harbour Quay kite launching!

"Signs will be going up at the Centennial Pier next week banning Kite Boarders from using the public space as a launching pad. Port Authority CEO Zoran Knezevich says the area around the pier is a busy working harbour that's about to get busier once the new marine fuel dock is completed. While people have enjoyed watching the kite surfers at the Harbour Quay for the past couple of summers, Knezevich says it's an accident waiting to happen. The Port Authority is willing to look at making other launching areas available further up the inlet."

honestly I'm not surprised...

it was too close to too many things to make it a viable spot

yeah, agreed...the boat traffic and the lack of a safe downwind catchment made it pretty sketchy. But it was sure fun! Kiting in trunks in hot wind, with butter flat leading to a launch ramp and then little wavelets to play with in the inlet. Mmm.

I really hope PA can figure out a way to make the inlet accessible for kiters. It is a shame to such great thermal winds and no kite access. For a town that is struggling to grow out of its resource industry past, seems a significant loss -- kiting was one of the more visible and exciting things going on "downtown" on any given summer afternoon. The tourists on the quay were always super stoked about the show.

For me personally, I spend a week in July at Sproat Lake with family....the quality inlet kiting was a very happy surprise! I really hope to figure out some other way to get at that wind.

SUP out into the middle, drop anchor, launch. Wash-rinse-Repeat to land.

The statement "The Port Authority is willing to look at making other launching areas available further up the inlet." is significant and very positive.

I'd be all over that one, hope some local kite heads figure something.... perhaps a floating, seasonal launching dock at Canal wind line you could swim your gear to combined with some maybe weekend-to-start rescue set up, jetski/zodiac, perhaps a sponsored rig by the local marine outfit with big advert on it or Kite School Secondary outlet for Strong or Elevation

what's the big deal??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ceebejVh24

Petition

Thanks for all of your comments.

This potential kiteboarding ban without good reason is bad for the entire wind community not just the local kiters and spectators.

The community of PA is up in arms that the federal PA Port Authority may take away the growing kiting scene with this ban off Centennial Pier. Residents are writing letters, presenting at council, lobbying city authorities to prevent this extreme move by PAPA, since it was front page news yesterday in PA.

The kiters who frequent PA for past several years are also writing letters to local authorities and stepping up to help the situation. For those kiters who haven't ridden at Centennial Pier in PA off the new floating wharf, it is actually an ideal set up into the clean wind for kite launches with no safety incidences yet. We all realized that at that particular launch spot at Harbour Quay, potential for growth with more kiters is limited due to it's run-way nature. The new kiting scene has added to the vibrancy of the local economy and created a buzz in town that has only been a positive experience for all involved. The outright ban is unnecessary, since there are many steps to mitigate safety hazards before a ban (with No kiteboarding signs) has to be established. It's easy to say that this issue is a local PA problem, but it may have detrimental ripple effects for other municipalities around the island and could affect the entire kiting community. We all know there are serious safety concerns and potential launch hazards at many of our favourite island spots, including cook street. An outright ban is too extreme and an unnecessary move.

When we hear that local authorities see kiters have actually moved to PA for wind and these officials want to nip it in the bud before more come, there is cause for concern for the entire wind community when kite access is closed.

Gratefully, this local issue may have raised the public's demand for this growing sport and will help to pressure local authorities for other alternatives along PA waterfront.

At this time, the ban should be prevented, since other alternatives may take years to come to fruition.
The BWD community should stick together.
United we stand, divided we fall.

Just a couple of questions by curiosity:

*** 1: What happened with the first place at that pier upwind where you organized a party and we all watched a movie? We cant launch from there anymore?


2: " a strong current could easily pull someone under as they struggle against the pier's wall " ??? Is that even possible seriously????

The current is that strong? There is got to be already one, two or three ladder build in the pier? If so then we can just put an heavy duty rope in between them at different height (tide) to remove their worry about that scenario. (so that if you are push to the pier, you just hang out to one of these rope and travel your way through the nearest ladder)

2a: Not a question but important to mention to them I think: Kiteboarding community will pull out some guidelines and signs on how to launch etc... Specific launching area, bystander be aware etc... to make it safer.

