Long Beach Landboarding Woes

Naanan · Since 16 Feb 2007 10 Posts New Member

Was anyone aware that you can drive on Longbeach and aparently drink alchohol on LongBeach but you can't kite with a board attached to your feet?

I was out Sunday, about a mile or two south of Ocean Park. I had my 9.5 Montana up and about to get on my mountain board when the park ranger drives up. She gets out of her rig and walks over to my friend and I. My friend had a full bottle of wine in one hand and a six pack in the other. I thought for sure we were going to get the no alchohol speech. I asked her if everything was OK and she told me that I can't be on a board with a kite. She said nothing of the booze so it sounds like you can drink on the beach without issue.

To her credit the Park Ranger was very cool about it and she was pleasant and friendly. I didn't give her a hard time and just thanked her for the info. I wish all public servants were like her, she did a superb job. The issue is that the rule sucks. I am sure that it is because of the cars (it is like a freeway out there in the summer) but giving the right of way to a motorvehicle in a recreational area seems a bit backwards to me.

Thoughts?

KITEADDICT · Since 13 Apr 2006 117 Posts PDX west side Stoked

That sucks I went land boarding on saterday at Seaside and got some wierd looks. But no cops or rangers. The tide was way out and plenty of room. I hope they dont outlaw it.

Nak · Mon May 14, 07 9:07 pm

When something like this happens, very politely ask "Specifically, which regulation or law is being broken?" That way, we can work to get the law changed. If we just sit back and let this crap happen, we're going to regret it later on. Or now.

Nak

Naanan · Since 16 Feb 2007 10 Posts New Member

Yeah I had thought afterwards that I should have gotten the RCW # and the park rangers name. I figure if you file a complaint against the regulation and couple that with a compliment for the ranger it may go a long ways toward being taken seriously. I can't express how friendly the ranger was (I thought she was going to ask if she could fly the kite she seemed so interested in that part of it).

I am going to do some research on the regulations and see if I can find out on my own. If I get any more info I will try to get a petition together. I understand where they are coming from due to all the traffic but I don't think that cars and motor vehicles should ever have the dominant position in a recreational area.

Mocean · Since 21 Sep 2005 343 Posts Newport Obsessed

Washington regs applying to beach landboarding w/kite are hard to find but I'd be interested to see the wording of the law and if does indeed apply to kites or just land "sailing".

In Oregon, the closest type of regulation applies beaches within Cannon Beach and Seaside as follows:

OAR 736-030-0030

Prohibition of Windsailing

No person shall windsail on any beach within the city limits of Cannon Beach and Seaside except by permit from the city. A windsail is a sail propelled 3 or 4 wheeled cart.

Stat. Auth.: ORS 390.660
Stats. Implemented: ORS 390.124 & ORS 390.660
Hist.: PR 11-1994, f. 11-29-94, cert. ef. 12-1-94

So, the question is whether a kite/mountain board set-up or kite-cart is considered "sail propelled". This rule is part of a set of rules that apply only within certain identified cities and the city cops have the responsibility of enforcing them. It may only become an issue if there's complaints or safety concerns observed by the police.

archkiter · Since 18 Dec 2005 32 Posts p-town

Come down to Sunset Beach there are usually a couple of buggiers or boarders about. Never had a problem there. Very Happy

Washington is messed up. Rolling Eyes

Naanan · Since 16 Feb 2007 10 Posts New Member

Unfortunately if you were to try to explain the semantic difference between a kite and a sail I think you would still get the boot. I think that a kite is a sail and they just haven't appended the rule.

I searched the RCW's yesterday for over an hour and found no such regulation. I am wondering if it is indeed an RCW regulation or if the park rangers have just been instructed to say it is.

I looked up sunset beach and it looks like it is within the Seaside city limits making it subject to the above regulation. Although the beach extends north toward warrenton. I once went out on the north end of FT Stevens and the beach was horible with wind wraps and turbulence. Is the beach between the spit and warrenton wider and more flat?

I love the idea of land boarding because that 9.5 foil really pulls like a truck in as low as 10 mph and it provides a great outlet to learn kite control without the fear of being pulled through the water by a downed kite.

Anyway, I will keep looking.

tstansbury · Since 06 Jun 2006 649 Posts Rowena and P.C Addicted

some sections of beach that you can drive on are actually clasified as roads (that is why you can only drive licensed vehicles on them) I do not know if this is related.

archkiter · Since 18 Dec 2005 32 Posts p-town

I don't know if Sunset Beach is a part of Seaside or not but I know several land kiters who are out there almost everyday and never had a problem. Cars on the beach are the only down side but other than that it is flat and wide open at low tide. Winds are good and clean unless they are from the east. Here is a little 360 panorama of the beach Very Happy

http://home.comcast.net/~stace78/stacecase/sunsetbeach.html (this is the part of the beach North or the entrance towards Warrenton)

Have heard the car/ road argument before- ie: that all vehicles need to be road legal, so no buggies or landboards- seems this only applies in Washington.

Still it would be nice to find out if this is just something that rangers are trying to discourage or whether it is an actual law.

Mocean · Since 21 Sep 2005 343 Posts Newport Obsessed

The city limits of Seaside only extend to the mouth of the Necanicum River. North is the City of Gearhart, then unincorporated Clatsop County. So no restrictions on land sailing or kite landboarding north of the Necanicum - having previously worked for OR State Parks for 10 years I'm familiar with these rules. The beach is considered a state recreation area, not a highway, as some think.

redbeerd · Since 11 Nov 2014 8 Posts Corvallis, OR New Member

CrazyHerb · Since 04 Oct 2008 79 Posts Ilwaco, WA

As of the 25 May Cranberry to Oysterville is open to wind vehicles.

Occupied Columbia · Since 12 Nov 2011 376 Posts Columbia City Obsessed

CrazyHerb · Since 04 Oct 2008 79 Posts Ilwaco, WA