The multiple mistakes of Mr. Silver Helmet, poor form at WAC

[Professor Robae']

The multiple mistakes of Mr. Silver Helmet - poor form at Waconia: 10/7/11

It pains me to have to write this but what occurred was truly outrageous and should be discussed IMO. It was a great day at Waconia, quite puffy and shifty – typical for a southerly – and strong, some liquid smoke in the air and some very nice sets of rollers. To me more kiters should embrace the safety and attributes of windsurfing when conditions are like this but that is for another discussion.

No one I talked to caught his name but Mr. Silver Helmet (SH) said he was from Florida and kites there. He said he would be checking LAKAWA for help finding his missing kite so I hope he chimes in on this thread as this is intended as a learning tool. I did not see the initial mistakes. I’m piecing this together from my talks with others so please correct or add if you were there. SH set his kite up right on the water’s edge lines and all. He was planning to do a self launch right off the very thin strip of beach under the massive trees.

The wind was sideshore and super gusty and shifty. The angle was also completely undoable for this type of launch, not to mention all the people, trees and sailing equipment within close proximity. Luckily a couple of kiters saw what was about to happen and offered some advice and launch assistance. Diageo was one of several to try and help him. Right away Diageo noticed the 9M Best kite was way under inflated. IMO, a 9M was way too big for 20 to 40 mph wind- especially if it is under inflated and not in the hands of an expert. Diageo and others told SH about the obvious problem several times. SH waved them off and said several times, “Don’t worry its fine, I got it.”

This is a tough situation to be in when you know 'IT'S NOT FINE!!!' What to do? SH claims competence... Considering what happened next it’s best to be VERY, VERY, VERY insistent in this situation. lives are at stake here people!!!

So SH gets an assisted launch and kite is in the air and jelly fishing badly do to the under inflation. I’m not sure how long SH kept it in the air but it was not long. On one of the bigger gusts the kite predictably did a large jelly fish and snapped two lines. Jerry, a windsurfer saw what happened and sailed up to SH to assist - BIG mistake. Not sure if SH was in duress and requested immediate assistance but predictably Jerry got tangled in SH’s lines. This is a super dangerous situation, especially if SH releases the kite – which is what happened...

Super lucky Jerry got himself untangled just before the release. Not sure if SH released the kite intentionally but the timing of the release was horrible as the kite went tumbling down wind at full speed and barely, BARELY missed another unsuspecting windsurfer. When the kite went WISSING by he thought he was lucky and in the clear, then something hit him in the back of the head – probably the bar. Super lucky it did not snag on him or his windsurfer. Now we all see the green and black 9M Best kite tumbling to the North shore and SH bobbing in the lake – separated from his board. JimPat was quick on the scene and did a masterful job of towing SH to shore. Then he went back out and retrieved SH’s board. Jim was making good progress dragging the board back but unfortunately he hit his quick release with SH’s board during the upwind, bummer.

So now Jim has got his kite in the water tethered by the 5th line and unlaunchable; plus two boards. Somehow he is making progress towards the north end of the cliff that is downwind of the launch. A group of us are watching this from the south end of the beach and I ask if anyone knows where the kiter is now? Someone points him out at the North end of the beach... Incredibly he is standing there with his back to the water having a conversation with someone. Why isn’t he watching the guy who just rescued him and was attempting to rescue his board? Why is he not on his way to assist Jim? WTF?

I ran down to SH and sternly suggest he make haste and go assist his rescuer. He seemed completely oblivious, but he did go. An hour later they both appeared after walking back on the road. SH did not stick around long as he went to look for his kite. A group of us stood around and pieced the whole sorry saga together and I volunteered to post. Again, this is intended as a learning tool. Luckily no one was hurt badly but this another example in a long history poor kiting etiquette at the DNR launch of Lake Waconia. As a community we really need to watch out for and prevent this kind of extreme hazard. Thank you.

[Binx]

I hit the WAC early in the day (10/7) and was hangin' out at the windsurfers' launch trying to figure out what to rig. A kiter (Mr. SH as he's come to be known) had run his lines along the water's edge and appeared to be totally perplexed by the tangle. I'm a windsurfer and know VERY little about kiting, yet it was obvious to me watching this guy that he was a novice. I said to two windsurfers standing next to me that trouble was in the offing. They agreed that things didn't look right. I hit the water and forgot all about the guy. Not surprising to find out what eventually happened.

With the growth in kiting I expect stories like this will become common. I understand the kiting community's concern.

Binx

[MK]

This isn't kind but I keep thinking of something else when I read the letters SH. Reminiscent of Steve Martins dog in The Jerk.

Not sure what to say/do otherwise.

[Professor Robae']

Yes MK, I did not intend this but after reading/ editing I too caught the correlation. I chose not to change it...

