Power Kite Forum

Making my case for NAPKRA

Bladerunner - 25-5-2010 at 04:42 PM

Thanks the the insurance obtained by all the hard working folks at NAPKRA we have managed to get a foot in the door and what looks like support of the folks in Washington to use their beaches for wind powered vehicles. The 1st meet up could not have gone better. At this rate I feel pretty sure that they will see the logic in changing the rules to make space for us ? ONLY because of the hard work Evans has done for us all. He is only a member of NAPKRA and has no control over it's future. Without NAPKRA all events in Aug will be called off when the insurance lapses. Evan's hard work is threatened and so will our shot at these beaches be !

From what I understand NAPKRA needs some people to step up and keep the hard work put in by Brad , Jon and many others up for us all. The future is very uncertian and it is time for some people to decide if they want this sport to get organized . Opening locations , festivals and competitions. Or not?

NAPKRA isn't perfect . It is set up for buggy racing but that is partly due to the need to fit insurance guidlines.

I would hope to see NAPKRA grow to include all wind powered vehicles but 1stt and formost IT NEEDS TO GROW !!!!


TIME IS RUNNING OUT !!!!
We need to start getting excited about getting organized or lose the hard work of a whole lot of people who don't deserve to not be supported.

WHO'S IN :thumbup:

Bladerunner - 26-5-2010 at 06:35 AM

I'll remember this post in the future when people ask why we don't have a governing body for our sport.

It saddens me to see so few people excited about the progress we have made and the chance for us to become more legit'.

I'll also remember all the hard work that people put in without support around 2010 when it all fell apart. :borg:

Bladerunner - 26-5-2010 at 06:43 AM

sorry about the A.M. flame !

Woke up grumpy and had hoped folks might get behind this stuff before it's too late.

Must lower expectations . Lesson 1 for the day.

bigkid - 26-5-2010 at 07:01 AM

My wife's father tells me every now and then, I need to do something to pick up the family. The in laws are people who live vicariously through other people. They tell the world about my exploits and relive the story over and over again till it no longer resembles the original.
Could it be that we are "The in-laws" and we want nothing more than to belong to a group? Or are we leaders wanting to make things happen?
Not everyone is a leader, and it is not easy to be one. I am sure that we would be more than supportive of anyone who would want to step up to the plate and fill one or more of the positions in NAPKRA to help it continue.
Bladerunner, I will be happy to be your VP when you become Pres...but first I have to check with the in laws. :lol:

Morrie Williams - 26-5-2010 at 07:03 AM

You're right Bladerunner, we need to get excited about the future of NAPKRA. Without the support of the buggy community there will be NO future.

We need our current members to pay their dues EARLY and get new members signed up so we can renew our insurance for another year.

For the past 2 years Jon has fronted the money for the insurance, for a total of about $1500. This wasn't fair to Jon and he can't continue it.

In the furture should membership dues be sent to Jon or Brad? Mine will be on the way as soon as we know.

Morrie US86

dylanj423 - 26-5-2010 at 08:34 AM

i paid my dues last year... i dont think many did... after the rces were pretty much all cancelled, i am not sure if i will be paying them again

just my experience, but i was not happy paying dues for one buggy race

best of luck napkra, i sincerely hope you make it... but dont punish dues paying members because of those who dont pay...

im glad somebody is getting some good benefit from it, though... good job getting land opened up

indigo_wolf - 26-5-2010 at 09:27 AM


On the NAPKRA.ORG site, the membership path is a tad unclear. In either case, they could probably be streamlined or at least consolidated to one page (even with links to other pages on the site). Basically the info that Brad provided.

Outside of sponsorship, it is unclear how to show support for NAPKRA, and I am not sure that their are clear instructions on how to become a sponsor or what tiers exist, if you are not a manufacturer or retailer.

What if you own a buggy but don't race? Is NAPKRA still a good fit?

What if you don't own a buggy? Would NAPKRA consider other membership tiers where insurance wasn't currently part of the membership package?

I guess basically I am asking for this:


ATB,
Sam

csa_deadon - 26-5-2010 at 09:56 AM

I like to race, I don't like to race. Doesn't matter which side of the racing fence you sit on. We all need to get behind NAPKRA and support it. The Washington events are being held mainly in part to one persons hard work, and the fact that we currently have a governing body with insurance.

