kiter blown away..hit by car ouch

[FabsPH]

http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/brea ... =324611781

SAN FRANCISCO » A kite surfer at a San Francisco beach was caught in a huge gust of wind and dragged across a parking lot on to a highway, where he was hit by a car and critically injured, police said.

The man was setting up his rig at the edge of the water on Friday afternoon at Ocean Beach when the wind caught him and took him onto the Great Highway, city police said in a statement.

Winds of about 35 mph with gusts approach 50 mph were blowing on the beach at the time.

Steve Sutherland, 54, was visiting from Minnesota and said he was watching when the huge gust came.

"He was down by the water getting his stuff ready with his girlfriend, but there was just too much wind," Sutherland told the San Francisco Chronicle. "It picked him up and took him toward the road. He bounced a couple times, and then I lost sight of him. But whatever happened after that it wasn't good."

The man was taken to San Francisco General Hospital with critical injuries, police said.

Police did not release the name of the injured man or give any details about the person or car that hit him, saying only that the person stopped and did not leave the scene.

Kite surfers use large, parachute-like kites that capture the wind like a sail and pull them on surfing-style boards.

Cort Larned, co-owner of 101 Surf Sports in San Rafael, California, said accidents in the sport are rare but usually happen in the same circumstances, with heavy winds at the water's edge. "All the accidents happen almost invariably while getting into the water or getting out of it," Larned told the Chronicle.
http://launch.newsinc.com/share.html?tr ... d=29658059

[NYKiter]

Darwin award.

[sarc]

There's been a few times where I was really eager to go, rigged up, do my last preflight check and then look at wind/water/clouds and just say.... no. And pack up and go home. I learned thru a couple of close calls, I don;t think it's something that comes naturally. You gotta have the maturity to say "not today", but it's a catch-22 because it only comes thru experience...

[alamos_kiter]

I agree SARC, and there's nothing wrong not going out when others are on the water. In sketchy conditions, sometimes it's just not your day, and you normally feel that. "live to kite another day" is a great motto.

[Toby]

Had it several times that I got ready and then didn't go.

Better to miss a shitty day of gusty strong wind then weeks of good winds...if not even a life of good days...

[madworld]

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Ki ... 37371.html


Best media reporting from the major tv stations.

It was 6 m conditions, he went out on a 9 m slingshot rpm. His smaller kite was out of service and he went made a bad decision to go out. A tragedy for sure.

[plummet]

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Ki ... 37371.html


Best media reporting from the major tv stations.

It was 6 m conditions, he went out on a 9 m slingshot rpm. His smaller kite was out of service and he went made a bad decision to go out. A tragedy for sure.

And there in lies the problem. Kite too big the the conditions....... that's what most major accidents have in common. Kite too big. It's not the wind strength that's the major issue it's the correct selection of kite.

[alamos_kiter]

Yeah I was taught "rig for the gust" back in the day. Nowadays it's all "100% depower"...

[plummet]

A good practice on those days is to use small kite big board combo. Big board rides out the lulls then small kite is super fun in the gusts.

[alamos_kiter]

Yes I'm on an old 6m and SB with my 90kg, when skinny peeps ride 9 and 10m... 18-30kn... mine is faster