elnica
Posts: 363
Registered: 12-12-2010
Location: Miami, FL
Member Is Offline
|
|
Miami kite monopolies on public land
I went to Crandon Park today on Key Biscayne. Miami Kiteboarding has monopoly on allowing access to kiters and charges a $200 annual membership fee on
top of having to be IKO3 certified AND take another test with one of their instructors. No daily/weekly/monthly passes. So basically us taxpayers are
funding a public park that decided to sublease kiting access to the water to a private company that offers zero added value to the taxpayers and
single-handedly decide how much they will charge kiters and who they will let use the park. I understand there needs to be a separate area for kiters
but that should not give way to a monopoly of public lands.
Any lawyers out there have ideas? Wife is an urban planner and she thought there is probably something illegal for the state park to be subleasing the
access to the water and limiting the taxpayers ability to use the land.
Too many kites, boards, and etceteras.
|
|
|
elnica
Posts: 363
Registered: 12-12-2010
Location: Miami, FL
Member Is Offline
|
|
What they are doing is illegal since it has not been approved by a majority vote before being put in place.
Restrictions and Exceptions, of Article 7 of the Miami Dade County Home Rule Charter PARKS, AQUATIC PRESERVES, AND PRESERVATION LANDS, states: In
furtherance of this policy parks shall be used for public park purposes only, and subject to the limited exceptions set forth in this Article, there
shall be no permanent structures or private commercial advertising erected in a public park or private commercial use of a public park or renewals,
expansions, or extensions of existing leases, licenses, or concessions to private parties of public park property, unless each such structure, lease,
license, renewal, expansion, extension, concession or use shall be approved by a majority vote of the voters in a county-wide referendum.
Too many kites, boards, and etceteras.
|
|
|
windrider1
Posts: 218
Registered: 10-2-2005
Location: new york
Member Is Offline
|
|
I think its not a bad idea maybe it keeps the kite kooks of the beach. Therefore reducing the changes that they injure themself or someone else and
gets it banned. Any Park can resrtict acees to part for special use purposes i knw we have an area here for land kiting and its a federal park. They
also have other areas for r/c plane flying,, archery and so on U need to purchase a yearly permit also. i think its fair and keeps things organised
and people more responsible . Just the other day a newbie got knocked unconscious from a lofting at my local kite spot. Im not for alot of rules and
stuff but honestly kiteboarding can be very dangerous and it dosent hurt to have some sort of accountability .
MY KITES
nano- 0.5m - high wind kite
mega-2.2m- low wind kite
|
|
|
abkayak
Posts: 2271
Registered: 1-7-2012
Location: a.b. NY
Member Is Offline
Mood: loving life and becoming wise in simplicity
|
|
I use to live down there, know this spot well from before I kited...seems wrong to take the best piece of real estate you could imagine for kiting and
hand over complete control to one for profit institution...did they do that to jet skis too?
US-31...Cquad set/ 2.5 Bullet/ 2.6 Viper/ 2.9m Reactor/ 2- 3.5m Bullet/ 3.6 Beamer/ 4m Buster/ 4m Toxic/ 4m Ikon dp/ 4.5 Bullet/ 4.9m Blade/ 5.6
Twister/ 6.6m Blade/ 7.5 Apex/ 9m Fuel/ Phantom I 9,12,15,18/ 2 Flexibugs/ PL Big Foot/ landboards
|
|
|
PHREERIDER
Posts: 5781
Registered: 2-13-2008
Location: SC
Member Is Offline
Mood: chilled....but ready to SAIL!
|
|
Referendum added it as a control to a problem . There are certainly other spots to ride . I ridden there , don't remember any fees . I knew most of
the instructors there a few years back . Lotta traffic and beach activity there definitely need control and policing, without it a ban was eminent
|
|
|
Bladerunner
Posts: 9679
Registered: 10-17-2006
Location: Vancouver
Member Is Offline
|
|
Just curious. Do they require you gain IKO 3 BEFORE they allow you there or do they ( charge to ) take you to level 3 on site?
I can see both sides of this problem. It is a pity we must be policed but unfortunately this sport attracts a few folks who don't have a lot of common
sense. Like Phree' points out some locations need to be controlled or we would lose them completely. I am not saying that the way it was handled is
100% correct but suspect something was needed to save the location.
