Author Topic: Any multi-talented frothers here?  (Read 15248 times)

Sup44

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Any multi-talented frothers here?
« on: April 16, 2015, 01:46:50 PM »
So i'm thinking about getting into kiteboarding...as if SUP isn't expensive enough....

Anybody here kite? Worth the investment? How hard is it? Dangerous? Good stories?

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Weasels wake

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Re: Any multi-talented frothers here?
« Reply #1 on: April 16, 2015, 02:04:59 PM »
I got really tempted about 10-15 years ago as many of my WS friends were switching over. Two of them are now in wheelchairs for the rest of their lives, both were very experienced, on modern equipment, and had been kiting for over 6-7 years by the time they were hurt. The first one was a kiting instructor and had (maybe still does) a kiting business, he was very good, knew all the tricks, and would pull off higher air than anybody around at the time. But when you land on the water from big air, it has to be much deeper than 4 to 6", it wasn't, he went down like a sack of ice, now he's a triplegic, has one good arm after long PT. The other one knew the first one, in fact he bought his kiting stuff from him, also very experienced, he went down about a year later on a very windy day. Launching his kite and got a bar wrap, lines wrapping around his bar and safety release, the wind took him up and over the sand dunes just inside of the beach, broke his back, he's now a paraplegic.

Go for it if you need to, but I have no windsurfing buddies in wheelchairs from windsurfing.

Learning curve, kiting is very short, a month or two, windsurfing, a year or two to get proficient in the ocean, one month for flat water sailing only.
Good luck.
« Last Edit: April 16, 2015, 02:06:49 PM by Weasels wake »
It takes a quiver to do that.

Sup44

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Re: Any multi-talented frothers here?
« Reply #2 on: April 16, 2015, 02:25:11 PM »
Wow...of that's not enough to deter someone from kiting...  :-\
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PonoBill

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Re: Any multi-talented frothers here?
« Reply #3 on: April 16, 2015, 02:44:16 PM »
I started about six years ago when the gear was a little more dangerous. I saw a few brutal injuries but mostly I got more wrapped up in downwind, which eats up a lot of water time. I'd have to buy new gear now, but I'm thinking about it. It's a bit safer now with the ability to depower, but stuff still happens. I should probably just increase the amount of SUP surfing I do, but I'm envious of the kites when they're out in light wind.
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daswusup

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Re: Any multi-talented frothers here?
« Reply #4 on: April 16, 2015, 03:02:56 PM »
Wow, I'm sorry to hear about Weasl's friends who got hurt. That's super sad and unfortunate.  I started kiting in 2001. Yes, there can be horrendous carnage when attaching your body to such a powerful tool as a giant traction kite.  But its fun as hell when it goes like its supposed to! Don't be discouraged. Plenty of people do it without major incident.

Start with a few days of lessons in a place with good wind and you will take 99% of the danger away. A majority of the people that I've seen get worked by a kite are the ones who have the "just give me that thing. I can do it" attitude. Once you get proficient at handling the kite, it gets really fun. It then turns into tow in surfing.

Kiting got me into surfing and suping. You can smack 100 waves in a couple of hours on a kite. Its kinda stupid how fun and easy it is to pick waves off and destroy the lip with extreme prejudice over, and over, and over, and over with very little physical exertion.

It also pairs real nice with sup surfing in the morning and then kiting when the wind comes up the rest of the day.

You will probably need 3 kites of varying sizes and a harness and board. I would avoid buying used kites. The last thing you want while you are learning is equipment failures. Get new, bad ass kites. You will probably have to drop around $3k to get set up, but then its free after that.

If you live somewhere where you see people doing it regularly, then waste not another windy day. Kitesurfing on waves is by far the sickest thing I have ever done. (susing is a close runner up) When properly powered, a skilled kiter can yank himself 50 feet up in the air and 300 feet across with out any waves or ramps and land like a feather. He can also smack a single, reeling point break wave 20-30 times.

Send It!!!!!

