Boost into a microburst, not as fun as you would think

kitemare · Since 23 Mar 2010 265 Posts Seattle, wa Obsessed

Today looked like it was going to be the best kiting session thus far here in Idaho. The weather was reporting it was going to be above 70 degrees with a wind front filling in from the south that should hit our local spot, Mud Lake, mid afternoon and be pretty decent.

I live further south and the wind had picked up at my house so I knew the wind would be arriving at Mud shortly. I packed all my kites and gear headed towards the lake. When I arrived, the lake was flat but it was only a matter of time. About and hour and a half later, the wind arrives and so does everyone else. We rig our 12/13s and are enjoying the sun and somewhat decent wind.

About 2 or 3 hours into our session, the wind has ramped up into the 20s, lulling into the upper teens. We are all still on our 12 and 13s, boosting huge and really enjoying it when it blows strong and just mowing the lawn when we had to.

You know when you send the kite, you can predict how how you will go? Well, on one of my average jumps it felt like it was going to be around a 15 foot jump. But once I left the water, a HUGE micro burst or updraft caught me and I shuttled straight up.

I had the bar sheeted out, kite straight overhead and I am going up. I start to feel like I am slowing down around 30 feet up when I get a second updraft sucking me towards the sky. I am freaking out and let out a not so manly squeal as I get yanked hard enough that it pulls the board off my feet.

Up up up I go. I had originally jumped a few hundred yards upwind of land but it is starting to get real close. By this time, the video with Top Hat in Hawaii with the guy being lofted is rolling through my mind, and I'm wondering how high I am going to go. Will I be able to land in the water or am I going to land on the land? By this time, I am around 45-50 feet, maybe more. It felt like I was a hundred feet up. Then the microburst stops and I start to come back down to earth.

Luckily I am able to keep the kite in control and use it to slow me down and splash uninjured back into the water. I Land the kite and count my blessings that the end result wasn't me being injured. I know that could have been a lot worse and almost glad it was me, and not one of my friends that it happened to.

I can tell you that it is one thing to be going out of the event site, when it is blowing 40, or to rooster or rufus on your 7m and boosting 40, 50 60+ feet. I've done that many times. But the feel of the kite when you boost 50' compared to when you get lofted 50' are completely different. I am very thankful I had those experiences and think that it saved my butt and allowed me to walk away uninjured today.

So what I am getting at is there were no warnings of any oncoming major storms, and no one else around me today experienced anything similar. But it happened to me. So always be prepared for the shit to hit the fan. Smile

Sella · Since 21 Apr 2007 1794 Posts Doin' The Dalles FLY'IN HIGH PIE GUY

[quote="kitemare"So what I am getting at is there were no warnings of any oncoming major storms, and no one else around me today experienced anything similar. But it happened to me. So always be prepared for the shit to hit the fan. Smile

[/quote]

That's why kiting culls the weak.

Nice recap. Crazy ride. Great save.

SpaceRacer · Since 04 Nov 2007 434 Posts Obsessed

Wow Kitemare! That's really freaky! Not insinuating you did or didn't do what you should have as I don't know what I would have done and you're safe! However, in order to learn from your experience, there is a sticky on Kiteforum.com that talks about Safety Response Reflex. In retrospect, the split second you noticed something was amiss, should you have (or would you if it happened again) immediately pulled your QR and plopped into the water at 20 or 30 feet instead of risking another Top Hat video scenerio? The moment your like WTF blow out? Thanks for sharing...I think.

WINDUDE · Since 10 Jun 2010 558 Posts GORGE! Addicted

cmon man, you know you were wearing a GoPro, share that shit!!!

J_Matic · Since 14 Oct 2011 158 Posts InDaHo Stoked

Words are worth less than 1/1000th a pic is and a 1/Mil a video is worth.

Describe the ordeal all day, but post a GoPro account of the ordeal.

undertow · Since 15 Feb 2008 371 Posts BeaversBurg Obsessed

Kitemare is legit!! Don't be a hater!

kitemare · Since 23 Mar 2010 265 Posts Seattle, wa Obsessed

Don't you think if I would have had my GoPro on, that would have been the first thing I posted? But saidly, I left it at home. Besides, the point of this wasn't to brag how high I went, just sharing my story.

I do have a picture of the spot and the tree on the left, I was roughly as tall as it from what one of the guys who saw me said.

SpaceRacer- As far as quick releasing, the thought didn't really even cross my mind until the second gust hit and by then I was high enough that ejecting would have been painful, I knew once I got that high, the kite was my lifeline and I would be safer attached than ditching it. Just had to ride it out and glad everything worked out ok.

As far as doing anything differently next time, honestly, probably not.

DOPEFLY · Since 13 Oct 2007 97 Posts Maui

I was north of PC, south of Sand Lake when I got caught in a gust. For 10 or so seconds I was suspended about 20 feet off the water then the rose to height of about 30 ft and stayed suspended there for an additional 10 seconds or so. Overall I was in the air for what I can remember as half a minute when I recount. It was a long time to be hanging and waiting while staring at the rocky point a couple hundred yards downwind wondering where I would end up next. Sketchy moments! Great write-up

waynepjh · Since 27 Jul 2008 212 Posts jackson wy Stoked

Great story! Glad yer ok. Micro bursts are caused by fallout from a cloud. What you felt was a thermal gust/ waterspout. We call them poltergusts! Get some polarized glasses and always look upwind to see what's coming. You can fly right through waterspouts with your kite low. Or avoid it all together.