That is crossing your kite lines.

Looking for stories of launching kites with crossed lines in moderate to strong wind conditions. By crossed lines, I mean accidentally attaching a front line to the back line attachments point on the kite. In doing this you set the kite up in an extreme, automatic turn upon launching.

The horrific speed and out of control power can be astonishing and potentially happen so fast as to defy being able to do anything about it until after you slam in following a high speed lofting/dragging.

This has apparently killed, broken backs, numerous other bones, brought on comas or sometimes just scared the hell out of some lucky ones. Two particularly bad accidents possibly involving this happened recently.

What have people experienced out there, from some of the lucky ones?

FKA, Inc.

transcribed by:
Rick Iossi

By the way, avoiding having this happen is easy. People will fail to do it at times however.

- Use kook proof connectors (they take 10 minutes to make, CLICK HERE)
- Methodical setup avoiding loops, tangles, etc..
- Careful preflighting (2 to 3 times, particularly in stronger conditions)
- Having your helper in assisted launches, look down the lines for proper attachment and feel for proper kite "biting" into the wind prior to release.

Any one of these, or better still all of these steps should see you free of a crossed line slam in.

This happened to a friend of mine... back-lines on the front.

I think he got lifted over a sanddune, broke a leg, a rib.. and ended up knocked out still being pulled by the kite. I believe it was an 8 mtr kite in strong wind.

I'll point this thread out to him and see if he wants to post.

Bars are still not idiot proof enough, or the connections at the kite. Manufacturers need to step it up.

True enough. Wasn't there some uncertainty about whether the fellow at OBX launched with his bar upside down or rigged with crossed lines some years back. He suffered a broken back as a result of whatever happened.

Cabrinha with factory rigged lines on bars, pulls two of the lines completely through making changing lines and end points hard to do. The kook proof connectors, (a North invention correct?) as long as you don't take them off, should stop accidentally attaching front to back or vis versa. What about sewing or seizing the kook proof connectors in place? People may want to take them out but how is the manufacturer's interest (liability) aided in making it easier to do?

It happend to a friend of mine, I saw it happen as I was surfing towards the beach.

Kite took of and went through the wind window, my friend flew in the air and landed hard on his hip. Unfortunately the kite then flew back to the original side, again lifting my friend and dropping him on the same hip.

He had water in his leg and had e pretty huuuuge black leg

A guy in Caberete broke his Femur the day before I got there in 2003. I met his buddy who he was traveling with and went surfing every morning. He had to have it opporated on in the DR and a $10,000US flight home.

Telling stories out there, keep them coming. Can folks comment on the speed of the lofting and dragging after launch with crossed lines? The times I have seen it or heard about it the violence in those seconds can be overwhelming.

January 2002 or 2003, don't remember exactly:

not being on the water for 4 months. Going to Gran Canaria, Pozo Beach.
Just stones, no sand. So we decided to launch from the parking lot, since it had an even surface and a bit of sand. That decision was very smart...
http://www.kitebeaches.com/kitebeaches/ ... hp?id=2370

I though I connected the lines the right way, just did one side, my friend the other side. No kook proof system. Was sure I did it correctly.
Launching the kite it felt weired, didn't figure it out and the kite went up and then not realizing it, the kite started to loop. Got dragged behind just a few meter, but acted quickly and released. I had a Wichard on the Kiteproshop Bar. It released and all was fine, nothing happend. But had I launched from the beach with just stones, my foot or legs would have been broken.

Double check now and having a kook proof system. No problem since that incident.

Greets
Toby

Crossed kite lines appear to have factored in the accident at Lake Washoe.

I believe you ride in the area, where were you and your technique last Sunday?

Killing this thread by attacking people that post is asking for more similar injuries. This is not the first time this has happened of course.

Do us all a favor, help communication or stay out of it.