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SEVEN LOFTINGS AND COUNTING

Lots of valuable articles from Rick Iossi, FKA Inc.
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SEVEN LOFTINGS AND COUNTING

Postby RickI » Tue Jun 22, 2004 5:40 pm

There have been a number of recent lofting accounts posted recently. So many that processing them will take some time. Given that these incidents and accidents appear to be on the rise, I decided to list some of the posted accounts here in one place. Time to rethink your approach to kiteboarding as our lucky riding streak seems to be ebbing. Be careful out there, all this is just about fun after all, ideally not life and death.


"I have started a new thread dealing with the fatality in Germany out of respect for the family and friends of the lost rider. Thanks to Toby for posting initial details and links to information about this sad accident. I have tried to do very crude translations using automatic Internet translation engines as shown below.

Does anyone have wind records near the area for the time of the accident?

Toby wrote:
hera link to a German site with more info:

http://www5.boot.de/cipp/md_boot/custom ... ,g_u_e_s_t

Another short article:

http://www.ostsee-zeitung.de/po/start_1 ... 36884.html


Poor Automatic Internet Translations follow. I have tried to guess at poorly translated segments with my own text depicted as (xxx?).


Berlin surfer dies in paraglider accident on Fleesensee
At the beginning of back far one end
17.06.2004

Fleesensee,
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Goehren Lebbin (dpa) - in an accident with a paraglider (traction kite?), at the Wednesday evening in the Mueritzkreis a 60-jaehriger (60 year old?), surfer died from Berlin. According to data of the police the screen (kite?) of the man on the Fleesensee was seized with Goehren Lebbin(while riding off of Goehren Lebbin?), by a gust of wind, while the surfer only few meters slid far away from the bank over the water (the accident occurred while another kiteboarded offshore only a few meters away?). It (The Kiteboarder?) was hurled at country (land?), hit against a fahnenmast (flagpole?), and died short time later in a hospital.

Strong wind
It concerns an experienced surfer out of Berlin Wilmersdorf, which was on own fist on the way, it was said. "it had waited that the partly strong wind abates, and in the evening despite warnings out-drove already all day long", said a coworker of a local Surf and sail school (A coworker from the local kiteboarding school said that he had waited until strong wind that had been blowing all day, diminished to launch that evening despite high wind warnings?). The surfer was much too close in view of the dominant wind conditions on the bank on the way (too close to the land in strong, unstable onshore wind conditions?),. The flat beach is one of the few at the Mecklenburgian sea-plate (seaboard?), which is certified for the Kite Surfen in such a way specified (this is one of the ONLY authorized kiteboarding launches in the area?). But it requires as when water AI driving a special permission. (Special permission to ride is required when strong weather conditions are present?)

Wind force 6-8 (22 to 40 KNOTS ONSHORE?)
"we determine still the exact cause, go however at present from an accident", said the director/conductor of the Warener kriminalpolizei, Friedhelm Nofz. The had an accident one suffered strong internal injuries in the case of the impact at the mast. At the Fleesensee wind forces between six and eight prevailed, said a speaker of the German weather service at the misfortune time. The wind reaches top speed up to 75 kilometers per hour (41 kts.).

A risky kind of sport
Accidents with the Fun kind of sport, with which with the paraglider (traction kite?), higher speeds than with are to be achieved the conventional Surfen, are not rare. (accidents are not uncommon in kiteboarding?) Only 2003 died at the Baltic Sea coast one of the best sportlerinnen of this kind of sport, when she was torn up and on buhne impacted.

NOTE: there may be an English version on the Boot.de website but I was unsuccessful in finding it.

and

Goehren Lebbin (dpa) in an accident with a paraglider (a traction kite?),- the Kite Surfen - died a 60-jaehriger citizen of Berlin on the Fleesensee with Goehren Lebbin. According to data of the police the screen(kite?), in the proximity of Goehren Lebbin was seized by a Boee (wind gust?). The water sportsman was hurled at country (land?), hit against a fahnenmast (a flag pole?), and died later in a hospital."

phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2304502
Last edited by RickI on Tue Jun 22, 2004 5:55 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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Postby RickI » Tue Jun 22, 2004 5:40 pm

This is a copy of a post from the seacreeze.com.au forum..... sound like a nasty accident.


