Some of you may have heard about this accident that happened on Sunday in NZ

www.stuff.co.nz/bay-of-plenty/110050027/tauranga-kitesurfer-crashed-into-park-sign-witness-says?fbclid=IwAR2Eu4X5VCRepTEE0G1-1RVzY1s7GdF8lADu-QxP6NiPnlU0KpvwzOGwm5s

I know I've posted about this topic before but I feel that if it can save only 1 person from serious injuries or worse, it's worth talking about it again.

Sadly, most serious accidents and deaths in our sport could be avoided with simple training and repetition of safety systems activation. As a full time instructor for the last 9 years I've witnessed hundreds of accidents. In the vast majority of cases, the kitesurfers involved simply don't have good enough safety reflexes. The truth is most of us who get in trouble try to hang on and just ''hope for the best''.

In the last few weeks only I got involved in two separate incidents where two kiters got their kites tangled on the beach in strong winds (25 knots) In both cases, I had to physically and forcefully take the pilot's hands off the bar and release their safety system for them. Shouting ''release'' and ''let go'' simply didn't have any effect whatsoever. Very scary stuff!

Part of the blame is on schools and instructors who simply never teach students to activate the chicken loop quick release while the kite is flying. If, during lessons, a student doesn't activate their safety systems multiple times while the kite is flying, chances are they will lengthily hesitate when they get in trouble. Most under-trained kitesurfers actually fear that releasing the safety would make matters worse.

If you are reading this and you've never activated your safety system while your kite is flying, do yourself (and everyone at your local kite beach) a favor, activate it with plenty of space downwind of you.



Kite safe,

Christian

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cbulota said..
Some of you may have heard about this accident that happened on Sunday in NZ

www.stuff.co.nz/bay-of-plenty/110050027/tauranga-kitesurfer-crashed-into-park-sign-witness-says?fbclid=IwAR2Eu4X5VCRepTEE0G1-1RVzY1s7GdF8lADu-QxP6NiPnlU0KpvwzOGwm5s

I know I've posted about this topic before but I feel that if it can save only 1 person from serious injuries or worse, it's worth talking about it again.

Sadly, most serious accidents and deaths in our sport could be avoided with simple training and repetition of safety systems activation. As a full time instructor for the last 9 years I've witnessed hundreds of accidents. In the vast majority of cases, the kitesurfers involved simply don't have good enough safety reflexes. The truth is most of us who get in trouble try to hang on and just ''hope for the best''.

In the last few weeks only I got involved in two separate incidents where two kiters got their kites tangled on the beach in strong winds (25 knots) In both cases, I had to physically and forcefully take the pilot's hands off the bar and release their safety system for them. Shouting ''release'' and ''let go'' simply didn't have any effect whatsoever. Very scary stuff!

Part of the blame is on schools and instructors who simply never teach students to activate the chicken loop quick release while the kite is flying. If, during lessons, a student doesn't activate their safety systems multiple times while the kite is flying, chances are they will lengthily hesitate when they get in trouble. Most under-trained kitesurfers actually fear that releasing the safety would make matters worse.

If you are reading this and you've never activated your safety system while your kite is flying, do yourself (and everyone at your local kite beach) a favor, activate it with plenty of space downwind of you.

Kite safe,

Christian

Good post mate.
So tragic, what happened to that lovely man...in an instant.
Goes to show that all of us, newbie to veteran kiter alike, can be cast into a crappy situation in seconds.
I've been kiting for 15 years. But I've had two small incidents this season that reminded me to not get cocky and complacent.
S**t can go down in an instant, and you had better react quickly and know what you're doing so you make it back to kite another day.
In both cases, I had to pull the safety release. Glad I did.
Kites might be a lot safer these days than in the days of yore, but as that terrible NZ story shows... awareness , training and good judgement always need to be our kiting companions.
Cheers to all.

This post does make me wonder, it is possible that some kiters could be out there that have never activated their QR ?

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toppleover said..
This post does make me wonder, it is possible that some kiters could be out there that have never activated their QR ?

Put simply.....YES
I have assisted several kiters who are oblivious to the safety system.
The big however.... Chances are if you are reading these posts you are an aware, safe kiter. Reminding people on this forum is really preaching to the converted.
How do we get the message to the ignorant souls on the beaches???

