Well then, there's been a bit of seriousness around here lately, so I thought I'd try & get some brand slagging going to add to the fun

Joking

I just thought I'd share a bit of a short, wierd/funny story and invite you all to share some of yours.

OK, so I've been a lurking around here for some time now & one thing I've noticed is the attitude to Cabrinha kites.

Being new to kiting I had never flown a Cabrinha, but even so I didn't really believe the things I've seen people say about them on here.

I always thought it was just a bit of brand bashing by people who have different kite brand loyalties/favourites, similar to the Ford Vs Holden bashing that goes on between bogans.

Then it happened.

I'm standing on a deserted (thankfully) beach with two other people, they've just given me an assisted launch of an 8m Cabrinha Switchblade, I've got my back to the wind, the water is on my right, dunes etc on my left, I'm standing in the middle of the beach and the kite is sitting nice & obediently for me, at just off to the right of 12 o'clock.

I've got the kite in the air and I have to say here that I do have very good kite control; I've flown stunt kites for years & the control skills have transferred over nicely the handful of times I've had a kite in the air.
I've self launched, self landed, no problems.
I've never had a kite do what I don't want it to, even with a fish hook stuck in my foot, but that's another story.

Anyway, the kite's up in the air & behaving nicely, I'm thinking that all the things I've heard about Cabrinahs are wrong- pfft, why do people bash brands like that?
There's no way this particular brand could have any love for static objects, at least no more than other kites.

I'm being given a rundown of the trim straps.
"...and this one here will power the kite up" I'm told.
The kite was fully depowered so we give the power up strap a short yank to test the mech is working ok.

At this point the kite wakes up and in a split instant my kite has gone from obedient servant to possessed demon.

As soon as I've pulled the power up strap, it's woken up and decided-that-I-don't-want-to-play-with-you-anymore-I've-got-other-things-I-want-to-do-AND OH LOOK A TREE!!! WEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!

At which point it takes off to my left and heads takes off like a bat out of hell straight for, you guessed it, the only freakin tree on the beach line!

So there I was, first launch of the day, kite- a CABRINHA kite in a tree and me standing there looking & feeling like a complete d*ck.
I mean, WTF?! How could this happen and with this kite??

Maybe it was some kind of Cabrinah initiation?

I just couldn't work out how it went wrong.
The speed at which the kite took off was crazy, I reckon you'd normally have to really yank on the bar to make it do that, it was just so fast, and I know I certainly didn't do that.

It all happened so fast, but I was able to pull, or rather, push the safety before the crash, I wasn't keen on being taken for an overland drag.

Anyway all is well that ends well, the kite was undamaged (thank you kite gods!!) & the rest of my time was spent kiting without incident, just the usual face planting & stacking that goes on when getting some much needed onboard water starting practice.

I just couldn't believe after all the folk tales I'd heard that it had actually just happened, it was kind of like seeing bigfoot.

But now I can't help but think, what if what they say is true?
At least then I can avoid some of the blame for this incident, it was a Cabrinah after all; right guys?

superlizard said...

it's all deceiving... this behaviour is actually a deliberate safety mechanism built in... they have a "tree-gravity-pull" (aka TGP) system which will automatically engage if there is a problem... this will allow kite to be drawn and anchored to the nearest tree/bush in order to avoid being blown off to the streets or who knows where, and prevent innocent bystanders from being hit by it... this also anchores the kite until the owner can get to it.

HAHA, that's what it seemed like
but there were no innocent bystanders to protect, which was a good thing being that it was so embarrassing.

i gave you a red thumb your welcome

oceanfire said...

WOW, all the red thumbs I really feel like a part of Seabreeze now

I LOL'd at this.

Erm.. don't try to imagine there is any logic or brains behind the red thumbs oceanfizz. It's easier if you adopt the motorcyclist mantra and assume the majority are idiots with tunnel vision. You may be wrong in a handful of cases.

oceanfire said...

At first I thought it was the swipe at bogans that some of you didn't like, but then I remembered that bogans don't really like water, so surely none of you could be bogans.

As for boguns n water. Tell that to the guy I saw last season, with his 13m walking up the brighton beach walkway - with his kite in the air - totally overpowered in 25kts. He was resplendant in black trackies and a black hoodie, and of course his black harness. You don't see that every day.

As for kites n Cabs - I thought it was all sh!ts n giggles, but have only ever seen one kite that wasn't a cab in trees/light poles, yet I have seen half a dozen cabs becoming a new nest for birds.

Weird but possibly due to the sheer number of Cabs out there. And trees of course.

oceanfire said...



I've got the kite in the air and I have to say here that I do have very good kite control; I've flown stunt kites for years & the control skills have transferred over nicely the handful of times I've had a kite in the air.

That's the bit I LOL'd at. Sorry. haha. better luck next time.

