What is more dangerous, racing motorcycles or kitesurfing?

[FredBGG]

How about "How dangerous is it to ride your motorcycle to go kitesurfing"

I had a little misshap riding back from the beach in Malibu after a great day kiting at county line.....

All loaded up with my gear I hit a deer at 60mph and went flying....

Here is the video:

https://youtu.be/ZaykzE7P_XE

[edt]

that airbag vest is sick. fred do you have a specific recommendation for an airbag vest or are they all this good?

[FredBGG]

that airbag vest is sick. fred do you have a specific recommendation for an airbag vest or are they all this good?

I was using a Hit-Air airbag vest. Another brand I'm familiar with is Helite. They even make a cool retro leather jacket with an airbag vest built in.

[Bille]

...

If you look at it reasonably you have to understand there are very few sports in the world which are as dangerous as kiteboarding. And that's ok. At least we're not wingsuit flying and I think we understand there's risk and don't try to downplay the level of risk.

I wanted to quit the PG and HG, in favor of kiteboarding , (thought it was safer) ; but
the statistics don't support that, (last year more people died with a kite, than both PG
and HG combined).

Bille

[edt]

...

If you look at it reasonably you have to understand there are very few sports in the world which are as dangerous as kiteboarding. And that's ok. At least we're not wingsuit flying and I think we understand there's risk and don't try to downplay the level of risk.

I wanted to quit the PG and HG, in favor of kiteboarding , (thought it was safer) ; but
the statistics don't support that, (last year more people died with a kite, than both PG
and HG combined).

Bille

you should trust your common sense on this, there are about 2 million kiters and somewhere around 200,000 hanggliders & paragliders out there so we would need 10 times the fatalities just to match them

[jono_vr]

I already do MX and kitesurfing and I plan on starting paragliding soon lol. I really want to get a street bike too but if I did that aswell I wouldn't make it to 25.
Everytime I think of getting a road bike the same scenario plays out in my head: I'm riding down the freeway when suddenly I'm hit from behind (no homo) and time slows, but theres nothing I can do, my bike comes out from under me and I skid along the road, I can feel my flesh being burnt off me until my leathers give way and now it's as if someone has taken an angle grinder to my hands and knees, sawing and grinding away at my bones, I feel every split second. Just when I think it's over a car runs over me, crushing my rib cage and pearsing my lungs and intestines, then the rear wheel hits, but now I'm caught between the tire and the road, being dragged at 80mph down the road. Im on my back, the immense force with which the tire is spinning is to great, and I feel as my chest is torn open while at the same time by spine is being ground away by the road. It feels as if I am getting a million paper cuts all over my body. Finally the we come to a stop. As I feel my body go cold and my vision fade I can't help but think to myself, "why diddn't I just listen to my parents?".

[alfredo68]

It depends , for Valentino Rossi kitesurfing and for Mitu Monteiro moto gp would be more dangerous.

[alexrider]

tier 5, snooker and curling

it's impossible to grade sports that finely. You can pour over the statistics as much you like, but everything gets measured differently. The most you can do is grade them in order of magnitude, so something is about ten times more dangerous. With that said, That said here's the levels
(edit: I'm changing bumping up how dangerous motorcycle riding is due to some stats and arguments people have made in their responses)


tier 0, you have death wish. Only two sports for this very special category, death rate somewhere around 1 in a 100

wingsuit flying, Isle of Man Motorcycle racing

tier 1, everyone has friends that have died and you know if you keep doing it your number is gonna come up. There's a special element to this section, you are either underwater and can drown or up in the air and can crash or an animal is trying to stomp you to death. A lapse of concentration can be fatal. Death rate somewhere around 1 in 25,000

underwater cave diving, traditional climbing, paragliding, hang gliding, ultralight aircraft, helicopter skiing, bull riding, base jumping, conventional motorcycle riding

People in tier 1 tend to block you out when you explain how dangerous it is, and explain how they are different and special. But when they get married and start a family suddenly they remember hey this sport really is dangerous and switch to kiteboarding instead.

tier 2, this is the sweet spot of sketch, exciting enough to feel a little on edge, but not so dangerous you have to make your will every time you head out death rate somewhere around 1 in 250,000

kiteboarding, bmx or downhill bicycle, whitewater kayaking, motocross, motorcycle racing

tier 3, sports that are usually safe, something has to go wrong to get killed doing these things

wakeboarding, windsurfing, skateboarding death rate somewhere around 1 in 1,000,000

tier 4, we finally reached the category of sports where you are probably safer off doing a sport like this instead of sitting at home and playing it on your playstation, so you are more likely to get cardiovascular benefit from doing the sport and it makes you have less fatalities not more.

swimming, running, soccer, basketball, basically all the other sports.


If you look at it reasonably you have to understand there are very few sports in the world which are as dangerous as kiteboarding. And that's ok. At least we're not wingsuit flying and I think we understand there's risk and don't try to downplay the level of risk.

[Beardytello]

Loving all the Isle of Man references (where I live)

Road Racing is insane, the guys that do it don't have a death wish...but they are a different breed.

As for the deaths, we get a couple a year, actually the one year no one died (in the races) stands out in my mind more than any of the others. We also lose about 10 or so visitors a year who smash themselves up on the mountain while the roads are open. It's pretty nuts, when you're a kid it takes a while to get your head around the fact that people come here and don't go home, every year, by choice!

You almost become hardened to it though, everyone makes their choice, would you rather live a long dull life where you never did what you wanted, or enjoy the time you have not knowing the outcome but knowing there are risks.

[iriejohn]

I was a closed circuit racer (like Brands, Snetterton etc.). I've ridden around the TT circuit but not in competition I hasten to add - just the thought of riding with WOT through those hump back bridges and flat out corners with stone walls either side scared the living shit out of me!