I have no problem paying my dues, even if I don't race. If paying dues means that more land can be opened up to us, and less of a chance of closing land then I'm all for it.

I won't flame anyone here, I just feel if you love your sport get behind it, and find a way to spread the word to support it.

Besides like coolbreeze said in different thread. It was worth it just to see Bladerunner in a buggy! That alone is worth the membership dues!

vwbrian - 26-5-2010 at 11:27 AM

Send a check for $?? to
Jon Ellis
199 Reno Cutoff Road
Woodland,WA.
98674

Go to PILOT REGISTRATION fill out form

Take a picture of yourself (head Shot)
Save it and title it (NAPKRA picture your pilot # Your name) EXample: Napkra Picture US05 John Doe.jpg

Go to NAPKRA LIABILITY WAIVER FORM print it, fill it out, Scan it, Save it as (NAPKRA Waiver pilot # your Name) then email it along with your picture to bbrex@bellsouth.net

Go to CLASS 8 RACICING RULES scroll down to Article 3.2 Identification for number size for your buggy placards, one placard each side of buggy

kitemaker4 - 26-5-2010 at 11:33 AM

Down here I buggy in a parking lot and we needed insurance or we could not buggy. We do not race in the parking lot but we practice our race skills there. If not for napkra we would not have any place to buggy and since the oil spill in going to cover the beaches on the gulf coast where we buggy then the parking lot will be our only option for many years to come. Just my thoughts.

Susan (npw goddess)

fletcht - 26-5-2010 at 11:52 AM

Ok, I'll chime in here. Through this process with Washington State Parks, I have found that NAPKRA is more then a racing body. It gave our group of buggy pilots validity. We have safety guidelines, insurance, and code of conduct. It looked, to the Parks dept., that we were a valid organization and were working to promote our sport in a safe and responsible manner. So NAPKRA is more then racing. I for one, will continue with it, if the organization continues, which I hope it does. As a group we need this for the future of our activity growing. Some of you may buggy in areas that are wide open public lands, that may not always be so. Or, you might what to but on a larger gathering then liability comes into play. NAPKRA has that. As with any young organization it takes awhile to iron out differences, but don't kill the organization if there are parts you don't like about it. Sound out. We need members to be able to keep the dues down.

Thanks

ripsessionkites - 26-5-2010 at 12:20 PM

i have been putting off a response for sometime now. Im putting my thoughts down right now, so its not in order just thinking and typing. check for spelling errors. Im posting here because not everyone can see the NAPKRA forum (ill explain that later)

i wasn't pleased how many got removed, sure if you didn't pay your dues than you should be removed. However I dont see the direction of NAPKRA was heading. At first it was all RACE RACE RACE. Since the times have changed and people are getting involved with getting access I think the future of NAPKRA should change.

I have said this so many times before to that NAPKRA should be the Governing Body for all kite sports. Doesn't matter what you fly or what vehicle you use, as long as its land based kiting you're in. Right now we have event insurance but thats better than no insurance and we need to grow the sport. Ive spoken to a few insurance companies in the UK that ill post more about on the NAPKRA forum, and how they run the individual insurance there.

What I would like NAPKRA to become ... some restructure required. =)
- lets open the forum up to everyone again, however only registered / paid members can post. However everyone can view it. How do we spark interest if its all hidden?

- we should have section on PKF, not to discuss the association so much but to post, quick last minute events or meet-ups.

- hopefully we can get everyone to join, and not focus so much on the racing. with the event insurance we could grow MORE event than the 4 major ones we have now.

- why everyone should join NAPKRA. for $20.00 a year ... what is there to lose. whether you race or not you should be part of the Association. You take a look at GPA / BCH / APC08, they are huge but they dont all race but its all tied together. To join the GPA is pricey if you wanted to race, but they have so much land access that they can pay for and have insurance as well. We might not be there yet, but we can get there, Ill provide as much as I know to help grow NAPRKA.

- in europe even when you're not racing you still must display one number on your cart when you're riding. I guess we could tell / inform the local parks board as well, how well organized we are. that should show the public in general that we look like a club, probably have some written rules, etc.