We are facing similar issues with spots here. Both on water and land. At least at Squamish you get jet ski rescue service and can pay a day or annual
rate.
Kites: 2.5m Profoil , Quadrifoil XL kitesurfer, NPW 5 Danger.
Flexifoil: 1.7m Sting, 4.9m Blade 3, 9m Blade 2.
Flysurfer : 19m Speed 2 SA, 7m Pulse
Peter Lynn :18m Phantom, 15m Synergy, 10m Synergy, 1200 Farc, 460 Sarc, 130 Tarc, 5m Peel, 4.2m , 6.4, 8.5 C-Quads, 3.5 LS2 single skin.
Rides: Flexi / P.L. Frankin'Buggy , Shaped + straight skiis, sand skis, Coyote blades. Core 95 ATB. RKB R2 ATB .
Ken (K2)
|
|
|
PHREERIDER
Posts: 5781
Registered: 2-13-2008
Location: SC
Member Is Offline
Mood: chilled....but ready to SAIL!
|
|
student+instructor or IKO level 3 card carrying , to ride crando best i remember. its the only certifcation dependent ride spot i know of.
here we go with details...the web site
http://www.miamikiteboarding.com
now that i looked through the photos.. first 4 pics i have kited with those guys since 2008, before and after seemingly our entire crew went to miami
to get instructor cert. just spoke with glen at starbucks last week ...i think i actually kited there christmas eve 2012 i think. place was empty.
for the crando situation , it needs the tight control
|
|
|
elnica
Posts: 363
Registered: 12-12-2010
Location: Miami, FL
Member Is Offline
|
|
IKO3 is required everywhere is South Florida. At Crandon the park handed over control to Miami Kiteboarding who also requires you to take a test with
them (besides having IKO3) and pay a $200 annual membership fee. There is no daily pass, monthly, etc.
I am fine with IKO3 regulations, they are in place everywhere around here, but the park cannot legally hand over rights to a third party that charges
a membership fee for use. That would be using the park for non-public purposes without a referendum.
Too many kites, boards, and etceteras.
|
|
|
PHREERIDER
Posts: 5781
Registered: 2-13-2008
Location: SC
Member Is Offline
Mood: chilled....but ready to SAIL!
|
|
not sure they have handed over the rights, the beach is still public, the activity is regulated.
i believe they(miamiKB) are essentially acting as a hired beach patrol , with cost of operations(and this may included ins.) and profit from sales,
instructor-ship or rentals which have nothing to do with access. they still have to call police or sheriff to enforce. kinda the way it is here.
having iko regulations is meaningless without a party there monitor and somehow enforce.
i would bet its cheaper than more police officers/deputies and how its set up makes it participant supported basically ...if we want an assured place
to ride in/or near metro areas that have high potential for "out of control use by public" thats what it looks like.
i don't know what is done with the funds or how its handled or dispersed with city /county ordinances in place. i know you are not the first to
question the set up.
like a toll road thats built PRIOR to county/state funding, the area needs it despite bonds for it are 20 years out, supported by user...but my
county taxes are supposed to pay for that! i feel you man.
i will ask those at the spot , and in the know.
|
|
|
elnica
Posts: 363
Registered: 12-12-2010
Location: Miami, FL
Member Is Offline
|
|
Miami Kiteboarding doesn't only enforce iko3 regulations, they limit who can kite there by forcing them to pay $200 annually. That amount does not go
to the park. Since it is a membership to a PRIVATE water access club, the park conceded the rights to a private party, which is illegal. This is not
regulation it is privatization of kite access on public lands. There have already been lawsuits about using Crandon Park for private purposes, more
specifically there is one for tennis tournaments since it limits public access, and in order to do so they had to get a 2/3 majority vote in a county
wide referendum, which they did.
Too many kites, boards, and etceteras.
|
|
|
elnica
Posts: 363
Registered: 12-12-2010
Location: Miami, FL
Member Is Offline
|
|
Toll road is a good example, but like if all of a sudden a lane on i95 is leased to a company that now requires a toll for it. I am not even sure if
that would be illegal. On the other hand, doing this with Miami Dade public parks is in direct violation of the rules of public use for the county.
Too many kites, boards, and etceteras.
|
|
|
elnica
Posts: 363
Registered: 12-12-2010
Location: Miami, FL
Member Is Offline
|
|
An even better example:
I am a swimmer, in order to get in the water at Crandon Park I need to have a card that says I can swim. Recently the company enforcing the card
added a $200 membership fee to swim at Crandon Park.
