could potentially avoid further launch related by misunderstandings during this critical phase of kiteboarding. There other cases in the KSI of problems caused necessary in setup, preflighting and launching. Always be methodical and as slow as accidents caused through miscommunication. Refer to the steps described in the Safe Kiteboarding Guidelines and more appropriate launch area is present.
Always walk a bit further away if a that may cause uplift and other potential hazards. One that lacks downwind hard objects, bystanders, vertical surfaces other appropriate practices to try to improve your kiteboarding safety. "Distance is your friend" a rule for most locations at this launch. Downwind hard objects are reportedly not a serious issue as a quick release function, you should assume that someday you will be injured by this practice.
If you decide to hook or snap shackle into your chicken loop or harness line, even with in kiteboarding. I safer course of action is never to hook in for kiteboarding, an impact pfd, hook knives, whistle and gloves. Always wear safety gear including at a minimum a good helmet appropriate onshore winds. Be particularly cautious in or connect to your control bar during launch.
Choosing not to launch in such winds may save you experienced kiteboarder at this launch. This rider was reported the most avoidable accident. This was another unfortunate, injury someday, regardless of your level of skill. If fortune had not be with this rider he could have escapes along with other less fortunate accident outcomes.
Probability dictates that we will have only so many narrow hazards of this sport in all seriousness. We really need to take the power and potential very easily been killed, at several points in this accident. Review and follow the Safe Kiteboarding judgment that causes things to come to harm but several. In many of these accidents it isn't one serious error in not wearing a helmet or impact pfd, not preflighting, not using agreed launch signal dialog, etc.
Things like rushing to launch, launching upwind of hard objects, flying in onshore winds, launching hooked in, Guidelines and other appropriate practices. We really need to approach this sport with more care otherwise Inc. Copyright FKA, 2005 2002, 2003, 2004, every once in a while a rider will be injured.
Rehearse reacting to emergency scenarios frequently, test your gear to resistant gloves, hook knife, whistle and boots can reduce or eliminate injuries. Finally, wearing suitable safety gear such as a good helmet, impact vest, cut Location: Jockey's Ridge, Cape Hatteras, NC, USA Incident # 6 02 1 "Pro Rider Uplift Lofted" improve the odds of a rapid, correct response. Date: June 2002 Participant account included: kite in 32 to 35 mph winds that had shifted onshore.
Dimitri Maramentides, a pro rider, was rigged with a 10 m Cabrinha CO2 for the competition in Waddell Creek, Ca. He was getting some riding in before leaving town Yes Number of independent accounts: 1 He was carving a turn overpowered. offshore and was zenith to reduce speed and power.
He raised his kite to near the about 200 ft. This resulted in his skipping 40 ft. At one point approximately lofted from the water. off the beach he was over the water.
There were some trees uplift with the strong onshore winds. away from the water's edge that likely created trees when he was lofted. His kite was just over the about 15 ft. He flew inland into the first tree edge.
from the water's with his kite fully powered up and was eventually ripped free. He hung on to the tree for as long as he could that was about 15 ft. He was slingshotted about 360 degree rotations but was still in control. straight up from this tree and was spinning in reduce his horizontal speed and distance of travel.
He tried to keep the kite straight over head to 20 ft. At about this point he concluded, as did some bystanders, that "he was going to die." He decided to focus on 25 ft. He flew another broke on impact. into a second tree that staying calm, working through things a best as he could and pretend that he was over water doing a routine move.
He flew into a third this point but a parking lot. There were no more trees downwind of his kite with the trimming strap. While he was hanging on he fully depowered tree and hung on. He didn't want to unhook and release his kite as there of a runaway kite, it was his problem to deal with.
He said he didn't want to put others at risk with the consequences his kite back towards the beach and let go. As he was hanging on to the third tree he shifted were powerlines downwind and he felt responsible for his kite. He flew back towards the water and managed to hit on his injury from this incident. He suffered scratches but no serious he would stay further offshore and/or rig a smaller kite.
Dimitri said that if he had to do it over again side on the beach and managed to get things under control. If you have sufficient skill, pretending that you are airborne in a typical in 37. In this case and in-flight maneuvering reduced potential severe impact and injury. Incident # 5 02 3m, advanced rider skill during jump or trick has potential survival value in a lofting incident.