EDIT: hahaha oops beaten by gorgo kinda

IDS = Instant Deciduous Self-return

Gorgo said...

oceanfire said...
....
I've got the kite in the air and I have to say here that I do have very good kite control; I've flown stunt kites for years & the control skills have transferred over nicely the handful of times I've had a kite in the air.
....

I was tempted to red thumb you when I read that but I thought it would be a bit mean.

Hopefully you've learned that your years of stunt kite skill count for about half an hour of surf kite experience. Now get yourself back the beach and continue you skills acquisition. There's nothing scarier than the (stunt kiter/paraglider/hang glider/sailor/sky diver/whatever that thinks their previous experience counts for much.

Well you're entitled to your opinion.

But are you really just saying that you're too closed minded to even entertain the idea that someone coming in to kiteboarding from years of flying stunt kites has more initial skill with kites than you're allowing them for?

Seriously? Half an hour only?

I've heard your view a few times on here now, from various people & it's a curious thing, it's as if offence is taken if previous experience not involving a trainer kite is mentioned.
It's unthinkable that kite experience could come from anywhere other than 100s of hours down the beach with a kiteboarding kite or trainer kite, right?

I never claimed that flying stunt kites made me a kiteboarding pro tour champ, just that I have been able to draw on my previous kite experience to quickly develop good kite control.

Some of you act like kites didn't exist until the advent of kiteboarding.
Man, a kite is a kite, the principles are the same for all of them, they all have the same wind window, the same steering systems.

The main difference between a stunt kite & a kiteboarding kite is the whole power adjustment thing, yes that takes a bit of getting used to, but that depends on your previous kite flying experience.

I've never used a trainer kite & from my first lesson (yes don't worry, I never assumed I wouldn't need lessons ) I never had any trouble keeping the kite in the air where I want it.

Now, putting it all together with getting up on the board is a whole different thing, the co-ordination required does take a lot of practice, but remember, I never claimed that the stunt kite flying gave me board skills too.
My kite skills did however make it a little easier to coordinate my eventual getting up & going on the board.

You haven't seen me flying a kiteboarding kite, you don't know what I my kite skills are like, yet you see fit to make assumptions and group me in your general opinion of kiteboarding newbies.
I could make assumptions on you based on your assumptively dismissive post, but I'm sure you're really a nice guy who has just seen too many gumbys down at the beach.
I'm not one of those gumbys.

I'm not saying what you should & shouldn't do, but you'd probably find it beneficial to open your mind up a bit.

Miss Jessie said...

Cab's and trees... Definitely something going on! Conspiracy??

I never entertained the idea till it happened to me

Gorgo said...

oceanfire said...
...
You haven't seen me flying a kiteboarding kite, you don't know what I my kite skills are like, yet you see fit to make assumptions and group me in your general opinion of kiteboarding newbies.
...

Errrrm. You flew your kite into a tree. You have no idea what happened. It didn't do it by itself. You claimed good kiting skills on the basis of flying a completely different style of kite. They're not the same but you haven't worked that out yet.

Truly, your previous experience will get you through the one hour kiteboarding lesson stage. The only thing that will get you the rest of the way is acquiring the skills through practice.

I also had hundreds of hours of previous experience in related disciplines that's how I know the experience doesn't translate as directly as you would like. I have also seen more than one experienced kite flyer damage themselves seriously after underestimating the power and complexity of a surf kite. Take it easy.

I claim good kite flying skills, cause I have them, with stunt kites and kiteboarding kites.
Remember I never said I was a champ at kiteboarding, but I can fly kites.

You mean stunt kites and kiteboarding kites are different styles of kites??!!
damn, why didn't anyone tell me that before?

I never underestimate the power of kiteboarding kites.

I'm sorry if your hundreds of hours in related disciplines didn't transfer over as well as you would have hoped.
But just cause it didn't for you, doesn't mean it won't for everyone and I know from personal experience that I got much more than one hours worth of kite lessons equivalent out of my previous experience.

BTW, did you see the title of this thread?
'Funny kite stories', my story was tongue in cheek.
Of course I'm responsible for the tree landing.
But it was a Cabrinha and the only kite I've crashed on land so far since starting kiteboarding, so I thought I'd make, you know, a funny story out of it.

I understand where you're coming from, but there's no need to worry, I always use the most important piece of equipment in everything I do; common sense.

