Kite Safethy at Tour Level.....

[Mr Jo Macdonald]

Hi Boss, I wuz more disagreein with yo lady friend than you.
Peace n love
Oj

[Guest]

I am very safety conscious in kiteboarding, but I have to admit I have become pretty cynical about getting through to people in this sport about the importance of using safety gear. I will tell you flat out, if pros were using leashes, and those were the majority of pictures people saw in magazines, the use of kite leashes would dramatically increase everywhere. Same goes for helmets and impact vests too. My cynical ness comes in part from looking through the latest issue of Kiteboarding Magazine and seeing this "Don't Be A Helmet" crap. The article does have some things to say about kiteboarding safety, but at the same time it associates the image of someone using a helmet as a geek that is unsafe! I also don't think I saw a single picture in the whole magazine of anyone wearing a kite leash. It is so stupid to me. The Magazine and kiting industry makes its money off of the sport of Kiteboarding, but the practice of not supporting the use of safety equipment may just kill the sport altogether. As more and more people ride without kite leashes what do you think is going to happen? If kiting gets banned at more and more places the number of people involved in the sport will decrease, and so too will the profits from the industry. It's funny to me, I hear people say things like, “I have kited for three years now without a leash and I have never had a problem yet. How many people do you think could have made this same type of statement before they actually had an incident occur? Probably 100% of them. Shit doesn't happen until it does, and when it does happen it is too late. Oh well I guess I just wrote another useless paragraph. It seems like those that get the safety issue don't need to hear this stuff, and those that do need to hear it are too stupid to listen to it. How can we expect people to get this issue when the industry and kiteboarding magazines don't get it? It just kind of pisses me off because I love this sport and would like to see it survive, especially without imposed regulations and more deaths.

[Toby]

Jo: I disagree with her a lot too !

and it is exactly what I also mentioned to her , what anononymous just wrote. Pros should be an idol to everyone else, so they have to be forced to use safety gear. It is for their future as well, first to protect their lives, other lives and for the future of our sport, which should be their future as well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And the mags are making so many things wrong:
some weeks ago there was a discussion about mags and pics of riders without any safety.
I forwarded the link of that thread to a mag and gave them an advise on how the people react in the forum and what would be a good idea to do.
Then I saw the mag and couldn't believe it:
only one guy had a leash on a picture, who was on the cover the issue before without a leash and therefore got big critics.
No he had two pics with a leash, which is ok, but I bet he won't be on the water with a leash, only if a photographer is around....

So on the last issue the riders didn't have any leash again and their intro for their gear reviews neither.

I informed them that if they have done an issue with riders having at least leashes, they would have set a sign for the industry and the sport itself.

I'm still looking for a cool mag existing for our sport and not for commercial use only...

Toby

[vesku]

Hi all!

In snowboarding it took over tens years to make riders to use helmets in half pipe events. This is the first year when helmets are mandatory in World Cup. Finally!

I think that event organizers whould take their responsability in this matter. BSA in UK has taken their first steps. We will do the same here in Finland. Helmets and leashes must be used in Finnish comps.

<I>"In July we (BSA) asked all British competitors of the last 2 years the following questions by email. The results were:
Should Helmets be worn at comps? Yes = 62% No= 38%
Should Impact Jackets be worn at comps? Yes = 5% No = 95%
Should safety leashes be used on kites? Yes = 81% No = 19%
Should safety leashes be worn on boards? Yes = 4% No = 96%
As from Poole event, safety leashes are now compulsory and helmets are highly recommended. If a competitor does not want to wear a helmet then they must sign off a disclaimer."</I>

Rgds,

VESKU

The Chairman of the Kite Division of Finnish Boardsailing Association

[Toby]

Hi Vesku, thx for the info and looks to me like a very good decision to show all non comp riders the way for the future!

Toby

[Mr Jo Macdonald]

Hmm, I don't agree ( not agreeing a bit today Mr Jo, that'll make yu popular) that we should give up talking about safety, ok it can be frustrating I agree (that feels better). I'm trying to talk about shackles and leashes on the Italian forum and I might as well have started a thread called "Pizza is bad for you".
No seriously, I see more and more people talking about safety and considering the pros + cons of different solutions and that's good.
You can't convince someone after all, it's their life, their responsibility and they can convince themselves how they are safe, all you can do is pass on expereinces and info.
Each to his own.
The question of magazines, pros and manufacturers setting a bad example is another,and they should realise they're putting people's lives in danger. Personally I think kite forums are years ahead of magazines in every way, safety, innovation, equipment, tests, whatever, I mean Johnny tested us the 2003 17m Fuel last month and this month's Stance (Italy) has a test of the 2002 16m model, I kid you not, hilarioous.
Jo

[Toby]

On 2002-11-05 10:42, Mr Jo Macdonald wrote:
You can't convince someone after all, it's their life, their responsibility and they can convince themselves how they are safe, all you can do is pass on expereinces and info.
Each to his own.

Jo

I disagree ( )
When we are talking about safety leashes, it is not their life anymore, but their responsibility for other lives!

[SENDIT!]

Not to defend the magazine, but I think that when they said "don't be a helmet", I think they were using a euphemism for "dickhead" so they could get it in the magazine. Of course, I could be wrong. In which case I'll probably get flamed by the "helmets."

SENDIT!

[Mr Jo Macdonald]

I disagree ( )
When we are talking about safety leashes, it is not their life anymore, but their responsibility for other lives!
[/quote]

Yep I have to agree to you disagreeing there, but how do you convince them, after all we R such a rowdy uncouth bunch o yobbos.
Personally I believe I'm a pretty open minded, easy-goin and responsible sort of block (others might disagree and that was sposed to have been bloke but nevermind) but if anyone told me what to or not to do it wouldn't be an easy mess to put across in any age, try it with someone like fktin and you could be in fer a fight or a swift "screw you mate" to say the least.
Wadayasay?

[Toby]

true, if they don't want to understand, you may have to wait until something happens, unfortunately. And I wish you that nothing happens to you.

The question I'm asking myself is: what will I do if I get in trouble, because someone let go of his bar trying to do a handle pass. Will I stay calm? Or will I use him letting go of a bar as an first step of attack and react to his attack?
Interesting question though....

What would you do?