Kiteforum.com

Sick. Can't wait for the full episode on ocean paddler tv . OC Dig. 2012 ( time warner)

http://vimeo.com/50091662

Hey Fabian, what is the concept here, demolition outrigger derby, see how many paddlers you can maim, knock out and drown? What waterman in her right mind would paddle out bunched up with other craft into breaking waves like that? Worse, paddle in beam to some nasty breakers, with another loaded outrigger to inevitably slam into. If you're going to run a legitimate race have a staggered start, space the craft out, have the line past the breakers or whatever, unless the intent is to mess people up. Then they should change the name of the race, get syndicated with the WWF or something.

You can read more about this mess, ten swamped boats, a lady with broken ribs and six rescuers put at risk to sort things out with 16 to 20 ft. breaking waves. I know there is tradition to consider but I doubt they are still using all sewn timber hulls either. Organizers should change their approach with hazardous conditions. http://themolokainews.com/2012/09/24/la ... -o-ke-kai/

RickI wrote:Hey Fabian, what is the concept here, demolition outrigger derby, see how many paddlers you can maim, knock out and drown? What waterman in her right mind would paddle out bunched up with other craft into breaking waves like that? Worse, paddle in beam to some nasty breakers, with another loaded outrigger to inevitably slam into. If you're going to run a legitimate race have a staggered start, space the craft out, have the line past the breakers or whatever, unless the intent is to mess people up. Then they should change the name of the race, get syndicated with the WWF or something.

??? You don't know what happened. The swell was unpredictable . It was not the intend to f people up. What the hell. They live and breathe the ocean, so let them make the call. They know whats up. It's a race, a world class race. And what they went trough is sick.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ocean-Pa ... 6245975609

Are you saying the swells just started breaking like that, 16 to 20 ft. breakers just after the start, there was no warning? You are right, I don't know what happened being half a world away. I was mainly commenting on what shows up in your video. It shows out of control conditions, with boats all bunched up waiting to get taken out as there was insufficient leeway to avoid striking other boats regardless of watermanship of the paddlers. Several commented it was amazing that only one person was hospitalized in your FB link. This with ten swamped boats weighing 400 pounds being driven into one another in some cases, by major surf. All this was unavoidable and acceptable with reasonable organization as none of this could have been anticipated?

rick,

stick to your mundane riding and posting about " kiter safety"

Hawaii is another world. They have the power to stay on the beach if they want. They choose to live outside the parameters we mainlanders falsely believe we are confined to.

Looks like fun!

But... lifejackets, anyone? Dudes in the motorboats didn't even have them on

Wow.

If you think that kind of stuff is too dangerous for experienced people to be doing, avoid Australasia also lol (all be it in heavier/bigger boats).

Not doing a talk on kiteboard safety at Italy meeting about olympic kiteboard racing decisions?

I dunno it is hard to say. I think there is a lot of pressure to make things happen once everyone is there. It looks awesome tho.

BUT I doubt all those girls really felt comfortable in those waves. It is a team sport and I bet some of the girls felt kind of pressured.

I've had to pull quite a few kayakers to shore the past years..once we were three kiters that shuttled in and out to pick up some that had misjudged the size of the swell....
Just last year I got to a guy that was completely worn out. We made it to his kayak just has it started getting crushed on the reef. Another time I pulled a quadriplegic off the reef. Someone had taken him surfing but fell off the board with no leash. There are a lot of stupid decisions made by all of us ocean users....I mean it is killer to take a quadriplegic surfing, but maybe not in 10 foot waves.

yeah i actually agree with you but depends on their own abilities/experience/views and I don't know them.

quadraplegic in 10ft waves without a leash, losing your student... !

Pretty crazy!