Kiteforum.com

.
10/11/13
Kiter dies in NYC - Plumb Beach
http://new.ikitesurf.com/forums/viewtop ... =1&t=27447

Anyone have more details ?

Richard M.
Malibu Kitesurfing - since 2002
(310) - 430 - KITE (5483)
http://www.MalibuKitesurfing.NET
kfRichard@MalibuKitesurfing.NET

Another death that blows.. R.I.P bro

Too many lately.

Every day more people get interested in kiteboarding. With high demand, comes also the lurkers, looking for easy money. And also people with no patiance to learn the basic dinamics of the sport or the risks involveld.

With that scenario in mind, it's no surprise that accidents are, unfortunatelly, more frequent. Hope the situation never escalates to a level which the sport gets too restricted.

There are a few local news reports on this:
http://kensingtonbk.com/crime/kensingto ... n-rockaway
Unfortunately, most describe this as kayaking or parasailing accident.

The guy was a beginner with ~3months of experience. I guess he had problems consistently staying upwind. The wind was side-shore (E). Everyone else was kiting ~500 meters upwind of Kingsborough community college and marine channel (2 main obstacles). For reasons unknown, after being blown downwind and dropping the kite in the channel, the guy decided not to get back to others and launched 500m downwind of everyone else. He had a few tacks in front of Kingsborogh college's rocky east seawall and was blown downwind to the south side (also a seawall made of rocks). It seamed like he was planning to have a down-winder to Manhattan beach or Coney Island. When someone saw his kite down and a kayaker called police and EMS.
Most people, I spoke to, believe that the guy decided to walk upwind, slipped, smashed his head and was dragged in to the water..

deniska wrote: ...
Most people, I spoke to, believe that the guy decided to walk upwind, slipped, smashed his head and was dragged in to the water..

So --- NO Helmet ? !!

MarcThompson wrote: ...And also people with no patiance to learn the basic dinamics of the sport or the risks involveld.
...

Was blowing 25-28kts one day and a beginner told me :

"How hard could it Be ? I just watched YOU do it ... " . ;
Then he proceeded to get MAD at me cause i wouldn't help
launch his 100Lb mother , who Also never had lessons !!

Bille

Super sad , Rip.

Probably more - these just ones i remember recently. I can't vouch for full accuracy, edit if you know better - not first hand details below..

Canada - kited for several years - deathloop /tangled drowned in water 14 5 13

Canada - kiting a few years - hit rocks 11-8-13

Australia - kiting 10 years - hit a tree 23-9-13

US NYC - not kiting long - hit rock seawall 7-10-13

It is a real shame we have an organization like IKA pretending to represent our interests, and yet they don't think facilities any different to sailing are required for a kitesurfing event (no buffer zone ie. land for launching landing etc etc ). Safe as any other sport they say. Accidents do happen, but being open an honest is in the interest of all kiters. Industry can stick it where the sun don't shine if they are sellouts.

Anyway - NZ has windguru like the annoying stars that come up for default maui right now.. soooo....

My sincere regrets go out to the man's family and friends.

I have been researching this accident and plan to post a summary to pass on some of the hard won lessons. He was a newer kiter but had taken lessons and had self-rescued earlier that day I understand showing some skill in being able to do so. As with many serious accidents, it seems to have been the result of a number of smaller choices and in this case in fairly light winds.

I am aware of one other fatality beyond those that you listedlongwhitecloud involving a fatal lofting in Brazil last January. There may well have been others but I have not heard about them yet.

longwhitecloud wrote:Super sad , Rip.

Probably more - these just ones i remember recently. I can't vouch for full accuracy, edit if you know better - not first hand details below..

Canada - kited for several years - deathloop /tangled drowned in water 14 5 13

Canada - kiting a few years - hit rocks 11-8-13

Australia - kiting 10 years - hit a tree 23-9-13

US NYC - not kiting long - hit rock seawall 7-10-13

We had one fatality this year in the Netherlands. Less likely to picked up by kiteforum members because of our beautifull language.

Very short summary: A relative beginner launched a kite too large for the gusty circumstances. (A bandit 10, conditions with gust up to 30kts) The kite was launched to close to the centre of the wind window. Kiter was launched when the kite was launched. The beach was relatively spacious, but the kitelaunch was done too close to a big and sturdy wooden pole, kiter ended up against it. RIP.

Really sorry to hear this sad news, we had a recent tragedy at my local involving an experienced kiter and it has reinforced to me that given a series of unfortunate circumstances this can happen to any of us.

Take care and if you're not comfortable with the conditions sit it out until your next session.