Contact   Imprint   Advertising   Guidelines

Don't pull on that!!!

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

Don't pull on that!!!

Postby RickI » Mon Apr 14, 2003 3:12 pm

I just came across this on the BKSA list at:

http://195.171.201.147/forum/display_to ... Position=1

"I bumped into a local kitesurfer that I hadn’t seen on the water for quite a while and he preceded to tell me why, One day late last year he was at a local spot, Par Beach down here in Cornwall, he decided to go out, his skill level is still very much a beginner come intermediate, not yet jumping but could go upwind, It was a winters day and there were no other kitesurfers around to help launch or land, he put up a kite that was slightly too big and he was over powered so he wanted to land the kite.

Now here is where things went a bit pear shaped, somehow his safety kite leash had come undone, you have all probably been in the same situation where the leash is hanging just out of reach in front of you, you can run towards it but it just swings away from you, well anyway, he tried and tried to reach it but couldn’t so in the end he asked a passer by to reach it for him, well now the helpful Joe public grabbed the safety lease and not knowing the consequences pulled on it, to the kitesurfers complete shock the kite went into a loop in the power zone totally overpowered and hence he was lofted big time, hit the beach, lofted again and come down in the dunes and managed to get out the loop when the lines went slack, the kite went over and landed in the camp site and he was in a heap on the floor, he thought he had a broken leg and had a free trip in the air ambulance.

It turned out he hadn’t broken his leg but had dislocated his hip and had to stay in traction for so many weeks, with a bolt put through his heel to attach the traction, he still wants to get on the water, so he’s got a great attitude! But I suppose the moral of the story is to never trust the unskilled public with a power kite."

User avatar
mickpilch
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 659
Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2003 1:00 am
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Postby mickpilch » Mon Apr 14, 2003 4:13 pm

Man, Jo public will get you every time....

Had a similar (though not quite so dramatic) incident when I first started kitesurfing.

I put up a kite that was too big for the conditions, helpful Jo saw me struggling & motioned for me to drop the kite toward him so he could land it for me.

Managed to get the kite down, then to my horror the guy wrestled it to the floor stamping on and bursting the main tube....guess he thought it was alive!

....and then there's the launching adventures, throwing kites, launching too early/too late, launching whilst you're not even looking.

Yep, gave up with Jo P a long time ago - DIY launch and land unless its a fellow kiter of some experience :thumb:

User avatar
myZk
Rare Poster
Posts: 27
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2003 12:05 pm
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Sweden & Cabo Frio
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Postby myZk » Mon Apr 14, 2003 4:33 pm

iiiach, thats how small things can get really wrong in just a few second's...
There are so many lonewolfs & newbees out there :oops:
This time the bypassers didn't get hurt at least :-?

Blow Me
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 960
Joined: Fri Sep 20, 2002 1:00 am
Location: Perth, OzTralia
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Postby Blow Me » Mon Apr 14, 2003 4:59 pm

thats pretty crazy. I don't trust anybody with getting assistance unless I know they are a kiter, its just too risky.

WTF! Jumping on your kite! Thats a damn shame, but hilarious at the same time? What was he thinking?

User avatar
KiteGlider
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 829
Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2002 1:00 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: NW Florida
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Don't pull on that!!!

Postby KiteGlider » Mon Apr 14, 2003 7:24 pm

RickI wrote:I just came across this on the BKSA list at:

http://195.171.201.147/forum/display_to ... Position=1

But I suppose the moral of the story is to never trust the unskilled public with a power kite."
I was kitesurfing from a State Parks beach and was solo landing my Wipi 16.4 AB when a Park Ranger drove up, interested in kitesurfing and asked some questions. He told me of his wave surfing experience etc., so I assumed he had some aptitude and common sense for surfing sports.

He wanted to help with the kite relaunch, so after explaining some basic kitesurfing stuff, I asked him to hold the leading edge to prepare for a relaunch.
WELL, as I turn my back to walk to the bar, this guy decides that he wants to take a picture of the kite. He pulls out his camera, THEN LETS THE KITE GO TO GET A PHOTO! The kite drifts over to one of the hundreds of little "Keep Off The Dune" signs, and cuts my strut bladder.

I had to reach down really deep to stop myself from kicking his ass right there. Good thing for anger managment!