- for those that do like to race, you dont need to travel, but you can easy setup smaller groups within your area. for example there are groups of 4 to 6 members that race on weekends, and they sometimes get together for larger races at Buggy Camps and such. you dont need to be a whole Region to race, but request to be a smaller group to be added to the forum. Its harder for us to travel around, pretty much travel to the east coast is a plane ride away for me. So its hard to get into a car and drive 5 hours to the state, like it is in europe.

that my wooden nickel thought ... so Im hopefully we can all come to terms with getting NAPKRA off the group and into a new direction.

if $$$ is an issue maybe getting the shops involved more. they are the forefront to promoting NAPKRA to current and new customers.

i promise to be involved more with NAPKRA this season as time allows. =)

Morrie Williams - 26-5-2010 at 01:07 PM

Thanks indigo_wolf for letting us know about the short comings in our "steps to membership ".
I'll start working on a what we are, what membership means and how to become a member.

Thanks again,
Morrie Williams US86
webmaster@napkra.org

WolfWolfee - 26-5-2010 at 01:10 PM

Guess I would have to ask, does the insurance cover Canada?
Maybe the big issue is changing the name away from racing as Rip suggested to get others involved. I have no intent in ever racing or going to the US to kite but would like to see an organization in place to further develop our sport but it would have to include Canada since we are part of North America. So drop the "R" and make it NAPKA for all kiter's and maybe me and others would join too.

Good luck

dylanj423 - 26-5-2010 at 01:19 PM

i second the notion of getting a sub-forum dedicated to napkra... and might recommend reorganizing the website napkra.org, its kinda hard to navigate, and last i checked, nobody really used it, why should i use napkras forum when pkf has it all sewn up?

i also second a little reorganization.... smaller groups would probably encourage more small gatherings... and foster quicker growth...

and i second the inclusion of all kite-sports and insurance while doing them, too (maybe napkra should be renamed???)....

all very good ideas...

just out of curiosity... how many dues paying members were there last year?... im not against paying some membership dues, but i am against throwing money away, no matter how small the amount... as said earlier, membership should benefit everybody, not just be a reason to collect $... successful clubs and organizations offer their membership things (gatherings... access to events, etc)

this has been the first mention of the group napkra in nearly (maybe more than) a year.... so what has napkra been up to?

WELDNGOD - 26-5-2010 at 02:27 PM

So ,how is being a member gonna help me? I am the only serious buggier/atb around here. I have no club or members to practice or race with. And I have very little open space to use. And the way Va. works, if I say I belong to any club that has ANY thing to do w/ "racing" I am done! I am better off claiming I am the only one around here that does this ,so the risk is very low.

I would be more in favor of paying 100 dollars a yr. for 3rd party liability insurance and buy a permit to kite at my locale. I just can't see NAPKRA going to bat for just 1 member to have an insured fly spot, esp. up against the "communistwealth" of Virginia. "Killers of anything fun". I'm all for us being legit and all that , but it will have to represent each and every(even individuals) kiter or it is worthless to me.

So ,I pay 20 bucks , and some land opens up for the west coast and the city of Hampton still has a law that makes it illegal to fly ANY kite on a public beach, so I get shut down .


Sorry guys , I'll have to put my 20 dollars in my bail fund. Cause I won't quit flying until they throw me in jail and take away all my kites. Just my 2 cents WG

indigo_wolf - 26-5-2010 at 02:43 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Morrie Williams
Thanks indigo_wolf for letting us know about the short comings in our "steps to membership ".
I'll start working on a what we are, what membership means and how to become a member.


Much appreciated, Morrie.

Will get started on the paperwork in the morning.

ATB,
Sam

BeamerBob - 26-5-2010 at 02:48 PM

As a member, I ran into a land access issue and at first Napkra came in like gangbusters indicating help was on the way. In short order, they backed off and said it was no use to battle it and not worth the effort. I'm all for supporting an organization, but need to see that there is a benefit hopefully to me and my local buddies, but at least to kiters in general. I'm interested in seeing if this can reach a productive conclusion.

vwbrian - 26-5-2010 at 03:07 PM

It's $20. 1 case of beer. U can come up with $20 a year to help support the community. Even If we get one beach or soccer field opened up to any kiter it should be worth it. Some day you may have to move to a state that doesn't allow it now. Maybe by the time you move NAPKRA and it's members will have done the leg work to get the state to allow us. This is for the good of all kiters not just the NW. Evans was just the first one of us to pull off an event in a restricted area. This is a win for all of us.

airin - 26-5-2010 at 04:26 PM

So, where and when is the next demo being held by NAPKRA?:puzzled:

Bladerunner - 26-5-2010 at 04:50 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by WELDNGOD
So ,how is being a member gonna help me?the risk is very low.




