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20 Years of Kiting!

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fernmanus
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Re: 20 Years of Kiting!

Postby fernmanus » Fri Sep 07, 2018 12:03 pm

I had more than one bruised purple wrist due to the wrist leash. Snap Shackles were even more dangerous, the only fatality that occurred at my local launch was when one of our local riders could not release his shackle when a microburst passed by.

Rick, I don’t remember if I bought the 16.9 Wipika Airblast from you, but that thing was a beast. It was a jellyfish in gusty wind and had a 5 mph range, but it got me out there in the lightest wind.

Kiting got a lot easier (and safer) with the advent of the bow kite in 2006. My first one was from Best. Before that it was a quiver of C Kites with a 2m span between each size. I remember afternoons where I would pump 4 kites. I can ride the same conditions now with one kite and never feel over-powered. Tea bagging and getting ripped downwind in a gust seem to be a thing of the past. I had more “kitemares” in my first year of kiting than the 17 following years and only one or two in the past decade. The progression most newbies make in a couple weeks took several months in the early days. Staying upwind was a goal that took most riders a full summer to achieve in the early days.

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RickI
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Re: 20 Years of Kiting!

Postby RickI » Fri Sep 07, 2018 8:42 pm

I don't remember being dinged by a wrist leash but it could have happened. Yes, snap shackles, were/are dangerous being an important part of several fatalities. The first and most damning fatality that comes to mind happened to a kiter out in dangerous tropical weather desperately struggling to pull his quick release but being unable to until he was lofted into a concrete wall. It is disturbing to see their use on the increase again, using the same unreliable designs because ... I have no idea why. We had long discussions on here going back to 15 years ago largely condemning there use and here they come again.

Was that Mitch Cumming's microburst accident involving the snap shackle in 2005? I learned a lot about microbursts and Utah's warning system from researching his accident. viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2317344&start=0

Yes, things became easier still with BOW kites, as with 4 line LEI's before them. Although with the exception of 2009, severe accidents dropped with BOW kites unlike 4 line LEI's where then increased. Wow, four kites in an afternoon, that is impressive! That was the limited wind range of the early kites. What was the largest quiver of kites you had in any given year? I think five AR-5 Airblasts was my record. I think I did sell that 16.9 m kite to you, it was black and gray? It was a monster to be sure. This sport does have a strange evolving learning curve with regard to duration and pain, being more intense at times and slower in the early days as you say. With no one else to watch, my development moved at a snails pace in 1998. Things went a lot better in the following year. Staying upwind was a holy grail with two line kites. Our uneven wind made things even worse with those weaker kites.

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abel
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Re: 20 Years of Kiting!

Postby abel » Fri Sep 07, 2018 9:29 pm

Well... I'm a newbie compared to the pioneers, I only started circa 2002 at 50 ys old.
I started with a two line 11.8m Wipica Airblast.
The very first aided launching by my son (who didn't have a clue about how to do it besides my instructions) ended on a rampant bullet face crash (luckily on sand).
During my first solo trials, I could hardly ride the kite because of lack of wind, so I went to Paros island in Greece for some decent wind.
After a week of zero to none wind :-? I got 25 knots on the two lines kite.
For a start I got dragged for a couple of hundred meters as the kite was uncontrolled looping and me dragged up and under the water (did you ever been there?).
Of course i tried to release, but the release pin was bended so it didn't come out :o
Before I recovered the confidence to come back to the water, I went to a distant shop in the middle of the mountains ( was very skeptical that I'll find a shop at all).
The guy sold me a used 4 lines bar that he hand made on the spot (mmm.... :roll: )

16 years later I became the king of light winds in my spot (because of the necessity, no because I'm so talented 8) )
Back to these days, and coming from hi-tech background, I'm convinced (as a matter of fact, I know) that there's a lot space for innovation,
and that's why I'm in a start-up (again :wink: ) that designs equipment for water sports :P

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Re: 20 Years of Kiting!

Postby cglazier » Fri Sep 07, 2018 9:49 pm

Congratulations Rick. I started a bit later in 1999 with a Wipika 5.0 classic (2 lines) and Timpone board. Fun times. :D

Who would have thought we'd be hydrofoiling now. :o

Thanks for all the safety work you've done over the years Rick.

:wink: Chris Glazier

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RickI
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Re: 20 Years of Kiting!

Postby RickI » Tue Sep 11, 2018 5:25 pm

Thanks for all your input over the years cglazier and abel, you guys have contributed a lot! There was so much to learn and adapt to while training and technology caught up. A pin QR release failure, that was a bad one, glad you made it through ok Abel. I am blessed with lightwind where I ride as well, it is motivating to try to figure out a way to make it work. It is remarkable about foiling Chris, it is really taking off. Do you do it in waves out your way or just in calmer conditions? I recall when Elliot Leboe introduced the Neil Pryde foil in 2004 with an aluminum sky chair foil attached to a fiberglass board. This was in Miami. We understood you HAD to use Clicker snowboard boot bindings and the boots of course when kiting. Who's up for treading water with snowboarding boots on? It was a great relief to see footstraps introduced on hydrofoil boards many years later.

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Re: 20 Years of Kiting!

Postby ced1 » Tue Sep 11, 2018 8:36 pm

Thanks for all your info and efforts Rick, and Toby for the platform. My early days were spent trolling the net to find ways to stay alive...
Yeah Also been at it since 2000 first on a Peter Lynn Waterfoil then on the arcs. (was the only kites back then you could land and launch on your own).
And went through making my own bars and release systems to testing new equipment. It's been one hell of a trip and yes most people who got into the sport in the last 10 years have no idea of those early days struggles.
I count myself lucky to be in one piece.

And I'm still frothing like in the early days :D

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Re: 20 Years of Kiting!

Postby slim_charles » Tue Sep 11, 2018 10:41 pm

Awesome stories, i'm a relative noob starting out in 06/07 courtesy of Dre and Autofocus but on 2 lines as I couldn't afford it. The breakthrough of bows didn't happen for me until 2011... was like a completely different sport :lol:

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Re: 20 Years of Kiting!

Postby Teabageppo » Wed Sep 12, 2018 7:58 am

The year 2000 is my vintage, so awesome on 1998 start!!!

Started on two line foils, (called "new wave" if I remember rightly). On surfboards. No depower.

If you guys know the west coast of Australia (and it's crazy winds) imagine someone getting teabagged in 25-30 knots for a good 20km down the coast at a time.

That was me. Lots of kitemares, tangles and near death experiences, but that was the sport back then - attracted the slightly fcked in the head, types.

Then the "warrior' foils came about with some depower...kind of..amazing.

Had some airush Lift-pro inflatables also back in the day..those things were just trying to kill you - all the time. But damn they went big.

Bow kites defiantly change everything...and also the vegas kite from north..loaded fifth, even before these bows.

Too many kites and board to mention to be honest. But the gear just got better and better.

Especially from 2011 on...the gears quality and performance just went on an exponential bender. It's levelled off now of course as expected. Damn kites are so good nowadays...


...now I'm continually getting surgery and nursing injuries to keep myself on the water.

18 years of crash and bash has taken its toll...lol.

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Toby
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Re: 20 Years of Kiting!

Postby Toby » Wed Sep 12, 2018 6:48 pm

Remember the Naish 30 sqm?
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Toby
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Re: 20 Years of Kiting!

Postby Toby » Wed Sep 12, 2018 6:49 pm

classic setups with Wichard shakles
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