Wait for it.......

Sella · Mon Jan 14, 13 2:27 pm

I want a ringtone from that Kermit the Frog interview saying "I should have packed it up a little bit earlier". Words to live by.......well in Kevin's case.......barely.

DownStream · Since 18 Apr 2007 381 Posts Obsessed

that was brutal.

definitely had the sheeting line wrapped around the bar. that is the kind of thing that can disable the leash system from working and flagging the kite out, which is clearly what happened (although i can't see close enough to see if he was leashed suicide or not, but i do think he was on the flag-out line and it just couldnt deploy because of the wrap.

seen it plenty of times.

i dont usually (actually never) have a kite loop that tight because of centerline tension like that tho. maybe once almost that tight, but i gotta wonder if there is also an outside line snag on the wingtip (which definitely does cut the kite around that tight).

damn im bored

DownStream · Since 18 Apr 2007 381 Posts Obsessed

it is interesting that the inside and outside lines arent crossed on the initial drag. and it doesnt look like the leash itself is wrapped around the bar. i bet he detached everything (or at least the leash) and pulled some bar magic to undo a line cross then reattached before relaunching.

still bored

DownStream · Since 18 Apr 2007 381 Posts Obsessed

i looked again,

he was leashed to the leash line, it was trying to pull through, i can see it starting to work by the shoulder grind on the sidewalk.

what happend to the vid of the guy getting worked in the surf with the boots? that one had a better suspense element to it.

BigR · Since 05 Jul 2005 372 Posts White Salmon Obsessed

I've done it for 15 years and still do it today...

My first GOTO is ALWAYS a total kite release.

F#@K Th@T!

I don't hesitate

I can swim

The kite can take care of itself......

It can be argued that wearing a leash is to protect bystanders but will never protect you personally.

I don't wear a helmet or body vest. Cause my kite will always be gone from me way before that killer event ever comes.

"DUNE says"
Fear is the mind killer.

I would say:
Hesitation is the mind killer

dangler · Since 26 Feb 2006 1780 Posts WINDY SPOTS XTreme Poster

remind me never to kite downwind of you

BigR · Since 05 Jul 2005 372 Posts White Salmon Obsessed

LOL, you would have to be a really bad kiter not to see that kite coming at you from soo far upwind....

D-Krep It Kiter · Since 18 Jul 2011 417 Posts Obsessed

I went through the video a number of times, pausing it to break down what happened. The guy told me he crashed just before the video started. When he grabbed his bar, he didn't notice that it had wrapped once around the trim line. He was really worried about his kite going into the rocks. I set up my own bar & lines in my backyard yesterday so I could work out the mechanics of what happened.

When a tip of the bar goes under or over & and around the trim strap, you get the wrap situation he was in. You can tell, because you'll have one steering line that is twisted into the center lines while the other steering line goes straight to the back of the kite. This is a lot harder to spot if you've got several twists in your lines already, and you're planning to just launch and then untwist the lines in the air. You can see in the video, he launches, then spins the bar in an attempt to clear the lines just before he realizes he can't depower and hits his primary release.

What I noticed when I did my little test is that it is very easy to slide the bar towards you, but with any tension in the lines, virtually impossible to sheet out. I had this happen to me at the Event Site once... I must have put my bar down for a second, and then when I picked it up, not noticed that I had the wrap. It scared the crap out of me, but fortunately I had read that post about the guy doing the same thing at SS so I knew not to hit the primary release. Instead, I just landed the kite to the guy who launched me, and then just cleared the lines. Now, I always check the bar movement just before giving the thumbs up and not just when I hook in like I used to.

If this happens to you:
-To clear the lines: if the bar is UNDER the trim line, you need to push the bar under and around to clear it. If the bar is OVER the trim line, you need to push the bar over and around to clear it. This may be really difficult to do while keeping control of the kite. As other have already said, options are:

-Hit the secondary release first, then the primary and just eject the kite completely.
-land the kite to someone who can secure it.
-pull in on the center lines, essentially "self-landing" or "self-rescuing" and continue up the lines to the kite.

Here is a frame grab of the video. You can see clearly that he has his bar wrapped below the trim line, and the right hand steering line is wrapping into the center lines. All he needs to do is push the right hand tip of the bar under & around the trim line, and he'd be fine. Easy to say, I know... very understandable that being worked up and stressed, he missed it.

forrest · Mon Jan 14, 13 5:56 pm

He could have reached up and grabbed a meter or so of his front lines as to slack the back lines. This would have given someone a chance to grab the kite, or even a chance to untangle. My guess is that he didn't realize it was wrapped though.

Weaz · Since 23 May 2012 360 Posts Beaverton Obsessed

Looking at that pic it would have been a quick fix. I've had that happen before. All you would need to do is grab the bar ends and roll them forward between the steering lines difficult with tension but not impossible.

D-Krep It Kiter · Since 18 Jul 2011 417 Posts Obsessed

dangler · Since 26 Feb 2006 1780 Posts WINDY SPOTS XTreme Poster

that whole thing makes me realize how much I f@cking love turtles!

BigR · Since 05 Jul 2005 372 Posts White Salmon Obsessed

Weaz · Since 23 May 2012 360 Posts Beaverton Obsessed

D-Krep It Kiter

Ah I see... I've had that happen also and your're 100% correct on that.. I was looking at the pic on my iPhone... a little small and couldn't zoom it.

you're right

D-Krep It Kiter · Since 18 Jul 2011 417 Posts Obsessed

BigR · Since 05 Jul 2005 372 Posts White Salmon Obsessed

must be semantics, whether I say primary or secondary, whatever.

What I mean is to get rid of the kite , totally and completely , the first time.

the secondary (or primary) that you hit to "only depower the kite" , is not
there to save you, but to save other people that are potentially downwind.
This is way over rated. I've never heard of a person being kilt by being hit
by a loose kite. Lotsa people get kilt by not de-attaching.

Occupied Columbia · Since 12 Nov 2011 376 Posts Columbia City Obsessed

Glad your OK. I think you are, right? That was a lot of hard stuff to be dragged over.

If I don't know whats going on and then the kite does something weird I'll grab the swivel on the center lines and that will bypass any twists going on at the bar to depower to a landing mode. If the lines are wrapped around the kite itself this might not cure the problem, but it probably won't make it worse. If after grabbing the swivel I see the potential for the kite to relaunch and drag me uncontrolled I'll remove the leash and be prepared to eject.
But make sure no lines are wrapped around yourself before you eject or you may wish you were being dragged across the rocks instead of having lines cutting into you.