Quote:
Lofting Accident – Mullaloo Beach, Perth

I’m writing this from my hospital bed, lucky to be alive and ashamed to be telling the tail. I hope others may learn from my error of judgment and perhaps question in future whether enthusiasm is ever clouding their judgment about conditions.

Saturday 5 June 2004, was stormy conditions in Perth, but about 3:30pm at Mullalloo beach the wind dropped right off to about 10-15 knots. There were two other guys visiting from Brisbane (in hindsight with no local knowledge) putting up their kite so I decided that was enough numbers and went to get mine. I’d just bought a new wet suit that morning and was keen to try it out. I figured 15 knots, even though it was directly onshore, was manageable. I have a Flysurfer 9.3m Warrior. Apart from the on-shore aspect, it should have been fine. I’ve not had much success in surf and reasoned that this was a great chance to get my skills up. I’ve about 7 month’s solid experience.

It was light conditions, and I was struggling to get going and get past the broken surf. I skated back and forth parallel to the beach trying to get an edge and get past the waves. I finally got the puff I needed, heading to the left and got through the first wave, then the second but the third swamped me. While I was under water I turned my kite around to head back to the right. I was a bit worried the wave had carried me back to shore but there was no problem, as I quite enjoy skimming along close to the shoreline and I could edge again to get another run out. If I ran out of water I could just bail and land on the beach, which I’ve done a many times without incident.

To my surprise, instead of pulling me up as normal, the kite must have caught a gust and lifted me straight up. I’ve never been so high. I can’t really judge height but to me it seemed like I was about 20 feet above the beach, the water had gone and I was looking down at wet compacted beach sand. I have had a couple of hard landings before and knew this was going to seriously injure me. If I was more experienced I may have had more control of my decent. I didn’t, and instead of landing on my feet my kite looped and dived head first onto the beach. I followed the kite, and to my horror went from vertical to horizontal to inverted, hitting the wet beach head first. I felt my head hit, then my neck crushed as my body pushed in, then my body hit the beach. The Gath helmet was a godsend and cushioned the impact on my head so I wasn’t knocked out. My body felt like it had been hit by a truck. I could barely breath or move but had the sense to reached for the quick release and pulled it. Thankfully the kite was already nose down on the beach and not flying.

The guy’s I had launched with 30 minutes earlier were over 500m away and hadn’t seen me. There was nobody else in sight. I lay there for 10 minutes in agony and finally saw a single figure walking towards me. At last I knew help was at hand. I was lying like a rag doll with the waves washing around me. Then when he reached me he just kept walking straight past. I groaned as loudly as I could. He said later that he had just thought I was having a rest. <Bizarre. Thanks Ashley>.

With help and time I managed to stand and we packed away the kite and he got me back to my car left. I was hurting bad but assumed I would be alright. I drove off and on the way home reluctantly decided to divert to Royal Perth Hospital Emergency and find a doctor for a bit of quick advice. I didn’t think there was anything seriously wrong with me, but they kept sending me for more X-Ray’s, CT scan, and then an MRI scan. At midnight the Orthopedic surgeon came in and told me in no uncertain terms that I had broken my neck and how lucky I was to even be alive, let alone not paralyzed. I couldn’t believe it. They cut my cloths off me, put my head in sand bags, and it’s been a shocking last 4 days unable to move and looking at the ceiling. But as an update, today I got my prognosis. I’ve got extensive soft tissue damage between my vertebrae from C3,C4, C5, C6 and have fractured T1 and T2. But I’ve got no nerve damage and within 12 months, I’ll have made a 100% recovery. How lucky can one be?

