Kites are pretty!

Sometimes when the wind kicks up, the sand stays put and the kiteboarders come out to play. Awesome to watch. Probably even better to be out there.

You can't really tell when the kites are swirling through the air above you, but they pump air into the frame tubes. So I guess if one hits you, it can't be the end of the world. It just might give you a friendly little tap, strong enough to nail you into the sand. However I'd rather not tangle with the lines when they're taught enough to drag overgrown adults through the water at breakneck speed.

Is my beach pretty or what?

So learning how isn't all that easy. I stupidly sat a little ways away from these three. I thought it was a safe distance, and promptly buried my face in my book. But only one of them knew how to fly the thing properly. When he had the controls, the bugger behaved. When this other kid took the reigns that kite turned into a rabid dive-bombing ferret with wings. All beach loungers, take cover. The novice is at the wheel and the kite's driving. At one point I had to drop my book to dive out of the way, while the monster kite ate sand inches from where I was happily devouring Rushdie. POW! Quite a show. And really, it's a lot more fun watching some poor kid getting his ass hauled down the beach, stuffing his wetsuit with a couple tons of sand, than just seeing the pros skim the water and kick up yet another rooster tail.

A proper ass-hauling and heading right towards me.

Thou shalt control your kite, and not let the kite control you, or at least teach it how to play nice. I guess sometimes free will is up for negotiation.