In the time I've been kiting

Launch,land and squalls are when you need to be 100% on your toes,

itd be interesting to to see how poor mate launched

i know nothing about the incident but I'd say self was the method

really important to take your surrounding hazards just in case, worth moving to other spots ,
immediatly that looks simple or a good spot to launch
car park
grass etc but with deadly objects when things go wrong

sounds devastating for the family and friends

www.facebook.com/699177189/posts/10155858306192190/

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Gateman said..
www.facebook.com/699177189/posts/10155858306192190/

This chap had plenty of time and options
Basically a knob
Does my head in watching someone holding the bar and a board wanting a land, I give them the flick until they put the board down,

Yes, this is a tragic accident. Made more tragic by the fact that Logan by all accounts was a stand-up dude, father of 3, well experienced and safety conscious.

Though I agree with practicing and activating safety systems. I don't believe the safety system will ultimately save you in an accident like this.
Anyone who has been involved in a true lofting will tell you that they had no chance of activating the safety prior to the lofting,

A lofting is immediate and violent.

So what is the answer? The answer, in my opinion, is correct kite selection. If you choose a kite that will not loft you with the biggest gust of the day then you will not get lofted. It's that simple.

A safety is the fire truck at the bottom of the cliff, it's not the root cause of the lofting.

Would some people be alive today if they had used a safety at the right moment? Yes.
Would more people be alive today had they chosen the correct kite? most of them!

Another safety device that most people don't use is a helmet. This is like the safety release. A fire truck at the bottom of the hill. But it may save you if for whatever reason you can't activate the safety. I wonder if Logan was wearing a helmet and whether a helmet could have saved him or not?

Hi,
Am glad you talking about this more! My safety reflexes are really, really good, but from my personal experience, every time something went wrong, it was impossible to release the safety as it happens so fast. It's better to release your safety before you get launched!

One situation was on-shore 30+ and one of my lines snapped so I got launched and it was too fast to react. As soon as I was upside down, I lost conscious and the next thing I remember was when I hit the ground. Luckily my kite landed on the tree as soon as it looped so it wasn't dragging me.

Made a video how to avoid such a situations, because it's better to avoid them as once you are in such a situation, there is no way out....
Cheers
K

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KarolinaKite said..
Hi,
Am glad you talking about this more! My safety reflexes are really, really good, but from my personal experience, every time something went wrong, it was impossible to release the safety as it happens so fast. It's better to release your safety before you get launched!

I totally agree with Karolina and Plummet. The times I've had to release my safety, I've managed to do it during a lull in action, either before or after an initial "hit". e.g. get lofted, land and then pull the safety, or pull the safety immediately after a line snaps, but before the kite starts looping.

It's very hard to do whilst in the middle of the first part of an accident, you only really start thinking again during a lull in action when your brain kicks back into gear.

I've had a similar accident to Logan whilst launching a kite in 08, my bridle was twisted and whilst being launched at a nearby building, my only thought was to turn my body so my head didn't hit it first. One hand was in a 'death grip' on the bar, the other was frantically trying to paw at the ground to slow me down. After hitting the building, I activated my safety. In retrospect if I'd let go of the bar, I may not have hit the building so hard, but my body and brain went into 'oh **' mode.

I agree with the idea that you should know where your quick release is, but time and distance are you best friends. You need time and distance to activate any safety systems. i.e. try to keep a clear corridor down wind of you, especially when launching/landing.

Such a sad tragic event to loose a fellow kiter in such a way.

Whilst I'm all for the importance of good training in releasing safety systems lets not also forget the importance of picking the right environment and wind conditions.

Distance is your friend, impact seems to be the common factor in most tragic accidents in kiting. Always be aware of whats down wind of you if something does go wrong, Keep 50m clear downwind space, I know its not easy in some places but there's always an option it just often involves a longer walk away from the crowd.. If there is no safe option then maybe the loaction just isn't a suitable kite spot, there will be another location just around the corner.

RIP buddy, all my thoughts to your family in tough times..

Very tragic events for sure, rip mate. Honestly kiting scares me big time due to injury yrs ago...since I been kiting again for 3 months I have released over 5 times, once I released the second emergency also, one time I had to use my hook knife and always check it's in my harness before launching.

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quikdrawMcgraw said..
Very tragic events for sure, rip mate. Honestly kiting scares me big time due to injury yrs ago...since I been kiting again for 3 months I have released over 5 times, once I released the second emergency also, one time I had to use my hook knife and always check it's in my harness before launching.

i carry two hook knives, just in case

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cauncy said..
In the time I've been kiting

Launch,land and squalls are when you need to be 100% on your toes,

itd be interesting to to see how poor mate launched

i know nothing about the incident but I'd say self was the method

really important to take your surrounding hazards just in case, worth moving to other spots ,
immediatly that looks simple or a good spot to launch
car park
grass etc but with deadly objects when things go wrong

sounds devastating for the family and friends

My understanding is that the wind was wsw or sw. So coming from inland and directly across building upwind. The launch site in this wind angle has turbulent rotor conditions and is very gusty. Logan Launched fine and was doing some test jumps on the grass before going out. Its during one of these jumps that he was lofted.

