Contact   Imprint   Advertising   Guidelines

Final version? - Ten Points For Safer Kiteboarding

Forum for kitesurfers
User avatar
RickI
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 9118
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2002 1:00 am
Local Beach: SE Florida
Gear: Cabrinha
Brand Affiliation: Cabrinha
Location: Florida
Has thanked: 88 times
Been thanked: 102 times

Postby RickI » Fri Nov 29, 2002 5:20 am

A big thanks to everyone for your input and offers of help in pulling together these guidelines. I would hope to be able to receive final input on this version and to ask for the translations to start after tomorrow if possible. So if you have ideas or suggestions please send them in soon.

Thanks again!!!

FKA, Inc.

transcribed by:
Rick Iossi


TEN POINTS FOR SAFER KITEBOARDING
Nov. 28, 2002

Kiteboarding is an incredible new extreme sport that is sweeping around the World. The thrills and shear joy of flashing over the water and flinging yourself, spinning into the sky at will can be addicting. A good session often enough leaves you hungering for MORE!

With all this power comes great responsibility. We were talking about throwing full grown adults high into the sky over the water for fun, correct? There is a lot of power there. There is responsibility to protect bystanders, access for all kiteboarders and yourself for your love ones. Kiteboarding is an incredible rush; severe pain and ridicule from your friends for causing an avoidable accident and potentially loosing access by careless actions are not. We can ride on the edge and visit the extreme but like flying an airplane or rock climbing there is a way and conditions to do it in and some to AVOID.

This year and particularly in November, there have been a number of serious and in some cases fatal kiteboarding accidents. Some of these incidents may have been avoidable if additional care had been taken. Would you fly an airplane into a severe storm cloud? No, why then would you kiteboard near one? So grab all the adrenaline rush and sensation that kiteboarding can deliver just go at it with adequate care. If not, don't be surprised if something bad comes your way. It has already for some unfortunate riders.

Please consider working "Ten Points for Safer Kiteboarding" and other good practices into your riding habits. They may help to keep both you and bystanders safer and help to maintain kiteboarding access for us all to enjoy this great sport. The following guidelines have been developed in part from the analysis of almost one hundred kiteboarding incidents and accidents. As we are always learning new things about safe kiteboarding please be aware of new techniques and updates to this list as they are developed. Even if these guidelines are followed injury can still occur in kiteboarding, so be careful out there.

1. TAKE ADEQUATE PRO KITEBOARDING LESSONS FROM A GOOD SCHOOL and carefully build your experience in manageable conditions. Lessons cost but you should be kiteboarding faster, easier and safer for your investment. Also you could save your costly gear and yourself from damage and our access to ride.

2. CAREFULLY CHECK THE WEATHER radar, real time wind reports and forecasts before riding and constantly BE AWARE OF WEATHER CONDITIONS WHILE RIDING. Storms and squalls have injured quite a few kiteboarders and represent a significant threat to rider safety and should be avoided at all costs. Actual weather may differ substantially from predicted conditions so stay alert. If storms or squalls approach your area while you are out riding, land, remove the lines and thoroughly SECURE your kite well in advance of any change in wind or temperature. Riders have been seriously injured by reacting too late or not at all. Offshore and onshore winds should be avoided. REMEMBER: TWICE THE WIND SPEED EQUALS FOUR TIMES THE PULL!

3. USE SAFETY GEAR including a good, appropriate helmet, impact vest, tested kite leash, reliable chicken loop quick releases (QR) & fixed harness line quick releases, gloves and hook knife. Frequently practice your response to various emergency situations such as lofting and dragging both mentally and physically to try to reduce critical reaction time.

4. NEVER LAUNCH OR RIDE WITHIN 200 FT. OR 60 M UPWIND OF HARD OBJECTS like the shore, boats or rocks or prominent vertical surfaces or steep slopes that may cause uplift. In kiteboarding "DISTANCE IS YOUR FRIEND“ and may sometimes forgive serious bad luck and errors in judgment.

5. Always methodically and CAREFULLY PREFLIGHT YOUR GEAR, making sure lines are equal, in good condition, free of tangles/snags and are properly attached. Repair gear before launching as sudden breakage can occur during normal riding and particularly in gusts or during jumps potentially setting your fully powered kite out of control.

6. HAVE AN EXPERIENCED HELPER LAUNCH AND LAND YOUR KITE who clearly understands your instructions and signals without error. It may be safer to launch your kite near to or from the water if conditions permit.

