Postby kjelleren » Wed Dec 15, 2010 1:49 am
Scott,
relax a little bit. I agree about the launch and the weather. Helmet is like a seatbelt, it doesn't stop the accident- it just may moderate the outcome of a screw up. You and I launch over rocks and during some pretty poor gusty weather. We both have years of experience. I only had 7 years of kiting and 40 years of broad water experience when bad luck cost me.
Fundamental to accident investigation is that hubans make mistakes. At some point the worn line, the 30 kt gust, beginner crowding you into the corner, rocks downwind, and etc. stack up to make one minor issue go bad in a serious way. Safety professionals like to call the small, but often unlikely cause, a triggering event. Its the fact that the stage is set,with many latent issues, that turns the event from minor to a disaster- or maybe not. I certainly don't think of you as a "kook" (hate the word, cause it reminds me of the fashion police), but you have got to admit that either of us could end up on the rocks with only a couple of unfortunate circumstances lining up.
You know how I feel about helmets- I don't kite without one, but nor do I snowboard, kiteboard, mountain bike or any other aggressive sport. Basically, I have proven to myself that I am not completely in control and that bad stuff is likely to happen if we play hard enough.
Hope to see you at Sandbar Southside on the ice, this weekend.