it looked like a fair hit!
maybe this is what kite surfing needs? you see plenty of chat topics about new people coming into the sport buying the cheap gear and getting out there with no lessons or no clue on how to go about it the right way and the safe way. Maybe its what the sport needs to show to the broader public it is a dangerous sport and why lessons arent a waste of money.
It will be interesting to see it and see if anyone learns from it.
NO this is not what it needs. I am all for people learning the hard way, but we don't need kiting looking any more dangerous than it already does.
I fully condone people buying their own **** and learning the hard way...except it can't happen. In an ideal world learners would have the option of teaching themselves, and dealing with the consequences. But unfortunately, crashes and mishaps attract attention, and then we all get regulated or banned.
So if you are thinking about learning, take your dodgy gear and head to somewhere so remote that no-one will know when you turn yourself into an articulated black pudding.
There is a lot of talk of cheap and dodgy gear here but I think you will find the guy was on a Switchblade 3. At least that's what I reckon it looked like in the shorts. Doesn't take anything else away from what you guys have said but it's not a case of some learner buying cheap crap and going for it. He bought expensive stuff and then went for it. 
I think it really depends on how they go about reporting it.
If they treat it as any ordinary accident, and chuck in a bit of info about learning properly, and then about how fun it is. It could do us a world of good. Also mentioning the rescues kiters have performed recently.
BUT, if they go for the "Highly dangerous, adrenaline junkie attracting extreme sport" view, and make out we are all barking mad, most of the viewers would believe it, and then we could be slightly boned.
Also, we don't know if it was a learner or not. Something may have gone wrong
So, witch way will attract more viewers???
The correct decent approach or the sensationalism to the core with the warning against our "extreme" sport
Come on have a go? lol
Somehow i have a feeling that you may not like their approach
Maybe we should have a poll[}:)]
Tune in next Tuesday to find out for sure, however based on how the show reports all incidents, it will be sensationalised to some degree, its what they do.
This is going to (probably already has) put another nail in the coffin for kiteboarding access.
The actions of the kiter in this instance, without doubt, would be motivated by the "look at me" factor, and it backfired on him and all of us. As far as I am aware the person was a tourist, not a local. Locals know kitesurfing is banned at Bondi and why.
One of the reasons is that Bondi Beach is the second most visited place for tourists in Sydney (opera house is 1st), and it is the busiest beach in Australia, within easy reach of anyone in Sydney.
The "look at me" factor in any kiter is what will get all our popular spots shut down.
"Look at me" kiters need re-educating, all "look at me" promtion of kiting should be discontinued too ASAP!
How can we get this message to these people - tell them up close and personal in the case of the individual, and write to mags and brands.
Cya and
Goodwinds
Steve
It was probably a learner.
The kite was doing deathloops and looked like there may have been a problem. The stooge didnt even hit his quick release before getting slammed into that wall.
I just hope that learners on Cabrinha kites arent connecting their leashes to the depower rope instead of the flagging line. Although it doesnt matter when they dont use their QR to begin with.
it looked like one side of his lines were connected opposite so it only turns one way
doing deathloops.
ouch
the combo of the " kitemare to concrete face plant transition to handrail body grind revent to disaster "
not a good look
dogman
OK let me tell you guys who and what. The shorts don't tell the whole story.
The who is Grant D. (You'll find out next week anyway.) He's an experienced kiter.
What happened is this. Grant went out on his own after the flags went down with the expressed permission of the life gaurds. (He was expecting other kiters to show up but none had arrived yet.) After about 15 minutes the life gaurds changed their minds because of the contest and called him in. Grant asked them to help him down with the kite, but they refused. He asked some Italian tourists passing by to help him down and they didn't understand him and started pulling on his bar sending the kite out of control. He managed to regain control and stabilize the kite above him, but the leash (attached to the outside line toggle) was tangled around the bar. He then decided to ditch the main line and bring the kite down on the one line but he was using a new bit of swivel hardware instead of the Cabrinha chicken loop provided that was of a thicker diameter and the main line wouldn't release. That's when the powered spiral happened that you see on the shorts.
Lessons to be learned:
1. Take your time rigging up, double check everything, haste leads to catastrophe.
2. Avoid going out on your own.
3. Don't assume passerbys can help you or that they even speak english.
If the guy was so experienced, how did he not know that kiting somewhere like Bondi is simply just looking for trouble? For that matter, if he was so experienced, why the hell couldn't he safely self land either? Sounds pretty bogus to me.
So the life gaurds gave him permission to kite there? Thought it was a complete ban, not a conditional one?
There are NO REAL bans........only those mostly suggested by the AKSA. etc.
People do kite at Bondi and Manly,but while its not to bad when the beach is deserted in a howling wind, it needs to be discouraged because then someone will think its ok to kite there on a busy day in a nor'easter ! Or someone without a clue,like our Hero in the TV show that this is about,will smash themselves all over the esplanade.
has anyone else had an Italian tourist pulling on their bar lately?????
Experienced kiter????
- can't self land or launch.
- kiting on own.
- asked inexperienced person(S)to help land.
- let someone play with the bar while hooked in.
- used poor fitting substitue material on equipment.
- could not use safety release.
- got caught on film bringing sport in to disrepute nationally.
More like "kite surfing clown".
Agree with Chopper.
A "C" with 5th line is much safer for self launch and land(IMHO).
From a discussion with the Bondi Lifeguards:
Grant is a former Pres of AKSA, and the person who originally caused the ban at Bondi, because he rode through a bunch of kids involved in a Nippers training day.
Grant was not given permission to go kitesurfing at Bondi Beach on the day of the incident that was filmed for Bondi Rescue. Grant was actually asked to stop launching his kite, and that is how the whole incident got to be filmed, because the film crew had followed the life guards who were sent to stop Grant from kitesurfing.
The Lifeguards are very pissed off, but also said that Grant is going to be severely embarrassed, because he gave the lifeguards and film crew a major spray. He said on camera, that there was no one around so he should be allowed to go out. He denied knowing about any ban, even though he knows very well that kiting is banned at Bondi.
I don't know where you get your info from. Kiting was banned at Bondi because some Euro went out in a North Easter and dropped their kite in the Icerburgs.
If he was stopped while launching his kite how did he spray anyone? I know him well and there is no way he would go out after being told not to. It was after the flags went down. No point slagging someones reputation with conjecture, here say and rumour.
Chopper said
How about
4. If your a beginner by a kite with a 5th line, instead of a single line death spiralling kite :)..... any bites ?
I had the same thing happen with my 4 line SLE kite while trying to self land in 25 knot wind, and nobody to help me. One line got caught around tip and kite started to kite loop dragging me down beach. I tried but could not realease to flagging ring as I was being dragged at 20 kph on my stomach!! I have been using my Rebel kites since then and have never had the same problem again. I think Grant was very lucky as it scares the crap out
of you!
"It's the latest craze to hit Bondi Beach".
Accurate reporting from the start... [}:)]
Yep well that's what it's going to be like - a total media cock-up.
I just watched the trailer. Amazing. One person kiting at Bondi once. Genius.
Oh well, at least it looked like it really hurt.