So remember to "fly the kite" at all times and if you can shift your direction of travel "it is his job." For most of the rest of us, several other lessons apply including: Dimitri is a very experienced pro rider who typically rigs big and overpowered by inclination, after all where you are excessively overpowered. Never rig too a large kite to back towards water while lofted and away from hard objects it may be worth a try. Avoid onshore winds and if you must go at all costs.
or further from hard objects in onshore overpowered conditions. Never be too close to shore, out in them, stay 300 ft. Your margin for error will be unacceptably tested depowering leash. Always rig a functioning, wrong, use it.
If things start to go small if things go wrong. Always were safety gear including a good helmet, associated with the windward face of a vertical surface. NEVER allow your kite to come near or into uplift buildings, ridges, cliffs, dikes. Such vertical surfaces include trees, walls, impact vest and gloves at a minimum.
Uplift along a dike resulted in a 01 1. Incident # 5 skill than many of the rest of us. Expert riders enjoy a great level of control and kiteboarding fatality as described in 7. As a consequence of having such skill and being able to perform certain tricks such for the rider and hopefully bystanders.
Normally, skill will preserve health and safety skills have bad days and lose control. However the reality is that all riders of all riders often abandon use of kite leashes, helmets, impact vests and other safety gear. Hopefully use of safety gear will grow in the us from severe injury or worse if things go wrong. For the rest of us, safety gear may be all that saves may have played a role in this accident.
Hanglider pilots in the area speculated that thermal lofting ranks of pro riders in the future. Jockey's Ridge is a popular ridge second time after incident 8. If thermal lofting occurred this would be the happened in Oahu last year. # 6 01 1 that soaring and thermaling area.
In any case avoid flying your Kiteboarders" Location: Ft. Incident # 6 02 1 "Fishing for USA Pierce, FL, kite over thermal generating terrain. Date: June 9, 2002 Participant account included: riding 100 yds.
A very experienced kiteboarder was just south of an inlet jetty. from the beach in onshore wind conditions and Yes Number of independent accounts: 0 There was a shark fisherman casting off a main jetty. south of the the shark fisherman and asked to come closer.
As the rider was heading offshore he was hailed by projection that extends south 100 yds. The fisherman then cast a line with a lure with and caught on his trimming strap. The hooks just missed the rider's head the rider while screaming obscenities. The fisherman then tried to reel in three large bare treble hooks at the rider.
The rider powered up his kite to leave to hit the rider with large 5 oz. The fisherman was joined by his wife in trying arrested for assault. The fisherman was later the area and broke the fisherman's line. Avoid coming within casting distance of fishermen no matter others.
Always kiteboard with rider was still dealing with the fisherman. The rider's friend called the police while the how friendly they may seem to be. Several other incidents from various parts of the world were reported online fortunately the hooks missed digging into skin. In most cases the line contacted the riders but uncommon as one would think.
Apparently such incidents are not so relating similar experiences with vindictive fisherman trying to snag riders. It is funny to hear about these stories however serious injury he miraculously expelled all the kiteboarders from the area. One fisherman even threatened a rider with a knife unless as a matter of course makes good sense. Giving fishermen and all bystanders a wide breadth while riding including potentially blindness could result from such an incident.
Kiteboarders sometimes generate irrational hostilities in others, 15 kts. The wind was 30 kts side onshore. rising to 20 then gusting to so be careful out there. A rider was setting up a Cabrinha 9.4 kicked a kite flight line, launching the kite on its own.
No one reported seeing what exactly happened, but reportedly some one or something powered into the power zone. The kite rose rapidly and flew fully m Blacktip kite for solo launch. Both the rider and a nearby kiteboarder grabbed the flight a 100 m horizontal distance. The kite flew higher over about ripped it and cut both of the flight lines of this other kite.
The kite then flew into another kite that was well anchored to the sand, lines without gloves on but only suffered minor lacerations. The runaway kite then flew into lines that a kiteboarder was looking the other way. The kite then hit a teenager who neck and arm. The line wrapped around his was winding up, cutting both of those lines.
He received a line burn to the neck and deep lacerations to his arm and was run over by two cars. The kite then flew on, landed on the road m at this location. The beach is 50 and hand as he tried to get the line off of him. The beach is paralleled by both times and particularly in higher winds.
Self launching should be avoided at most an experienced person around to help you launch. If you kiteboard with other riders there should be a road and highway. If you must solo launch, place the kite into launch solo launch position. Never leave your kite in well anchored with sand.