This is privatizing the park, plain and simple.
Too many kites, boards, and etceteras.
|
|
|
skimtwashington
Posts: 1758
Registered: 3-22-2011
Member Is Offline
|
|
That's terrible.
You mean if you just sunbathe or run on the beach it's free..... but if you Kitesurf or simply swim, it's $200 ?
What about lower income families that want to swim there? They cannot easily afford that. Is it $200 each then?... or how much for a whole family?
Kids priced same...? In this light it almost seems exclusionary(to poor folks)..... and like privitization.
What about kite buggying there? Allowed by park(and if terrain allows also)? If allowed, is there any fee/cert?
What do they do w/ the money?
Remind the Park authorities they had best provide a super CLEAN and safe beach park(using $ taken in). You don't want to sue them if you cut your
foot on broken glass they didn't get around to... and the fee charged only adds weight to ' expectations of safe conditions' of the public in your
lawsuit.
|
|
|
PHREERIDER
Posts: 5781
Registered: 2-13-2008
Location: SC
Member Is Offline
Mood: chilled....but ready to SAIL!
|
|
Quote: Originally posted by elnica  | An even better example:
I am a swimmer, in order to get in the water at Crandon Park I need to have a card that says I can swim. Recently the company enforcing the card
added a $200 membership fee to swim at Crandon Park.
This is privatizing the park, plain and simple. |
wow never heard that ! thats crazy!
|
|
|
elnica
Posts: 363
Registered: 12-12-2010
Location: Miami, FL
Member Is Offline
|
|
Haha! I was just giving an example. It's only a true example if you replace the word "swimming" with "kiting". Sorry if it sounded like a real
example.
It does prove how ridiculous and elitist this membership thing is, and how it violates the public use policy of the park.
Miami Kiteboarding does have a family pass for kiting, $450 annual. LOFL.
Too many kites, boards, and etceteras.
|
|
|
elnica
Posts: 363
Registered: 12-12-2010
Location: Miami, FL
Member Is Offline
|
|
PHREE - And to prove another point and answer your question about paying for the costs of enforcing regulations:
Let's assume you are in a world where no one knows how to swim and don't really understand what swimming is. You go to the beach, no one is swimming
of course but you see someone half drowning taking "swimming" lessons. Would you be interested in taking a "swimming" lesson? Would this "swimming"
thing look like fun to you?
When I went to Crandon it was a Saturday and there was one person doing a lesson, 15+ knots and ZERO kiters. Obviously Miami Kiteboarding is also
suffering from this $200 fee. Kiters are free marketing for the school. They attract beachgoers and bring friends interested in lessons. From what I
understood they implemented the $200 because the park asked them to keep the number of kiters low, and it seemed like that is the best they could come
up with to appease the park.
Too many kites, boards, and etceteras.
|
|
|
elnica
Posts: 363
Registered: 12-12-2010
Location: Miami, FL
Member Is Offline
|
|
Matheson Hammock (Adventure Sports) now charges a membership fee too. There is nowhere to kite in Miami anymore, public access disappeared.
Miami Beach is under seige with one tiny spot where kitesurfing isn't banned.
If you are thinking of coming to Miami to kite, look elsewhere. No wind and all public access is now privatized.
Too many kites, boards, and etceteras.
|
|
|
elnica
Posts: 363
Registered: 12-12-2010
Location: Miami, FL
Member Is Offline
|
|
Cabrinha and NP USA instituted this illegal privatization of public parks. Boycott cabrinha and NP.
Too many kites, boards, and etceteras.
|
|
|
kitejumping
Posts: 14
Registered: 4-2-2008
Location: Dillon, CO
Member Is Offline
|
|
I rode there for the first time this year, usually would ride further north at the free beaches. They have day passes for sale on weekdays and will
test you and give you the IKO 3 cert assuming you know what you're doing (weekends it's members only due to the size of the beach and number of people
there). The only thing I didn't like about that place is how everyone insists on leaving their LEI's pumped and laying out on the beach, even when
they are not around, clogging up all the launch areas. I guess if I lived and used to ride there pre-regulation I could see how it would be pretty
annoying.
|
|
|
![[*]](images/perspective/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
