Contact   Imprint   Advertising   Guidelines

Never thought it would happen to me. Famous last words.

Forum for kitesurfers
EdDy_DiFfUsIvItY
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 2832
Joined: Wed Oct 16, 2002 1:00 am
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Never thought it would happen to me. Famous last words.

Postby EdDy_DiFfUsIvItY » Mon Apr 14, 2003 9:34 am

Hi all.

Just got back from a weekend away and Man i shat a brick when this happended. All you guys self launching, watch you asses as i been self launching for a while now and thought it wouldnt happen to me. There I am, arrived at the spot, and a great place it was so I was eager to get set up and get out there.

I lay my kite out in the self launch position, line already been cleared, and the bar directly behind the kite so that when I picked it up, I could see them totally clear of twists and tangles. Then my friend needed a launch, so I helped him up. Sent him on his way happily and approached my bar again. Walked it up to the spot I was going to launch from, checked the lines again, and then clippend the leash on, then the trim loop and yanked her up. the second she was off the floor I knew she was messed up and not right.

Before I had the chance to reach for the Wichard QR with 2 big balls on, I was a few foot in the air travelling towards a hotel wall at great effin speed. There was NOTHING, I could have done, I was graspin for the QR with all my heart anbd I couldnt find a ball to pull to save my life. Panic stepped in for a visit as my body hit the ground and the kite - where the hell as the kite, I couldnt see it and it was still attached and i was being dragged towards the wall now, still I couldnt find the QR it was wedged up and to the right of my spreader, against my body and as it was flat against me, the balls were wedged, couldnt get em. Luckily, I mwean very Luckily, there were some people who ran to my assistance, the kite had landed on the other side of the hotel, lines across the roof, which was why I'd stopped moving and as soon as the line tension was gone, I could get the QR.

Thanks to those who ran to help - I owe you one.

When I checked the lines to see what caused it in the first place, I noticed that on the left side, the lines had been allowed to twist around eachother on one side of the kite and there was a knot / ball of small knots up near the kite end that i couldnt see from the bar. the wind had twisted it up, you know when your in the self launch positiion and that tip is flappin away ? wel its sending the lines into a rotational movement on one line more than the other, which makes it wrap around the other.

DONT SELF LAUNCH IN High winds- Unless absolutly necesarry. next time if I do it, I will shake like a leaf, but i aint doin it no more.

No damage done to anyone in terms of health. No injuries thank god, but More thought has to go into QR's, they aint so quick.

I remember Jo mac's post not 2 weekes ago on the same thread, he was spot on, there was nothing that I could have done to stop.

Rethinking my QR and options now. If there was a way of having another release closer to the trim strap or cleat, I could have got out of it.

got to think more or if anyone has already thought of a solution, please share!

Glad to still be here and healthy.

R. :shake:

User avatar
redsc1
Medium Poster
Posts: 135
Joined: Tue Dec 03, 2002 1:00 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Sydney....
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Postby redsc1 » Mon Apr 14, 2003 9:56 am

That was a lucky one! Glad to hear you're still with us to tell the tale. Thanks for sharing...

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 » Mon Apr 14, 2003 9:59 am

Shackles are not safe. They are not designed to be released in an emergency, beeing dragged at high speed.
We are lucky because emergency releases are not so conmon, otherwise shackle problems would be taken more seriously.

We need an easy to found and activate release trigger. You have no time until things gets bad.

Releasing in advance is a good practice too. Is always better a second early than late.

User avatar
Toby
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 50345
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: 832 times
Been thanked: 2365 times
Contact:

Postby Toby » Mon Apr 14, 2003 10:12 am

Hi Ron,

glad you are ok and no one was hurt as well!
and thx for sharing your experience!

I think, specially when you self launch, you should be ready to pull the trigger. Before I launch even with help I know exactly where the trigger is. I look it up before the kitesgets in the air and lay my hand on it.
This way I get the feeling where it is and have it in my mind as instant move and location. Helped me in Gran Canaria, where I twisted my lines as well. But I could release, no problem.

Greets
Toby

User avatar
Kiterich
Medium Poster
Posts: 166
Joined: Mon Dec 16, 2002 1:00 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: UK, North West, Morecambe
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0
Contact:

Postby Kiterich » Mon Apr 14, 2003 10:13 am

Ron, sounds like you had as good a weekend as me and Kellet, i have posted my description af a bad lofting which happend to us both, at exactly the same moment. Again, he was lucky to have such a large area of baceh as he covered over 300m before he got out!