Chill gorgo, have a beer on me

ok I'll lighten the mood ! Funny story.
Was doin a downwinder with some mates as per usual and somehow ended up dropping my kite in the waves and it rolled over a few times an the lines got a bit inside out if you know what I mean.Anyway I relaunch an nurse it back to the beach and being the lazy bugger I am just park it on the wingtip take my leash off the bar and unhook an pass the bar through the center lines to untangle, all good done it a hundred times,stuff walking the lines out takes way to long ! So after sorting out the tangle in record breaking time an thinking f.i.g.j.a.m I flick the bar an send it skyward just in time for some serious gust factor to hit from a passing squall !!!! Then it all goes pear shaped,in my haste I had wrapped a steering line around the bar an the kite just goes into a looping feist an before I had time to pull any safety I am being dragged across the sand quite fast on my belly unable to release my safety because Its buried in my bow wave of sand and the kite just keeps on looping an dragging me like a big sand anchor,finally I slam into a sand dune a nice high one and I stop an can release my safety phewee that was close ! The kite keeps going an parks itself up high in some trees (no it wasnt a cab lol) I dust off an count my blessings as the boys come over to help after watching the disaster unfold and to check the carnage.....none zip scott free! After some skillful tree climbing and branch breaking we get the kite down an finish the downwinder a bit wiser and more safety conscious for the better!

I've come from a stunt kite flying back ground, and compared to the majority of people who i've seen learning and turning the bar like a steering wheel, i'd say stunt kiting helped. designing bridles on stunt kites and f'ing around with 4 line kites in the back paddock also helps understand the mechanics of power and de-power (and why those terms should not be applied to bar position)

Anyhoo, I've recently bought my first Cabrinha, and i'm restricted to lakes surrounded by trees, with the sketchiest of launching zones, so we'll soon see what counts for what. Cab vs trees vs stunt-kite-man.
must dust off the video camera for that one.

DJF said...

oceanfire, gorgo, reading about two grown men(?) fight like children. this thread just keeps getting funnier and funnier!!

Fighting?
Fair shake of the sauce bottle mate, we haven't used CAPS LOCK once!

Blownaway said...

Then it all goes pear shaped,in my haste I had wrapped a steering line around the bar an the kite just goes into a looping feist an before I had time to pull any safety I am being dragged across the sand quite fast on my belly unable to release my safety because Its buried in my bow wave of sand and the kite just keeps on looping an dragging me like a big sand anchor,finally I slam into a sand dune a nice high one and I stop an can release my safety phewee that was close !

I love that imagery!

colinwill78 said...


Anyhoo, I've recently bought my first Cabrinha, and i'm restricted to lakes surrounded by trees, with the sketchiest of launching zones, so we'll soon see what counts for what. Cab vs trees vs stunt-kite-man.
must dust off the video camera for that one.

Kiting on lakes means you'd be able to kite whichever way the wind is blowing, yeah?

pintofpale said...

A dog pissed on my kite the other day

haha, bloody dogs!
they used to be good value with the stunt kites though; we'd swoop those buggers all day with the stunt kites, they'd bark they're asses off as we'd fly the kite parallel to the ground & over the dog, just out of it's jumping reach, only problem was if you cut it too close & crashed near the dog, then it's a race to see if you can get to the kite before it got chewed- or pissed on

The worst thing about having used stunt kites before kiteboarding is with stunt kites its funny teaching your dog to chase kites but then it all becomes a pain when you get into kiteboarding

I have a funny kite story from when i was trying to teach myself(bad news). But i got a 2004 Cabrinah kite off EBAY(recipe for disaster). But was flying it out in the water as this was meant to be the safest place. I was using a second hand dakine pro harness with a quick release which must of been full of sand because it came undone and all of a sudden i was holding the bar with one hand looping the kite sliding up the beach. My kite then flew strait in to a pine tree. I laugh about it now but was lucky behind the tree was some power lines, so i suppose it was a good thing. I did get lessons soon after that, and another second hand kite from flebay.

with all the rain around i've started noticing annual swamps emerging. temptingly out in the middle of clear paddocks, barbed wire sliders and everything.

That reminds me of a funny kiting experience.

I was moving from Darwin to Victoria in november last year and it had poured the whole way down to Alice. My friend the local tourguide informed me that there was knee deep water around parts of the rock. So i travelled the 500k out of my way to be the first to conquer the rock and be the most isolated kiter in Australia.
It was blowing a steady 8 kts over the broad ankle deep puddles. I got out the 16m and 172cm board and gave it my best. A few 100m tacks downwind and walk back around the puddle. It was awe-inspiring to be practicing my religion next to the monolith. There would be photo's out there somewhere. a few buses slowed down and the drivers scratched their heads. Attempted one backroll and landed on my head.
I was about to get my camera out when a squal came through and i had to land and shelter near a bush with the kite hanging on 5th then there was no wind....... i can't really claim it. Some one else will have to be first to do it.

Maybe Ben Wilson should debut his Australian kites there. Although, waves aren't really on the ayers rock agenda.

oceanfire said...

colinwill78 said...


Maybe Ben Wilson should debut his Australian kites there. Although, waves aren't really on the ayers rock agenda.

Maybe Wave Rock in Hyden is the place then?

Boom!! Boom!!