Possibly not the poor blokes best decision , it's easy for people to be critical at that decision to do a few condition tests , but I often after launch power up and do the heel drag on the beach to the waters edge and a few jumps
on the beach arseing around
our conditions are clean wind though
250 mtrs is the reccomended distance from buildings to avoid turbulent winds, but I'd say that'd depend on height of structure
Flurkin pisser though , looks like he was a top bloke from reports

Yeah, 250m in the perfect world. But the world isn't perfect.

Many launch spots are in gusty turbulent rotor conditions. In those instances, Launch and get the hell to the water asafp.

The gusts aren't usually the dangerous part, It's the lulls that get you. Kite drops a bit then snaps back in the next gust and boom, Dragging/lofting. Running helps a lot. It keeps some air in the kite during the lull and often times prevents the kite dropping into the powerzone.

Perhaps a bigger lesson for us experienced blokes is that we can become complacent over time,

Lastly kiting is dangerous. You roll the dice everytime you ride. You can attempt to mitigate those dangers. But ultimately **** can happen.

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Plummet said..

cauncy said..
In the time I've been kiting

Launch,land and squalls are when you need to be 100% on your toes,

itd be interesting to to see how poor mate launched

i know nothing about the incident but I'd say self was the method

really important to take your surrounding hazards just in case, worth moving to other spots ,
immediatly that looks simple or a good spot to launch
car park
grass etc but with deadly objects when things go wrong

sounds devastating for the family and friends

My understanding is that the wind was wsw or sw. So coming from inland and directly across building upwind. The launch site in this wind angle has turbulent rotor conditions and is very gusty. Logan Launched fine and was doing some test jumps on the grass before going out. Its during one of these jumps that he was lofted.

This is terrible news for Logan's family and they will feel the effects for the rest of their lives. My heart goes out to them.

If what Plummet says is right , I have never for the life of me understood why kiters do the test jump and drag thing on the beach and tell my mates off if they do it.

Our primary job is to manage our risks while having fun so we can come back home again. I'm sorry to use strong language at a time like this but doing this is not smart risk management.
You are on a hard surface , possibly close to other structures and have the kite loaded. One wrong move and you are in trouble.

Whether or not Plummet is right , dont ever do it, you owe to your friends and family.

There's times and places to do jumps and drags on the beach.
Namely on a wide beach with clean wind.
Remember that landkiting
Is a whole other sport. It can be done with the appropriate experience and technique.

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eddiemorgs said..

Plummet said..

cauncy said..
In the time I've been kiting

Launch,land and squalls are when you need to be 100% on your toes,

itd be interesting to to see how poor mate launched

i know nothing about the incident but I'd say self was the method

really important to take your surrounding hazards just in case, worth moving to other spots ,
immediatly that looks simple or a good spot to launch
car park
grass etc but with deadly objects when things go wrong

sounds devastating for the family and friends

My understanding is that the wind was wsw or sw. So coming from inland and directly across building upwind. The launch site in this wind angle has turbulent rotor conditions and is very gusty. Logan Launched fine and was doing some test jumps on the grass before going out. Its during one of these jumps that he was lofted.

This is terrible news for Logan's family and they will feel the effects for the rest of their lives. My heart goes out to them.

If what Plummet says is right , I have never for the life of me understood why kiters do the test jump and drag thing on the beach and tell my mates off if they do it.

Our primary job is to manage our risks while having fun so we can come back home again. I'm sorry to use strong language at a time like this but doing this is not smart risk management.
You are on a hard surface , possibly close to other structures and have the kite loaded. One wrong move and you are in trouble.

Whether or not Plummet is right , dont ever do it, you owe to your friends and family.

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Plummet said..


There's times and places to do jumps and drags on the beach.
Namely on a wide beach with clean wind.
Remember that landkiting
Is a whole other sport. It can be done with the appropriate experience and technique.

eddiemorgs said..

