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World's sketchiest kite launch sites

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Osprey1
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Re: World's sketchiest kite launch sites

Postby Osprey1 » Fri Mar 29, 2013 7:11 pm

Wow Taiwan is core

jespin4845
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Re: World's sketchiest kite launch sites

Postby jespin4845 » Fri Mar 29, 2013 9:40 pm

i will never again complain about crowded beaches, dog crap and sea shells

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Bille
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Re: World's sketchiest kite launch sites

Postby Bille » Sat Mar 30, 2013 6:02 am

Mohave is a place which lures a person into a false sense of confidence ---
Nice sunny beach, not Really crowded except weekends, awesome wind
that tames down a bit in the bay & beach, making launch Easy !!

BUT :

In the afternoon around 1:pm, the wind direction will fluctuate from SSE towards the
SSW ; which drives the thermals from out of the desert towards the unsuspecting
kiter with his back turned to the danger. What makes it even worst is a 50ft hill
located on the extreme South end of the beach ; this will disguise the onset of a thermal
until it's Way too late.

The thermals that hit our beach have lofted people high enough
to give Life-Flight a few hours of work with the aftermath !

I sure Hope I Never get drug at Mohave, ((for Ya fo)) , that's caused a few people to quit the sport; i usually
have one hand on my QR while launching down there. I bin told by some out-siders, that having
the kit at Zenith is a BAD idea ; i "Think" there correct, and want to break that habit.

If Ya come to Mohave ; please go : "at Least to the center of the beach,or North of
center, to set up & launch" ...

Bille

Clew In
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Re: World's sketchiest kite launch sites

Postby Clew In » Sat Mar 30, 2013 2:53 pm

Here you go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... Am1y_m2g1Y

And many other things also.


Rock On!

Clew In

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Peter_Frank
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Re: World's sketchiest kite launch sites

Postby Peter_Frank » Sat Mar 30, 2013 6:38 pm

Clew In wrote:Here you go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... Am1y_m2g1Y

And many other things also.


Rock On!

Clew In
A terrible accident, and good to know he survived !

But I can not see anything "sketchy" about that place, except for maybe gusty wind as there is land on the other side.
Actually it looks way better than most spots IMO :thumb:

By the way - what happened - did a line break ? It did not look that way...
It might look like the (unfortunately) classic error - to hold on with one hand only, when a gust hits and you get scared, and then things will accelerate into a nightmare very fast :(
Let go with both hands, or hold on with both hands - NEVER hold on with one hand (and releasing of course the most important, but it was covered in the text below that he had not learned/practiced this).
I've seen one getting seriosly injured and hospitalized because of letting go with one hand, and this was in pretty normal winds - and then he got catapulted up and hit the ground so hard when the kite looped down again in the zone, that he stopped kitesurfing for good after recovering...

Unfortunately it IS the normal way you react, when the bar pressure suddenly increases (especially with a kite like in the video with almost double amount of bar pressure, at least higher than average :roll: )
You will let go because you dont want to get pulled "over" (forward), but you keep holding on with one hand, as you feel you have a bit of control of things then :naughty:
Which is the absolutely worst thing one can do - even holding on with both hands and getting lofted is not nearly as dangerous IMO.
So a natural thing to do, when new - and we are all responsible for teaching this to new kitesurfers 8)

:D Peter

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chemosavi
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Re: World's sketchiest kite launch sites

Postby chemosavi » Sun Mar 31, 2013 1:05 am

World's sketchiest kitesurfers.


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