ouch!!!

[Tighe]

I guess he wasn't hurt.

[SCOTT RIDOUT]

My god I can't believe they have not just taken these off the market yet?

[Coach]

You have got to be kidding - that can't be real... With the air he got, it almost seems he must have been standing up on the tube and jumped as the thing caught air. Instant catapult.

Dear me, that is the fricken' stupidest thing I've seen in a long time.

Are we seeing the dawn of a new entry into this year's Darwin Awards? Some tube-kiter (the inventor?) is going to *have* to make the cut.

-Coach

[dave t]

He probably did get catapulted. The guy I saw get flung off one of these had it up about 25 feet and it started to wobble and then just started to spin. Hard enough to easily throw someone like that picture. After a few flips it stopped but upside down and flew right into the water......HARD!

The dude was either pitched off or bailed before that and seemed OK but if he had piloted his craft until it crashed. Ouwieee!

[Chris Lock]

Call me weird but it kinda looks like fun......................I mean, as long as you dont land on any pontoon boats or anything.............................

[johnbaker17]

Heard on the news today that the primary manufacturer of the things issued a giant recall. Don't have a link though. Maybe someone can find an article?
John

[chanrider]

http://www.lakawa.com/phpBB/viewtopic.p ... 7054f859dd

[johnbaker17]

Wonder how I missed that...

[ice_kmauve]

You have to check out the clips available online (check youtube.com) to really see how crummy these toys are. They can hurl you up or down just as easily, that's why they're getting recalled. To reiterate about the PR thing, I suggest refraining from using the word "kite" when referring to these things, so as to help keep our dignified sport from being confused with this idiocy. I suggest the term "launch tubes." "Boat-towed Headstrippers" also works.