Hi Rick,
might be of interest to you............
I´ve just read a 2001 study about kitesurfing-related injuries in Germany (but it is NOT the ongoing prospective study we are all awaiting) :
W. Petersen, U. Hansen, O. Zernial, C. Nickel, M. Prymka. 2001. Mechanisms and Prevention of Kitesurfing Injuries. In: Sportverletzung-Sportschaden (eds. Scharf et al.), Thieme Verlag, Stuttgart, New York)
The abstract:
Aim of this study was to analyse the mechanisms of kitesurfing injuries. For this purpose we performed a survey among 72 kitesurfers in the north of Germany. 31 accidents have been registrated among all 72 athletes during the 2001 season. 3 additional accidents occurred where a windsurfer got injured. 5 athletes had medium injuries such as fractures, all remaining athletes presented with minor injuries, that did not require medical treatment. The incidence of medium kite injuries was 1/1000 hours; the incidence of minor kite injuries was 5/1000 hours. The most common injury mechanism was a direct trauma against things such as stones and boats lying on the beach.
The most common situation in which the injury occurred was the lost of control about the kite on the beach or close to the beach due to technical mistakes of the surfer, oversized kites, or the wind conditions (onshore wind, overpower). Further injuries occurred due to collisions with windsurfers or sailing boats. Kitesurfing is a new rapidly growing sport. To date the risk potential of this new sport is unclear. The analysis of the injury mechanisms allows conclusion regarding the prevention of kitesurfing injuries.
Oliver Zernial, a coauthor, is also conducting the above mentioned prospective study (and a kiteboarder) and he is running perhaps the biggest German kiteforum (
http://www.kitesurfing-kiel.de).
Ask him for a full version if you can´t get it via:
http://www.thieme-connect.de/BASScgi/4/ ... 1035881923
bye mic