Be careful...

Any1 wanna jump the currumbin wall today with me? I know the wind is ****ty and I'm an average kiter but I just bought a GoPRO HD noob edition and I wanna test it out. PM me if yous are keen.

I make little mistakes all the time when kiting. The consequences are never anything like serious spinal injuries. Mistakes when boosting big in shallow water could lead to serious spinal injuries but more likely a broken limb. Now freestyle Motox or motorbikes in general are in a very different risk class.

Riding dirt bikes is the best fun you can have with your clothes on but needs to be approached with an ever present conservative mindset and a sense of restraint - especially as one gets older. As you become more proficient the speeds increase as do the height of the jumps and the consequences often involve plates, pins and screws and mostly some type of physical disability that will remain with you for your entire life. Imo Freestyle MotoX and to a degree SuperX does not pass a wise mans risk reward analysis.

Kiting is great for people 30 years plus who still hanker for something 'extreme' and some big air. The risk reward equation is pretty hard to beat IMO, touch wood.

PS Fingers crossed for the lads

this subject has been a thought of mine alot, as i progress kiting wise, mainly new stuff i will try further out away from shore, people, rocks n ****. Why do alot of guys do tricks in 2 inches of water(if a kiter does a jump a and no one sees it did it really happen(i stole that line,thanks whoever you are, ultimate wisdom)) ???

Adds fuel to the fire of the have no fun anywhere councils if when someone really $%^# up.

Hurry up with whole body transplants, damn lazy surgeons, scared to try new ****.
Good luck to your mates!

i know to well, i did my ankle in on xmass eve from dicking about with my kite on the shore.
3 mouths on it is still stuffed and maybe an op to fix it.
so it may be 8 mouths till it back to normal and it only tock 1 second to stuff it.

That's the irony of these things, often it's not the big smashes that put us in hospital.

Many serious injuries are partly due to an underlying undiagnosed physical problem (by that I don't mean the person is soft)

An ex of mine who is a physio says the best prevention from physical injuries is to maintain a level of fitness that is suitable for the sports you engage in - if that means doing Pilates/Yoga/Swiss ball in the off season than so be it.

Often compensating for an injury can lead to another injury.

Damn bodies, if cars were the same as people we would never buy one!

I've recently given up motorcycle roadracing after a string of nasty injuries.

2007=torn MCL

2008=grade 3 AC joint separation, requiring 4 hour surgery, bone anchor, and ligamnet transplant. Nearly 12 months for full recovery, back racing again in less than 4.

2009=broken left radius requiring screws to put radial head back together, broken right radial head, and right radial styloid. 2 boken arms is a total bitch.

In motorcycle racing, we all know the risks. I've lost friends and had some hard times in hospital but I love it. I've decided to stop because I'm sick of being injured all the time. It is truley the most fun you can have, the most mentally demanding thing you can do, and nothing makes you feel more alive. I've met the greatest people and seen mateship like nowhere else.

I've taken up kiting, not because I think it's safe, just because I've wanted to do it for so long but racing consumes all of your money and sapre time (I spent $7K on tyres last year and haven't gone on a holiday since 2006). The landings are softer but I don't forget that it only takes a monents inattention for it to become very dangerous.

I wish your mates the best.

Stating that it's only down to dumb luck is a little short sighted, I've been riding since I was 8 years old and am now 30, I've never done myself a major injury in a motorcycle get off.

There's no doubt in my mind that someone's attitude to riding has a great deal to do with it especially if you're not racing. It may not have been what you meant, but your post sounds like you're saying that anyone that gets on a motorcycle at all will inevitably do themselves a serious injury.

In fact, the more serious things I have done were due to Martial Arts and KITING!

Not having a go, just pointing out a different perspective on the situation.

D

One of the cool things about being young is the feeling of invincibility... and a bit of the good ol Aussie attitude - it wont happen to me.

I broke my neck 2 years ago playing football and had part of the disc at L5 - S1 removed last year, this was a wakening for me - more so the back than the neck for some reason.

I still ride my dirt bike, still surf, kite and play heaps of other sports. Sometimes it pays to just take 5 and think before you launch into something, it can mean the difference between a life of enjoyment or constant pain and disability.

$hit does happen, you just need to limit your risk and that of others sometimes.

Jerome Bila broke his back at Luderitz last year riding in shallow water (he landed on sand). He is recovering.

http://www.speedkiting.org/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53&joscclean=1&comment_id=16