Record High 16 Dead in 2005

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6548 Posts Couve / Hood Site Lackey

Was just reading "Is Kiting Really Getting Safer?" in the latest Kiteboarding Mag. Was really disguested to hear that a record 16 people were killed last year kiteboarding.

This especially struck a cord with me because yesterday I saw a number of things happening that I thought were a good way to end up in the morgue and they all involved launching/landing practices. Here's my two cents on how you should launch and land safely:

- Don't ask people who do not appear to be kiters to launch your kite. Especially if there are plenty of kiters around.

- Don't launch at a spot filled with rocks and sharp sticks by having the kite near the water and the kiter on land. "Keep it low and go" was never inteded for those sorts of launch spots. Its intended for wide sandy ocean beaches. One trip over a rock and your kite could be propelling you at 50mph towards a nice head cracking rock.

- Don't land your kite by coming into the beach and walking around, just bring it down to catchable level when you are still out and drag slowly in, somebody will grab it.

Especially on that last one, it seems like some people are insistant on coming in as far as possible to land their kite. I'd suggest doing the exact opposite, I would much rather have the person catch my kite as close to the waters edge as possible giving me plenty of room for error. If you don't want to swim in all the way just unhook and hold onto the chicken loop for a bit as they bring it up the beach.

And yes, I am not innocent of not being a kook at times... so if any of you want to call me on kooky/dangerous stuff go ahead. Very Happy

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6548 Posts Couve / Hood Site Lackey

Btw, it just occured to me the kookiest people out there probably don't even read this site. Confused

J.P. · Since 10 Mar 2005 638 Posts Addicted

another one just this weekend...

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Unfortunately at Washoe Lake Nevada (Near Reno) there was a fatality today. I know the details although I did not witness it (I was on the water when it happened but was there after the paramedics arrived). I don't usually post but eventually the information will make it to this board. I want to be respectful to the deceased and family, but am torn with revealing what should probably be said.....how about if I give you what I know second hand from the incident, and at this time I will withhold my opinion of the incident. It was blowing very hard. I was wound out on my 10m Raven2 (first time out on new kite)Someone post the max winds today from Ikitesurf because I dont have an account to access it. The launcher and the deceased were warned (twice) about launching the direction in which they launched which was opposite of everyone else...the kite was in the power window not at the edge and when the person launched the deceased brought the kite up quick and flew by some accounts 75 feet distance and 30 feet into the air and struck a parked truck with his face and his head and was bleeding profusley at those points. Most think the impact pretty much killed him at that point. There was no known malfuntion of the kite. Washoe used to be the one of the safest spot around but with a good winter the water is full so the beach is pretty much one strip of 20 feet of sand lined with big rocks and parking lot next door.... so you do not get a second chance unless you walk 1/4 mile down the beach of which I think next time it blows like that I am gonna do the walk! I really feel sorry for the guy that launched him, although he did not listen to the warnings The deceased was his friend and he obviously was hurting from the incident, and is going to have a rough go of it for a while. I dont know if the deceased had a family or not.

J.P. · Since 10 Mar 2005 638 Posts Addicted

pdxmonkeyboy · Mon Jun 05, 06 10:58 am

Sometimes I think I'm a safety geek or something but coming from a rock clmimbing and mountaineering background, I tend to safety issues seriously.

I also see people hanging out on the beach with their kites directly overhead. Everything I ever read (and experienced) says this is a baaaad idea. I didn't think it was a big deal until I took a little flight through the willows one fall at Rooster.

I've also seen people running and jumping their kites on land-- near trees, etc. Not to bright if you ask me.

I would think that the high number of mortality is due to the vast number of new kiters, I would like to know what it is as a percentage of total kiteboarders.

Bottom line is that you have to take the safety stuff seriously, and don't be too macho to pull the release on your kite. I would rather pull out and watch my kite twist into a tangled mess than endure a hot launch on the beach.