I suppose if you are all on your own and like it that way then there isn't much need to support anything. Just worry about yourself . Save money for bail and don't bother trying to improve the situation for others to follow. I find it amazing that nobody ever wants to join you ? That you don't have intentions to grow the sport in your area. Each to his own.

I am more community minded . I don't race and I didn't plan on using NAPKRA to join any of our local kite festivals but I put my money behind NAPKRA because I understand what it is they were getting started and knew they needed the support. Turns out being a member helped me help Evan's with his Washington beach effort and I had a hoot on the buggy again! Karma is SWEET! :wee:

I am just thrilled that there is some discussion happening. People are right NAPKRA got very sleepy but I don't think it was because the folks who worked so hard to get it up and running didn't care to work on growing the group. I am pretty sure that the insurance as it stands had to be this way or not at all. It's NOT a perfect system but it is one heck of a good start. As you see the website can be changed if people have good ideas and input them. Same with the nature of the organization. As insurance and such permitt.
Maybe we can find a different insurer but to lose the one we have after so much effort to save a $20 bill ? Once again I scratch my head ! :puzzled:

We need to get things happening and get signed up for next year VERY SOON or come Aug. it will be history and that would be a shame !

I am not in the fold as far as organizers go and am not in a position to take too much on . From what I understand Jon will step down in Aug. when the insurance lapses. Brad? Morrie? I am not sure exactly what is needed in real human manpower to keep this going but I have a feeling we will need 2 people or more to step up?

Airin - Join NAPKRA and you'll know the next date ! Tee Hee :singing:

WELDNGOD - 26-5-2010 at 05:37 PM

BR, apparently I am the only one in my area w/ HOOJ balls. They are a bunch of AC seeking pansies. There is nobody to fly with period. I had one of my friends learn to fly, but he tore his ACL ,so he's out of it now. The only peeps who have ever come to fly w/ me have been silvereaglekiter , ragden, and Todd. And all have to drive a while to get here. There was another member also, but he is nomore. There are kiteboarders in Va Beach, but they are a bunch of surfers who use a kite as a motor, as long as they have a launch area they are happy. Land traction requires a bit more room,something we lack here. I would love to help save everybody else's rights , but who is gonna help me? I am one. Hell , if ya need the 20 bucks bad enough, I would donate it to ya. Just for being in my kite family. But, I got no interest in being in any org. that has anything to do w/ racing. Just that term alone(racing),says that it is competition not recreational. You will have a hard time getting locales to buy off on "amateur racers" cruising on there public lands.
Maybe out west, where you have vast area of open space it is possible. On the east coast, if it is open then it probably belongs to that bird(piping plover piece of crap) that is every damn where, but is endangered.

Bladerunner - 26-5-2010 at 06:04 PM

No worries Weldngod. We all have our reasons for joining or not.

You may have a distorted vision of what we in the N.W have though. The Oregon coast ( and it's people ) is chill. Washington beaches are only hard pack down south and they are all closed to wind powered vehicles. In Van we have MUD Bay a few days a year , when the winds and tides line up. NorCal has lost O.B. and ALL of us hurt for actual land inland!

I just think we have more people that are active than in your area. But don't be confused I drive 2 - 5 hours to snowkite and presently 6.5 - 8.5 hours to get to Oregon and ride a good beach ! If we lost Gary point park we would be S.O.L. for ANY other decent spot in the Lower Mainland. Evan's is opening an opportunity for a simple 5 hour drive to a decent beach and that is LOOOOOKING GOOOOOD !!!!!!!

Keep riding. Folks will find their way to the dark side when they see the fun you have!