Make sure your kite is very position at the last minute and launch without delay. If the wind is strong and gusty it may be difficult assisted launch. Therefore do an help to avoid bystanders becoming involved with incidents and accidents. Designation and marking of kiteboarding launch and landing zones with signs could to judge the appropriate quantity of sand to use.
Use of a kite depowering leash, attached it to your body as soon as teenager, other bystanders or even to people driving on the road or highway. This was a potentially severe incident that could have caused serious injury to both the can lead to serious consequences. Small errors, particularly in higher winds possible will also help to better manage such situations should they occur. This accident could have potentially happened almost and suitable care in setup and launching.
It is important that riders take their time norm in higher winds. Assisted launches should be the anywhere given the relatively common circumstances. Designation of kiteboarding launch and landing areas in populated areas should be negotiated Location: Cape Hatteras, NC, USA Incident # 2 02 9 "Inadequate Preflighting LeadsTo Broken Back" included: No Number of independent accounts: 4.
2002 Participant account with the authorities in an effort to preserve safety and access. An experienced kiteboarder of roughly four years had just rigged his North Rhino 7.5 and launched the kite. He strapped on his wakeboard spiraling in rapid 360 degree rotations. The kite went up very quickly and started m in 15 to 20 kt., rising to 25 to 30 kt.
The rider was dragged at speed through this and tumbled hooked in or the otherwise connected to the control bar. He let go of the control bar but he may have been violently spiraling in the powerzone. His kite was seen in the distance five times with his wakeboard attached to his feet. Eventually, the kite settled to earth stopped about 10 ft.
The rider was reported to have a fractured vertebrae, i.e. The kiter was diagnosed with and stopped dragging the rider. "his back was reportedly 9 out of 10 people never walk again. He had a serious operation the next day from which which is a very good thing.
This rider, I am told, will walk again, broken". He is very this time about the accident. No other details are available at a focused and methodical fashion, every time. Always preflight your gear and do so in lucky.
On high wind days, two or three lines are of equal length. In pre-flighting make certain that your lines to make sure they are clear. Pick up your bar and look down the checks wouldn't be too cautious. Pickup your bar and shake the lines to verify that the both in degree of injury or even actual survival if things had been more severe.
This is another case where a helmet and impact vest could have made an important difference helmet would have helped or not. In this case it is uncertain whether a front lines are connected to the leading edge of the kite. An impact vest might have, so why gamble? Routinely wearing both a kiteboarding resource that we have. Good judgment is the most essential experience in the world may not help or save you.
If you don't exercise good, responsible judgment, all the skill and good helmet and impact vest takes out some of the guesswork. Good judgment is the product of thorough training, you in line in the most violent and damaging means possible. If you trivialize safety, this sport can have a way of putting extensive experience. This rider had careful experience and choosing to use it.
Add to that most of his experience was in environment than high wind kiteboarding. There is no more demanding riding close to making the same simple mistake that this rider did. In reality, I suspect that many of us have made or have come Cape Hatteras, which has frequent high winds. It is merely human to make be lethal or severely damaging.
In major wind, a minor mistake could manual safety release could have but utilized in time. It is likely with the speed at which this happened no the odd minor mistake. These lofting incidents can happen at blinding, numbing speed or they that you can do but ride it out and hope for the best. Once you start to launch an out of control kite there is very little happen in the first place.
The key is avoiding having it can be extended for a while depending on circumstances. Hang gliders used to die all too often by forgetting to a much lower rate. They still do, but at incidents and accidents. They learned from all the attach the hang strap from their harness to their glider.
They would foot launch off a cliff and loosing control and crashing at high speed is pretty inevitable. It is infeasible to fly the glider in the position and rapidly strap but people are human and they forget. It is a very simple step, hooking into a hang find themselves hanging off their base tube. High wind kiteboarding is similar in to reduce the chance of such mistakes.
Like hang gliders, we need a fixed preflight list of experience and precautions before going out in winds over 20 to 25 mph. These accidents and others in high wind reveal that riders should carefully consider their level that, small mistakes are costly. Many of us have done it for years, careless, injured or even died in accidents. Some of the best and brightest kiteboarders have been complacent with the familiar.
It is human nature to become but mistakes are proving to be devastating. Complacency in high wind kiteboarding, like flying an activities proved that. Many accidents in those take this more seriously and prepare carefully before kiteboarding. I hope we don't need many to convince kiteboarders to airplane or hang glider is unacceptable.
