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Forums > Kitesurfing General

Sketchy launch?

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Created by nebbian > 9 months ago, 27 Jun 2010
nebbian
WA, 6277 posts
27 Jun 2010 11:06AM
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How many of us would have reacted this fast to pull their safety? I doubt I would have... note that he wasn't wearing a leash either.

Actually now I've watched it again, it appears he might have been launching unhooked, which would explain the sudden surge of power.

Opinions?

Beersy
TAS, 753 posts
27 Jun 2010 1:20PM
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It doesn't like he put his hand anywhere near the safety. Maube he thought unhooked would be safest way to launch over those rocks. It looks pretty gusty as well.
Silly

deXtrous
NSW, 451 posts
27 Jun 2010 1:32PM
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Lol... lucky he was wearing his helmet! ;)

stamp
QLD, 2776 posts
27 Jun 2010 1:36PM
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i like how he just stands there, hands on hips, waiting for his mate to chase down and return the kite

the walks
WA, 448 posts
27 Jun 2010 12:09PM
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no white horse's, gusty wind down low, camera man up high, etc.....
just back from cashconverters.....................

pynnee
WA, 164 posts
27 Jun 2010 2:54PM
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love the way he runs for the kite and not his mate laying on the rocks, then it takes 24 seconds for the cam guy to even ask if he is ok. top work boys

kiter789
NSW, 238 posts
27 Jun 2010 5:41PM
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I watched this (here in Australia) and thought 'that looks like that sketchy launch at Pungarehu'. And lo, it was (Taranaki, New Zealand)

Local custom dictates that the launcher does not enquire as to the general health and well-being of the launchee unless the latter appears to be;

A) Dead

and;

B) With good stuff in his pockets

GalahOnTheBay
NSW, 4188 posts
27 Jun 2010 5:53PM
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Ouch!

Launching a kite in gusty winds on rocks - sounds like a time bomb to me

tightlines
WA, 3488 posts
27 Jun 2010 4:01PM
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Hey that's me .........not really but I do have two kites the same make/colour.

What a dodgy looking place to launch, rocks, not onshore enough causing it to be gusty due to a hill behind him causing a windshadow down low.
If he was experienced I reckon he would have either, launched elsewhere, had one hand on the safety, one in near the middle of the bar (which he didn't) or been unhooked with one hand on the chicken loop and one in the middle of the bar so he could control power and steering (which he didn't).
If he was a beginner he wouldn't have been able to react fast enough to release the safety when his hand was nowhere near it.

So my wild guess with absolutely no evidence whatsoever to back it up.

He was a beginner with either
I) Enough nous to launch unhooked but no idea how to control or trim the kite.
or
II) He was hooked in and when he pulled on RHS of bar to try to get the kite up it caught a little gust, his left hand then came off the bar causing the kite to shoot straight up and around into the powerzone, something then broke or gave way on the CL (maybe he didn't have donkey dick in and CL just became unhooked by itself).
Whatever happened he was very lucky.
P.S. I think 'The Walks' might be right he has come straight from Crime Cash Converters.

waveslave
WA, 4263 posts
27 Jun 2010 4:08PM
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Never launch a kite on a pile of rocks.
Why would you ?
He could have walked back 50 metres and launched in the grassy cow paddock.
When the kite feels comfy in the air, make your way carefully over the rocks and then into the water.

sir ROWDY
WA, 5353 posts
27 Jun 2010 4:45PM
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Wasn't any houses around for him to jump into, so he figured this was the next best thing.

KnutH
VIC, 427 posts
27 Jun 2010 7:52PM
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Just launch it on the other side of the wind window whilst standing in the water.
I see lots of people who can't do sh!t, but when it comes to launching they are getting either very brave or very stoopid.

SaveTheWhales
WA, 1877 posts
27 Jun 2010 6:53PM
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kiter789 said...

'that looks like that sketchy launch at Pungarehu'. And lo, it was (Taranaki, New Zealand)


Yeah man, he shouldve just gone to da "West Island" where theres sand - serves his dumbarse right bro

colinwill78
VIC, 1395 posts
27 Jun 2010 9:14PM
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nearly choked on my beer! pissed myself after he got up though. dumb-ass.

captian
39 posts
27 Jun 2010 8:06PM
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wow this makes me laugh

love it





.

waveslave
WA, 4263 posts
27 Jun 2010 8:52PM
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stamp said...

i like how he just stands there, hands on hips, waiting for his mate to chase down and return the kite


The dude in the vid could have died.
He got smashed into the boulders.
He was in a state of shock after the episode, I could tell.

Torch
WA, 521 posts
27 Jun 2010 9:28PM
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Almost looks like Darwin...

Or at least give him a Darwin award

taxi
QLD, 416 posts
28 Jun 2010 8:36AM
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Gusty offshore conditions what were they thinking.

koma
VIC, 760 posts
28 Jun 2010 9:44AM
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taxi said...

Gusty offshore conditions what were they thinking.