WELDNGOD - 26-5-2010 at 06:15 PM

That is what I thought too, but I have been kitin' for a number of yrs now, and everyone thinks it's cool . But ,they are a bunch of wusses or something. At some point I probably wont have a local spot anymore. Then it will be Wildwood a couple times a yr......
I just died a little inside thinking about only being able to buggy twice a year.:no: With no backup, that is my reality.

WELDNGOD - 26-5-2010 at 06:18 PM

It seems in my area ,there is more local interest in "letting your dog run loose and crap wherever he wants and just leave it":eekdrull:

vwbrian - 26-5-2010 at 08:34 PM

You can fix the dog poop situation by carring around some bacon grease and sprinkling it on the Dog bombs. Then the dogs just clean up after themselves. UMM BACON POO.
And yes NAPKRA would be happy to accept your donation of $, NOt bacon POO. Please send it to
Jon Ellis
199 Reno Cutoff Road
Woodland,WA.
98674
Compliments of WeldnGod

Next event
6/12 6-14 Moclips Gap Rd. Sat- Mon
If you would like to pilot a buggy at this event please hurry to get your NAPKRA registration. BBrex has been one busy guy with all the late registrations from the first event so give him a break by registering early.

http://napkra.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=1295#1295 link to registration

vwbrian - 26-5-2010 at 08:49 PM

NAPKRA really needs to get a paypal account to make this much easier.

WolfWolfee - 26-5-2010 at 09:57 PM

Again I'll say, it drop the racing aspect at least in the name, or change it all together. Having tried to do the insurance thing myself racing adds a whole new aspect to the game. No one has mentioned is this insurance valid in Canada? Canada is part of North America, and actually the bigger part...lol

fletcht - 26-5-2010 at 11:50 PM

Beamer, others, NAPKRA didn't come running to help me, with the Washington Beaches. But when I could show them, that I belonged to an organization that, had safety guidelines, a code of conduct, training, and insurance they took me seriously. Hopefully when this is all said and done, the beaches will be open to all WPV's NAPKRA or not. These events that are being done to promote the sport and demonstrate to the public that it is an activity that is compatible with all other beach users. NAPKRA, was the avenue to do this since groups wanting a special use permit have to have insurance. If you have areas you would like to have opened up in your area, Ocean Beach say, apply for a special use permit or convince the governing body, State, County , to allow a one time or more times over the summer to but on demonstrations. Show them that you are responsible and safety minded. You can't do this individually. But you can with an organization behind you. Print off the safety guidelines, code of conduct show them the insurance coverage and apply for a special use permit. This opens the door, for further communication.

Think of it has the AKA on wheels. They have dues, I don't here folks complaining about that. Maybe in a few years we can have a publication as well. The name NAPKRA is not the problem. Granted the Racing part of the name gets in the way but let it go, make of it what best suits your needs.
I believe, we need it for the sport to continue and evolve.

WIllardTheGrey - 27-5-2010 at 12:22 AM

Or just call it North American Power/Para Kite Riding/Riders/Racing/Regional/Regulating Association, its just semantics.:dunno:

ripsessionkites - 27-5-2010 at 01:18 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by WolfWolfee
Again I'll say, it drop the racing aspect at least in the name, or change it all together. Having tried to do the insurance thing myself racing adds a whole new aspect to the game. No one has mentioned is this insurance valid in Canada? Canada is part of North America, and actually the bigger part...lol


the event insurance covers canada.

bbrex - 27-5-2010 at 05:54 AM

Yes; we should all be excited! Evans Fletcher has gone above and beyond the call. Thank you again for your persistence. But that is how things get done. Unfortunately there are not more people/buggiers that are self-interested in getting things done. It is why I got involved in the insurance research to find a provider, any provider; it took 9 months of knocking on dozens of insurance companies doors, until we found a company, the company we presently have. I too needed to reopen a buggy venue that we had used for 7 years that was closed by a state entity and with the insurance we have now we were able to do it.

NAPKRA was put together first and foremost to bring buggiers together so we could have a common voice and open some doors that have been closed to our sport for many years, by having event insurance.