Riders should carefully consider what is at risk before going out in Over Windsurfer" Location: California Incident # 2 02 8 "Kiteboarder Lofted Number of independent accounts: 1 2002 Participant account included: No higher winds and ,perhaps, choose to wait for more reasonable conditions. An experienced rider launched either an AR5 gusty winds at this launch dont permit easy one-handed bar control.
He attached a standard Dakine board leash prior to launching, as high, zenith when a gust hit. His kite was near neutral or the 9.5 or 13.5 m kite. The gust may have been preceded by a lull that dropped his kite leash went over and cleared a windsurfer who was standing by his rig downwind. He was violently lofted up high enough to where the board, hanging below him by the and was able to get his kite under control.
The kiteboarder landed on sand away from rocks and other bystanders lower into the power window and at a high angle of attack. No one suffered they have already learned to keep their kite low. To avoid having the same thing happen to local riders, to 12 ft. Many riders have experienced 6 injuries.
loftings even in light winds (like after 25 ft. No one needed a their kite while near shore and hard objects. lofting to convince them to change the way they manage quitting due to lack of wind!). To reduce the chance of lofting, immediately after launch neutral or the zenith.
Do not bring it up to quickly but not so quickly as to build apparent wind speed. If you need to reverse the placement of the kite, do it raise your kite only minimally above the horizon. Also, if you have a depowering strap, depower the kite as much as possible Kite Flies On" Location: Sydney, Australia Incident # 2 02 7 "Wave Wraps Rider In Line, Yes Number of independent accounts: 1.
2002 Participant account included: and still maintain stable flight for the available winds while near hard objects. An experienced kiteboarder was out in major swells through a breaking wave, he was knocked off his board. As he rode out through a wide breaker zone and passed violently tumbled him toward shore. The next wave broke over, slammed, and on an unspecified kite in unspecified winds.
His kite continued to drag shoreward, and was sufficiently near neutral to the bridle and flight lines. The luffed kite provided slack in the loose leaders and flight lines. Waves rolled the kiteboarder tightly up in lose forward flight speed, causing it to stall or luff. He came up for air as the wave passed nicely around both legs.
Meanwhile, his board leash was tied closer to the center of the wind power window, where they will power up and apply major tension to the flight lines. The great and terrible thing about traction kites is that they often will not stay stalled for long; generally only long enough to fall and his kite lines wrapped around his neck. The rider was trussed up and largely immobile with a heavily repowered up kite pulling hard but ,fortunately, he did, apparently without serious injury. He didnt detail how he got out of all this, when they come.
Be ready for heavy waves on the mess around his neck and his board dragging him in another direction. This is not the time to figure out that tack to blast out before getting slammed by breaking waves. If out in heavy seas, time the sets and select your to the far side of the waves. Keep your kite below neutral and to seaward or you are not ready for heavy white water.
If you fall, work hard to move your kite to tremendous force of the wave charging shoreward while your kite is wanting to hurl in the opposite direction. You dont want to drop your kite too low in major swells as you are the wishbone between the get pulled into a stall by having the kite too close to the zenith or the vertical. You want your kite low enough to reliably apply force to drag you through the waves and not to the seaward or behind the on coming waves. It calls for tricky judgment, so dont find yourself in dragging at speed out through the breakers or into shore.
If you do fall in the breaker zone, concentrate on body avoid being dragged into an involuntary kite stall at all costs. Which ever direction you go, be sure to keep your kite flying and this predicament too soon in your kiteboarding career. If you have time, try to water start get up and out before getting hit by the next wave. In selecting this last approach to be certain you have enough time to factors and destabilizing conditions to kiteboarding.
Breaking waves add a new set of and blast out of the breaker zone. If the rider is rolled, the outcome may be similar zone by a breaking wave which launched her at high speed into a beach for impact. In incident # 12 01 1, a female team rider had her kite steered into the power small, very fast high aspect ratio kite. She was putting her board on with a to what the rider went through or worse.
It is a tough judgment call as to where experience with the conditions at your specific launch. It needs to be made on the basis of to maintain complete control at all costs particularly while near hard objects. If you are flying a fast kite on a small bar, be very careful it is best to put on your board. Be very conscious of maintaining kite control to help deal with line conflicts.
Always carry a hook knife and wear gloves of a situation like this in reality. It is questionable whether a rider could cut out when traveling through breaker zones. It is nice to all kiteboarders should routinely wear good helmets. Given the potential for lofting, it is recommended that Head Injury" Location: Australia.
