Hi all,
I've just now had a moment to sit down in front of my computer with an actual keyboard and I just wanted to roll out a few much-deserved thanks.

Angus,
Man, you are such a great host and event coordinator. You probably don't even know how concerned I was about planning to kite somewhere for 4 days. Even though you guys have done this a bunch of times, I still sort of expected to be kicked off the beach, have no wind, have an absent organizer and no support structure for a noob like me. I couldn't have been more wrong. Your laid back confidence and easygoing, capable management of the whole event totally set me at ease and allowed me to really get after some serious kiting. Nice work and thanks.

Chad,
I can't thank you enough for all the great tips, conversation about kite stuff and a killer attitude. Your help really allowed me to turn the corner and actually ride. You are a kite-sensei-guru.

Andrew and Scott,
Similarly, you guys were instrumental in helping me out when I still taking baby steps. Regardless of how full my brain got, I swear I was listening to your sage wisdom the whole time .

Kevin,
It was great flying with you the whole time. We started by tangling our arcs together like noobs and ended with a sick session of awesomeness. Thanks for being an awesome flying buddy.

Jeff,
It was really great to finally meet you. I really enjoyed just sitting around soaking up your years of experience and straight talk. I do sort of wish you'd say what you mean, sometimes, though. You're just so passive .

Twice before JIBE I didn't listen to you, and twice you were right and I was wrong (about that killer Board and the PKD). What I learned from that (it sometimes takes me a while with this thick head) is that I should just listen to you from now on. You know your poop.

Also, thanks for being such a secretly-nice, transparently-generous, simultaneously-crotchety guy and donating all the gear you gave out. I'm so psyched on this 3.3m that I went out and flew it again today after work when I had 15 minutes. You're the best.

Van,
Thanks for being Van. I think everyone here knows what that means. I really appreciate my buggy, the bag you gave me and all the great times we have talking about tech, engineering, mechanics and any other nerd stuff. I also really appreciate you letting me drive the yellow stinger into the atlantic. Next time I need to move the seat up.

Spencer,
I really enjoyed hanging out with you for the brief bit that we did. I guess you were just moving around too much for us to hang out, but I look forward to next time.

Dave,
It was super cool chilling with you and just generally talking about all things great and small. I think you've got a solid bead on Earthly goings on and I really appreciate you making me feel welcome. I hope you get some answers soon and they are good.

Mark,
Did you ever stop? I've always been impressed with how you comport yourself on the forums ever since you waxed philosophical about the physics behind foil design a year or so ago. So... it turns out I just *kinda* thought you were cool back then. But when you came rolling down the sidewalk backwards with my newly-won 3.3m, you became sort of my hero. Thanks for being so fun to hang out with and having such a great attitude.

Chris,
Dude, you're a kick. I suspect that great times are had around you whether you intend it or not. Thanks for holding down the fort and generally being a fun (and almost-as-funny-as-me) guy.

Darryn,
Hell... I just realized I have no idea how to spell Darryn, so I'm going with "Darryn." I expect to be corrected. Anywhoo... it was great to talk to you, fly with you and talk about noob kite stuff together. I could tell that you are just as inordinately pumped about kite_____ing as I am/was/will be, and that's super awesome. Let's keep in touch and get you _____ing before next year so we can hammer out some amazing sessions. I think you just need a depower, now. Wanna buy an 18m Guerilla?

That's all I got right now. I hope to finish up later because there are still a bunch of you who deserve thanks from me, but I have an early early morning.

JIBE was a really fantastic experience for me -- I arrived barely able to ride anything with wheels and left sunburnt, scraped up, missing a fingernail, barely-able-to-move sore, but able to ride buggy/board, and happier than I have been in a long time. What a great group and what a great time. Who knew GA was fun?

Thanks,
Dave

Dave , very nice to meet you, glad you had a good time!

JIBE is a deluxe gig for sure. all about riding!

glad to help and WOW folks really showed from all over ! nice to be apart of it...and score sessions as well!

Nice write up Dave - great meeting face to face and hanging out on the beach. It was a really nice trip for both Fiona and I to attend JIBE and see the area. I wish i had spent a little more time with people at different times but our buggy season is so short back home and getting a chance to ride when we have space and wind and warm and friends and ..... it's hard to stop and what more could you ask for.

Fiona's been checking rental homes ever since we got back for next time so I'm sure we'll be back and hope to bring some more friends down to join the good times.

10-4 exactly to what Mark said,... It was awesome to meet you and your family Dave,... Sorry we didn't get to hang out much, I was too busy working out things I hadn't done before,... Flying with a harness, GoPro, strops etc... I really didn't get a good ride in until this week on Saint Simons isl.

Not to mention rideable days are very limited at home also,... So riding and learning were my # 1 & 2 priorities.

Thanks for coming all the way out to GA from CO. Glad you had a good time.

Dave,

Pleasure was mine to share some air time with you........even though new to the game your skills are quite good.........it was nice to see your 15m Phantom airborn..........keep flyin hard n d hope to see you in 2014............

Enjoy the seat harness.......it will literally save your ass..........sorry Scott had to go there!

Glad you enjoyed Jibe. You were not the only newbie to the event.
The look on your face as I let go of your newly won kite in the parking lot was worth a million bucks, and then to see you buggy down the side walk and back made me question your newbie skills. Dude, you are a lot better than you think.
Thanks for helping to make Jibe a great event, see you again.

Jeff...good to know. He is coming back to play with me and John.

We will have to flip his axle or put some camber into one wheel to slow em down.

Thanks for the heads-up.

John...you are on tickle duty.

Quote: Originally posted by Proletariat

Hi all, Andrew and Scott, Similarly, you guys were instrumental in helping me out when I still taking baby steps. Regardless of how full my brain got, I swear I was listening to your sage wisdom the whole time . JIBE was a really fantastic experience for me -- I arrived barely able to ride anything with wheels and left sunburnt, scraped up, missing a fingernail, barely-able-to-move sore, but able to ride buggy/board, and happier than I have been in a long time. What a great group and what a great time. Who knew GA was fun? Thanks, Dave

oh god! You're comparing me to Chad?!?!?! Damn dude you just made my week!!!
Chad is a god on my list of pilots! Seriously tho, Scott and I are all about fun... the best advice i think we could give anyone is have fun (me) and be safe (scott ). I'm just glad we could help ya have a good time

Jibe is an awesome time, tons of learning (both the hard way and the easy way), and tons of good times. It was great to meet ya and hang out

and ya... when you won that kite and then vans bag, you looked like you were on cloud nine!

hope to see you next year!

Ah yes, and these, too:

Thanks a bunch, Tridude, for the killer harness deal, all that sage wisdom, and making me feel welcome from the get. I know is kinda corny, but you are actually sort of an inspiration a little bit.

Similarly, Drew, thanks for being the first person to talk to me there. It was great to feel like I was among friends, and you were my first in-person, kite-nerd friend.

Dave it was great meeting you. I had a good time trying to spill mustard on your rental upholstery! It was good talking to you as well. We seem to have a bit of common history. Looking forward to riding together again.