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Natural common instinct - BE AWARE

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sols
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Natural common instinct - BE AWARE

Postby sols » Tue Dec 05, 2006 5:41 pm

This might sound funny but it freaked me out. For a minute I thought someone was trying to kill me but it was just something that can happen to any kiter.

Coming in for a break I started talking with a mate while having my kite at the zenith. This guy approaches ( friend of my mate ) who has never seen a kite before. As I was talking to my mate his friend was looking at my bar and suddenly out of the blue grabs my left back line and pulls it hard. The kite went into a dive and I started yelling '' let go let go!!!!!!'' The mthrfckr wouldn't let go!!!! He just wouldn't let go. The kite did 2 loops and crashed a few inches next to a guy pumping his kite. When the line had no power he then let go and said ''sorry, I don't know why I did this''.

When I had my kite back in control I was thinking ' what the fck was that '. He said he just wanted to know what the line did if you pull but when he pulled he just couldn't let go. I must have yelled let go about ten times.

When I teach I notice my students take some time to learn to let go of the bar to depower. It's a natural instinct not to let go of something that pulls you. So be aware all kiters. Don't let unexperienced people come too close to you when you're flying your kite on the beach. I've had lots of people wanting to touch my bar or grab a line while flying on the beach but this was something special. It happend very fast and the guy wasn't responding to my yelling.

C.Soleas

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Postby Hairy » Tue Dec 05, 2006 6:11 pm

I think i might have pulled my release. If he wants to hold onto it, its his lookout or a quick sucker punch might have made him let go of it. :thumb:

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Postby HelldogBE » Tue Dec 05, 2006 6:17 pm

have fear for unknowing tourists approaching u or your kite!!

I like it a lot more when they're watching me on the beach while i'm on the water rather then when my stuff is at the beach or I am approached flying a kite :lol:

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Postby OnTheFritz » Tue Dec 05, 2006 6:27 pm

Not to funny, really sux as I had the same scenario happen to me. Living in SW Florida you have a higher ratio of old folks (retirees) that walk the beach and are amazed with the idea of a kite pulling you on the water.

I just came in and was walking toward my bag/beach gear to get a drink of water when a guy comes up and inquires about the kite and how it works. As Im looking up at the kite, he takes both hands and grabs my bar pulling to the right. I yelled the same thing "LET GO OF THE BAR!" at least 4-5 times while I was resisting the kite and trying to do a light body check/shove and even grabbed his hands. But I was trying to pull the kite the other way to resist his pull in that direction. He was around 55-60 years old and literally had no idea. His wife was even yelling at him to let go. The kite began to do a kite loop, after the first loop it was heading towards some people walking on the beach and I gave one last body check to finally get him free from the bar. I was furious and warned him to never do that again to anybody and that he could have seriously injured someone. Now I try to keep a distance from people when answering a question. If they begin to ask lots of questions I point them to the internet or instruction from an instructor.

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Postby jahmaze » Tue Dec 05, 2006 6:38 pm

I would have round-house kicked him in the face.. this is dangerous !

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Postby Windrider » Tue Dec 05, 2006 7:22 pm

Those type of people should get the "Darwin Proxy" awards. Their idiocy could lead to the elimination of those who would otherwise be survivors.

I'm sorry, but any DingBat in today's world (anytime after the industrial revolution) knows that you don't jerk around on (1) the steering wheel when someone else is driving, (2) the handles of a bicycle when someone else is riding it, (3) the throttle of a lawn mower when someone else is driving, or (4) the hand of the person who is cutting your hair with electric clippers. Anyone older than 10 is aware that you don't fart around with something that someone else is keeping under their control.

The person is either a misanthrope with evil intent or senile.

Trouble is that I wouldn't even suspect that someone would do that.... they'd probably catch me by surprise, too. Now I know. Thanks for the enlightenment. Watch out for misanthropic or senile looking zombies who approach you on the beach. They may try to grab your lines.... run away! Seek shelter back on the water where they dare not go.

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Postby sols » Tue Dec 05, 2006 7:34 pm

Yeah man, I was so surprised I couldn't talk for a few minutes. Everyone freezed cause it was totally unexpected.

I told the guy he can't just grab the steering wheel when someone else is driving, but he kept on saying i'm sorry i'm sorry. Common sense is not common anymore.

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Postby RickI » Tue Dec 05, 2006 8:23 pm

It is best to try to anticipate what people might do if you can. This isn't always possible but staying aware to the possibility and calling out a firm precaution in advance can make all the difference.

Years ago a woman was blasted under a van suffering some serious injury because someone grabbed her bar. I met her just last year at the Jupiter competition. Nice lady, it sucks that something like that could happen to anyone.

There is an instructor on the west coast of Florida who landed a downwinder in front of a beachfront bar. A drunk guy demanded to fly his kite and then grabbed the bar inducing a lofting. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt.

I bet there have been others as well.

This subject came up a few years ago in response to yet another case under:

DON'T PULL THAT!

AT: phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=392100

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Postby abowman » Tue Dec 05, 2006 8:58 pm

Man... I totally understand that its not instinct to let go of the bar when you're in trouble. Natural reaction is to hold on tight.. That part I get..
The part where people grab the bar while you're flying the kite however... that's nuts! Seriously... why would you do that? I don't get it.

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Postby MissionMan » Tue Dec 05, 2006 9:08 pm

I had the same thing happen to me in Saudi Arabia. I was kiting half moon bay, came in for a breather and had my kite in the air while I drank some water (friggen hot there).

Some Saudi youngster walks up, starts asking me questions and then pulls one side of my bar of my not bow like depower c-kite, before i even realised it I was in a kiteloop on a 12m C kite in 20 knots (I'm 70kg's). Big superman style jump to chest slide face plant on the ground, while the saudi casually walked away.

Also don't let people near my bar anymore now.


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