anyone see this kitesurfer in flroida get wrecked

[rubyraks]

Re: anyone see this kitesurfer in flroida get wrecked

While I was being a bit of a pretty dark wiseass before, are you actually telling me that those weather conditions are what is considered safe to kitesurf in? It looks to me like a miserable day with insane and unpredictable winds. A day when I'd figure you're better off staying grounded.

[Miroslav]

Re: anyone see this kitesurfer in flroida get wrecked

i was surfing about 10 blocks away when this happened, kevin had been out there for the better part of the day, and winds had been holding steady at about 20+ knots (which is perfect for kite surfing). The squalls that began coming through were completely random and unexpected.

Look, I'm very sorry for your friend. I hear his condition has improved, and that bodes well for his eventual recovery. I hope he is back in good health soon.

But... "random and unexpected squalls"?? Come on, dude... It's an incoming tropical storm verging on low hurricane strength! What do you people expect, predictable and safe weather conditions? Most everyone knows that it's the kind of unpredictably dangerous situation just ripe for mother nature to be a bitch and smack you down...especially if you are tethered to a giant kite. So, not to sound too much like your mother, but perhaps you guys may want to rethink your level of risk tolerance next time around before anyone else ends up like this poor guy, or worse.

[Miguel]

Re: anyone see this kitesurfer in flroida get wrecked

thrill seekers .... stoopid is what it was

rain and wind bands were coming in since early in the morning that day , and the storm was on the verge of becoming a hurricane .. it is just not logic to go kite surfing in this conditions ... maybe surfing since the surf was not that crazy .. but bro the winds

look at the results .. is only his fault that this happened

hope he gets out ok though .. see if he learn something

[k3n3]

Re: anyone see this kitesurfer in flroida get wrecked

are you actually telling me that those weather conditions are what is considered safe to kitesurf in?

Those conditions (winds 20-30 knots & bodyweight 150-200 lbs) are actually ideal for both 'expert' level surfing & kitesurfing in any area: http://kitesurfingschool.org/heavyair.htm

At it's worst, the (sustained) winds never got above 35 knots during the entire duration of Fay's impact on the fort lauderdale area. The center of the storm was never within 150+ miles of this area; near the center, the storm's maximum sustained winds were never over 63 knots.

This was a freak accident, not some stupid stunt gone wrong... For me, this was personal validation for never strapping myself to a kite. I've seen too many waterspouts and freak wind bursts down at the beach, to know that the wind can toss a full grown male like a rag-doll, without warning.

Several years ago I saw a freak wind burst, drag a kite surfer across 3 lanes of traffic & into power lines on fort lauderdale beach, luckily he was able to hit his release in time...

It was an accident, and it still isn't funny...

[k3n3]

Re: anyone see this kitesurfer in flroida get wrecked

Come on, dude... It's an incoming tropical storm verging on low hurricane strength! What do you people expect, predictable and safe weather conditions?

The storm was no where near this area at the time, and at it's worst was never within 150 miles of this area. Also, there are millions of people around the world who practice this sport in less than ideal conditions, this wasn't a Jackass style stunt gone wrong, it was a freak accident that happened to be caught on tape. I was at the beach surfing from noon to sun-down that day and the beach was packed the entire day (it looked almost like spring break)... packed...

what the camera did not show, is that after he was bounced off the sand, he was picked up by a steady wind gust that was heading directly through a long alleyway between 2 buildings. This created a "wind tunnel" effect that he was powerless to fight.

Personally, I would not be using a kite in these conditions, and I've resisted invitations to try kitesurfing even in near perfect conditions... It is (by it's very nature) a dangerous sport...

However, the sarcasm and cruel comments posted here about a fellow human being who is fighting for his life, were pretty shitty