So until then my new interest will be photographing kitesurfing and being an advocate for safe kiting. Nothing qualifies one for that more than experience and I think I’ve earned the right to speak on that point now. I’m very much an advocate for the sport of kitesurfing, and can’t wait to get out there again, but it won’t be anywhere with an onshore breeze, or on a secluded beach, or where there the conditions are in any way questionable. I think on Saturday I was so lucky.

If anyone has any questions I’d be happy to answer them. I just hope that everyone can read this and may learn something they can apply to make kiting safer.

From: phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2304628&start=0&p ... highlight=

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Postby RickI » Tue Jun 22, 2004 5:42 pm

Lost control of the kite unhooked yesterday and landed on my back on the sand, went to doctor today and he said that is possible to kite with a broken rib the only problem is the pain, but kiting will not turn the things worst and will not afect the cure.

Anyone have tried to kite with a broken rib or something like that? to much pain?
_________________
*UNHOOK*
*Riding Takoon sk3 17,sk3 14.5,sk3 11.5,wk2 9.5*

From: phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2304637&start=0&p ... highlight=

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Postby RickI » Tue Jun 22, 2004 5:43 pm

Shannon Best's lofting is described at:


phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2304342
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Postby RickI » Tue Jun 22, 2004 5:44 pm

I did not ear any news of this accident last week here in Hamburg, but now that I read this new fatality in the Baltic Sea I am worried. A couple of days before that fatal accident I had mine accident as well, and always on the Baltic Sea, on the 15 June Grossbrostel (or something like that, anyway before the Fehmarn bridge).

I was on the beach ready to go, but honestly overpowered. I asked to a kitesurfer on beach to take my kite to start it in those rough conditions (I think 22 knodes more or less, mostly side). The guy took my kite but he left it mostly immediately (after he said he could not hold it any more...). The kite was in full power in half a second, I started to fly in the direction of the dune, immediately I realized that the situation was critical I released the safety (North bar) and I felt down no the beach, rolling and thoumblig. I hit my head on the sand, my back on the dune, but (thatnks to my girlfriend) I had the helmet.

The front tube exploded (I do not have any idea how), I got a neck protection for a couple of days plus a pain in the back for 4 days.

I was really scared my friends...

From: phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2304502&start=0&p ... highlight=

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Postby RickI » Tue Jun 22, 2004 5:45 pm

I got my first serious lofting experience today and fortunately in the water so I was very calm and observed all the facts to report it here.

1- The wind was very gusty probably from 10 to 30 knots.
2- I was struggling to trying to come back to the beach (a very narrow section of the beach around 200' or so)
3- The gust came unexpectly and lift me 20' in the air and probably 50'
down wind

My observation:

Forget about trying to unhook or "pulling on something", lofting happens so fast that I AM NOW VERY SURE that only "dropping the bar" MAY (probably 40% to 50% "MAY") work.

P.S., I was using a GlobeRider 12m and a small custom board.

P.P.S., This is not tea-bagging as tea-bagging only on lift 5' or so.

P.P.P.S., It was fun in the water but I bet it would not be so fun on land...

Hung.


From: kitesurf@yahoogroups.com; ksurfschool@yahoogroups.com

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Postby RickI » Tue Jun 22, 2004 5:47 pm

"Yes this guy is very very lucky and i hope he will recover for 100%.