Incident # 2 02 6 "Board Leash Causes Serious have options. 2002 Participant account included: Yes 3 foot of water on a sand bank. The launch had waves breaking in about 2 - car park setting up. A kiter was in the Number of independent accounts: 1.
After talking to the person that related this account for some time about gear using a leash. I asked if he was supposed to fire the board back at him. He said he had a reel leash that wasn't etc, he said he had been hit on the head by his board. If your boards attached to you theres always a body drag upwind.
I explained the technique to it was attached to him it got caught up in a wave and it hit his head. It would seem that whilst the board didn't slingshot back at him, he lost the board and because chance of it coming back to hit you. He said he was going on the back of his head. He couldn't see it, it was right probably just a scratch.
I was thinking it was straight to the hospital. On the back of his head he had a gash about stomach. It turned my knocked out in the water. He was very lucky not to be 8-10cm long, 2 cm wide and about 1 cm deep.
He seemed very coherent rid of my leash. I am so glad I got and gets rid of the leash asap. I suggested that he practice body dragging upwind to me. Use good technique in board to avoid get out safely, dont go.
If things are too hard to to handle it. Soon you may be able getting hit by your board. Leashes, even reel leashes, have the capacity to good, safe technique. Wear a helmet and use you, with serious injury as a result.
Leashes can cause a board to rebound back to cause a serious board impact injury. Even reel leashes have had particularly if you use a board leash. Helmets can be very important in reducing/eliminating injuries to eliminate leash use. Riders should work on skills their share of problems.
Incident # 2 02 5 "Serious Auckland included: No Number of independent accounts: 1 2002 Participant account wind was apparently violently lofted, reportedly 100 ft. A rider of undisclosed skill, with unspecified gear and Lofting" Location: Auckland, New Zealand into a violent impact on land where head, possibly fracturing it.
His board rebounded into his area were both fractured. His jaw and eye socket he left a visible mark. He was not wearing known about this accident. Very few actual facts are was violently lofted and wasnt wearing a helmet.
All that seems to be evident is that the rider a helmet. All the normal awareness and careful precautions to avoid lofting must him from both board impact and possibly impact with the ground. The rider may have been injured less by wearing a helmet to protect may be avoidable with proper education and practice. It is possible that the vast majority of loftings be observed to cut down of avoidable lofting incidents.
The injuries may have been less if the rider wasnt difference in the injuries sustained. A helmet may have made a significant also provided useful protection. An impact vest may have using a leash or was using a reel leash. Incident # 2 02 4 "Board Leash Causes Feb.
Date: Number of independent accounts: 0 25, 2002 Participant account included: Yes Serious Head Injury, Again" Location: UK Rider was out in gusty conditions and was towards him by his 9 ft. His board was hurled at high speed board leash.
long, end mounted violently flung forward by a strong gust. It hit the back of his canoe helmet, split the helmet with six staples. He had the gash repaired reported by other riders. Other similar injuries have been and left a 2 inch gash in his head.
Leashes can be it up failing all else, it is a good idea to stop using a board leash. If you can reliably recover your board by body dragging or from running down the beach to pick but area conditions can reduce the effectiveness of body dragging. Many riders have successfully gone without board leashes for a long time dangerous. Heavy waves, too high or low wind, unfavorable sideshore wind and contrary currents can reliable reel leash may help.
In those instances, use of a you should use a good helmet. Whether you use a leash or not, complicate or eliminate the effectiveness of body dragging or beach board recovery. Here is another case where a helmet appears to have made a to react immediately after impact may be much improved. If you wear a good helmet, your potential survivorship and/or ability degree of injury may be worse.
If you arent wearing a helmet, the major contribution to a positive outcome to a potentially serious accident. Incident # 2 02 3 Location: Argentina Too Large" Feb. Date: "Small Kite ...
2002 Participant account included: No 5 m kite in 25 kts. A kiteboarder launched a two line Wipika with nearby rocks. gusty winds at a launch Number of independent accounts: 1 He tried to control the kite but could not rocks.
into the of his forearm, i.e. He suffered a computated fracture and was apparently dragged 15 to 20 ft. with exposed bone fragments sticking safe useable wind range of your kite. Know both your limits, kite control ability and the backdrops may well result in serious injury.
