Playa Puerto Alberni launch aka "the big blue whale"

the big blue whale

your uh...intrepid reporter (cough, cough) filed this story recently for the Alberni valley times

this will become the ramp for launching kites from the dock at the wildwestwatersports site

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At sunset, Monday July 26, the Wild West Watersports gang with help from Brad Berry Enterprises
launched the kite ramp at the old plywood site and new wind sport park at the end of Third Ave.


Made from a recycled fish farm pontoon and weighing approximately 20 tons and more than 90ft in length over the past weeks Wild West Watersports and many friends and volunteers have been
grinding, sanding and painting the old pontoon in readiness for placing it at the end of the dock at the old plywood site so that watersports enthusiasts including, kiteboarders, kayakers and windsurfers can access the beautiful waters of the Alberni inlet.

the excavator playing roll the logs

Brad Berry, his excavator, and ground support Paul Wagner, rolled the giant pontoon along the ground in similar fashion to early Egyptian pyramid construction methods with logs generously supplied by log salvager, John Christmas. Logs were placed perpendicularly in front of the pontoon so that they were able to roll it along the ground towards the water.

dumping it in the drink

a little leverage for the final push

It was a real community event as the windsurfers and kiters in attendance that day along with their families watched in awe as Brad artfully manipulated the boom sticks like toothpicks to easily roll
the twenty ton 90 foot behemoth, dubbed the Blue Whale, into the water with a massive splash as the sun disappeared over the horizon." - Alberni Valley Times, freelance contributor, Rod Frew

almost there

Oh ya the kiting has been good too! Grins.