Upgrade the "Where to Ride"

[adseguy]

Hi everyone.

So I might not be the only one who thinks this, but with todays' technology and since this site is an internet forum I think the "Where to Ride" section on the homepage needs a little update. I'd be glad to do it and provide a new, and IMO better, way to give directions to people.

Currently we have written directions for when you get close and most of the sections don't even have road names just how many left's to take before you actually take a left. 1990 directions? Anyway, what I propose is using google's built in directions to hyperlink your way to spots. We can then accurately show where to park and even circle out what section of the beach to ride and launch from. It shouldn't be too hard if you have some API experience and google makes it much easier.

Here is a Waukegan example:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&q=42.36 ... aukegan%29


I can't show you an API example since the HTML code on this forum is disabled, but here are some examples:

http://code.google.com/apis/maps/docume ... indow.html

http://code.google.com/apis/maps/docume ... oding.html


This would just be a little upgrade to an awesome site. Again, I'd be willing to do it in my freetime. I can grab the source code right off the page I just don't want to start working on it without knowing if it will appear on the site.

Gimme some feedback!

WooHoo BVI trip in 2 days for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[t bagger bob]

great idea adseguy!

i`ve always wanted to go to some of the indiana and michigan launch sites. with good directions and a map, i would start showing up at some of these spots. nothing worse than driving in circles when you can see the wind in the trees.

good luck and good wind for everyone

tbb

[adseguy]

So a no-go on this. Way to be progressive

[kris]

progressive? how bout protective?


maybe we don't want you at our spots!!! If you have to ask, then you don't need to know

maybe we are afraid that if one more person gets hurt at our spots they will get shut down. maybe we are afraid that people don't respect their own abililty levels and will get a spot shut down.

maybe I'm just a big a$$ and don't care to ride in crowds

listen to the wind..it will tell you were to go.

[adseguy]

progressive? how bout protective?


maybe we don't want you at our spots!!! If you have to ask, then you don't need to know

maybe we are afraid that if one more person gets hurt at our spots they will get shut down. maybe we are afraid that people don't respect their own abililty levels and will get a spot shut down.

maybe I'm just a big a$$ and don't care to ride in crowds

listen to the wind..it will tell you were to go.

huh? I don't know if that was a joke, or high, or serious.....

[kris]

probably just high!

(but image emiticon with red eyes and looking a bit more dizzy)

[Kevin]

Adrien -

What you propose makes complete sense to me. Hopefully some of the administrators will give you the OK.

-Kevin

[bunaruna]

I made a google mymap last week, to help my friends find different kiting spots. You can put in your address and get directions to each launch.

Feel free to share/update this as necessary...

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8& ... 74&t=h&z=8

Adrien - I've worked with the google api's a lot, so I could def help you build these out.

[West]

Go get 'em Kris, you sure as hell "crack me up".........Don't know if you were serious or just high....or just seriously high. Keep ripping up the sunrises my friend, and keep wearing that CAMO gear, so noone can see you coming or going!!

Kris' point simply was that if you keep riding enough you will find all of the spots without the use of any radar or map or kaliedoscope, whatever they are...and wherever they are. It should be like a scavenger hunt, per say, where the looking is about as much fun as the finding!!!

[kris]

- what West said

yeah. too many early AM before work sessions combined with all the ice cream headaches from eatin snow for breakfast has effected my brains thought processessesseesseesses

give it some time, new riders should be shown places to ride, not given a detailed map. the maps give a general idea of where to go but a local rider's tour is better cause they know all the dangers. obstacles, where to park....all of which can change season to season.

after some experience a rider will know when and where to go , don't need turn by turn to-scale map

i fear that if you give out too many details a new rider could go off on their own ignorant of a launches dangers and such and could get into trouble (see last years Kosh incident), or piss off a farmer person cause they didn't park in the right place, or piss off a resident cause they did't know that the neighborhood doesn't like you parkin your car across from their driveways in the winter....etc..etc

now you may say that what about an experienced rider....an experienced rider will ask a local. we are a small community a riders in WI, MI, IL we all know each other by at least 2 Kevin Bacon levels.


If some one asks me about Kosh, i may ask a few questions and depending on the answers would lay out the options. And at the same time when I visited corpus last spring the first thing I did was hit up the locals as to all the beta

..blah blah blah

I realy am not a dick , I swear

[West]

I don't believe you.

[t bagger bob]

assuming we are talking about public access launch spots, i think it is important to give out as much info as possible if you are listing a site on this forum. so people don`t park in the wrong place, or launch from the wrong spot, or don`t know about other possible problems. people are going to go to these places anyway. i say let`s get them to the right spot.

i`ll never forget back in the windsurf days i went on surfari to wolf lake and ended up windsurfing in the fishing areas. no harm done except for the load of weeds i dragged around on my fin. if someone goes looking for a kite launch site he/she might end up in the wrong place and with no other kiters there to help/encourage/or be told what to do and not do.

i know the fear of new kiters showing up and blowing it for everyone by doing something wrong. if a certain spot is not a beginner spot, that info should be posted.

thanks and good wind

tbb

[kris]

well, its a free country, you can do what you want.

but l'll toss out one last analogy....

think of it like buying alcohol for minors. Would you buy for a stranger teenager? would you buy for your brother that you were going to go fishing with any ways or that you knew you could trust?

maybe this is one of those "you'll understand when you are older" things

think of your answers and put them into a "preserving lives and/or preserving kite launches" mental thought.

enough banter....

i got some ice cubes to shake...and some beer to pick up for the local farmers...(west's equivalent to stones but for winter use)

rattle rattle rattle ppppsssssst (sound of three ice cubes shaking and a spotted cow opening)

[JohnHall]

I set this up a while ago for NYC kiting spots. Its an open map so anyone can add or edit sites wikipedia style. Not sure anyone really used it but I thought it was solid site and easy to access from mobile phone.

http://platial.com/map/Kiteboarding-Spots/36013

[V]

if you want to put something together, pm me your email and we can discuss...