BayAreaKiteboarding.com

I need to ask the question because I've seen it happen twice so far. Yesterday was the second time I've seen a slingshot STD fall backwards into the launch area when it was windy. I don't understand why or how this could happen. First time was when a guy launched his kite and was walking to the water. The kite just fell backwards and did not stop until it hit the ground. He was on a 12m in 10m wind. Yesterday a girl rode up to the beach and when she got on the beach her kite fell backwards over the blackberry bushes into the launch area. It seems like the wingtips just fold in. So has anyone else see this happen. I know Andy, LMG, and Yuri make these kites rock. Have any of you guys had this happen? We don't have to many bow style kites in the delta. I know that there are more in the bay. Is this happening often, or just freak accidents?

The front line is too long.

id say over sheeting..,or back lines to short
and or not enough air pressure ...?

So once it starts to fall is it too late to sheet out? I yelled to the girl to drop her bar hoping the kite would just depower, but it continued to fall. I was thinking it was too much rear line pressure and stalled like the older high aspect kites, but I've never seen a kite do this at zenith.

When was the last time they tuned their bar? Bars that go untuned tend to oversheet? I always launch my kite with the kite fully depowerd.

I don't really know much except that it happened the same way twice near the launch.

there was a guy at the ozone demo that flew the ozone bow kite backwards into the bushes twice. People were yelling "sheet out" at him but he kept pulling in the bar and walking backwards.

This is the same kite that flew fine for eveyone else that day.

I think most bow kites belong to beginners, and beginners are still learning things like proper launching technique, and kite line trimming.

Thor was complaining about this. When I first bought the kite it had an extra set of pigtails, which they fixed now but that basically made the kite over sheet. I did notice some wierd characteristics about the TD that dont seem to happen anymore. Even stock, the TD has about 1.5-2" too much sheeting ability. In other words, you need to either know where that point is or depower about 2" on the depower-or do what I did and cut off 2" from the end. That kite still rocks though.

There was alot of mishaps at SI this weekend, mostly by people who nobody's ever seen there who weren't asking any questions and didn't read the guidelines. Alll the regulars were friendly and helpful as usual, but man, if people don't ask for help, how do you know they need it until they start doing something dumb.

It's a good thing those kite didn't power back up halfway down, as that's a pretty sure way for someone to get hurt bad. Also, it seems pretty irreponsible for any kite company to ship a kite that is tuned to oversheet. Especially kites targeted at beginners.

The T.D. is not a beginner kite, that said it is easy to fly and beginners CAN learn on it...
I think this shows how people are overstepping there bounds. One should have there equipment well under controll BEFORE they kite locations like S.I..
L.M.G.