Disaster averted
Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2013 8:06 pm
I had a little mishap the other day that I think it's important to share. I'm a very experienced kiter, and yet I got into a situation that could have been really ugly. I think it's important to share these experiences in the interest of avoiding repeats of any sort - and also to, well, take my lumps honestly.
As many of us know, the main beach at Crissy is currently closed, so we are all launching from the adjacent parking lot. I was excited, got into a rush and rigged quickly, and launched my kite while standing on the asphalt, with the kite over hard surfaces as well. As soon as the kite was in the air I could tell I was dangerously overpowered. I danced my way forwards, doing my best to control the kite at zenith, skipping barefoot towards a 3' stone wall. I got briefly yarded a couple of feet into the air towards a car coming through the parking lot, and managed to steer myself between the car and a stone planter box back onto the ground. Several people started yelling at me to "not fuck this spot up for the rest of us," while one calm-headed true friend approached quietly and helped me depower the kite to the point that it was normally controllable.
Here's why this happened: I have two types of kites, and the pigtails on each are the opposite of each other. That is, the rear pigtails on one type of kite are loops, on the other, they are knots. Of course the front lines are the same (reversed). I have one bar that is usually set up for one set of kites, and vice versa. That day I rigged the "other" bar onto the kite with loops on the rear lines, which required switching the pigtails on the lines.
(I did that because I was thinking I might swap kites with other riders that day, and the bar that I have set up for the kites I usually ride doesn't have a normal hook, etc. –- but that doesn't much matter. Both bars will work with both sets of kites if the trim is adjusted properly.)
Perhaps you can guess what happened... I failed to check and adjust the trim on the bar before launching, and so I ended up with an extra 6-8 inches of front lines on the bar/kite that I launched, meaning that I was fully/over powered when sheeted out and still powered/backstalling when sheeted in at all. The kite was very, very difficult to control in the configuration.
I could have been badly injured. I managed to escape that through a combination of delicate kite handling and the assistance of one person who saw what was happening and acted quickly and calmly to help.
Reflections on the experience:
1) I won't ever launch on/over hard surfaces again. That was the first and last time doing that.
2) Rushing often leads to errors, perhaps especially for more experienced / confident riders.
3) I have a very particular setup, and while a checklist might work for some, the best system is a system you don't have to think about, which is why riding matching gear is an easy win.
4) I do have my bars labeled for the two types of kites that I ride, and although they can be trimmed either way, the safe thing to do is simply stick with the matching set.
5) Panic is a bitch. I wasn't blinded by it, but it's notable that my first thought wasn't to depower the kite - I was occupied with other reactions. I may well have arrived at that solution myself in time, or not.
5) If I see someone in trouble, I will move first to assist, and reserve my advice on their actions for later.
Big thanks to Stefaans for the assist.
As many of us know, the main beach at Crissy is currently closed, so we are all launching from the adjacent parking lot. I was excited, got into a rush and rigged quickly, and launched my kite while standing on the asphalt, with the kite over hard surfaces as well. As soon as the kite was in the air I could tell I was dangerously overpowered. I danced my way forwards, doing my best to control the kite at zenith, skipping barefoot towards a 3' stone wall. I got briefly yarded a couple of feet into the air towards a car coming through the parking lot, and managed to steer myself between the car and a stone planter box back onto the ground. Several people started yelling at me to "not fuck this spot up for the rest of us," while one calm-headed true friend approached quietly and helped me depower the kite to the point that it was normally controllable.
Here's why this happened: I have two types of kites, and the pigtails on each are the opposite of each other. That is, the rear pigtails on one type of kite are loops, on the other, they are knots. Of course the front lines are the same (reversed). I have one bar that is usually set up for one set of kites, and vice versa. That day I rigged the "other" bar onto the kite with loops on the rear lines, which required switching the pigtails on the lines.
(I did that because I was thinking I might swap kites with other riders that day, and the bar that I have set up for the kites I usually ride doesn't have a normal hook, etc. –- but that doesn't much matter. Both bars will work with both sets of kites if the trim is adjusted properly.)
Perhaps you can guess what happened... I failed to check and adjust the trim on the bar before launching, and so I ended up with an extra 6-8 inches of front lines on the bar/kite that I launched, meaning that I was fully/over powered when sheeted out and still powered/backstalling when sheeted in at all. The kite was very, very difficult to control in the configuration.
I could have been badly injured. I managed to escape that through a combination of delicate kite handling and the assistance of one person who saw what was happening and acted quickly and calmly to help.
Reflections on the experience:
1) I won't ever launch on/over hard surfaces again. That was the first and last time doing that.
2) Rushing often leads to errors, perhaps especially for more experienced / confident riders.
3) I have a very particular setup, and while a checklist might work for some, the best system is a system you don't have to think about, which is why riding matching gear is an easy win.
4) I do have my bars labeled for the two types of kites that I ride, and although they can be trimmed either way, the safe thing to do is simply stick with the matching set.
5) Panic is a bitch. I wasn't blinded by it, but it's notable that my first thought wasn't to depower the kite - I was occupied with other reactions. I may well have arrived at that solution myself in time, or not.
5) If I see someone in trouble, I will move first to assist, and reserve my advice on their actions for later.
Big thanks to Stefaans for the assist.