Politely let people know they are being dangerous, I think everyone has a little devil and them that would like to see the guy who wouldn't listen get yarded down the beach but watching said guy split his melon open on a truck...not cool

importracer9 99 · Since 27 Oct 2005 296 Posts Obsessed

wow that's scary

dcrowe · Mon Jun 05, 06 11:13 am

Ironically, the majority of climbing accidents that occur happen to "experienced" climbers. They get complacent and end up digging their own graves. It would be interesting to get some documentation of exactly who is getting hurt kiting (experienced vs. newbies).

pacifichigh · Since 11 May 2005 1004 Posts ATX Texan

Natural Selection/Social Darwinism is biattch!

dcrowe · Mon Jun 05, 06 12:11 pm

thats funny, but true

J.P. · Since 10 Mar 2005 638 Posts Addicted

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4907 Posts Portland Unstrapped

pjc · Since 06 Mar 2005 649 Posts Addicted

it seems to me (a complete outsider who launches from the wide open ocean beach) that kiters in the gorge must be doing a pretty good job of collectively looking after each other, or else there would be more RIP posts on this forum.

(have there been any kiting fatalities in the gorge?)

Not to start a "my beach is better then yours flame war", but you guys have to admit there are some very technical launches up there getting lots of traffic.

dcrowe · Mon Jun 05, 06 1:40 pm

Gman, you're correct that Accidents in North American Mountaineering does show that most fatalities/injuries occur out of sheer bad luck. However, the highest cause of death over the past decade is from climbers rappelling off the end of their ropes (no knots in the end). That is complacency! Sorry to go on, I work in the climbing industry and have far too much time looking at accident reports. I have to agree with PJC, you guys do have some tough launches up in the gorge (compared to our wide open beaches). It obviously reflects what a solid group of kiters you are that there haven't been more injuries/fatalities up there. Hopefully I can get up there and play with you lads soon!

littlegus · Since 08 Jul 2005 29 Posts La Jungla

16 deaths out of 30,000 people doesn't seem very high. I read some kiteboarding deaths were due to people doing stupid things like trying to jump over jettys.

http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/view_press_release.php?rssID=14625

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4907 Posts Portland Unstrapped

I’m in Red Rocks outside Vegas and we just finish our final rap of 8 or 9 off Crimson Crsyalis around 1000’. We stashed some food at the bottom and we are having a congraulatory can of sardines (climbing sucks – no margarittas, chicks in bikinis, warm water…) The sun is gone and it is pretty much pitch dark, we are packing up to split, when we hear this conversation of a group of three guys 600’ up the wall coming down.

Dipshit 1: “Do you have the flashlight?”
Dipshit 2: (on ledge 100’ above Dipshit 1) “No do you have the flashlight?”
Dipshit 3: (above on same ledge also his first climb) “I have the flashlight but its pretty dead”

Dipshit 1: “I can’t find the anchors”

Some flailing, more flailing…

“I’m going to keep going to the next anchor”

We were 60 stories down but we could do the math…

We stuck around for 4 hours to help them down, didn’t want to read about them in the paper the next day.

Maybe Shay is correct.

pacifichigh · Since 11 May 2005 1004 Posts ATX Texan

Gman- I'm a recovering climber as well. Too many trips of slogging into the backcountry carrying a heavy rack, only to work even harder to get up (then down) as well. It's like they say, "Why are mountaineers roped together? To keep the smart ones from leaving.

shastadogs2 · Since 28 Mar 2005 336 Posts Obsessed

i am also amazed at the stunts young riders pull, and think nothing of.

i just got back from hatteras, some of the best riders around, riding right up to the sand, throwing it hard up wind to brake at the water's edge, stepping off the board onto the sand, kite at zenith, walking around on a crowded beach changing boards, jumping at the water's edge, (flying with their kids hanging off their backs), on and on. do you really wonder why we have fatalities (and beach closures, for that matter) in this sport?

imho.

jimmi