Postby speedyRider » Mon Feb 11, 2008 9:38 am
Im going to tell my experience.
situation, im a begginer but with good kite control. Wind 15-18 knots aproximately. Direction: almost completely onshore. The sea is too wild for me to enter (was crazy), so i decide to practice a bit in the sand to get better with the kite control. The beach has a lot of space everywhere, i know you shouldnt be much time on beach but this was safe as i have control and lot of space. A beach pub around 150 metres, and a town road behind it, with some ppl also going for a walk. Kite: 11 metres bow
In this situation my big mistake was to come to the beach with my girlfriend, who hasnt kite experience. I had at home showed her videos of how to assist launching/landing the kite. At the beach i told her again and told her how important this was as this could result in a big accident on my part. I told her again and again but somehow she pays no attention maybe cause he dislikes all this stuff or is just scared of the kite or whatever. 2nd mistake: no kite leash (i forgot).
On launching, he wasnt holding the kite well, the kite rolled, into the edge of window fortunately and from there i could launch it as if i relaunched it from water. Flied kite around 20 minutes, practicing putting it in different parts of the wind window, getting drag on my feet a bit, and even practicing some small jumps, the waterstart on land, etc. All was ok and i prepared to pack it home. Told her i was going to put the kite down, that he had to hold the leading edge as i told her, id walk towards her a few steps, and then she had to put the kite in the parking position looking to where i had tell her. Well, it didnt work. She didnt hold the kite well, the kite rolled, and somehow i think one of the briddles tangled with a wingtip or something, the kite rolled on ground to the center of the wind window, i knew it was going to relaunch, she was near the kite, screamed at her to go get the kite, she didnt (scared or something), so the kite launched, i was expecting a big boost, so i reacted well and self-released myself, when the kite started doing kiteloops (briddle or something was wrong) i couldnt stop it from kitelooping, and was being dragged brutally in the beach pub direction. I kept calm, knew that a line had got tangled or something, and all my hope was that the kite would hit ground and stop. It didnt, and i was getting closer, i knew if i released kite it was going to the beach bar and/or the road behind. Finally with the wall of the beach pub getting closer i released bar and let go off the kite. Kite went to the beach pub wall, without getting anyone (on the procces people screaming all over the place while my girl thought i couldnt disangage from the kite), passed through road and into a palm tree where it stopped. The kite is broken but it can be repaired. Nothing happened here. There were many ppl there and cars passing, i was lucky noone was hurt.
Lesson 1: do not tell anyone who is new to kites to help you launch/land the kite even if you explain him/her a dozen times. I read safety topics often, and had read you basically put your life into your assistant hands, but learned how true this can be.
Lesson 2: Never forget the kite leash
Conclusion: this was the sum of some factors. If my girl had landed the kite well, nothing would have happened. If the kite hadnt rolled and tangled a bridle it would have hot started i would have been a bit dragged but nothing would have happened. Not sure though if leash would have done a difference here in the kite relaunching itself or not also.Fortunately all went ok apart from the bill for repairing the kite.
Hope this helps someone