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Casualty in Sicily

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andylc
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Re: Casualty in Sicily

Postby andylc » Thu Sep 20, 2018 3:11 pm

Just to reiterate: launching unhooked is not the solution! I dread to think what carnage there would be if everyone tried this! Using a tragedy to disseminate dodgy advice is not good...

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Re: Casualty in Sicily

Postby Beardytello » Thu Sep 20, 2018 3:15 pm

I don't think it's a safe sport at all, I think it's a million times safer than it was when it started...and I think with proper training and focus on all aspects of the sport (i.e weather, knowing what a squall looks like and what to do when you see one) then the sport could be comparable with say skydiving safety wise.

But it is without doubt an extreme sport. And with that comes risks.

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Re: Casualty in Sicily

Postby tomtom » Thu Sep 20, 2018 4:36 pm

Very sad news. RIP.

To comments above.
Kitesurfing is like golf to skydiving.

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Re: Casualty in Sicily

Postby andylc » Thu Sep 20, 2018 5:06 pm

Not sure you can really make that comparison without looking at the statistics. There seem to be several deaths each year from kitesurfing, not sure what the stats are for skydiving, and what do you consider skydiving to be? Does it include the nutters who wingsuit 20m above trees or fly in-between cliffs? Both sports involve hitting the ground hard if things go wrong though.

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Re: Casualty in Sicily

Postby edt » Thu Sep 20, 2018 5:07 pm

grigorib wrote:
Thu Sep 20, 2018 1:24 pm

Please stop disseminating dangerous and misleading information. Launching unhooked is not safe nor safer.

You don’t start the car from outside through the window just in case it catches on fire, you don’t jump onto motorcycle once it’s already moving. If you say it’s safer to delay getting hooked in and riding then even safer option is not to ride at all.
Well said grigorib.

I remember one time Kyle was demonstrating how they used to launch back in the day, everyone launched unhooked. He unhooked, asked for a launch and then because he forgot to pull the trim, he got lofted a few feet in the air dangling from his control bar. If he had let go that would have been such an embarrassing injury. If you get lofted, it happens so quick you can't always let go of the control bar in time.

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Re: Casualty in Sicily

Postby jjbruck » Thu Sep 20, 2018 5:16 pm

Statistically, kitesurfing is a relatively safe sport:

https://www.surfertoday.com/kiteboardin ... ater-sport

It's important to remember that participation in any extreme sport requires a careful, thoughtful risk management process. And any tragic accident is a good opportunity for discussion on how to more effectively manage risk.

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Re: Casualty in Sicily

Postby ap888 » Thu Sep 20, 2018 5:53 pm

Sorry to here...kiting is big now lots of ppl kiting if the force says it’s your time it’s your time no questions/if’s/could haves it was meant to happen.

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Re: Casualty in Sicily

Postby RickI » Thu Sep 20, 2018 7:42 pm

So, it is ok to play Russian Roulette with a gun in your mouth or stumble around on a high speed roadway drunk because if it isn't your time, no harm? What about using common sense keeping the gun out of your mouth in the first place, off the highway and staying out of squalls, particularly ones that look like this. Common sense, training and good procedures have important places in life, good health and longevity.

https://www.facebook.com/kitesurfing/vi ... 198584356/
A video of a squall with all those kiters waiting to get messed up.

This guy was apparently hit by a 40 kt. gust while launching and was dragged overland slamming through a vineyard 400 m or over 1300 ft. likely at high speed. He apparently didn't appreciate the hazards of the storm he was heading out into. He isn't the first guy to do this by far nor is he likely to be the last. This was totally avoidable and remarkably, guys are debating in other venues whether to even go out into a monster like this with kiting gear.

ap888 wrote:
Thu Sep 20, 2018 5:53 pm
Sorry to here...kiting is big now lots of ppl kiting if the force says it’s your time it’s your time no questions/if’s/could haves it was meant to happen.

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Re: Casualty in Sicily

Postby ap888 » Thu Sep 20, 2018 8:53 pm

RickI wrote:
Thu Sep 20, 2018 7:42 pm
So, it is ok to play Russian Roulette with a gun in your mouth or stumble around on a high speed roadway drunk because if it isn't your time, no harm? What about using common sense keeping the gun out of your mouth in the first place, off the highway and staying out of squalls, particularly ones that look like this. Common sense, training and good procedures have important places in life, good health and longevity.

https://www.facebook.com/kitesurfing/vi ... 198584356/
A video of a squall with all those kiters waiting to get messed up.

This guy was apparently hit by a 40 kt. gust while launching and was dragged overland slamming through a vineyard 400 m or over 1300 ft. likely at high speed. He apparently didn't appreciate the hazards of the storm he was heading out into. He isn't the first guy to do this by far nor is he likely to be the last. This was totally avoidable and remarkably, guys are debating in other venues whether to even go out into a monster like this with kiting gear.

ap888 wrote:
Thu Sep 20, 2018 5:53 pm
Sorry to here...kiting is big now lots of ppl kiting if the force says it’s your time it’s your time no questions/if’s/could haves it was meant to happen.
Yea it is ok to do all of the above no one should judge if it’s right or wrong the force does not judge...I’m am sure you see the videos of ppl urban climbing cranes hanging off with one hand...jumping from planes with no parachute...driving super bikes at 300km in traffic danger is everywhere 1000000 ways to die...u don’t decide god/the force decides when it’s your time :D

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Re: Casualty in Sicily

Postby kitejumping » Thu Sep 20, 2018 10:24 pm

RickI wrote:
Thu Sep 20, 2018 7:42 pm
So, it is ok to play Russian Roulette with a gun in your mouth or stumble around on a high speed roadway drunk because if it isn't your time, no harm? What about using common sense keeping the gun out of your mouth in the first place, off the highway and staying out of squalls, particularly ones that look like this. Common sense, training and good procedures have important places in life, good health and longevity.

https://www.facebook.com/kitesurfing/vi ... 198584356/
A video of a squall with all those kiters waiting to get messed up.

This guy was apparently hit by a 40 kt. gust while launching and was dragged overland slamming through a vineyard 400 m or over 1300 ft. likely at high speed. He apparently didn't appreciate the hazards of the storm he was heading out into. He isn't the first guy to do this by far nor is he likely to be the last. This was totally avoidable and remarkably, guys are debating in other venues whether to even go out into a monster like this with kiting gear.

ap888 wrote:
Thu Sep 20, 2018 5:53 pm
Sorry to here...kiting is big now lots of ppl kiting if the force says it’s your time it’s your time no questions/if’s/could haves it was meant to happen.
I can't tell if the video brightness makes that weather look worse than it is, but it is pretty crazy to see that many kites in the air with a big weather system moving in. Aside from the wind gusts, are they not at all concerned with lightning?


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