Lately I've been asking randoms to launch my kite.

If you ask politely, they are only too happy to be helpful.

From middle-age women, to young dudes, to old geezers ....

they all seem to get a buzz from launching a kite for the first time in their lives.

You see,

my local pointbreak has a very small beach and sometimes it gets very crowded with families and crew.

So anyway, self-launching on a packed beach is nearly impossible,

so naturally I ask a random for an assist.

I love the surprised look on their faces when I strip the kite from their grip when I rip it into a launch.

They look up at the rising kite and then they always give me a smile.

I say thanks and a seeya later mate.


Is this a good way for the general public to get comfortable with kites and kiters ?

Probably not

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harry potter said..

Probably not

lol. ^^^

And I thought I was the only one

I usually go straight into a kite loop over their head and they are always impressed by the speed of the kite as it zooms just above their head.
Try it and you will receive an even bigger smile.

Maybe you could land your kite on their picnic blanket so you don't get sand on it

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waveslave said..

I love the surprised look on their faces when I strip the kite from their grip when I rip it into a launch.

haha, sounds like a recipe for disaster.

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waveslave said..

Lately I've been asking randoms to launch my kite.

If you ask politely, they are only too happy to be helpful.

From middle-age women, to young dudes, to old geezers ....

they all seem to get a buzz from launching a kite for the first time in their lives.

You see,

my local pointbreak has a very small beach and sometimes it gets very crowded with families and crew.

So anyway, self-launching on a packed beach is nearly impossible,

so naturally I ask a random for an assist.

I love the surprised look on their faces when I strip the kite from their grip when I rip it into a launch.

They look up at the rising kite and then they always give me a smile.

I say thanks and a seeya later mate.


Is this a good way for the general public to get comfortable with kites and kiters ?

Yep. They soon catch onto the fun of it. Then they love the look on your face as they chuck the kite into the zone.
They look at you tumbling down the beach and they always give you a smile.

I only use this guy, he's a pro

Probably no less dangerous than some of the "trained" kiters I've had the misfortune of launching my kite off.

Asked a girl at St Kilda wearing a harness, not in learner gear if she would launch my kite for me. She managed to send it into the air before I'd even had a chance to clip on my leash and hook onto the spreader bar. Kite goes tumbling down the beach. She does a disappearing act. Fortunately some guys caught my kite for me and more importantly nobody was hurt.

This might be taking this thread on a bit of a tangent but I think it's worth sharing; Setting my kite up at the beach, blue sky, 18 knots and had my partner there helping to launch me, this is where it starts to take a turn for the worst. My partner is holding the kite ready for me to give her the thumbs up while I am removing a twist in the lines and out of the corner of my eye I see a guy running towards the kite, grabs the kite and puts it into the wind, luckily I had enough time to adjust so I don’t get dragged too far and the kite just missed a metal warning sign, so at the end of the day all is good. As it turned out the good samaritan thought my partner was struggling to hold the kite so was trying to help but obviously didn’t have a clue about kites. So back to the thread topic; I’m now a little gun shy to ask for help from a person that has no idea of the consequences.

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lostinlondon said..

Probably no less dangerous than some of the "trained" kiters I've had the misfortune of launching my kite off.

Asked a girl at St Kilda wearing a harness, not in learner gear if she would launch my kite for me. She managed to send it into the air before I'd even had a chance to clip on my leash and hook onto the spreader bar. Kite goes tumbling down the beach. She does a disappearing act. Fortunately some guys caught my kite for me and more importantly nobody was hurt.

Did you ever stop to think it wasn't a mistake on her part

Take it you don't unhook much....

I have never had a problem asking a beach goer who has never launched a kite to launch my kite. After some very simple instructions (three in fact) they typically just do the three things you ask and allow you to do the piloting work to launch the kite and just stand there as they should holding the kite in the correct position; effortless. Seems when I ask a lot of kiters to help me launch I have to be much more vigilant as they often pick up my kite and start walking around with it to put it into the position they think it needs to be in to launch it mean while putting tension on the lines when I am not ready to launch.

I am always grateful for a launch off anyone but as kiters we need to remember that the person with the bar is responsible for the launch not the person with the kite in their hands.

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kitebt said..

I have never had a problem asking a beach goer who has never launched a kite to launch my kite. After some very simple instructions (three in fact) they typically just do the three things you ask and allow you to do the piloting work to launch the kite and just stand there as they should holding the kite in the correct position; effortless. Seems when I ask a lot of kiters to help me launch I have to be much more vigilant as they often pick up my kite and start walking around with it to put it into the position they think it needs to be in to launch it mean while putting tension on the lines when I am not ready to launch.

I am always grateful for a launch off anyone but as kiters we need to remember that the person with the bar is responsible for the launch not the person with the kite in their hands.

Agree totally that the person with the bar is responsible... but then this persons should bring their A-game.
How many times have we all seen someone messing about with their harness whilst the launcher is trying to hold a kite in gusty crowded conditions.
Connect all goodies prior to walking out, so that when you walk out to launch you can make sure that you're not going to put the launcher in a precarious position. If you get out an realise you have a problem, walk straight back and signal the launcher to put the kite down, don't try fix your mess whilst this person had no clue what your trying to do, and they're being knocked about.

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kitebt said..

