If you see this, you really should put your kite away!!

[RickI]

Great shot Tunico! Also welcome to Kiteforum, a bunch of regulars from the kitesurf list lurk here these days. What do you use for stitching your images together? I have been using Photovista and Apples QTVR authoring suite for stitching panoramas, neat stuff!

I wanted to send you an email but since you have posted here, it makes it even easier. In response to the dramatic rise in serious kiteboarding injuries in the later half of last year a bunch of us put together a document titled "Ten Ideas for Safer Kiteboarding." The idea is to try to raise hazard awareness and avoidance out there. Even more folks have translated this document into a wide range of languages, most recently including Portuguese. It has turned into a global kiteboarding project!

I was wondering if you could help to get the word out on this in Brazil along with some of your friends down that way? It would be good to try to get the shops to pass them out, and to try to get them published in your national kiteboarding mag(s) and leading Internet sites (HINT). Kiteboarding Mags in Italy, Japan, Canada, France (?) may have already or are about to print them document. The various translations are located at:

phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=3881

Thanks!

Hey lndpnt good to hear from you, say hi to Enzo for me!

[naufragado]

Wow! Classic aviation photos. I've heard people talking about how they can rip in 45+ kt. winds with a small kite. To keep things in perspective, I work for an airline that ceases operations in 50 kt. winds (something about cargo doors being ripped off of 24 ton aircraft). All I can say is that I'm more concerned about lightning than wind...

[Ulrik]

These pictures are from 22.07.2000 On the island of Anholt, Denmark.
Captured during the annual "King of the Island" contest.

The pictures were taken with 5 minutes intervals.

(Pretty nasty looking )


Ulrik.

[offshore?]

some fine pcitures- got me peeing my pants!

[Peter_Frank]

Ulriks pictures from Anholt made me think of the (small) "Tornados" we have seen a couple of times, on the ferry to Anholt.

My brother has a picture of one, taken from the ferry - but I don't have it here...

But how about this little sweetie then - pictures from last summer 2002 on Roskilde Fjord (Denmark):





Or this one:




They are not really big and dangerous like in the US - but they exist in smaller scale everywhere in the world - even on summerdays on the country, you often see small thermals twisting around to lift the hey up into a spiral.
Simply producing a teeny weeny little transparent tornado.

And of course there is an itty bitty one here two, from just on the southside of copenhagen: http://www.kitesurferen.dk/view.php?type=1&id=210

They are all beatiful, right ?

[RickI]

Wow, incredible shots Ulrick! Thanks for posting them. At 5 minute intervals that system was MOVING! Were there strong winds associated with the squall? It may sound like a dumb question but just because it looks horrible doesn't always mean that blasting winds are due any minute. Then again they maybe, you really NEVER KNOW for sure until you are in it. Best to avoid them! Really dramatic wx shots, thanks again.

[RickI]

Hello Peter,

Nice collection of funnel shots. In Florida if something like this forms over the water and stays there we call it a waterspout. I had one of these, about 1000 ft. high and 100 ft. in the diameter at the water chase me at high speed out of an anchorage in the Florida Keys. They have a ton of these down there.

Anyway, if a waterspout goes ashore and stays intact, a less common event fortunately, then it turns into a tornado. Were some of your shots of funnel clouds that formed over land? Unstable weather is impressive but is best enjoyed without a freight train disguised as a kite in your hands!

[Blow Me]

Ulrik
that is seriously some amazing stuff there. What was it like when it hit? I would be runnin for cover! I have never seen anything like that.