Had 4 weeks ago also a serious accident with onshore wind at the Lake of Annecy in France. Very strong wind, but thought I could manage to kite upwind in these conditions and after 100 m from starting place the coast bends 90 degrees so there wouldn't be onshore conditions. A guy helped me out into the water, because with that strong wind it wasn't easy to get out into the water alone. After I took of I felt the wind was also very strong for the small kite I used and it was difficult to get upwind, also because of breaking waves. I saw downwind a landing stage I hadn't seen before, lost my board and bodydragged over the water in direction of the landing stage. Only thinking of how I could surfive this. Just hold the bar so I could prevent hitting the pier head first. This took place in a few seconds. I hitt the pier with high speed but lucky as I was, first with my feet and later arms and body, which was protected with a impactvest.
After the kite took air again, after a while I managed to release the kite. Some kind people helped me out of the water where I saw blood coming out of my left shoe. Thought of broken bones which torn my skin, so I took out my shoe (with muddy water). Big cut under my foot, but the shoe still ok. Went to the hospital where they took some x-rays. Nothing broken so the gave me 10 stitches and send me back to the campingplace where I stayed, hoping I could drive back after 1 or two weeks. Not possible, so somebody else drove me home. Back home I went again to a hospital for X -rays. 3 Footbones seriously broken. Wasn't possible to adjust them nice again. Operation wasn't possible because of the wound. So hope to recover although I won't have straight footbones anymore.

So why did I kite with onshore conditions?
I thought I could manage the windconditions and I wanted to kitesurf there, because there aren't many days with good winds overthere.
But because I wanted to kite, I underestimated the wind and hadn't seen this dangerous pier (threes, cars, etc.). Used a bigger board as usual, was totaly fucked up because I had been driving around 1,5 hour to find the right place.
Why didn't I use my safety?
I have been thinking if there was time enough to use it. I think I could have managed, but also held my bar to prevent hitting with my head first. If I had tried to release and wouldn't succeed doing this, it could have been worse. I'll never know. But after I hitt the pier, I wasn't able to release as a reflex, I had to look at the release and thinking wat to do. It took some time!!!

After recovering I'll be trying to release when dragged through the water, just for practising."

From: phpbb/viewforum.php?f=1

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Postby RickI » Sat Jul 03, 2004 11:06 pm

Unfortunately, you can be lofted even with your kite low on the odd occassion, IF the gust is strong enough or your are knocked off balance and lose control, etc.. Still, if you keep your kite low and get offshore pronto you should minimize the risk of lofting although you are turning up the odds of being dragged. Neither is a great option, it is best to diligently avoid BOTH circumstances through common sense and all the steps that have been repeated so often.

One example of this follows from the 2002 KSI volume. Then again, as you can see video footage of Andy Hurdman, riding through a serious gust in a clip from the 2002 Islamorada Invitational at Kiteflix.com by keeping his kite plastered to the water. This appears near the start of:

http://www.kiteflix.com/4thplace.html

I wonder what would have happened if he was hit by a gust into the 50 kt. range instead of the 25 kts. that probably hit. The sensible thing to do is to release your kite to the leash INSTANTLY before the gust hits to avoid putting your health and life up for grabs IF things don't quite work out. The forces of such gusts are SUBSTANTIAL. If you are rigged with the correct kite size for say 12 kts. and the wind suddenly boosts to 50 kts. you know have to cope with 16 TIMES the power or roughly have your 16 m kite change to an effective 256 m kite! Not good.

AVOID UNSTABLE WEATHER AND LOFTING IN GENERAL AND DO YOUR HOMEWORK, THERE IS A LOT TO KNOW IN KITEBOARDING.


32. Incident# 3 3 02 "Record Lofting" Location: Cabarete, Dominican Republic
Date of Incident March 2002 Participant account included: Yes Number of independent accounts: 4
For more information see: http://216.92.244.20/pictures/patoKingO ... /index.htm
Summary
A 155 lb. (70 kg) kiteboarding instructor of about 2 1/2 years experience on a four-month holiday in Cabarete was rigged with an RRD 11.9 m kite. The wind had been consistently side shore 10 to 15 kts. He noticed a black line of clouds or squall moving in to shore. He came into shore at the west section of Cabarete Bay at Bozo Beach. He lowered his kite to within 3 to 5 m (10 to 16 ft.), off the ground for an assisted landing. He was then hit by a violent wind gust, that he described as an “explosion.â€


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