Snowkite Gliding - tell us why we are so stupid

[corbett]

Anyone seen the gliding video from Brazil where he jumps off the mountain and when he lands at the bottom of the mountain, a group of armed criminals rob him?

Lulz.

[Toby]

and I do wonder Bille that not many get injured or die snowkiting...I do hope it stays like that!

[Bille]

I said that since the death-rate for gliding on a water-kite off a mountain is so low ; i think
i'll keep my mouth shut about the dangers of that activity.

This is meant to be constructive towards the safety aspect of the sport.

Kite gliding can be made safer. Here is Flysurfer wing with special harness which allows easy riding up and for gliding a paraglider type of harness with attach-points on your sides, multiple lines up, no mixer and paraglider type brake steering.


https://youtu.be/jjTy9NX-0PA

The guy has more than one way to turn the kite besides the breaks ; see how the harness separate
the front-lines to both sides of the riders body , (what happens when he swings his hips) or offsets
his lower body ?

This harness will also help to stop independent rotation between the rider and wing , and help
to keep the riders orientation ; it may be part the reason that guy died last year , while gliding
with a snow-kite.

Drawbacks are that steering will be reversed when rider spins around and faces the kite.

Bille

[wedge]

I'm really glad this thread was resurrected. I missed it the first time and honestly it is THE most fascinating thing I have read in a long time. So much collective knowledge... and theory... and experience here. Very impressive. Makes me proud to be part of this knowledge and experience collective.

That said, there seem to be some bottom line truths here.

Waynephg seems to be asking for permission from his peers to pursue his passion. He goes to great lengths to explain how his version of this risky niche is safe. BUT, he wants kite companies to make it safer for him, the less experienced.. less talented.. and less lucky... He correctly insists that there is a difference between "flight" and "low glides". Waynephg has been smart and lucky. He is certain of his skills, but for some reason wants them validated by his peers. Why? I think Waynephg knows he's doing some dangerous shit, but wants to be validated that he's in the right.

Billie has vast experience, and hard-knocks consequences from pursuing his related passion. Billie and many others are trying to talk Waynephg, and more importantly, impressionable newbies, out of becoming lulled into the apparent ease and safety of Waynephg's passion... and potentially killing themselves in the process. All noble and admirable. A less caring group would say "Yeah man, whatever. Go knock yourself out."

Wedge's unsolicited resolution:

Waynephg: No kite company is going to create gear that is neither Fish-nor-Foul, PG-nor-Kite, to inspire some untrained weekend warrior to launch themselves off a 100' cornice in a wintry updraft. Just... NO. Just... WHY? Liability and all...

Billie and Crew: Good on ya' for trying, but as Fo used to say "we be shit-for-brains". I suspect Waynephg and Crew will keep gliding, and kite companies will keep saying "no thank you"...