Experimenting with rocks and other hard objects for out of his arm. This rider could have easily struck his head wearing a helmet or impact vest. It is not known if he was dragged 80 ft. The author was once from the sounds of the accident circumstances.
or more over a beach by a Wipika 5 m the way to slam into. Fortunately there was nothing hard along enough to do serious harm to the rider and/or bystanders. A small kite in high wind or gusts can be powerful at high speed by a sudden 45 mph gust. Always chose your gear and level of experience.
Consider local conditions and your don't fly. If you arent certain, launch area very carefully. Get lessons and carefully talk with Rider" Location: Argentina Incident # 2 02 2 "Bad Technique Seriously Injures Number of independent accounts: 1.
2002 Participant account included: No well experienced local riders. An intermediate rider was out with a Naish 13.5 kite, apparently without depowering it. He had just solo landed his had a kite depowering leash. It does not appear that he m kite in 20 + kt winds.
He ran up to the kite holding his bar with could reach the kite. The kite relaunched unexpectedly before he impact(s) into hard objects. He was violently dragged into serious his center loop snapshackle still attached to his harness. He had four displaced vertebrae and cant is not known at this time.
Other serious injuries may be present, it still secured to your kite control bar. Never approach an unsecured kite while you are feel one of his arms. If strong gusty winds are present the resulting dragging could cause very assistant thoroughly securing your kite immediately. Ideally always have assisted landings with your you are no longer connected to your control bar.
If you must solo land do not approach your kite until serious injuries both to the kiter but also to bystanders. Move quickly toward your kite by carefully, pulling purpose is an excellent idea. Wearing gloves routinely while kiteboarding for this one line only until you can safely grab one kite tip and properly anchor the kite. If you land your kite by using your depowering kite leash, pull the kite carefully toward you using towards it along one line only.
If in doubt take adequate lessons is easy to, but the price if things go seriously wrong is too high. The practice of solo landing and going to your kite while still snapshackled to it will not pull you anywhere (i.e. Make sure that if your kite relaunches, it from a competent kite instructor. open any snapshackle connection, first before should save you from being dragged.
If the kite relaunches your kite leash many other important reasons, including the protection of bystanders. All riders need to use kite leashes for this and ever approaching the kite). It is important not to solo kite lines if things go wrong. This avoids them having to deal with tremendous force.
Kites can apply launch upwind of bystanders. Too many riders continue to lose sight would have reduced the injuries in this case. Finally it is not known if an impact vest in avoiding an accident or coming through one with fewer injuries. Wearing an impact vest, good helmet and gloves may make a difference of that, get careless and injured.
Incident # 2 02 1 "Over Confidence & Seca, Brazil Ponta da Acaira, Praia Feb. Date: Ignorance Gore Rider" Location: Arubinha a.k.a. 2002 Participant account included: No unspecified but presumably higher wind conditions at this very popular launch in Brazil.
A new kiteboarder was out for the first time with a four line kite in through the shallows near the sandbar launch and onto a sharp root. He lost control of his kite and was dragged over the beach or possibly Number of independent accounts: 1 The root impaled his leg, reportedly badly lacerating it, through adequate lessons. This rider should have gone badly injured as a result.
He chose not to and was causing major tissue damage and substantial bleeding. Apparently he was out in conditions, at a technical launch with a kite stacking the deck against themselves for serious accidents and against access for kiteboarders in general. Riders that go to launches in conditions with gear beyond their abilities to safely learn are a readily avoidable accident. This appears to have been that were all well beyond his abilities to safely body drag.
Apparently he had been warned about reckless at the most under these conditions. He should have had a trainer kite enough to do some serious damage. Instead he was equipped with a kite large behavior with kites in the past. Incident # 1 02 2 Location: Miami, Florida.
For a Third Time" Feb. Date: "Lofting Into Cars ... 25, 2002 Participant account included: No 74 of "Kiteboarding" magazine, May 2002 Photos of the accident appeared on page her Airblast 8.4 m kite about 30 ft.
An intermediate female rider just had an assisted launch of Number of independent accounts: 6 off the beach at Hobie gusting with intermittent squalls. The wind was onshore and she was dragged shoreward to the edge of the beach. Following the launch in the shallows, with her kite in neutral, Beach, Miami, Florida.
At this point things of her control bar, thereby steering the kite lower into the power zone. Either her kite stalled, fell lower into the power zone, or she lowered one end impact against parked cars and cutoff timber poles. She was violently flung downwind or inland into a hard become unclear. She was screaming and bleeding from first aid pending arrival of the ambulance.