7. KEEP YOUR KITE LOW IN THE SKY AFTER LAUNCH TO TRY TO AVOID LOFTING AND GET OFFSHORE RAPIDLY. Do not stay on the beach or near hard objects with a kite in the air for extended periods. Never jump onshore, riders have suffered serious broken bones from this practice for a very long time.

8. CONSIDER LAUNCHING UNHOOKED from your bar to permit rapid release and kite leash activation if things go wrong. Consider hooking into your QR fixed harness line only once you are near the water and your kite is well out over the water and low in order to grab your board. You can connect to your chicken loop once you are well offshore.

9. BE CAREFUL IN AND CONSIDER AVOIDING HIGHER WINDS while kiteboarding, that is potentially winds greater than 18 kts or 20 mph. Kite forces and flight speeds can be much greater and conditions far less forgiving of errors in judgment and simple bad luck and have resulted in serious injuries.

10. AVOID COMPLAINTS TO KEEP KITEBOARDING FREE AND AT WILL. If you see someone that needs help or good advice, jump in to help. If you see someone doing something ill advised grab your friends and go talk with him convincingly to avoid problems for everyone down the road. When it comes to maintaining access, we are all in this sport together so pitch in and be ready to help.

These ten points cover aspects covered in greater depth in the "Safe Kiteboarding Guidelines." The Guidelines are located at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kitesurf/ ... TEBOARDING%
20SAFETY%20REFERENCES/

FKA, Inc. Transcribed by: Rick Iossi


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: RickI on 2002-11-29 05:22 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: RickI on 2002-11-29 05:34 ]</font>

User avatar
Stefan
Frequent Poster
Posts: 389
Joined: Fri Nov 08, 2002 1:00 am
Local Beach: Ft. Stevens, Newport, The Gorge
Favorite Beaches: Ft Stevens, Florence
Style: Wave, Foil
Gear: North Mono's, LP Foils, North Pacific Customs
Location: Pacific Coast, USA
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Postby Stefan » Fri Nov 29, 2002 6:11 am

Rick, no criticism on the intent or general content. It needs some editing for grammer and there are spots where it could be condensed. Don't want to tie up the forum but if you want to email me a copy I'd be happy to send you back an edited form. Or you can just tell me to stuff it and go with what you have. Take Care

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: stefan on 2002-11-29 06:12 ]</font>

User avatar
RickI
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 9118
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2002 1:00 am
Local Beach: SE Florida
Gear: Cabrinha
Brand Affiliation: Cabrinha
Location: Florida
Has thanked: 88 times
Been thanked: 102 times

Postby RickI » Fri Nov 29, 2002 6:18 am

Good input is welcome. Please email me directly at: flkitesurfer@hotmail.com and I will reply to your address.

Hernan
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 734
Joined: Tue Aug 13, 2002 1:00 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Postby Hernan » Fri Nov 29, 2002 10:52 am

The ten points are ok. They have to be read. I think a harder introduccion, title and close words, would be more effective (getting to the bone) . You have to write this as an ad (that's it, a public service ad).
The ten points are true but they are boring. I' m thinking in the 17 years old radical kiters. They are dont going to read this, is a fact.
Rick, your work is good and thanks for it, I suggest asking an advertising writer to add some punch to it.
Hernan

Hernan
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 734
Joined: Tue Aug 13, 2002 1:00 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Postby Hernan » Fri Nov 29, 2002 10:57 am

The ten points are ok. They have to be read. I think a harder introduccion, title and close words, would be more effective (getting to the bone) . You have to write this as an ad (that's it, a public service ad).
The ten points are true but they are boring. I' m thinking in the 17 years old radical kiters. They are dont going to read this, is a fact.
Rick, your work is good and thanks for it, I suggest asking an advertising writer to add some punch to it.
Hernan

User avatar
loeuftok
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 667
Joined: Fri Oct 04, 2002 1:00 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Thailand-shop/school owner
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Postby loeuftok » Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:07 am

rick,
I also agree with stephan and hernan.
I would also add in point 3 that safety gears like QR have to be maintained clean and tried every session

User avatar
Mr Jo Macdonald
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 2185
Joined: Mon Aug 26, 2002 1:00 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Spain/Italy
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Postby Mr Jo Macdonald » Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:39 am