After some very simple instructions (three in fact) they typically just do the three things you ask and allow you to do the piloting work to launch the kite and just stand there as they should holding the kite in the correct position; effortless.

Right-on. ^^^

Out of curiosity,

can you tell me those three instructions when you're briefing the random ?

I show them three ques - first is an upward movement of my arm with the palm facing upwards to pick up the kite on my que, the second is the thumbs up for them to release the kite (I tell them when I brief them not to throw the kite they just need to let it go and not to release the kite until they see the thumbs up signal.) The third is the que of a cutting motion across my throat if I want them to put the kite back down.

I then demonstrate to them how I want them to pick up the kite and where I want them to position it. The rest is really up to me.

I then get into position and get hooked in give them the upward motion of my arm palm facing upward they pick up the kite and place it in position, I then give the lines a little shake get any kinks and twists out of the lines(if required) and gradually add tension to the lines; when I'm happy with the launch position give the thumbs up and they let go.

Briefing to launch takes no more than a minute or two.

I have never had any problems.(Even launching in 18-20 knots) Only had to abort one launch and the guy did exactly what I asked him to do when I gave him the abort signal. If it was really gusty I might look at doing a drift launch as another option if the beach is crowded so important to use common sense and remember that these people have no real understanding of how the kite is going to behave.

I often get out earlier on a good day than most other kiters due to flexible work hours and light wind kite options and the beach is often crowded with no other kiters around so I would probably have one out of every 5 launches I get someone who has never done any kiting to assist.

Most of the time they are launching a 17m kite which gives them a bit of a stoke...its pretty cool to see peoples faces when they successfully help you launch.

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waveslave said..

my local pointbreak has a very small beach and sometimes it gets very crowded with families and crew.

So anyway, self-launching on a packed beach is nearly impossible,

How about landing your kite at the same spot? Or do you land elsewhere?

When nuking might I suggest we never ask the member of the he public to launch any kite.

If reasonable light to moderate winds, would it be sensible to lift the kite yourself and hold it in position for them to just hold, rather than get them to lift the kite...especially a 17m?

In a sense they then just act like a reverse tether, without any strain on the lines until the rider gets in position.

Of course if they let go and you are not hooked in potential problems there as well.

Yeh waveslave that particular place to launch is a right pain hence why we avoid it.

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bene313 said..

waveslave said..

my local pointbreak has a very small beach and sometimes it gets very crowded with families and crew.

So anyway, self-launching on a packed beach is nearly impossible,

How about landing your kite at the same spot? Or do you land elsewhere?

It depends. ^^^

At the end of a long session, the beach crowd has probably thinned out .

If that's the case, I'll self-land the thing.

I'm not very fond of asking a random to catch a kite.

There's far greater risk of harm to them when landing.

eppo: You could lift and get them to hold the kite if you wanted to and both methods probably work. Anyone I have asked to lift the kite has never had a problem even with a 17m. Naturally I would not ask ask someone who I felt was not physically able to do the task to help. IMO having the kite on the ground and not lifted until you are hooked in and ready eliminates risk. At the point you are hooked in you have more control over the situation and your eye on the person assisting in the event they did not clearly understand your instructions.

I agree with you that you need to use your common sense and if the wind is nuking don't use a member of the public.

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kitebt said..

lostinlondon said..

Probably no less dangerous than some of the "trained" kiters I've had the misfortune of launching my kite off.

Asked a girl at St Kilda wearing a harness, not in learner gear if she would launch my kite for me. She managed to send it into the air before I'd even had a chance to clip on my leash and hook onto the spreader bar. Kite goes tumbling down the beach. She does a disappearing act. Fortunately some guys caught my kite for me and more importantly nobody was hurt.

Did you ever stop to think it wasn't a mistake on her part

Hmmnn, let's see, I was walking around into position, I wasn't ready and I hadn't given the thumbs up. So yeah, I'd say there was a fair bit of launcher's error there...

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kitebt said..

eppo: You could lift and get them to hold the kite if you wanted to and both methods probably work. Anyone I have asked to lift the kite has never had a problem even with a 17m. Naturally I would not ask ask someone who I felt was not physically able to do the task to help. IMO having the kite on the ground and not lifted until you are hooked in and ready eliminates risk. At the point you are hooked in you have more control over the situation and your eye on the person assisting in the event they did not clearly understand your instructions.

I agree with you that you need to use your common sense and if the wind is nuking don't use a member of the public.

I have found when conditions permit, sometimes the person lifting the kite may let it go, doesn't grab it in hey he middle, doesn't hold it upright properly. Or as they lift it and you haven't quite got your own angle right and the lines tension prematurely...

I have just found it is better to lift it up in position, get them to hold it at the exact place and angle I want them to, and the exact place on The beach then walk back and do the rest.

Depends I suppose...

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eppo said..

If reasonable light to moderate winds, would it be sensible to lift the kite yourself and hold it in position for them to just hold, rather than get them to lift the kite...especially a 17m?

Yep, this is the best way. I pickup the kite into position leaving the bottom wingtip resting on the ground (easier for stranger to hold still) and get the launcher to come grab the kite off me and stay in this exact position and make it absolutely clear not to let go under any circumstances, until I give the thumbs up.

They don't even really have to let go - just launch the kite out of their hands.

Learned with my missus it isn't such a great idea to get them to pick up the kite