I found this picture, it makes me laugh cause I can identify with the little fella,
This sport is full of great moments, but we all have had, and need to accept the, well, challenging moments.
Those when, just like our little friend the penguin here, we finally get to the point where we say,
"F@#k it, I'm going home."
Some of them do make great stories.
Anyone want to share the moment when they joined the "Penguin Club"?
Of course I started this topic to tell my story, so I'll begin this thread I hope to get many laughs out of.
The day I really joined the Penguin Club I was kiting at Redhead back beach, north of Foster, essentially north Tuncurry. You haven't heard of it as a kiting spot because it's not.
I didn't know enough to know how much I didn't know.
It was nor east, which is a little off shore there, yep.
Dropped the kite almost immediately on entering the water, started getting blown out to sea.
Then I saw a shark fin pointing towards me in an area I now now to be a shark breeding ground.
Pulled the safety, scrambled for the rocks, cut myself up, spent 20 minutes picking the lines out of the rocks to wind them up before POP, the LE of my kite exploded on the rocks.
F@#k it, I'm going home.
It was cold and windy as all f^&k, hadn't had a sess since i was in Darwin 4 months prior.
I drove an hour to the nearest puddle of a lake and i pumped up the 9m, all the valves were knackered. (bloody Darwin)
So i got all the bladders out of the 14m and put them in the 9m, and they were all ****ed except two of them (bloody Darwin),
Then in a last deserate bid, i pulled out the bladders from the 16m and put them into the 9m, (i popped one of the strut bladders.)
3 hours later, I got set up with 4 struts and a slow leaking leading edge............and then ......
the wind died.
I said ..................
actually i said,
f&^%$ S^&% C^&&%
i'm going to the F%^$ Pub to have a F^&% brandy or whiskey or stones or something
Sorry guys but the caption on the pic is wrong, I know exactly what he is thinking.
He is just taking a little while to regain his composure and come up with a plan then he is guna get back with the program.
Beside Fiji is to far to away from home so you just gota fix it.
Yep it fly again before coming home 
Ya YA I know the legs look the same 
collinwill78
I replaced a leading edge bladder once, very challenging job. At the end I was rewarded with a bladder that was worse than before. I'm not saying I wouldn't do it again, but, that is exactly what I'm saying.
You switched 2 kites worth of bladders out, in the field, in the rain and cold? I'm impressed with your ability and determination, but a little concerned about your mental state my friend.
Rick, are you still flying that kite?
Looks like the one you had out the other day.
i was a little crazy for a few months after that
I've had plenty of practice changing bladders including leading edge bladders.
my previous "FIIGH" story involved crashing a naish x4 into a box thorn
Between nasih, north and Darwin, loads of practice.
Today at pinns,get the kite out the bag 1st time since last summer blow kite up set lines, help m8 with new kite get set up n out, go back to kite sle gone soft,repump kite get ready 4 launch, launch kite depower cord is ****ed as kite and me hit the top of the wind window and travel down the baech on my ar,,
try to fix quick relaese relaunch kite up and chicken loop comes out, time to go home looking like a penguin well pissed of. m8 has a f,,,in grinn ear 2 ear with new kite .
PS "HE CAN LAUNCH HIMSELF NEXT TIME"
i've got a mate that could fill this topic.....
things like planning a massive downwinder and nothing but cliffs and sh^t from start to finish and his first jump... snaps his board in two.... hahahahaha
Breaking his chicken loop (with no leash) out front of the local Carnival... kids wernt expecting that ride....! hahahha
and even last weekend, he took a brand new kite out and broke a line heading for the most dangerous break we have.... and got sucked into the rocks and saw a shark....ahhhhh hahah
My eyes are watering......cos the list goes on.......and we have been kitting together for nearly ten years.... so much gear..... so many laughs.....
ahhh mark y mark
A fellow kiter, who shall remain nameless, lost his board to the tide at Dolls Point, way across the other side near the mangroves after a crashed kite.
Thinking that matters couldn't get any worse then, I don't know how, lost his kite into the scrub. Shredded.
Kiteless, boardless, on the wrong side of the bay late in the day.