Hi Rick,
When I was starting the Italian version I thought it might be an idea if the first one was the one about don't launch near obstacles, safe launch area etc because I think that's the most important one and the one about lessons maybe last, because most of the prople getting hurt or worse have already taken leasons, some are prtty hot on the water so they might start reading then go yeah take leasons, you know. Also I think it should stay on one sheet of A4 in not too small print, as it is now its 2 pages.
Also as I said before not too long an intro becuase a lot of people don't have a long attention span.
Did you hear from Gian, he translated it but I didn't hear anything more.
Jo

User avatar
Toby
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 50343
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2001 1:00 am
Kiting since: 2000
Weight: 95 kg
Local Beach: Cumbuco, Brazil
Barra do Cauipe, Brazil
Favorite Beaches: same
Style: Airstyle
Gear: Rebel 2015 18
Brand Affiliation: None.
Location: World (KF Admin)
Has thanked: 831 times
Been thanked: 2365 times
Contact:

Postby Toby » Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:55 am

On 2002-11-29 11:07, loeuftok wrote:
rick,
I also agree with stephan and hernan.
I would also add in point 3 that safety gears like QR have to be maintained clean and tried every session
good point. maybe add this to make it 100%:
"...tried every session before you launch the kite"

User avatar
RickI
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 9118
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2002 1:00 am
Local Beach: SE Florida
Gear: Cabrinha
Brand Affiliation: Cabrinha
Location: Florida
Has thanked: 88 times
Been thanked: 102 times

Postby RickI » Fri Nov 29, 2002 12:51 pm

Good input on this, thanks. Loeuftok and Toby, I will include something in the preflighting statement about checking out and carefully maintaining the QR. Perhaps I will better define what a QR is in the manner in which I intended. That is something along the lines of a reliable pin release. Of course there are a lot of snap shackles in use out there. The less expensive versions seem to be quite unreliable. The Wichards and Tylaskas appear to be more reliable in practice.

Jo, the sequence is a logical one but you present a good argument for changing it. I will work something up. I had mentioned that some of the intro paragraphs could be dropped. I will try to blend them into one relatively short paragraph. It used to fit on one page, now I am not certain. I sincerely hope that no one is translating these draft versions. I repeated several times that the translation should kickoff once the finalized document has been created. I don't want to waste your valuable efforts out there.

Hernan, I agree and yet have had lots of suggestions to move towards a dry, "just the facts" wording on many similar documents in the past. Shorter too, but that is an art in itself and sometimes evasive particularly when working in a lot of outside suggestions. It is important to make it concise and effective however. When I have tried to jazz up levels of interest and impact in the past that often hasn't played all that well in terms of comments. Another key consideration in this, is that in trying to provide a public warning, it can't do it in such a intense way as to motivate people in the business to not circulate the document as too radical or opinionated. The input of a good ad copywriter or other effective literary talent that kiteboard would be valuable in this. Any ideas on a person to fit the bill on this out there?

Another problem in all this is time. I feel that there is some urgency in getting this first version out there considering the violent weather rolling through some areas now, particularly Europe. Ideally a second, improved version might be released in several weeks or a couple of months after receipt of more comments.

Thanks for all the ideas and suggestions!

Sylt Rider
Medium Poster
Posts: 137
Joined: Fri Nov 08, 2002 1:00 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Isle of Sylt, Germany
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Postby Sylt Rider » Fri Nov 29, 2002 5:44 pm

Hi,

I would like to have point 5 carefull preeflight changed with point 4 never launch...because we should check on material before we go to the launching procedure.

Point 6
"It may be safer to launch your kite near to or from the water if conditions permit." change in to:
"If conditions permit, it is safer to launch your kite near or from the water"
or
"If possible, try to launch your kite near or from the water it is safer for you and people around you:

I am missing a clear sentence about people around us. We are not only a danger to ourselves but also to other people on the beach. And I am afraid that specially here a the Isle of Sylt (Northsea-Germany) where I live, we could be losing very good places to kite if something happens and autorities close the places!

I would put the first part of 7 under old 4. (new 5) and the sentence "Never jump onshore...etc" could be Number nine beeing that old 8 new 7, old 9 new 8 and then 9 "Never Jump... because it is from the logic is is the last point before we get Point 10.

Greets, Sylt Rider

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Sylt Rider on 2002-11-29 17:55 ]</font>


Return to “Kitesurfing”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Baptiste_FR, cmilea, headintheclouds, knotwindy, mrcrss, Puddle Pirate, purdyd, VElars, Vivo3d, vladi elthve, voodoospirit, Windwarrior and 353 guests