How to turn a topic about a fatality into an absurd helmet discussion

[matth]

I think Pitbulls should wear helmets.

[grigorib]

Which helmet can stop fatalities in kitesurfing? Is there a good brand?

[downunder]

Yes, there is. His brand. He is wearing it so must be good.

[Havre]

Wouldn't wearing a helmet signal to the same employees that kiting is in fact more dangerous than it is? Why would us reckless kiters wear one if it wasn't very necessary?

Kiting can't be that dangerous. Kiters aren't even wearing helmets.

Easy.

[vannibombonato]

You seem to be stuck on the idea that fashion is the reason people don't wear helmets. And a few of us pointed at discomfort and impacted perception as being our main reason not to. (while still maintaining a proactive safety conscious attitude to prevent accidents to happen in the first place).

Safer kiting to me doesn't exactly rhyme with helmet use. Helmet use might, to a point, reduce severity of unsafe kiting.

I am stuck to the idea that "fashion" (or whatever you want to call it) is the most important reason why people don't wear helmet. Absolutely yes.

Just read through the post and you can see the amount of "peer pressure" some top guns here will make on a beach if somebody dares to wear an helmet.

[downunder]

^
Where do you see that?

Kiting beach is not really Paris, NY or London fashion show. Not my local, no. And having 3000 registrated kiters only in my town was quite relevant.

The most important is having FUN. When someone does a line, a coke line, do you see them with a medical bag with them? Is this coz its not fashion? Or coz they just wanna have some fun without worrying to carry an adrenaline shot.

It is also absolutely not true that there is a peer pressure. This assumption is wrong based on my local. We (I) are just pointing the fact that helmet is not a magic bullet and does not provide a security that some of you think it does.

The danger in this is just like with skiing, no helmet - no go. This comes for "by law" and local councils. As a result, people will go where they do not need to comply.

And that is a direct result of pushing the idea of wearing the helmets.

[vannibombonato]

^
Where do you see that?

Kiting beach is not really Paris, NY or London fashion show. Not my local, no. And having 3000 registrated kiters only in my town was quite relevant.

The most important is having FUN. When someone does a line, a coke line, do you see them with a medical bag with them? Is this coz its not fashion? Or coz they just wanna have some fun without worrying to carry an adrenaline shot.

I’ve seen it everywhere globally, you haven’t, that’s fine, can we just agree to disagree?

[downunder]

^ agreed to disagree.

Define globally? You have 213 (half on this thread?) posts and joined in 2009, and there are people kiting for 20 years and not seeing what you see.
But yeah, I'm in denial that ppl just want to have some fun. Seriously, kiting is no fun for you? Why doing it then?

[KimAndersen]

If I was to follow you line of thought, a really good kiter who chooses not to wear a helmet, when on a tt, but chooses to put one on when fx. foiling will look and feel like a kook, as soon as he is on the foil??? makes absolutely no sense, and doesn't measure up to reality here.

Bystanders aren't watching someone mow the lawn on a foil way out in deep water.

Seriously??? This is a global forum, but you have obviously visisted all kitespost around the globe? Where do you pull this stuff from, pure imagination?

Actually our most used local foil spot is also most likely the spot with most bystanders in the country, situated in an artificial lagoon in our capitol, you can see the spot here, or in many of Nick Jacobsens videos:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Jolle ... 12.6467795

But since you have obviously checked all other spots globally, this must be a one off, that you missed .

Your local isn't representing the whole world. People here aren't considered kooks for wearing a helmet, here foiling isn't necessarilly done way out of peoples view. Here beaches aren't getting closed because of kiters hurting themselves.

My local ins't necessarily reprensentative of the world either, but try to widen you horizon just a little. Spots are different, people are different and cultur is different.

[vannibombonato]

^ agreed to disagree.

Define globally? You have 213 (half on this thread?) posts and joined in 2009, and there are people kiting for 20 years and not seeing what you see.
But yeah, I'm in denial that ppl just want to have some fun. Seriously, kiting is no fun for you? Why doing it then?

1) Definition of “globally”: I’ve kited across tens of spots in Europe, Americas, Asia, Africa. I miss Australia so probably “globally” is a stretch. I’m not sure I would take the post count on an internet forum to assess someone’s experience on a sport. And no, I am certainly not a “pro” by any mean. I would guess the majority of people here are way more skilled than I am, but I hope you realize that people here represent a very tiny fraction of kiters globally.
2) if you just read some of the posts here, without need to travel, you would already see what I am describing. A user just made some fun on helmet sizing suggesting that helmet users must have smaller brains…ahahah..ahah?
3) I do think that arriving to a point where you state that the “helmet judgment” does not exist is as extreme as when people here arrived to suggest that kiting without an helmet is actually safer than with one.

Anyway, all that had to be said I think has been said, let’s just go out and kite.

PS
Funny thing: I just dropped my 2 years old daughter at the kindergarten, this morning while buckling her helmet for the bycicle ride I’ve pinched her skin, she cried half an hour before I managed to put the f**cking thing back on her head! Karma I guess.