Foil in the lines nightmare!

[Sailboard]

Hello,
Glad you weren't out, when it happens it's really scary!
But the big mistake you make is to be 20 cm from the front straps, not to correct immediately and moreover you continue and gybe like that! It was inevitable.
Good ride

[grtlakes]

Unplanned event. Definition of an accident. Good job keeping your cool.

I took a foil/board blow to the face last fall. Similar tangle. I believe when my kite powered up and gained height the board accelerated along the lines into my face. I’m glad to see your kite stayed low.

[FLandOBX]

Are you dropping your kite in the water when you crash? If so, work on keeping the kite in the air when you crash. It's just a matter of focus on controlling the kite, even in big crashes. It's much more likely that your foil will get tangled in your lines if the lines are in the water.

[kitenight11]

That absolutely reminds me my last nightmare. My foil was tangled in between the lines while riding a 6m kite in 20 -25 knots and the kite started to loop a couple of times while trying to untangle the whole mess. I was really very lucky in this situation because I was once being slammed by this rotating kite onto the whole foilboard combo but luckily did only crashed onto the board and not the foil. While approching the beach I then quickreleased.
I think next time during such strong winds I will eject quicker. Although in lighter winds with a 10m kite I already succesfully untangled the whole thing while not releasing.
Stay healthy.

Did you released in the end of the clip and what are your thoughts on general behaviour (even though it is pretty up to the particular situation)?

[OzBungy]

I recently had what I would consider to be my worst ever foil crash. After over 1000 hours foiling it was a bit of a shock to the system.

I was riding my smaller foil and returning from a cruise up the coast. It had been a dry session so far and I was relaxing. I fell. No big deal so far.

I did a fairly normal water start and slightly overcooked it. The board came straight up on the foil, as I intended, but then I got slightly high sided and got backflipped off the board.

The board stayed up on the foil. I was slammed on my back with my head under water and one foot in a front strap. I could feel my ankle getting stretched and it felt like it was breaking.

The board dropped down from the foil and a bit of writhing got me out with a sore ankle and a banged knee.

I came up to find the board had done a full macrame job with the lines. It was woven between the front and rear lines with a back line wrapped around the stabiliser.

I reached up and grabbed the front lines past the board and held the kite depowered. It was sitting on its tip in relaunch position.

Next I started on unweaving the board and foil. It took a few goes. Occasionally the kite would buck and spin. It generally quieted down if I held tension on the front lines and reduced any control inputs from the tangled board.

I got each line off the board and with a bit of fiddling got the lines unwrapped from the the stabiliser.

I water started and carefully rode back to the start beach feeling a bit fragile. My ankle wasn't broken but it hurt for 3-4 days after.

Lessons learned? 1. Shit happens. Deal with it.

Expansion of lesson 1. Shit happens under almost any circumstances. Huge jumps on the foil? Not a problem. Big waves and absurdly strong winds? Piece of cake. The last tack for the day or an oopsie on a water start? Hold on to your hat!!!!!!

PS. The usual cause of board through the lines for me is riding hard and fast with the kite down low and the foil banked right over. My body hits a bit of chop and I fall and the board continues on through the lines. Deal with it. See above.

PPS I find the "do this special thing" advice quite bizarre. If you've got the skill and the time to do those falling tricks then surely you've got the skill and the time to not fall in the first place.

[Milko0k]

Hey my apologies go to those I have unintentionally lead to believe that video I posted is mine.
Saw it on YouTube and thought it belongs here, so shared. This one is rather mellow relative to more gruesome you can find.

Something similar happened to me only instead of foil it involved a very large quantity of aquatic weeds. I was very close to completely releasing but managed to grab a leader line and collapse the kite.

I agree with people saying that primary focus should be on a kite since it's a source of power.

[Jyoder]

An important skill to learn is to use your front foot to burry the nose of the foil into the water as you fall, that and to kick the foil away from you if you fall off the back and can’t sink the nose.

Gotta learn how to crash safety.

[richy-c]

Yes thats how it goes! Last one I released everything and swam in. I find board usually releases itself so can grab board and swim in.