Cheap way of getting to Australia.

ade r
NSW, 102 posts
28 Jun 2010 10:31AM
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waveslave said...

Never launch a kite on a pile of rocks.

He could have walked back 50 metres and launched in the grassy cow paddock.
When the kite feels comfy in the air, make your way carefully over the rocks and then into the water.


because that grassy paddock has a massive hedge in the way:

www.google.com:443/maps?q=Pungarehu,+Taranaki+4685,+New+Zealand&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&ei=-twnTNeeNIv6cPOH5bsC&ved=0CAgQ_AU&hl=en&cd=3&geocode=FZXWqP0dWztcCg&split=0&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=23.875,57.630033&hq&hnear=Opunake+4685,+New+Zealand&ll=-39.267946,173.755817&spn=0.010831,0.12085&z=14&layer=c&cbll=-39.26824,173.755743&panoid=414XBEzD8eeBXBfEEfdZYA&cbp=12,2.55,,0,16.67

colinwill78
VIC, 1395 posts
28 Jun 2010 11:35AM
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Torch said...

Almost looks like Darwin...

Or at least give him a Darwin award


Does a bit, except the rocks in Darwin are covered in oyster shells, whereas these rocks are covered in blood and teeth

iandvnt
QLD, 581 posts
28 Jun 2010 11:54AM
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Reminds me of the NZ kite wave nationals - was a disaster waiting to happen at mid- low tide.

This place is the stuff of dreams and nightmares combined.

Also a lesson not to let your kite oversheet although I expect the wind was mostly to blame

Black and Blue I bet.

gruezi
WA, 3464 posts
28 Jun 2010 10:10AM
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Good post to keep us vigilant.

I agree with Slave.....launch somewhere safe and then walk the kite. It is amazing how easy it is to get around once the kite is up, even climbing over fences and negotiating reef can be a snap...........unless you are a learner and/or total nob..................good on them for wearing a helmet. Funny how it is often the helmeted ones that do silly stuff.


ade r
NSW, 102 posts
28 Jun 2010 1:03PM
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I'd love to see anyone try to get over/through this hedge with a kite strapped to them
(this is directly behind where 'ol mate tried to launch):

Puetz
NT, 2183 posts
28 Jun 2010 1:32PM
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colinwill78 said...

Torch said...

Almost looks like Darwin...

Or at least give him a Darwin award


Does a bit, except the rocks in Darwin are covered in oyster shells, whereas these rocks are covered in blood and teeth


Amazing how quick things can go bad!

Right as we speak, I'm missing kiting because of those phuking rocks you speak of, the cut in my foot is taking waaaaay too long to repair. Mind you I didn't get it kiting so no kudos there, just a dumb arse.



TurtleHunter
WA, 1675 posts
28 Jun 2010 2:09PM
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classic I reckon he was just lucky the chicken loop came off.
Can't you just feel the tension in the air when he is about to launch

JayP
QLD, 249 posts
28 Jun 2010 5:30PM
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crazy, even at high tide that looks like a bad place to kite - all those rocks just lurking under the surface ready to eat your board.

those thrusters never had much depower on the bar or in the safety, lucky it fully released..... where was his safety leash??

Surfer62
1357 posts
28 Jun 2010 6:07PM
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If that is Taranaki, there's a couple of paddocks without hedges, just cows, depending on which road you take or which section you get access through and you could launch with heaps of space. But Ive walked out over the Taranaki rocks/boulders just with a board, there is no fkn way i'd try it with a kite, even when you get near the water, its just all slippery rocks, crap footing. Must admit I did laugh at that vid tho.

waveslave
WA, 4263 posts
28 Jun 2010 7:12PM
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JayP said...
where was his safety leash??


lol.
There is definitely a lesson to be learn here.
i.e.
If you regularly launch in a gnarly rockpile,
never lock-in a death-leash.

tightlines
WA, 3488 posts
28 Jun 2010 8:47PM
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JayP said...

crazy, even at high tide that looks like a bad place to kite - all those rocks just lurking under the surface ready to eat your board.

those thrusters never had much depower on the bar or in the safety, lucky it fully released..... where was his safety leash??


It is actually a Kima, (I own Kima's and Thrusters), the Kima has more depower and is a completely different kite but still doesn't have complete 100% depower even when released to safety (which kites do..... 5th lines come close)

If I had to launch there I would be closer to the water (cleaner wind and closer to the soft stuff)) have the lines on different knots so it wasn't as powered (it looked to be backstalling without even being fully sheeted in) heaps of depower pulled, unhooked ( but with one hand on the CL to control power) and as Waveslave has suggested no leash attached (until it was in the air and I was nearer or in the water).
It doesn't look as if there is anyone on the beach for it to hit if you had to ditch it.

But hey thats just my opinion and I am neither an expert or an instructor so don't quote me I could be way off the mark.

poor relative
WA, 9091 posts
28 Jun 2010 10:20PM
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I bet he doesn't do it again. lol



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"Sketchy launch?" started by nebbian