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POV Video - Deathlooping Kite Drags Rider Into A Rock Jetty

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RickI
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POV Video - Deathlooping Kite Drags Rider Into A Rock Jetty

Postby RickI » Sat Feb 23, 2013 3:58 am



I had a look at component images and sure enough the center lines were clearly looped over the bar disabling the normal depowering of the kite much less Emergency Depowering.


Image
The wrapped bar. He even had his thumb on it.


Looking at the excessive power and looping of the kite in the opening scene it apparently had wrapped before that time perhaps in a wipeout. The non-responsiveness of the kite to normal depowering was his first tipoff. He didn't know enough about normal kite functioning apparently to pickup on this. The best thing to have done would have been to set the kite entirely free as early as possible or at the latest while it was stalled upside down by the jetty. Activating the primary QR under these circumstances almost assures a bad outcome.

Image
Just before he hit the rocks, at least twice and the side of the concrete walk once. He was a very lucky guy to come out of this.

Getting adequate, QUALITY pro kiting instruction is key, in all cases. When you tumble in a wipeout, EXPECT something to haven been messed up. Work to make sure this isn't the case as it may or may not be. Understand how your gear works and what it should normally look like. Wearing reasonable safety gear can help too, for head and torso impacts. If the kite hadn't stalled in the lee of the jetty he might have been dragged into the water to slam into the side of the far jetty. Coming out of that sort of impact so cleanly seems unlikely in the extreme.


(Thanks to Clew In for posting the video on fksa.org)

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Re: POV Video - Deathlooping Kite Drags Rider Into A Rock Je

Postby CaptainArgh » Sat Feb 23, 2013 5:58 am

Wow, lucky guy. Thing is, I can see that happening. His focus seemed to be avoiding damage to the kite since it would not launch from him and was at the jetty. All his focus was on that, not on his bar. If he was in open water, the primary safety release which seemed to have activated would have been okay...yanked him for 10-20 yards but it did clear...but not when it counted and there was no margin for error.

Thanks for sharing. Has me thinking what I'd do if I looked down and was in the exact situation. I guess Rick is right, you'd have to dump your primary and secondary safeties (detach leash).

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Re: POV Video - Deathlooping Kite Drags Rider Into A Rock Je

Postby edt » Sat Feb 23, 2013 6:09 am

rickl a lot of these systems you have to activate the primary QR and then the leash QR. I think if he had any inkling that he might have been in danger he could have activated his primary QR at 44 seconds and then where he pulls his primary QR in the video at around 1:15 he would have instead pulled his leash QR instead and there would have been no ride over the rocks. The reason he was in so much trouble is that he didn't realize he was in trouble at all! I think that's what you mean, though activate the primary QR and then the second QR right?

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Re: POV Video - Deathlooping Kite Drags Rider Into A Rock Je

Postby KYLakeKiter » Sat Feb 23, 2013 6:22 am

This is the kind of video that really makes you think about your personal emergency drill when you get in a bind. I always think of releasing my primary QR (probably like most people), but I can't say that I am instinctively going for my leash release as soon as I should. Thanks for the reminder. :thumb:

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Re: POV Video - Deathlooping Kite Drags Rider Into A Rock Je

Postby AndrewJMcGee » Sat Feb 23, 2013 6:49 am

Wow.....Put yourself in his booties. He had plenty of time to act accordingly.

From what I see he had to pull the Center lines, with his right hand up, and around the right side of the bar.

Something similar has happened to me and sent me flying. Not into rocks, but at least 4-5 kite lengths thru open water. I had a quick sec to breathe, look at the problem. ( yanked threw the air, kite hits water). I now try 3 more times after the kite yanks me threw the air and smashes the water. In between each loop, I tried to clear the line.

If i were near rocks like this guy I would have been broken.

Not sure if this is correct but it looks like the safety bound up for the first jolt. He would have had to clear then release w/ that tangle.

Another thing... I am asking myself what I would do if that happend to me... I am at a loss. Only thing i could come up with was........Stay away from these types of hazards. Play in DEEP open waters, and think about what could happen.

Also if the kite is trying to relaunch and loop. Try holding the opposite line driving the kite into the water. It might not work, but could give you a sec to at least look down.

Scary to think about. That last jolt of wind force coulda been his last. Be safe, think twice.

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Re: POV Video - Deathlooping Kite Drags Rider Into A Rock Je

Postby knotwindy » Sat Feb 23, 2013 6:57 am

makes me wonder how the lines got wrapped to begin with and how he did not notice it,
would have been much better to prevent this than try to save it.

most of us have who had a centerline wrap ALWAYS check before we relaunch, takes half a second to move the bar, and can save a serious problem.
probably a good habit to develop after a big tangle crash, check the lines and then check them again

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Re: POV Video - Deathlooping Kite Drags Rider Into A Rock Je

Postby ronnie » Sat Feb 23, 2013 9:59 am

AndrewJMcGee wrote:Wow.....Put yourself in his booties. He had plenty of time to act accordingly.

From what I see he had to pull the Center lines, with his right hand up, and around the right side of the bar.
That seems to be the key.

Dont pull on the left end of the bar to get the centrelines to hopefully slide clear round the right end of the bar because that could start the kite looping.
Instead, pull in the centre lines until you have enough slack to get them round the right end of the bar without steering the kite.

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Re: POV Video - Deathlooping Kite Drags Rider Into A Rock Je

Postby Toby » Sat Feb 23, 2013 11:05 am

Thx Rick, interesting to see.
Been there as well...

If the kite loops there are two reasons: twisted lines on the kite or bar. Bar you can check asap, on kite you have to release immediately.

Did he try to open his leash QR at the end? Looked like it did not work?

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Re: POV Video - Deathlooping Kite Drags Rider Into A Rock Je

Postby TheJoe » Sat Feb 23, 2013 1:00 pm

This is why I don't use a donkey dick. I only have one release to hit and only need that if things are life threatning. In an emergency situation you might not get a second chance to hit another release.

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Re: POV Video - Deathlooping Kite Drags Rider Into A Rock Je

Postby Toby » Sat Feb 23, 2013 1:06 pm

a good QR is good as well?

But I talked about the safety leash QR, not the main QR


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