Roverdude

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Re: Any multi-talented frothers here?
« Reply #5 on: April 16, 2015, 03:20:01 PM »
I'm a beginner kiteboarder and intermediate windsurfer. I decided to try kiting because I'm lucky enough to live on Oahu for a three yr job assignment and figured I'd regret not trying it while I'm out here.

So right off the bat, completely different from SUP and a different animal than windsurfing.

I'd say it's worth a try, but YOU MUST use a certified instructor on modern gear. This is not a sport where your buddy should let you try it for a laugh. 

IMO, I'd say windsurfing is easier to learn. You can get to a proficient stage where you're cruising around on a big board with a small sail in a short amount of time, while on a kite, you need to learn kite control and be able to waterstart, edging upwind, etc to be proficient. Coming from windsurfing, I was able to get up on the kiteboard for short rides on my second lesson, my instructor said this was the exception vs. the norm.

The other thing about kiting is that there seems to be a million little things to pay attention to, where the kite is in the wind window, sea conditions, other kiters, your kite rigging, board angle, wind speed, etc. etc. So as I'm learning, I'm often frustrated at forgetting things one run, the remembering one item while forgetting something else on subsequent runs. I also wish I started when I was a little younger. Not from a fitness perspective, but just having a few less preservation points to work the kite harder and more aggressively at times.

So far, I've been very luck WRT to injuries or accidents. Put my kite in a tree once, luckily retrieved with no damage, a few errant launches too. Honestly, my biggest anxiety with kiting is launching the damn thing. My launch is pretty tight and crowded. I'm fine if the kite acts up on the water, but still terrified of losing control while launching. That gets to my biggest issue with kiting is that once the kite is up, you need to pay attention to it 100%. WSing, if you're on the wrong side of control, just unhook, let go and you're done. Worst case, you may get catapulted. Kiting, if the kite is in the air, you need to know where it is and what it's doing. You can rest with the kite above you with no power in it, but you're in "neutral" at best.

Some of the things I like about kiting:
-Wider wind range, can get up and planning in far less wind than a windsurfer
-Lighter gear. Easy to rig, carrying the kite up wind is a WAY easier walk of shame than a WSer.
-Different challenge. Not really sailing, not really surfing, several elements of both. It can be physically demanding, but will good technique, it doesn't necessarily have to be.

I hate to say it, WSing is dying a slow death. I see so few people taking lessons, I just don't see it having enough new folks taking it up to sustain it.

If you're interested, I'd say take a lesson or two and try it out. It can be expensive, lessons in my area run about $70/hr, plan on 5-6 at a minimum before you get up and riding. Gear would start around $1500 for everything for a starter kit. Similar to a starter kit for WSer.


JP4

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Re: Any multi-talented frothers here?
« Reply #6 on: April 16, 2015, 03:40:36 PM »
Started windsurfing over thirty years ago and watched the sport grow like crazy and then slowly transform and retract to where, at least here in the Gorge, it's mostly done by old farts and all the younger folks go straight to the kites.  I can't say I haven't been intrigued with kiting, but one of the reasons I quit windsurfing was my knee hurt too much to carve to the right on a swell, so I don't know if I want to subject my body to the occasional drag across the spit during the learning phase.  Most people I talk to say it's much easier than learning to windsurf here in the Gorge on small gear, but I don't really believe them having watched countless people learning over the years.
As to the danger, one of my good friends was killed kiting about six years ago while landing her kite in Baja.  She was one of the finest, most talented athletes I've ever met and very experienced, so it can happen.  That being said another friend of mine died on a big day at Three Mile Canyon on his windsurfer, so that's not without it's dangers.  And none of it compares to the constant peril of white water kayaking, which I used to do a lot of.  No room for error on some runs there.
Now I just love the simplicity of the SUP. Nothing to rig, not many decisions to make, pretty safe.
JP

standuped

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Re: Any multi-talented frothers here?
« Reply #7 on: April 16, 2015, 03:46:40 PM »
I have a very talented friend caution me never to go down that road. He can still walk but several fused vertebra as a result.  I also see lots of geezers doing it so pick your poison.  It seems to be a great way to pick up chicks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yjJOK-CT5g
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Sup44

