Just got off the phone with a mate and his close friend (who I also know) got taken to the hospital about a week ago after being run over by a kitesurfer on a surfboard. Fin totally thrashed his face and had to have several stitches to put it back together.

Anyone know anything about this? Who was the crack-head that couldn't keep some distance to swimmers and ran Andrew over?

good bye kiting in WA.
It was nice knowing ya.

suns cooked your brain darren.

drink lots of water!

sorry, i shouldn't post on west australian issues.

forgive me.

Not good to publicise these incidents. Kiters are not the only people who read these forums.

Provide them with ammo you do.

I`m telling you, there are so many idiot kiters out there it is unreal. I was out fishing on sunday at my local spot where I also kite. So I know where the kiters like to do their thing and I kept well away from the "show off" area. STILL at least four kiters decided that just a few metres from me was the best place to switch direction or ride past. They only got the message when I cast towards them as they came close.(and a few evil stares were exchanged [}:)]) There was at least seven windsurfers out as well that day and not one of them even came anywhere near me. Why are so many kiters so arrogant that they think the water belongs to only them? I`m convinced that these toolheads think that people find it a privilege for a kiter to come close to them, even if it gets in the way of them ejoying their day. Like I said I kite there all the time so I know where the main kiter and windsurfer area is and I kept away from there. Why couldn`t they keep away from that few metre area I was occupying? I tell you why. For alot of these toolheads it is their first "watersport" hobby and they don`t realise that the beach gets used by a wide variety of people, most of wich have been going there long before them.

poor guy. Ihope the guy who did it gets caught and formorly charged by police - reckless endangerment or something.

In fairness, the kiters that annoyed me were not regulars. But that`s still no excuse. Even more so if you not a regular at a spot, respect the people who are. Peronally I can`t wait for winter when there is only a handfull of us that go out and only one or two at any time. Just yesterday some chap (Euro) asked me about how to self land etc. Realising he was a bigginer I showed him where he would be better off practicing and explained why. Did he listen to my advice, NO.
a: He got in the way of everyone.
b: He was putting himself in danger drifting close to the trees, power lines etc. and if you can`t self land then that could be a big problem.

There should be a sign on every beach. Idiots and selfish toolheads go home and find a different hobby.

Why come on here and cry about it, better not to publicise the fact for the world to see. I surfed snapper this morning and got ran into by a longboarder then a short boarder, then my feet ran over by a grom on a shortboard, which cut my foot, but I wont be jumping on the surfing websites crying about it. Theres kooks in every sport, thats just life.

I wonder why you never got your visa granted Spruce ??????????

Paul1 said...


I wonder why you never got your visa granted Spruce ??????????

Because the people at immigration are just like you? They have **** for brains.

Besides... I'm not "bitching" about this I'm interested to hear if anyone else know anything about it and if anyone know who the perp is..

Like you point out Paul1, I'm not staying for much longer anyway so why the hell should I care if you get a ban or not? Because I'm not like you. I actually have a brain and care about fellow kiteboarders...

Saffer said...

Paul1 said...

Why come on here and cry about it, better not to publicise the fact for the world to see. I surfed snapper this morning and got ran into by a longboarder then a short boarder, then my feet ran over by a grom on a shortboard, which cut my foot, but I wont be jumping on the surfing websites crying about it. Theres kooks in every sport, thats just life.

I wonder why you never got your visa granted Spruce ??????????

Sorry? He has every right to bitch about irresponsible behaviour. The likelihood of kiting being banned is far higher than surfing and its behaviour like this that will get it banned. If the guy goes to the press, the press would have a field day with this.

The comments where made to get a reaction out of Sprucey, please don't bite on his behalf, just trying to have a bit of fun.

Paul1 said...

Saffer said...

Paul1 said...

Why come on here and cry about it, better not to publicise the fact for the world to see. I surfed snapper this morning and got ran into by a longboarder then a short boarder, then my feet ran over by a grom on a shortboard, which cut my foot, but I wont be jumping on the surfing websites crying about it. Theres kooks in every sport, thats just life.

I wonder why you never got your visa granted Spruce ??????????

Sorry? He has every right to bitch about irresponsible behaviour. The likelihood of kiting being banned is far higher than surfing and its behaviour like this that will get it banned. If the guy goes to the press, the press would have a field day with this.

The comments where made to get a reaction out of Sprucey, please don't bite on his behalf, just trying to have a bit of fun.

no problem. my apologies.

You are right this is very serious.

Bidwavedave says ........
Not good to publicise these incidents. Kiters are not the only people who read these forums.

Provide them with ammo you do. .

However as with any preventative approach to sporting or work incidents involving serious injury I believe disclosure and proper understanding as to how to prevent reoccurrences is vital for us all to improve the safety of the sport.

The proper posting on Seabreeze of incidents let’s all understand what we are dealing with in respect of a sport/activity that is undertaken in the public domain [not a sporting field where the public is generally precluded from involvement] and where conflicts opf use will invariable occur.