Plummet said..

cauncy said..
In the time I've been kiting

Launch,land and squalls are when you need to be 100% on your toes,

itd be interesting to to see how poor mate launched

i know nothing about the incident but I'd say self was the method

really important to take your surrounding hazards just in case, worth moving to other spots ,
immediatly that looks simple or a good spot to launch
car park
grass etc but with deadly objects when things go wrong

sounds devastating for the family and friends

My understanding is that the wind was wsw or sw. So coming from inland and directly across building upwind. The launch site in this wind angle has turbulent rotor conditions and is very gusty. Logan Launched fine and was doing some test jumps on the grass before going out. Its during one of these jumps that he was lofted.

This is terrible news for Logan's family and they will feel the effects for the rest of their lives. My heart goes out to them.

If what Plummet says is right , I have never for the life of me understood why kiters do the test jump and drag thing on the beach and tell my mates off if they do it.

Our primary job is to manage our risks while having fun so we can come back home again. I'm sorry to use strong language at a time like this but doing this is not smart risk management.
You are on a hard surface , possibly close to other structures and have the kite loaded. One wrong move and you are in trouble.

Whether or not Plummet is right , dont ever do it, you owe to your friends and family.

Yes , you are right from that perspective Plummet . And I have not land kited so cant comment.

But at what point do we make the appropriate decisions to not do it if we are kitesurfing. ?
Human nature will tend to push the boundaries ... no matter how experienced you are and confident in the conditions.
If you keep it in your repitoire, at some point it will go wrong in some way is all I am saying. From a stubbed toe or worse or putting others at risk.
It is an unnecessary risk when you look at it clinically.

My my deepest sympathies to Logan's family.

Cheers.

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quikdrawMcgraw said..
Very tragic events for sure, rip mate. Honestly kiting scares me big time due to injury yrs ago...since I been kiting again for 3 months I have released over 5 times, once I released the second emergency also, one time I had to use my hook knife and always check it's in my harness before launching.

Please stay away from people. You sound like a hazard quickrelease Mcgraw

Hearing news like this is shattering, not just for me but for everyone in the kiting community, his poor wife and kids, this is so tragic and unnecessary and preventable too.
Don't jump on the beach eh? Rick Iossi from Kiteforum created the phrase "keep it low and go" many years ago in the C kite days and its still relevant. The idea was always launch towards the water, keep the kite low and away from the Zenith and just grab your board (placed strategically at the water's edge prior to launching) and get in the water asap, a lofting in the water is just a jump or a crash on land it can be terminal!

One thing about the self-landing technique video we made was that it teaches you to use the quick release, it creates a muscle memory response and using the release will become instinctive because you will have the confidence that comes from repetition.

So many people I've spoken to about my self landing method over the years have commented that they never use the quick release as if its a sign of weakness or that how the QR works is some sort of mystery.

Tragic

RIP

No other words needed.

This is very sad news.

A tragedy like this reminds us that this could happen to anyone. As plummet pointed out it is important not to become complacent about safety no matter how experienced you are.

As far as using the quick release when self landing, I started releasing every time after watching Cbulota's videos a couple of years ago. I find this to be a vastly superior method than just grabbing a line and trying to yank the kite down. You eliminate the risk of getting cut by your kite line. When it goes wrong the kite will usually tumble downwind and flag out or land itself anyway and overall it just works a lot better as you get a significantly better yank on the power line to pull the kite down.

You've got to think about which side to rig the safety line incase you need to self land. Also I agree with steve that hitting the safety at the end of every session really helps to build in the muscle memory.

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Ozone Kites Aus said..
Hearing news like this is shattering, not just for me but for everyone in the kiting community, his poor wife and kids, this is so tragic and unnecessary and preventable too.
Don't jump on the beach eh? Rick Iossi from Kiteforum created the phrase "keep it low and go" many years ago in the C kite days and its still relevant. The idea was always launch towards the water, keep the kite low and away from the Zenith and just grab your board (placed strategically at the water's edge prior to launching) and get in the water asap, a lofting in the water is just a jump or a crash on land it can be terminal!

One thing about the self-landing technique video we made was that it teaches you to use the quick release, it creates a muscle memory response and using the release will become instinctive because you will have the confidence that comes from repetition.

So many people I've spoken to about my self landing method over the years have commented that they never use the quick release as if its a sign of weakness or that how the QR works is some sort of mystery.

yup. Beauty of the rope slider with a ring is that you have no choice but to activate your release on every session. You it works because you can't kite without checking to see that it works. Chatted with a guy the other day who got into trouble. Been kiting for a couple years and didn't know how his safety system works, never released before, and his self rescue was terrible. Had to do a few flybys around him calling out instructions so he could get in safely. I can't believe he never was taught, nor practiced the MOST basic part of kiting. No pilot would ever get into their airplane with out a full and complete safety check of everything.