Italian Kitesurfer dies in Brazil

[john a]

So so sad! Rest in peace!

[fluidity]

Googled Porto Seguro - seems to be a narrow beach with high vertical cliffs near the water edge. Maybe a rotor caused by sudden gust picked him up and threw him down? From the google pic it does not seem seguro to me...

Seems very probably given your information about a cliff.
I've flown radio control gliders "Slope soaring" and basically as wind blows towards shore and up a slope then you get free lift.
Hang gliders, birds, RC glider pilots all use this free lift. Because I'm aware of it I'm always a bit more careful if I'm kiting near a slope with wind flowing over the slope.
For a steep cliff there will be a lot of turbulence near the bottom with still pockets of air and movement of air around these flowing to shore and up, with direction changes.
With gliders, the region close to the surface of the slope but away from the top edge, is a slow flowing zone where there is less lift due to drag. If you ever get caught like that, don't assume there is any safety near the slope, the wind will be more predictable where it can flow cleanly.

[Wind Runner]

What about people launching off high places as stunts and trying to glide or kiteloop down? Maybe something like that was involved possibly?

[RickI]

I wish his family and friends solace at this tragic time.

I have been able to find out little about this accident so far reading through the numerous news accounts. The following summarizes what have seen: Kiteboarding fatality in Porto Siguro, Brazil. On May 24, 2018, at around 2 pm Christian Pesavento (37) was reportedly lofted to a height of 30 m (about 100 ft.) while kiteboarding and didn't survive the impact on the surface (water?). Reportedly four other kiteboarders were with him and responded during the accident. He was hit by an "anomalous" "strong" wind by some reports. It was reported that he was planning on a 25 km run from Barramares beach in Porto Siguro to to Santa Cruz de Cabrália. I understand he was a kiteboarding instructor and quite experienced. He was a native of Thiene, Italy and moved to Porto Siguro in 2011. I have reviewed many articles on the accident but am still having difficulty understanding how he was lofted to 30 m if that indeed happened. The wind records I have seen are unremarkable although that may not be entirely accurate. If anyone has additional information such as contact for any of the four other kiters or specifics about the accident I would appreciate learning of them here or via PM or email to flkitesurfer at hotmail. Thank you.

[RickI]

I understand Christian was lofted by a waterspout. Locals posted this video of the waterspout as it came into shore and fishing boats. https://www.facebook.com/highlander.ric ... 393132150/ I am still trying to gather additional information and will post an overview after it comes in.

Do proper weather planning, stay aware of your surroundings and act early if threatening conditions develop. "Fair-weather" waterspouts can be more subtle than the more powerful and obvious tornadic waterspouts associated with dark thunderstorm clouds. They may not make much noise until close, you need to see them before they develop as dark droops or small funnel clouds on the base of clouds. The cloud base may be dark as well. If you see these little droops, keep an eye on them or just call it a day until suspect nearby clouds pass. Land and secure before a developed waterspout comes anywhere close by as the disturbed windfield can extend outwards a substantial distance.

RIP

[sarc]

Holy cow looks like 70Kn wind inside that funnel. I have measured 64Kn wind at the beach during a typhoon and that's how the water surface looked like.

[RickI]

I wouldn't be surprised. I will try to find a diagram of a typical wind field and velocity range for a waterspout for the writeup. A man was killed in Italy and another paralyzed in the Nordic countries by waterspouts loftings sometime back.

Holy cow looks like 70Kn wind inside that funnel. I have measured 64Kn wind at the beach during a typhoon and that's how the water surface looked like.

[Peert]

I wouldn't be surprised. I will try to find a diagram of a typical wind field and velocity range for a waterspout for the writeup. A man was killed in Italy and another paralyzed in the Nordic countries by waterspouts loftings sometime back.

Holy cow looks like 70Kn wind inside that funnel. I have measured 64Kn wind at the beach during a typhoon and that's how the water surface looked like.

What I don't understand is that a person would not just ride away from this what looks like a relatively slow moving phenomenon and in ultimo just release the kite if this is coming too close. I don't have experience with this type of weather and so I probably miss something. Maybe further offshore it isn't as visible or moving faster?

[RickI]

I am waiting for additional local information before getting into that aspect further. If it was of the "fair weather" variety of waterspout vs. the more obvious, powerful and evil looking tornadic waterspout, they can sneak up on you at times. Then again, the one in Italy was dark, plain as day and a bunch of kiters were riding all around it, oblivious until some were lofted, perhaps even after. All kiters need to be aware of what is going on around them at all times, inbound boats, other riders, people in distress, changes in weather, thunderstorms, funnel clouds, whitewater lines, etc., it just goes with what we do.

Avoidance is key from weather forecasts, on the horizon, at cloud base as a small funnel cloud, whatever. Never let it come close to you. If you fail to punch out early, plenty have failed to do so, don't expect bar sheeting (changing the AOA) to do much good for you. Variable AOA works pretty well with lateral wind but not so much with vertical. This one lofting involving a very experienced kiter highlighted that limitation. This happened in a measly 30 mph or 25 kt. squall gust btw.



1200 ft. Lofting Overland In 30 mph Squall
viewtopic.php?t=2358331

"Trix's (the cereal) are for kids, squalls are for chumps"
(who said that?)

[joriws]

What I don't understand is that a person would not just ride away from this what looks like a relatively slow moving phenomenon and in ultimo just release the kite if this is coming too close. I don't have experience with this type of weather and so I probably miss something.

The phenomenon is moving slowly but wind towards it ain't. Your wind window will be wrapped around the spout or on land dust devil as from every direction wind surges towards it and escapes only from the top.

It is the same as with real tornadoes. People try to outrun them (if they get close) with car capable of doing 150km/h and thinking I am fine as tornado moves 30km/h. But when you try to outrun it your head wind might be 200km/h and your car cannot win it due to lack of HP required to win the wind resistance.

F0 wind speed: 40–72mpg 64–116km/h diameter: 6–17 yards (5.5–15.5 m) Light damage.
"Some damage to chimneys; branches broken off trees; shallow-rooted trees pushed over; sign boards damaged."

So apparent wind affects there as well, it is moving speed of phenomenon plus wind rushing into phenomenon plus your movement vector. One some directions they cancel each other and other directions enforce.