Racing was the common thread that we used to bring those of us together that wanted to establish an association. Since insurance companies want a formal set of rules that govern a specific sport we chose (kite buggies) and FISLY. They have a long standing acceptance and something we could build on and possibly someday we could formally be sanctioned by them. This is why the common thread was to be kite buggy RACING. Not everyone races, we understand that but, part of our insurance incorporates practicing skills and demos, as long as your regional coordinator knows about a practice session and all NAPKRA rules and conduct are followed it can be a, so to speak sanctioned event. This being said, it allows pilots to practice their skills at areas that either a private land owner or a state owned property will allow you to use with an Additional Insured Document. For those of you that really don’t get it, this is HUGE and no amount of money that you as an individual could afford is afforded to you by and through the organization of NAPKRA. So when you ask what NAPKRA can do for you, for a sum less than $50 you should be ashamed. Most all of us waste that much money per month on specialty coffees, cigs, alcohol etc.

NAPKRA does not have the funding or manpower to go to every community to find out how we can make kite powered sports more acceptable in the public’s eyes. What we need are people like Evans that are persistent and are willing to do the work that is needed to get the toe in the door. Once in, with the help of our Association and Insurance Coverage we can keep the door open to possibly get the desired outcome we want, without NAPKRA the door would have been slammed shut once again.

As for the RACE RACE RACE issue the only races that were ever put on, under with the knowledge of NAPKRA were in Texas, and those of us that participated in them regularly, thoroughly enjoyed the outings.

We removed all names that did not become Pilots In Good Standing (paid dues, sign a waiver, and get their membership card) because why should those that do not want to get involved and promote our Association get to have the privileges that those that do want to be involved and promote, simple as that.

Everything that someone looking to join NAPKRA is looking for is in the first 5 Headers on the Forum and is public, if you wish to get involved, pay your dues and get involved. From my understanding the only things that are hidden are the things that someone who is involved would care about anyway. Our website may not be the most user friendly forum on the web, but we will be working on that in the future.

As for Europe and how they do things with insurance, until they can sell their way of doing things to the US Politicians and Insurance Companies it means little to us. The laws in the US and how lawyers use them are completely different.

Trying to keep NAPKRA discussions off of the PKF is impossible; simply learn to use our own Forum. You can go to the Pilots page and get the email etc. of every pilot in your area; to get a group going, set meet ups etc. It just takes a little time to set up your email list and you’re good to go.

It seems those areas that have the major events are the same areas that self-interested people get things done in, so if you want to have an event or some day a major event, my advice is to get involved and put one together.

We had to start with the small base of people that were interested in putting NAPKRA together, if you would like to see NAPKRA grow and go in other directions we need your involvement and support.

As soon as we get our non-profit status we can then receive monies from outside entities, sponsors etc. until then our hands are tied, but we are getting closer to that end.

I will be discussing some options with our insurance provider concerning adding, additional kite powered sports such as, coyote blades, dirt surfers, land/ATB boards etc. These sports will most likely be viewed as giving more of a liability to our provider so my guess is that the premium would also go up. If this is the case how much is each of our pilots willing to pay for dues to cover the expenses of these premiums to keep NAPKRA afloat. We also have additional costs to finalize the non-profit organization, and renew Corporation papers? Should dues be $30, $40, $50 or more? Please let us know. If we do end up adding the above sports to our umbrella we will most likely change the name subtly and take the racing out; so that will help Weldngod.


As for a number of the races in Galveston being cancelled, the only reasons they were is due to 1) There were not enough pre-registered pilots for me to make the 5 hour drive to put the races on 2) the weather and or wind was not was not favorable for bugging. Dylan since you live much closer than I do to Galveston I would be happy to nominate you for coordinator of Texas. That way you could keep a better handle on the group there in your area. I will be more than happy to help you with getting it started, just let me know.

Weldngod if you become the coordinator in your area you can sanction your practices, if the land owner where you practice requires an Additional Insured Document from NAPKRA, guess what, it costs you $000.

Event Insurance covers both Canada and Mexico as long as if there were any litigation proceedings they would be litigated in the United States.

I hope this has answered the questions you have posed.

We are working on getting things together for our upcoming membership renewal and renewal of our Insurance. Please email me back personally bbrex@bellsouth.net on how much you would be willing to pay for membership dues both with the addition of the other wind powered sports and without them, as we do not know if they will make the premium cost, prohibitive.

