Your worst wipeout?

[Sander]

I think the BAK forum might be a good venue for trading war stories so that we don't end up repeating each other's mistakes.
I will start with my tale:
Just when I thought I was getting good I had one of my worst wipeouts ever. I was at Sherman last week when the wind came up and I got overpowered on my 14m.
I had my chicken loop fully depowered, the bar was all the way away from me, and my kite was at 11 or so. Nevertheless I ended up doing the downwind death ride and fell on my butt to try to slow down, but the kite was so lit that it picked me up, spun me around, slammed me into the water, and then dragged me underwater at speed (my helmet got swept off). When I popped up I somehow sent the kite into a loop and went for another underwater voyage. Wow! I am glad that I was well in the middle of the river and nowhere near land!
Fortunately, I was able to body drag to the levee where some kiters helped me land. And a windsurfer had retrieved my board (Thanks Jason!). Thank goodness no injuries or equipment damage!
Anway, the lesson I learned that day is to be wary of overpowered conditions, and if getting worked not hesitate to activate the safety. Also, my buddy Bric told me to try out using my 5th line as an additional depowering mechanism. Any other advice is welcome.
Anyone else got a story to share?
Sander

[charlie]

dam boy
chill out with the under water drags!
glad you lived thought it .

[Bob]

Overpowered conditions...
hhhhmmmmm
Let me think back a bit.....
It seems like only yesterday..... If fact it was yesterday!
Wadell -- thirty gusting to forty-- I'm on a seven meter kite and lit! Me on a seven meter kite! Dang but I like small kites... but it seems I could use some more practice. I carved a turn just as the gust hit and my kite turning to change directions seemed to think I was asking for a sent kite to grab big air. So at that point the kite was flying me instead of the other way around and I was rather suddenly looking down at my kite looping through the power zone as I was stretched out parallel to the horizon and began rapidly passing waves below me. Its bizzare how you have the time to take it all in with the full knowledge of "this one is going to hurt." Projectile Kiting at its best! I hit the unintended target (the water) with enough force to unip my flotation (straps/clips on floatation is a good thing) and rip my helmet off by pulling the strap out of the buckle under my chin (sew it to size). Alls well that ends well. The kite relaunched quickly (It had skidded to a stop on the surface ready to reload me). I was left to gather the debris that was my kit floating around me on the water. That was it for me for the day an exciting conclusion to four great sessions.
Maybe not the worst ever but it got an ooohhh-ouch on the beach!

[elli]

Whenever I read those stories I am happy for flying foils. You guys should use your safety more. In 2004-2005 kites its OK, but I would still say has a long way to go.

[jjm]

My worst wipeout happened today.

Went out on a 12 and was way overpowered. Maybe max 1 minute into my ride I must have caught an edge or something, fell forward off the board, remember doing some rotations in the air. Splashing, then some teabagging.
Oh, then released safety with leash wrapped around the chicken loop a few times. Didn't release right away, more tea bagging ensued.

Luckily, only injury I got today were some cuts on my feet, and that was from walking backwards into a broken piece of pier or something.

p.s.
Thanks LMG for bring me my board.

[andyandmarlys]

Bob... A different take on the Fatguy challenge... Yesterday I was out on a 7m too at 3rd... A different type of fatguy challenge.... How much wind can the fatguy hold down... Hmmmm... The next challenge... Fatguys on 5's... I hear Costa Rica beckoning.....

[mike_s]

so speaking of wipeouts, any news on the person who got stretchered away from Alameda today?......I hope he/she is ok!

[Bob]

Don't know the condition of the person but one eye witness reported that they were riding a Naish 8 meter kite and they lost control while in the water inside of two kite lengths from the beach and got dragged into the bank at high speed bounced off the bank in a spray of sand the kite power stroked again and slammed them into the bank again. Fingers and toes were moving but they had neck and upper back pain...
And they did take them out on a back board.

Andy
I would love to ride in a steady 40 some day all these lightweights make riding a five meter look like fun. At Waddell yesterday there were only four of us on the water and the other three were using bandana size kites but really ripping.
BTW: My hand does not fit all the way into a 10 element either.

[kitebored]

worst wipeout....

i think it's a tie between every time i've tried to do a backroll kiteloop and realized about half way through that there was no way the kite was going to go back up before i went down.

[Pablito(Guest)]

Yesterday at SI there was lots of talk about how to deal with being overpowered. Not just "kinda overpowered", but overpowered like the first poster is describing -- kite too big for the wind.

You spend so much time learning to edge and hold when you're getting "good" that you forget that sometimes the best way to slow yourself down is to shoot right at your kite. If you're still going too fast, go forward and (opposite direction you would normally go to go upwind). Your kite will luff. If it starts to drop, turn back to edge until you're powered again.

This is how I got back to the launch yesterday. It's not pretty, but it takes you in a straight line, and your head and your butt both spend less time in the water than either of the other options.