Bottom line: You never really know what your fellow wind enthusiast may be capable of. That is why you have to ALWAYS watch like a hawk. Personally I am always on FULL alert whenever I am near a kiter - including when I am a kiter! All kiters should be the same way whenever they are by anything/ anyone! I would ask all kiters at Waconia to be more aware of this - do not jump/ slash whenever you are close upwind of anything - I don't care how 'good' you are. There have been way to many close calls over the last several years and there are more newbs on the scene. It's more crowded/ sketchy than I have ever seen it in my 35 years of sailing there. Not good...

When you see a potentially hazardous situation/ kiter, ANYONE with competence must be ready to jump in and offer advice, guidance and help. Sometimes, like in the SH case, VERY stern advice is necessary. When this situation happens it really helps if there are a couple of people working together to point out the potential hazards to the newb in a positive/ constructive way. Be ready to explain/ emphasize the worst case scenarios including THE worst case scenario to the newb; we all know what that is... Thank you.

[dave12341234]

Hmmm...sounds too me like a psychologist would have been useful!

[scottman]

This sounds all to familiar doesn't it, I always got the feeling when I was kiting that people would rather watch you crash and burn then help out, kiting community is not what it used to be back in the day.

At times I actually thought it was safer back in the day with the old 4 line kites, people were more respectful of the kite because you had to be, now it's almost to easy and some people take it for granted as far as the safety aspect of it.

be careful out there people.

[Lee_Uptown]

No... that's not completely true, unless someone is a sadistic freak. What has never changed about our kiting community is that we have always been helping those in need. Besides, there are plenty of us who watch out for each other because we understand that this is a risky sport. No one can predict the future on who's going to crash and burn, but in some cases there are people whom you can't convince/prevent them from crashing and burning which leaves you no choice but to watch and then help. Sometimes, It seems like help is not even recognized but we still continue helping. The biggest change in our kiting community is our size, who we spend more time with and cool looking gear. Well, maybe a few delinquents here and there... but for the most part, we truly care for each other and share the stoke of riding.
I also agree with the concerns of the windsurfers that kiters should not be landing on top of them or slashing in front of them... I don't think I like kiters landing on me either. One other safety issue I started noticing, is that our very limited launch areas are getting crowded. By that I mean kiters and/or windsurfers standing and chatting in the shallow areas or the beach. This makes it extremely hard for kiters to get in or out without flying our kites right above anyone's heads. I urge all of us to be aware of where we park ourselves and our gear. Otherwise we might need a boom-box installed playing this song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPN5lEIW ... re=related (beware: usage of the one syllable term synonymous to a female dog is frequently used. All you need to watch is just 10-15 seconds of this) to remind us to clear the way.

* I have no intention of offending anyone. Please, Just don't get offended. *

[peterrib]

Interesting where these treads go. Reminded me of a recent Padre event when after
putting my kite down in the water to help an apparent novice with crossed lines he gave the thumbs up, and as I walked away he dove his kite into the back of my
head and knocked me flat! Should I have left him on his own? Had a Go-Pro running
on my board that captured the assult. Ironically funny and I know I would help him
again......but keep an eye over my shoulder.

[allanw]

Windsurfers and Kiters,
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Allan, aka SH.

First of all, I have already expressed my sincere apology and concern to the windsurfer who was nearly hit by my kite and had the line hit him in the head. When he told me that happened, I expressed my concern and said I was glad that no one got hurt. Also, as I said to Jim on Saturday, my thanks to him for offering to tow me in and bring my board ashore.

Secondly, allow me to tell you a little about myself. I started windsurfing when I moved to Florida in 1997. Like many of you, I started on a long board with one sail and built up a quiver that would allow me to sail a 10.5M on light days, high-wind venturi affect intracoastal winds, or those side/side-on shore wind and wave days on the beach. I developed some great friendships with the windsurfers there and very much enjoyed the camaraderie. I have the utmost respect for windsurfers and have always told others interested in either sport that windsurfing is a very technical sport that requires a lot of skill to master. It is much more difficult to learn to water start, rig, and of course anyone who can master a planing jibe just about has to have the footwork and coordination of the pros on dancing with the stars. I truly loved the speed of windsurfing and got out on the water every chance I could for about 3 or 4 years. When a few guys in the area started kiting, I resisted for awhile and continued to windsurf on the epic wind days for awhile even after I took lessons from our local PASA certified kite and windsurf shop owner. The kiting community there was pretty small at that time and was very welcoming and always willing to help. We had a great time and drank a lot more beer than the windsurfers, but even with the most persistent kiters, I still refused to put the “windsurfing has been canceled” sticker on my truck.