Regards
Brad Rex

Bladerunner - 27-5-2010 at 06:44 AM

Thanks Brad and everyone at NAPKRA.

Forgive me for pushing this topic on this site instead of NAPKRA but this is where our pool of interested people are.
Even I had stopped watching the NAPKRA site but I hope that will change.

I wouldn't want Coyotes thrown in to the insurance mix if it meant a difference in insurance. ATB is far more popular and backed by commercial interests. I understand fully the limitations in obtaining insurance and while I can enjoy a good buggy I prefer to FLY :Ange09:

erratic winds - 27-5-2010 at 09:33 AM

As soon as this is covering ATB as well instead of just buggy I believe your numbers would increase greatly. It's the exact type of organization we need too, but I wouldn't want to incur new expense to your members to cover equipment they don't own/ride.

Best of luck to you. NAPKRA is a great group.

dylanj423 - 27-5-2010 at 10:22 AM

brad... can you send me an email with what it would require of me to become a napkra helper?? i would love to be able to make time for it... lets see what can maybe happen...

rudeboysaude - 27-5-2010 at 11:11 AM

So, I'll admit right away I don't know much about NAPKARA. I did inquire though about trying to get a local organization formed that would help us with beach access issues. How many of you are members of PASA? In some beaches you have to be a card carrying member of PASA to kite there. They've opened up spots that were banned that way. We weren't able to get anywhere with it here. I think kiters like to think, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." And unfortunately, you really need numbers to make it have any effect. If I was the sole PASA card carrying kiter in MN, no one would give a crap. Unless you can get a large majority of responsible kiters in your area into an organization, it doesn't hold much weight. And self bans and restrictions imposed by a few kiters doesn't really mean crap unless it's a hard LAW and there are consequences for it. I can't self ban a spot a I see as potentially hazardous for kiting as much as anyone else could stop me from kiting somewhere that there is no law enforcing it. Everyone perceives danger at different levels.

So my point I guess in all this rant is that kite organizations are tough. If you think you see a need for it in your local area, then get your ass in gear and try to get everyone involved in your area. Lone members in other area are going to be little help when it comes down to the man. You need a group of responsible kiters who can show credentials to law makers that you are being as safe as possible, held to standards, and any kiter not in the club you can not vouch for. NAPKRA would be a great resource to be there for when locals want to come together to have a backing force in their particular area, but as a lone ranger hoping that they can help you... I don't see much chance in that. I wish that power kiting in general had one professional organization that we could all back instead of numerous like PASA, IKO, NAPKRA, etc like paddling has the American Canoe Association, or climbing The Acccess Fund, or Surfriders.. but until kiters begin to actually see a need for such an organization, separation into smaller units will only compromise the unity of powerkiters as a whole and I think membership will always be a struggle. There is a freedom that we all associate with kiting and no one wants to talk politics/access about a sport they love, but it's better to be proactive then selling all your gear because you've got no where to fly.

bbrex - 27-5-2010 at 02:40 PM

Our first choice for insurance was with PASA. We got the run around with their insurance carrier for 2 months to try to get kite buggies covered their provider said NO Thanks. Even though in their documents it clearly states kite buggiers. PASA is a dead end.
Regards
Brad

vwbrian - 27-5-2010 at 06:29 PM

Are NAPKRA dues $20 or $30?

bbrex - 28-5-2010 at 03:59 AM

We are working with our insurance people to find out our renewal premium, once we know that, we will post the amount for dues, hopefully within the next 7-10 days.
Brad

jellis - 31-5-2010 at 12:28 PM

Great posts, lots of good ideas, and any NAPKRA member can change anything in this club. It has always been and open club that way. Lots of leadership changes coming, please wish them well and show your support.
Best Regards
Jon

newtokiting - 31-5-2010 at 04:26 PM

im the only person in my area that buggies--AFAIK.....you can be sure of one thing though........if i were to somehow put a bad face on this sport due to carelessness or rudeness--that would be the end of it,im sure.......so i make sure to stay on everyones good side and i help as many kiters as i can--gives people a good impression of our sport........wish we had more open spaces here so we could get some buggy racing going.....sigh:no:

vwbrian - 9-6-2010 at 09:35 AM

Hey Guys
There are over 4000 People on The PKF Forum. We only have 47 registered with Napkra. I know that some are not buggiers and some are not from North America, Some may not be active. But this is a disgrace. Less than 1% of this forum is willing to put in $20 to $30 a year to promote and possibly open up areas to ride. Also Napkra may one day save your area from being closed. Think about it. Getting insurance for events took 2 years of hardwork of a few. Now we are on the verge of losing the insurance if we can't get buggiers to join and pay dues. With the insurance we can organize events at official kite festivals, one's we have no chance of attending and riding at with out insurance.