And from personal experience I know the Marine Authorities tap into hospital records for the very purpose of understanding how they may make their services more effective in preventing marine based incidents. It is not a blame game.

Well done for what appears to be proper and thoughtful remedial care.

RobR said...

You are right this is very serious.
Kiting as we know it in Australia is as good as over when we have the likes of recent past AKSA representatives/supporters wanting to hide incidents such as what is described above.

Bidwavedave says ........
Not good to publicise these incidents. Kiters are not the only people who read these forums.

Provide them with ammo you do. .

Big Waving D advised me via PM when challenged on his comments “Anecdotal, exaggerated & inaccurate reports of accidents which may or may not have happened are not constructive and only stir argumentative discussion and blow things out of proportion.” And added that I should not contact him again - so its to the publiuc forum we go.........

Now is BWD suggesting all posters to Seabreeze post inaccurate or exaggerated reports and therefore they should never be posted.

May I respectfully suggest BWD has a self interest in not having incidents reported as it makes the authorities rightfully more concerned? But it also highlights to all kiters that irresponsible behaviour will be noticed and followed up on.

Please note that BWD or David John McIntyre is listed on the AKSA Website as under IKO Affiliated Kiting Schools in Australia See “ Kitethrills
Location: Sunshine Coast
Contact: McIntyre David John"

I understand Mike Walker the AKSA CEO, owns Kite Thrills – so are they saying as a so called IKO Affiliated School and current and past reps of AKSA, that AKSA and IKO do not want incidents reported.

No wonder the development kiting safety in Australia can’t move forward with this type of attitude. And I am not even going to mention how this exactly parallels the lack of financial disclosure of AKSA which CEO Mike Walker is responsible for.

Kiters of Australia need to understand just who is holding back the sport and supporting proper behavioural reform particularly when undoubtedly well connected and influential individuals as Dave McIntyre {BWD] make such ludicrous comments in public.

Stop being a drama queen. No sport wants bad press splashed all over the tabloids, way too many negative, ban this ban that going around at the moment. I seriously doubt any kiter deliberately injures someone else, its just an accident, accidents happen. If you see a kiter doing something stupid at your local, simply walk up to them, smile and inform them of their inadequacies, if that doesnt work then shoot them, problem solved

Think about this

Everybody is very quick to criticise a fellow kiter, who has been involved in an unfortunate and regrettable accident.

I am greatly sympathetic to the injured party, but I also know the kiter involved very well, and he is neither irresponsible, inexperienced, nor a show off . He spends a good deal of time wave kiting at Scarbs, and anyone who does so is likely to have some near misses at times, even if it was a lost board or a downed kite in the surf.

The kiter was greatly cut up about the incident, and in fact brought the injured party to the surf lifesavers tower, where his wounds were dressed before he was transferred by ambulance to an emergency department.

He has not gone around shouting about it of course ............who would?

The kiter has provided a full report to the Department of Planning and Infrastructure [who oversee beach safety].

He apologised to the victim, who, at the time of the accident, agreed it was an accident and said that in struggling with a rip he had not been able to lookout for other water users

These are the facts :

he was riding a wave just upwind of wher the windsurfers launch at Brighton. The semi permanent 'no swimming- currents' sign was on display at that spot.

There was a flagged area 300m down the beach, but not at brighton.

The surf and wind [25kts] had created the usual maelstrom at brighton

The swimmer had dived beneath the waves and surfaced under the board so that the kiter did not even see him, just felt him as the fin made contact

He had been on the lookout for swimmers and had seen one and was giving him a wide berth when the accident happened . Unfortunately the kiter did not know that the swimmer had a companion.

The swimmer undertook a challenging sport [bodysurfing] in a clearly hazardous environment, at a spot where in fact that activity was specifically advised against.

We have all taken knocks in our pursuit of adventure sports and bear the scars, some of them involving mates and other sports people. Do cricketers blame the bowler for delivering the ball? Body surfing is an adventure sport.

The victim thank god] was not an innocent child standing on the beach and he accepted some self responsibility when he entered the water.

How many can say that they could not possibly have caused that accident?
Have you ever kited at Brighton when other users were in the water?
Yes?
Well you're just lucky then.

I recall an incident in Trigg several years ago, when a windsurfers fin split a swimmers jaw in two, and others where surf paddle skis and surfboards have mown people down.

No water user group is immune to creating danger for others

My message is that risk in this sport can only be contained not removed .
There is a good argument in saying that in certain areas swimming should not be allowed, even if that means we can only kite in restricted zones at least we could do so knowing swimmers could not be present. In Queensland swimmers must stay between the flags are be hauled out by the lifeguards

And remember before you jump to criticise.................."there, but for the Grace of God, go I".

dirtyharry said...
it would appear

there are the key words mate. You're free to interprate things any way you want. Doesn't mean you're right



Thanks for that little report niall, now we all know what happened