So I would also say "Don't turn you back on Joe Public either"

KG

User avatar
MrBonk
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 648
Joined: Mon Feb 10, 2003 11:46 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Queensland, Australia
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Postby MrBonk » Tue Apr 15, 2003 1:18 am

I had a slight run-in with Joe Public when I was struggling to walk my kite back up the beach. It was quite a gusty day, so I had the kite quite low over the water just in case. I kept getting pulled towards the water and was having quite a hard time making progress back up the beach. I had dumped the board (4.9kg of huge Airush Square One) to my left (downwind) side and decided to stop for a rest when a fellow approached me (from the upwind side, on my right) and asked if I would like some help. I said "Hell yes!" and turned to my left again to pick up the board. I turned back to find him reaching up towards the lines, presumably to haul on them!! I said, as calmly as possible "Uh, best you don't grab those mate.....bit dangerous....that's why they're attached to this harness here. Just haul on the handle on the back of my harness instead." He graciously obliged and I got a nice easy trip back up the beach, about a foot in the air most of the way :thumb:

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 » Tue Apr 15, 2003 3:55 am

Nasty experiences guys. So what kind of trouble has been brought to kiteboarders by inexperienced helpers:

1. Lofting/dragging by prematurely releasing or tossing the riders kite into the air

2. Fumbling catching a kite on landing, resulting in the rider being dragged and/or lofted.

3. Grabbing a hold of a hooked in riders control bar and causing them to slam into a parked car.

4. Pulling on the free end of a kite leash causing the rider to be lofted and dragged to a hard impact.

5. Grabbing the lines of an flying kite potentially cutting themselves and sending you on a nasty ride.

6. Picking up the bar of a rigged kite, launching the kite and being dragged at high speed.

There must be other misadventures, so tell us about them.

What to do?

Think about what things have happened to others and look out for problems before they happen. Never use untrained helpers to land and launch your kite. If someone is walking up ready to grab your bar, lines, whatever be prepared to state as forcefully as necessary, "Please stay back for your safety and mine, don't touch that, etc.." It is good to be aware of others when they are near you. Critically if you "keep it low & go", they will have a hard time chasing you offshore to cause you misfortune. Tip: don't stay onshore with a flying kite ANY longer than absolutely necessary. To do otherwise over the long term is to invite all sorts of grief from others, gear failures, gusts, etc.

User avatar
kitesuffer
Frequent Poster
Posts: 326
Joined: Sun Jul 14, 2002 1:00 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Australia
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Postby kitesuffer » Tue Apr 15, 2003 4:03 am

Rick/Bonk
What about having someone who is holding you down letting go unexpectedly. Has happened to me and to many others I'm sure.
If you need to be held down you have to explain how dangerous it is to be let go to someone unfamiliar with kiting. BEST to avoid it unless absolutely necessary

User avatar
MrBonk
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 648
Joined: Mon Feb 10, 2003 11:46 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Queensland, Australia
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Postby MrBonk » Tue Apr 15, 2003 4:55 am

kitesuffer wrote:Rick/Bonk
What about having someone who is holding you down letting go unexpectedly. Has happened to me and to many others I'm sure.
If you need to be held down you have to explain how dangerous it is to be let go to someone unfamiliar with kiting. BEST to avoid it unless absolutely necessary
Yep......in fact, this is precisely the reason I now have a perforated eardrum :( Wife and I were mucking about, body-dragging in the water with her holding onto the back of my harness (with her 60kg adding to my 77kg). I powered up too much, she couldn't hold on, so bailed out. I was suddenly 60kg lighter and, with the kite powered up, I rocketed up into the air and came down heavily on the side of my head in the water.....directly on my ear. I think the sudden lack of extra weight is what caused me to spin around and land on my side. Either way, fortunately only a minor injury.....more of an annoyance than anything else.....which has pretty much totally healed now. Back to the dr on Thursday to make sure before I go in the water over the long weekend :thumb:

Guest
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Postby Guest » Tue Apr 15, 2003 9:26 am

The other one that I always find disconcerting is the mother/father & small child scenario.

Like most kiters I always make an effort to set up well out of the way of other beach users whenever possible.

Unfortunately a large kite with a human attached to it seems to act like a magnet sometimes.

The most dangerous situation being just about to self launch when a parent leads a small child over to look at the spectacle.

It scares the pants off me, people just don't realise the danger, most are OK when warned politely to stay back, but I have had some folks get the arse on occasion.

Pilch


Return to “Kitesurfing”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: andylc, Baidu [Spider], Baptiste_FR, Bing [Bot], Breze, DanielorDani, droffats, elrizo, Google [Bot], ham-er, headintheclouds, knotwindy, Leon van Bergen, Pitu, purdyd, rnelias, SolarSet, Templeam, tonester, Tony, Wainando, Windwarrior, Yahoo [Bot] and 374 guests