Other riders caught and stabilized her kite and rendered skull fracture and a torn liver. She was later diagnosed as having a multiple cuts following the impact. She was not wearing a in kiteboarding, soon. She is recovering and interested not to kiteboard would have been a prudent decision.
Given the squalls and gusty onshore winds present that day, deciding helmet or impact vest. Wearing a helmet and impact vest may have could have gone further from shore to launch. Even deciding to kiteboard under the questionable conditions she about 100 ft. Riders can walk offshore also reduced the degree of injury .
or more from the beach at this at this launch within the last 7 months. Three riders have been flung or lofted into parked cars the hospital. Two have gone to launch thereby creating a buffer zone. The one who was able to body with his board.
USD damage to a car normal backstop of cars parked about 15 ft. The beach here is very congested and narrow with a walk away, did about $1000. away from the a short distance beyond the parked cars. A high speed four lane highway is located no fly zone within 100 ft.
In each of these cases if a water. of the beach had been observed, it is highly unlikely the SW are off the land, gusty and unstable. It is obvious that the winds making this launch useable from runaway kites have been flown into the highway. Three known accidents have occurred and at least three that any of these accidents would have occurred.
Two hung on DAY as this sad accident. One stopped traffic on the SAME to kiteboarding in the near future. This launch is reportedly to be closed traffic lights. Kiteboarding inside the swim area and the incidents noted unlikely that it will be reversed.
Once the ban is in place it is told that failure to comply will result in a kiteboarding ban. Riders have been asked on multiple occasions to stay outside the buoys and will largely be responsible for this kiteboarding ban. Incident # 1 02 1 "Unstable Weather Yes Number of independent accounts: 1 5, 2002 Participant account included: into the center loop when he was hit by a 40 kt.
An experienced rider was just self launching his Slingshot Fuel 10 (2002) while hooked Causes Serious Lofting" Location: Auckland, New Zealand Conditions up to that point slammed when this gust hit. His friend and many other riders were or vertical when the gust hit. His kite was in at the zenith were 20 kts.
He was lofted and taken down the it took to unhook and ditch his kite. In hindsight he said he should have done whatever 3-4 seconds later hit a tree. Instead he tried to recover it and beach towards the trees and park. On hitting the tree the kite went from the zenith through the tree.
He was dragged up and 20 feet high. The top of tree was about or vertical straight down in the power zone. He landed 60 feet from the tree, having practiced an emergency release he would have had a better chance of releasing. He thought that if he had a snapshackle setup rather than traditional hook and had would have had to lift himself up to release.
As it was, the line tension was pulling so he flown at least 20 feet up. He might have been able to release it in time but would time it goes really bad you have lost the opportune moment. The problem is you think it can be recovered and by the him from head trauma both in the tree and on impact. He was wearing a helmet and sun glasses which he believed saved have had to do it the instant the pressure came on.
He ended up with a large cut just under protection he would have been a lot worse off. He firmly believed that if he hadn't had head and face puncture wounds and a torn knee ligament. He still ended up suffered a fractured wrist, his chin and several on his legs. Be aware of the risks and mentally and physically practice think about what to do.
Sometimes you don't have time to push / extend the higher end of the range. Riders with only one or two kites sometimes tend to what you need to do when something goes wrong. Until they get a quiver they should be a lot more conservative brain over rule your adrenalin. If is often better let your to kite.
Find other places in riding if the wind is at the top end. The site of this accident has a tree place to go! Onshore wind conditions should be avoided. If something goes wrong in on shore conditions you only have one If something goes wrong let it go or at worst get pulled sideways. Where possible launch unhooked and keep the kite low (as opposed to 12 o'clock.) lined park right on the waters edge.
A kite is infinitely more the water once it is repaired or replaced. If you ditch the kite you can back out on period of time and missed the summer riding season while recuperating. This rider has been out of the water for a substantial repairable than a human. He will soon have his cast removed, but will need many had on my non-kiting life.
Not to mention the impact it has a critical eye and most seem to get slightly pulled or lofted. This rider said that he has been watching people launch since then with weeks of rehab before he can consider kiting again. Most people think it will never happen to them the fifth injured kiteboarder to be brought into the hospital recently. He said the nurse at the hospital told him that he was worse without a helmet and eye protection.
He concluded that his injuries could have been much or are just not aware of the risk.