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2010 Summer Newsletter
In this Issue:
* From our President
* The Site Staff
* Opening Work Party
* Squamish Kitebord Race Events
* Parking!
* The Spit Webcam
* Road Grading
* Links
Message from the SWS President
The hair-drier is on full blast, with many posts about "the best day ever". We had an early start in the Howe Sound followed by a lull,
during which a grey whale and a school of pacific white-sided dolphins visited. While in the
area they fed on healthy stocks of herring hatched at the Terminal docks and the Spit! Local
environmental groups continue to protect these important herring spawning sites.
The SWS board has been meeting every month and has many projects on the go. We have
implemented new insurance rules for the windsurfing & kite boarding schools. A new jet ski, as
well as the old ski, ensures uninterrupted retrieval services by staff. The additional ski will cost
the Society a bit more for gas, moorage and insurance but it's worth it to have a back up.
We have acquired a floating sled for the back of the ski, making retrievals and rescues more
effective. All staff have boating and first aid certifications, and are supplied with well stocked
first aid kits.
For those who were not aware, there are strict "No Go" zones in the Estuary as written by law,
by the Squamish Wildlife Area Mngmt Plan; namely the grasslands north and east of the Spit.
We also met with the Squamish Oceanfront Development Corporation and discussed the
Harbour Masters request that there be no wind sports taking place in the Mamquam Blind
Channel near Nexan Lands. This is a voluntary No Go zone. Please respect it. There will be a
map and more on this topic available soon.
Of interest, re-zoning is in progress for Nexan Lands and it's likely that an oceanfront park will
be established there in a year or so. A sailing centre is part of the plan and may be similar to
the Jericho Sailing Centre. As a director of the Squamish Oceanfront Dev Corp, I'll ensure that
interested wind sports users can get involved. In the meantime, have fun out there and see
you on the water!
Sandra Bicego - President, Squamish Windsport Society
New Site Staff
In addition to welcoming back Anneke, we are being graced
with the presence of some new folks! Marie-Eve, Teeanna and
Lauren are helping keep the Spit in order and are running the
rescues on the Seadoo. They may also ask you about your
membership or, to move your kite while on a longer break. It's
crazy busy most weekends.
The 1st Work Party of the 2010 Season
A huge thanks to those who came out to help with mats and sandbags! It's really great to see you out there getting your hands dirty for the love of the Spit.
Big thanks to those who have provided custom made bags to keep our beloved kites
weighted down.
Also, we all owe JM a ton of beer for the endless hours he pours into managing the Spit and
it's staff. He and we would appreciate your help again at the end of the season, and will
spread the message when the time arrives.
Squamish Kiteboard Race Series & 2010 National Championships
For details visit:
SquamishWindsports.com/events/events
Also announcing:
The SWS is in its second year of local Kiteboard series racing, and it has shown to be a great
success. In an effort to bring a higher calibre of racing to the region, the West Coast Open
was created, with the intention of becoming a premiere stop for anyone serious about
kiteboard racing in North America and otherwise. As such, this event is open entry to any
competent kiteboarders, with the hope that word will spread about the excellent potential
that this venue provides for hosting such events.
The Spit will be open for member use. There will be times when the launch area will be
launching 25 riders in a short period of time. So, the end third of the launch area will
be sectioned off for this purpose. We will send out a separate communication with
additional information very soon. We are also looking for volunteers. If you're
interested, contact the race committee at SWS.Racing@gmail.com
Thanks to race director Kyle Touhey, there has been a drop-in race series scheduled throughout the summer. The 2 remaining dates are: August 28 and
September 11. Please feel free to come out and give it a go!
Parking Signs
There are new parking signs at the Spit which indicate where and how to park. These new
rules are in place for trailers and vehicles too large to parallel park, and to address the
ongoing problem with people parking in the turnaround. It's very busy most days so please
follow the signs and help keep the area running smoothly.
The Spit Webcam
We are experiencing technical difficulties with the webcam but it's being looked into. The
SWS board hopes to get it up and running again soon. In the meantime there is a new wind meter at the terminal which gives real time wind forecasts throughout the day. We are very grateful to the Squamish Terminals for allowing us access to their weather station readings!
Try it:
www.squamishwindsports.com/wind/
Road Grading
We were lucky in June this year when the road to the spit was graded. We have sent a letter
of thanks to the District of Squamish Mayor, Council and staff. In the past, the road was
graded often, but with the District operating under tight budgets, it is unlikely that the road
will be upgraded or graded regularly.
It is recognized that the dike road and the Spit offers visitors an exceptional scenic view of the
Estuary and that we've seen upwards of 100 spectators on some weekends. This increase in
visitation out to the Spit, may afford us positive basis for the District to establish a set budget
for road grading in the future.
Please take the extra minute or two to drive the speed limit. You will help extend the condition of the road as well as maintain the health of your vehicle.
Please check out the following great articles on the SWS website:
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Your Membership and Day Fees at Work
*
The Spit Lease Ours to Enjoy and Protect
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On October 1, 2009 the Board of Directors of the Squamish Windsports Society
MOVED that: All kite schools operating from the Spit be required:
-to carry comprehensive general liability insurance which meets the requirements of the
Squamish Windsports Society insurers, with Squamish Windsports Society named as
an additional insured; that coverage be a minimum of $2,000,000 and that each
school be required to provide the Secretary with a copy of its certificate of insurance
before commencing operations each year.
- pay membership or day use fees for instructors and inform students of their responsibility to pay such fees
- moor motorized watercraft used for teaching at the SWS float
- avoid using the Spit as an area for teaching.
SWS appreciates the assistance of school staff and watercraft with retrieval services. If you have questions please feel free to contact me via squamishws@gmail.com
Sincerely,
Gwen L'Hirondelle
Secretary, Squamish Windsports Society
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