"The Mach2 is nice from what i can see, gusty and wind rotors all over the place today, not enough Friday. Got lofted at St bees big style today, went for a jump, went up to a good height then got a double stacker and i genuinely shat my pampers. It was definately the highest i have ever been but only through misfortune, not skill, as i dont have any. Dont know how high but at the same time Kellet got lofted on the beach with the kite at the Zenith and eye whitnesses came back with a report of him going 20 feet vertical with an anal re-entry landing, ouch . He travelled 40metres downwind in the air and that was unintentional, off the beach with the kite at the zenith. He then got dragged at high speed for 300m. I looked down half way up and dindnt dare look again, i could only think about keeping the kite above me and not dropping like a rock. Still, all good fun though, i know what it feels like to be Flash Austin now"

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 » Mon Apr 14, 2003 10:23 am

Shackles are not safe. They are not designed to be released in an emergency, beeing dragged at high speed.
We are lucky because emergency releases are not so conmon, otherwise shackle problems would be taken more seriously.

We need an easy to found and activate release trigger. You have no time until things gets bad.

Releasing in advance is a good practice too. Is always better a second early than late.

EdDy_DiFfUsIvItY
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 2832
Joined: Wed Oct 16, 2002 1:00 am
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Postby EdDy_DiFfUsIvItY » Mon Apr 14, 2003 11:28 am

Cheers guys,

Toby - Spot on, If I had been doin that I'd have been ok I think, it all happended so fast, there was no time for anything, I remember flying throught the air lookin straight at the wall i was heading for thinking relase- release, grabbin around in vain, it was sheer luck that the kite landed on the hotel roof and depeowered allowing me to un clip.

Hernan, cheers too but it was a QR not a side snap shackle.

Rich - man you and kellet, more kellet than you, are to friggin lucky. Glad you both are ok. will speak later on phone.

I think that Jo man is dead right when he says that we need more R and D in the emergency release department. I beleive there are some alternative measures one can take, such as attaching the QR via the leash so that you can release using the leash if you cant find your balls - (on the QR). Anyone using this set up yet ?

User avatar
Rossall
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 839
Joined: Tue Aug 13, 2002 1:00 am
Local Beach: Blackpool and Como.
Favorite Beaches: Cape Hatteras
Waddell
Tarifa
Gear: Follow the Rabbits
Brand Affiliation: Wainman Hawaii
Location: Team Wainman
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 1 time

Postby Rossall » Mon Apr 14, 2003 12:18 pm

Ron, every thing comes in three's check out my post under Slingshot Chicken release a page dow. I got well and truelly hammered by a gust and one MRI scan ( £200 ) a shagged wetsuit, knackered arm, big hole in my thigh and cut head/face later, fuc*ed knee later well lets say I am looking seriously at shackles and quick release systems. I like you had no time to pull the wichard or any other release system for that matter, it all happened in a mili second, being hooked in/shackled in on land is becoming painful, if it wasn't for my Gath I think I would still be in Victoria Hospital for sure, it took a real crack on the left side as well as the rest of me. My SS QR finally released when pulled but this was after the horrific impact i suffered, whats the answer ????????? all I can think off is do not hook in on land.

Guest
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Postby Guest » Mon Apr 14, 2003 12:52 pm

Ron,
Where were you sailing ?
Cheers

Guest
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

what is the ideal solution?

Postby Guest » Mon Apr 14, 2003 12:55 pm

What about a dial that you can turn to the max force felt before a quick release was automatically done. So me, being 11 stone, would dial it to say 13 stone, then if a gust hits hard it pops the QR. Then when I'm out cruising I dial it to 15 or something.


Or say and electronic release, so the QR has some computer gubbins in it, and I have a button that is a radio transmitter that forces the thing to QR. Then I could put a button on either end of the bar, on my harness, and all over the place.... cos in a bad situation you are either holding the bar or totally out of control (hit the button on your harness/wrist watch)

Lets think what is an ideal solution, then let the boffins make it for us ( and we congratulate them with money )

john.e.boy

PS glad you're all ok :-) it was gusty as hell down at marazion this weekend. Ugh, the 630 arc flipped inside out a couple of times which scared the pants off me.


Return to “Kitesurfing”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: bittersvolcom, cglazier, Clem, cor, crosisca, duddd, echo123, Exage, Faxie, Google [Bot], HALF, JON MODICA, nixmatters, Pitu, plasma180, PullStrings, purdyd, rStorms, tonester, universalflush and 438 guests