Please allow me to tell the unfortunate events that happened last Saturday at Waconia. I laid my lines out on the grass parallel to the road to the boat launch ramp with my bar was just on the other side of the curb by the sign near the parking lot. Someone launched my kite for me after some frustration of getting sticks caught in my lines while I was walking into the water. I made a few runs, but needed to make an adjustment to my lines and also wanted to put more air in my kite as the heavy gusts were causing it to flap. I intentionally put the kite on the water and depowered it by grabbing the upwind line. When I walked ashore, my lines again got a little tangled up in all the debris that is at the launch. So, I did lay them out on the beach to straighten them out. I NEVER PLANNED TO LAUNCH from the beach and am disappointed that someone would assume that. If I was that stupid or inexperienced, I never would have been able to kite in 30+ very gusty winds. I put more air in my kite as well while I was on shore. I would have walked my kite well out into the water if someone had not offered to launch my kite. Again I made several runs and when I was about 1/3 of the way across the lake a strong gust caused multiple failures to my kite. Both outside bridle lines broke at the bridle next to the kite. Also, a metal swivel near the bar attached to the front/center lines near the adjustment strap broke. So, my bar was still attached to my harness and the outside lines were still attached to the bar and my board was still on my feet. The front/inside lines were still attached to the kite, which was of course floating free at that point. I DID NOT REALEASE THE KITE. This was obvious since the lines still attached to the kite actually stopped the kite on the water at one point.
I had a full wetsuit on and my board with me so I was really in no danger at that point and began swimming back to the launch. A windsurfer asked if I was OK and offered to help, and I declined. After I was about ¾ of the way back to the launch, Jim kited by and offered to drag me back to shore. I said, yeah that would be great. After a little while he suggested I leave my board and he would go back and get it, so I did. I swam the rest of the way to shore ending up around the point downwind from the launch. When I saw Jim going back for my board, I started walking back to the launch so I could go get my kite. Someone came up and asked what happened. I discussed with him that when I got ashore I thought Jim would be able to get back to the launch but it didn’t look like he was going to make it back up wind. I did not know that Jim was in any trouble at that point. It was getting pretty late by then somewhere just before 6p. Then another guy came up and curtly said I should go help Jim because he was in trouble. I immediately turn and walked around the point and offered to help Jim relaunch so he could get back upwind. He declined and we walked back to the launch along the road. The guy who had the close call with my kite drove down to us and came out in the water to get Jim’s board and then drove back. I then got in my car and went to look for my kite, but since it was dusk I could not find the kite even though I walked in the water all along the reeds on both the inside and outside. I went back the following day and did find my kite which was clearly visible in the middle of the reeds. So, I am not just guessing what happened with the lines. I believe the main factor contributing to the equipment failure was the age of the equipment. There was not enough pressure to even pull me downwind. I sank straight down into the water with my board still on my feet. It is not unusual for Waroo bridle lines to break and I should have replaced them sooner. The kite is a 2007, but I did not fly it very often because I only use it in winds over 28. The bar was at least a year older than that as I got it with my first Waroo. The heavy gusts also exacerbated the instability of the kite and I should have had more air in it as well.

It is very close quarters for both windsurfers and kiters to launch at Waconia and the winds have been very gusty every time I have been there. I hope we can get along together and enjoy our respective sports.

[Dean Rizer]

Thanks for sharing your experience with us Alan. Aside from adding air to my kite prior to launch, I don't know if I would have or could have reacted any differently under the circumstances you described. Weeds and twigs for some reason are a major problem at this time of year. It's another reason to be alert if you are standing down wind of a launch. The only thing an operator can do is abort the launch if lines are wrapped by the smallest twig. If no one is there to catch the kite, or the kite loops, the safety must be released, the kite will come down, and the lines will likly need to be untangled/ reset on shore. To some this may appear to be a rookie mistake...it's not.

[JRN]

AL, YOU DESERVE SOME KUDOS FOR COMING FORWARD. A big man is able to admit mistakes, but most would not risk the humility of doing it on a forum. I probably would have bought a different color helmet and moved on. For some reason waroos seem particularly prone to exhibit their worst tendencies if under inflated and over powered. I had a similar experience with my '06 7meter which, I discovered the hard way, had a slow leak in the LE bladder. Luckily, I didn't have a beach full of onlookers to record it for posterity. It is always a good lesson for us all to not grow too complacent, double check our gear, and use extra caution when in crowds under extreme conditions.

[JRN]

woops, I posted twice.

[MK]

I'm also glad you posted Allan. This sport can be hairy at times for any of us. It would be easy to armchair some safety bullet points, error statistics for launching/landing, and overall how to point out ways to avoid this from happening again. All of which are important. As Jim stated it takes a lot to man-up. Doesn't exonerate but shows your interest in our community. Hope we get a chance to meet.

[Jeff G]

Hi Allen,

I owe you an apology. I was one of the kiter/windsurfers on the beach that day that assumed you were an idiot without really knowing the facts. It started with the way you laid your lines along the beach, which I assume is the way you do it in Florida where the beaches are large. As you discovered, that method doesn't work very well at Waconia. I wish I would have pointed this out to you. Anyway, I'm sorry you had kite troubles and glad nobody was hurt. If there's a lesson to be learned I guess it's that when you're at a new kiting spot it's a good idea to check with the locals for site specific precautions. I'd like to welcome you to MInnesota. I'll introduce myself the next time I see you at the beach.

Jeff

[Professor Robae']

Hi Allan, thanks for posting and sorry if I came across as too harsh. Time to drop 'SH'. I am mainly concerned about keeping our favorite launch site safe. So to talk about situations that happen is very constructive. Sail safe everyone!