TBKA: Kiters Looking Out For Kiters
2005–2008. TBKA & Kite-4-Life.
Before there was a foundation, there was a crew. From 2005, the Tampa Bay Kiteboarding Association brought local riders together to keep the sport safe, keep launch sites open and give back to the beaches they rode.
Most of what survives from these years comes from tbka.org in 2008: first-hand writeups, forum threads and a community-written launch guide. They show a group already doing the work of a charity before it became one.
Stories From 2005–2008
Right-Of-Way Rules For Kiteboarders
The on-water priority rules TBKA asked every Tampa Bay kiter to follow: outgoing riders, converging riders, upwind and downwind passing.
Gear Maintenance: Making Your Kite Last
TBKA's tips on sand, sun, bladders and lines to get more life out of expensive kiteboarding gear.
Sunset Beach, Tarpon Springs: Launch Guidelines
TBKA's 2008 guide to launching safely at Sunset Beach in Tarpon Springs: wind directions, tides, hazards and etiquette.
Take Lessons First: Looking Out For New Kiters
Why TBKA members asked newer riders where they took lessons, and encouraged them to ride near other kiters.
Florida Boarder Comp: Strapless, Course Racing And Freestyle
A three-discipline kiteboarding contest on St. Pete Beach: a 5-mile strapless downwinder, course racing and freestyle, plus a pre-party rigging race.
Tampa Bay Kite Masters 2008
Recap of the 2008 Tampa Bay Kite Masters race, a most-improved prize for a seven-month rider, and thanks to the sponsors who came through.
Madeira Beach Middle School's Curriculum Celebration
TBKA's first school event: kiters met students and parents at a marine-themed middle school on Boca Ciega Bay and donated lesson packages.
Good Vibrations: Kiters Looking Out For Kiters
Shout-outs from TBKA members: returned gear, borrowed kites and on-water rescues that showed what the community was about.
Training New Instructors: IKO Assistant Certification
TBKA hosted IKO assistant instructor training so more qualified volunteers could teach kiteboarding safely.
Kiting In Currents Around Tampa Bay's Passes
How opposing and following currents change your power and relaunch, and what to do if a pass or rip current grabs you.
The 2008 Tampa Bay Launch Guide
TBKA's community-written guide to Tampa Bay kite launches in 2008: Skyway, Fort De Soto, Treasure Island, Cypress and Sunset Beach.
The Venturi Effect: Updrafts, Mangroves And Lofting
How mangroves, buildings and curved shorelines create updrafts and gusts at East Beach and the Skyway, and how to stay safe.
Working With Fort De Soto Park To Keep Kiting Access
TBKA's meeting with the Fort De Soto park manager: four rules kiters agreed to follow to protect access at East Beach.
Wind Spikes: When Afternoon Storms Roll In
A 2008 TBKA warning about sudden wind shifts and 50 mph gusts across Pinellas County during afternoon storms.
Shell Key Cleanup: 40 Kiters, 80 Volunteer Hours
Over 40 TBKA volunteers and Eckerd College students cleared trash from Shell Key with Pinellas County Environmental Management in June 2008.
TBKA Safety Day And Cookout At East Beach
An all-day TBKA safety clinic at East Beach with self-rescue demos, launch-and-land coaching and a community cookout.
The People Who Built TBKA
Meet the long-time Tampa Bay kiters who formed TBKA's leadership team in 2008 and started the push toward 501(c)(3) status.
TBKA Rider Profiles
Tampa Bay kiters introduced themselves on tbka.org in 2008: how they found the sport, their favorite spots and why the local crew mattered.
Kite-4-Life: By Kiters, For Kiters
Kite-4-Life, ASF's kiteboarding division, helped local kiteboarding associations preserve access and run events, clinics and community outreach.
Dealing With Squalls, Heavy Gusts And Bad Weather
Why crashing your kite first buys you time when a squall line hits, from TBKA's 2008 safety discussions.
From The Archive
Dates and notes recovered from old ASF and TBKA pages.
- Kiteboarding for Cancer, Hood River
A TBKA forum thread shared the 2008 Kiteboarding for Cancer event in Hood River, Oregon.
- Adaptive water-ski event at Lake Seminole
TBKA members attended an event for disabled water-skiers, an early step toward ASF's adaptive work.
- Course racing comes to Tampa Bay
Forum members organized kite course racing sessions.
- Safety Day, beach cleanup and cookout
East Beach, Fort De Soto. Self-rescue demos and launch coaching.
- TBKA Cable Park Invasion
A group cable park session announced on the TBKA forum.