3: What if someone still launch there because he never kiteboarded there and really wanted to try it out, how much $$$ if going to be the fine?

Tks for any info.

one thing that is very different to this launch than many other spots (like cook st) is the proximity to boat traffic... in Victoria it would be similar to launching from the coast guard buildings at the mouth of the harbour...
A federal harbour authority can't have people sailing there simply to eliminate the risk!!! some fool will fuck it up basically!!
what this means is that now the PAPA must create a safe launch!! they haven't said that you can't kite there its that you can't launch!!

Knee jerk reaction. Why not work with the kiting community? I guess "they" hope the kiters and other water users go away and bring back some more heavy industry. The future of Port Alberni is to keep some of the industry but open up the area to recreation. Whatever they have been doing for the last 25 years is not working. You can figure that out in your first drive through town.

That being said, launching from a public pier is a recipe for disaster. Ok for experts but expecting people to self regulate is not going to work in the long run.

The first and easy practical step would be to chop down the pier and move the log booms at Canal Beach. I don't know why that wasn't done. It's hard to even windsurf there. The launch would be gusty and still not great for learners.

The city and harbour commission need to take a few days off and go to Hood River. I think they finally figured out in HR that big industry, logging and the fruit business were not making a comeback. They opened up the waterfront with more parks and have allowed brew pubs and restaurants into the industrial park, a former wasteland, where nothing was built for years. Lots of new money has moved there. Obviously PA is not an hour from Portland, but could attract active retirees and young people like the Beach 24s.

It would also be a good idea to have some kind of organization for the recreational users, like the Columbia Windsurfing Organization or whatever it is called now. That way there is less chance for these bans to come out of the blue and an organized way to dispute them. The same thing could happen at Cook St.

Hello everyone,

While I have my own opinion regarding the pier launch and its viability as well as hazards I wont express them in this post. I have met with the Port Authority CEO Zoran Knezevic to find out their exact reason rather than depend on media and rumor. It is their belief the risks of incident are too high for them regarding the launch and jumping off pier process as it is a public dock with many people, children included, unaware of the risks presented. We have a clean track record so far but as it becomes more popular and busy that potential is exponential in their opinion. They have sited other reasons to further justify their decision but those are easily disposed of in other arguments like hood river has existed for many many years with kiters and windsurfers co-existing with heavy traffic, currents etc...too many example of success in other locations to list. During that meeting Mr. Knezevic did express the willingness to look at other viable spots within the harbor as he is NOT opposed to kiteboarding or other windsports in the inlet. We looked at a couple of those options and I have taken the lead in gathering some people locally as well as out of community to help develop a plan that will hopefully meet all peoples expectations and needs as close as possible. Expressing your interest and desire to enjoy Alberni on the water via letters to newpapers, city council or Port Alberni Port Authority are greatly appreciated but could I suggest we do it a constructive manner. Showing our support and desires as well as demand will promote the awareness among the powers that be how much benefits locally for social economic growth there truly is. I believe we have a real opportunity here with the current public outcry and support to actually get some positive work done if we do our homework, develop a good plan and present it in a diplomatic and effective manner.

There is a City Council meeting Monday the 26th of January open to the public that I and a couple of others will be attending to listen to and possibly voice concerns.

I can be reached via email or 250-731-5175 should you wish to get information or place some suggestions. I do ask if you call me to please keep it relevant and respectful.

Sincerely,

Dale Moffatt

I think Dale's approach will be the most successful one here, no reason to whine about the decision as a few have stated folks were lucky to be allowed to launch there for as long as they were. Onto finding an alternative because as a few have re-iterated, they have not banned windsports in the inlet, just launching off the public wharf.

I have begun looking but would like to request some help if someone is so inclined to research any other locations that use wharf's/piers in their kiting setup. Squamish has been mentioned but that is a spit of land, I am looking for places that actually have set up for launches/landing on piers. Oh and by the way the options that I think has the most merit works for windsurfers too!

Does anybody have any experience in crowd funding?

Dale, thank-you for all of your hard work so far with this. Your diplomatic and comprehensive approach will go a long way and hopefully save kiting in PA. The public outcry has been incredible and raised a lot of awareness in our community. I am hopeful that this negative may be turned into something very good for our windsport community in the future.
Awesome!