This year we are actually going to be able to buggy at the Washington International Kite Festival. We have an area North of the festival and It should be a great time to promote the power kite and educate people.

Maven454 - 9-6-2010 at 09:48 AM

I have to wonder if maybe the issue is less the $20, and more all the things to fill out and email (assuming that you have a scanner and can get it back onto the computer), plus getting a picture, mailing a check, etc...

ragden - 9-6-2010 at 10:02 AM

I just tried to register on the website, and it appeared to error out on me. The whole registrating process seems a bit on the painful side. Not to mention I probably wont ever put numbers on the side of my buggy since I ride a PL Comp XR and my side-rails arent really high enough to mount a number on the side of (dont race anyways).

I figured this was a decent enough cause to invest in, but the process does seem a bit painful...

BeamerBob - 9-6-2010 at 10:40 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by vwbrian
Hey Guys
There are over 4000 People on The PKF Forum. We only have 47 registered with Napkra.

Realize that there really aren't more than a couple hundred regular posters here. Hundreds have never made a post or logged on in years. Your point is taken, but its not like there is an army of us here. I was a member and my membership lapsed while I was moving my family cross-country.

bbrex - 9-6-2010 at 11:42 AM

Ragden

We are constantly trying to make the site easier to navigate.
As for numbers on the side of your buggy, we have riders down here that have the same buggy and they work fine. As for the reason for the numbers, it is not solely for racing identification but for identification to law enforcement so they can single out a rider that is causing a problem, they can then contact us to deal with them, this is one of the big positive points of interest in the Washington events and how the rangers want to work with us because of it. Numbers are not optional they are mandatory when riding at any NAPKRA event.
Life is tuff but sometimes you just have to work at it to make it work.
Regards Brad

ripsessionkites - 9-6-2010 at 12:32 PM

on THU, is my napkra day ... im going to get as much done as possible

ie. update the forum, setup the paypal account for easy pay, register some more BC members, try and re-send my waiver again.

indigo_wolf - 9-6-2010 at 01:10 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bbrex
We are working with our insurance people to find out our renewal premium, once we know that, we will post the amount for dues, hopefully within the next 7-10 days.


Any update on this?

ATB,
Sam

stetson05 - 11-6-2010 at 03:20 PM

Thanks for the very concise instructions. :thumbup: I have thrown my lot in with NAPKRA and I hope they can process everything in time for Fathers day at Long Beach.:wee:


Quote:
Originally posted by vwbrian
Send a check for $20 to
Jon Ellis
199 Reno Cutoff Road
Woodland,WA.
98674

Go to PILOT REGISTRATION fill out form

Take a picture of yourself (head Shot)
Save it and title it (NAPKRA picture your pilot # Your name) EXample: Napkra Picture US05 John Doe.jpg

Go to NAPKRA LIABILITY WAIVER FORM print it, fill it out, Scan it, Save it as (NAPKRA Waiver pilot # your Name) then email it along with your picture to bbrex@bellsouth.net

Go to CLASS 8 RACICING RULES scroll down to Article 3.2 Identification for number size for your buggy placards, one placard each side of buggy

Bladerunner - 11-6-2010 at 04:28 PM

Wo Hoo,

I have looked forward to meeting you !

Bring that big old Aero II and we can try and get it in the air together ! Even if you don't have a 5 line bar it should fly on my 07.

vwbrian - 25-6-2010 at 10:53 AM

Any news on the Insurance renewal?
See you all at the Long Beach Demo #2 - Jul 16-18 at Klipsan Beach, WA

bbrex - 27-6-2010 at 04:43 PM

News Coming Soon. Getting our ducks in a row.
Brad