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Re: Any multi-talented frothers here?
« Reply #8 on: April 16, 2015, 04:10:12 PM »
Wow. Great info so far! Thanks everybody. I was planning to have my buddy teach me but I wouldn't trust him with 20 bucks so maybe I shouldn't trust him with my life  8)

You guys that do kite have a preference in brands? I've always been a naish sup...quality kites too?
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southwesterly

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Re: Any multi-talented frothers here?
« Reply #9 on: April 16, 2015, 04:18:38 PM »
Although this is an old video, you still see some good crashes even with the new gear.
I witnessed the birth of kite surfing back in my windsurfing days at Waddell and I saw some horrendous crashes and injuries before the gear got safer.

One interesting factoid about a good kite crash is, it's not over once you hit the water (and hopefully not the ground). In any other sport as soon as you biff it badly, that's it... it's over. In kiting once things go wrong, it's just the start of your troubles.

https://youtu.be/d4J9mHbJIgo

Mil-Surf

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Re: Any multi-talented frothers here?
« Reply #10 on: April 16, 2015, 04:25:10 PM »
Windsurfing is coming back in a huge way, at least on Tybee. Our numbers have doubled this year alone! I'm teaching my son so that will make two of us.
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daswusup

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Re: Any multi-talented frothers here?
« Reply #11 on: April 16, 2015, 04:32:57 PM »
That's a sweet crash compilation!
As far as gear goes- Naish, Slingshot, Cabrinha, Caution all make great kites.
Most of the new ones are really good. I have been riding Caution Kites for most of my career. They are designed for wave performance and bombproof construction which comes in handy when they go down in the surf. I also kite in Santa Cruz a lot, where Caution is - so I can have repairs done if needed. All the companies make twin tip and directional boards too. You will probably want to start on a decent sized twin tip as they are easier since you dont have to switch your feet to jibe. You will want a surfboard shape once you get into wave riding.


supdiscobay

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Re: Any multi-talented frothers here?
« Reply #12 on: April 16, 2015, 05:13:17 PM »
OK that crash compilation video just did it for me.  I prefer to surf and SUS.  I was hard core into WS in the 80's and early 90's.  Spent most of my time at Waddell, 3rd St San Mateo and Sherman Island.  Been toying with the idea of kiting, but think I would rather get a good DW run in when the wind picks up.
The worst thing that happened to me WS was a broken mast at 3rd Street, San Mateo and I ended up paddling in close to the airport on a heavy ebb tide.  Sail was shredded, and was able to keep the base and boom.  But of course I had 6 more sails and 3 more masts.  I think they are still up in the garage too! Wonder what I could get for them now.  ;)
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spookini

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Re: Any multi-talented frothers here?
« Reply #13 on: April 16, 2015, 05:17:58 PM »
This occurred in the Boston area a few yrs ago.. on the kiteforum:

"A man was dragged off the beach over the rocks and across the street by his kite before it was released. He had a pretty major head injury as he was not wearing a helmet. I just spoke to the Nahant Police and he was taken by helicoptor to Boston where he is being treated. The only information the police get is if the person is breathing or deceased. They do not know his condition other than he is breathing at this time."

Then..
"This was my brother in law. He is not a beginner yet it was a bad accident. He is lucky to be alive. They believed he would be paralyzed. He is undergoing extensive surgery tomorrow. He broke his neck, his arm, split his skull open and may have lost vision in his left eye. They believe he will walk again if all goes well. For those who were concerned, thank you."

I'm sure these incidents are few and far between.  Nevertheless, think I'll stick w/ my current diet of granny paddling and putzing around w/ windSUP  :-\.
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StandinDan

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Re: Any multi-talented frothers here?
« Reply #14 on: April 16, 2015, 05:27:29 PM »
A guy where I work called in sick because there was supposed to be some good wind picking up where he lived in Vermont.
He was out kiting a lake, got picked up by a squall and his kite dove onto a bridge where it got snagged by a passing car.
Tragically he was killed, which made the whole thing morbidly ironic.

 


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