That video is simply unreal. I hope the rider survives.

Very unfortunate. I'm praying for the guy for full recovery.

Yes Frank, that was another bad one, that time on the west coast. We really need to physically and mentally rehearse Emergency Depowering on a regular basis. In reality in emergencies all too few riders even try to Emergency Depower. They just lock up or even less often fail at the attempt to depower for whatever reason and go for the full ride. The first order is to avoid squalls and if despite all precautions you get caught out, Emergency Depower early. More about that other accident at: http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=6940


The video clip of the tragic accident today in Ft. Lauderdale appears:

HERE and another shorter clip HERE

IF YOU KNOW ANYONE thinking of going out in this storm or any others for that matter,
make sure they see this video and think about what could go wrong. They should also
read over the Brazilian fatality in another storm three days ago at: http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=7025
More guys could easily get chewed up in Fay or any of the numerous other squalls that
sweep through every year. Seek clear conditions free of squalls, always.

Again, best wishes to the man that was injured in Ft. Lauderdale today.

I am going to go out on a limb here. I always voice what I feel on this forum.

A look at the weather on the film, a look at the radars, the obvious fact that a big storm system is close by, why in the hell would anyone kite in this stuff.

When someone gets stupidly drunk, gets in a car, and crashes themself into a building, I really don't have any sympathy for them.

I am going to go on record and say, I really don't have any sympathy for this guy. He got what he deserved. Completely avoidable. I feel bad if he has a family or children. Completely selfish and irresponsible. He makes the sport look bad for all of us. Add to the fact that he was hanging on to the bar the whole time equals super kook for me.

Folks have called me all day and asked where I was going to ride tomorrow. My answer was not only no, but "hell no".

I'm not surprised however by the incident.

I know what your saying, its okay not to have sympathy but in no way does that constitute in saying he got what he deserved, that would be like saying a family of four that was killed by a drunk driver got what they deserved because they were driving on the highway. The young man's name is Kevin, I have kited with him a couple times in Ft Lauderdale, with no huge complaints on his riding or actions. Its just unfortunate to the sport to see a accident like this that could have been avoided. My best wishes go to him and his family.

hello tampa/st pete riders
 

i agree with steveo. lets learn from our brothers on the east coast today. tropical winds are unique very gusty and powerful....i wont be a hypacrite and say dont go and then go out myself. i will say steveo"s hell no policy is most likely correct for all of us. however, if people choose to go, know where your releases are, watch for the squall lines and get off the water well before they come near. try to use excellent judgement and why not in light of what happend on the east coast...error on the safe side of decision making!!!!! also choose your kiting location with great care and thought....and if ANY doubt of ANY kind just dont go!!!

Sorry, I disagree completely. A family that gets whacked doesn't have a choice. Kevin did have a choice. That video is all over the news, all over Florida, and I wouldn't be surprised if all over the country by tomorrow. Completely avoidable.

I do sympathize for his family very much!!!!

People that ride motorcross put themselves in danger everytime they ride. It is a given that you are going to get hurt riding motorcycles. The public accepts it, and for that reason, alot of people stay away from it. A few weeks ago we have images of Damien showing the beauty of the sport on S. Beach to the world. Today, we have a complete nightmare that IMO didn't have to happen. Rick has been putting up the warnings.

Bottom line, our sport took a hit today.

Was anyone surprised that an event like this was going to happen?

I hear you Steve. For the most part I feel the same in terms of it being avoidable. I too can't relate to kiting in rain and squalls with predicted gusts to 60 plus literally around the corner.
Not sure anyone deserves that, but it's unfortunate some of the choices some people make.
With the driving analogies - what happened today is no where near the same as getting hit by a drunk driver. Not sure how anyone could say that.
Victims of drunk drivers are just that, innocent victims.

Today's weather didn't run a red light and T-bone this rider with zero warning. It was obviously coming, honking it's horn the whole way. Steps could have been taken to not be attached to a kite today with a TS bearing down on us.

I hope he gets well and soon. One mistake shouldn't be paid for with a heavy price.

Some more information was posted on kiteforum:

If it is the other kite, you can see it clearly to the south of the lofted kiter, Kevin. It is near the ground and bouncing slightly despite the strong gusts. I suspect it was near fully depowered if a flat kite or high depower C kite. I don't know what sort of kite Kevin was flying, perhaps a C kite leaving Emergency Depowering as about the only option, dropping his bar to the leash.

wow that video is insane.. I think its a bit harsh to say that he was getting what he deserved. although every kiter should know there limit and make better judgement calls than that. hope hes ok.
-sean b

K's accident
 

Guys, I am a good friend of Kevin on and off the water, and care about him deeply. Can we please not argue about who was wrong or right about this decision and remember that he is critically injured.

I do not know if he will be awake tomorrow, but when I go and see him I will bring him well wishes from anyone who wants to wish him well. Please leave your messages for him on the forum or via private message. I will print them out and give them to him. Make sure to leave a name if you want him to know who you are.

Wishing him well. No one deserves that...

Hope we all can learn from it. Brazil and now this, a sad day for kiters everywhere.

True, mate. The sport did take a hit.

An accident with a lot of similarities happened many years in the past in another Tropical System, in another squall from another feeder band resulting in another severe lofting and building impact. If we can't learn from the past, what will it take?

http://www.fksa.org/showthread.php?p=35936#post35936

That rider was extremely lucky to have survived and fully recovered. I wish the same for Kevin. Does anyone know how he is doing? I would say, attack the behavior if you must (others may plan on repeating that same behavior today) but lets take it easy on the man. He is in the throes of dealing with the aftermath of that decision and fighting to recover. Let's support Kevin in his recovery. At the same time why not direct additional energy to redouble efforts to change the behavior among kiters that resulted in his and so many other accidents over the years in violent, unstable weather.


btw, it is fairly EASY to avoid accidents like these. Such accidents are NOT inevidable,
we just need to use good procedures and judgment. Many kitesurfers do so all the time.
We need to remember that and work to expand the trend.

wishing Kevin a speedy recovery
 

I was sick to my stomach after watching this on the news this morning as I was scrambling around getting my gear dialed in, ready to possibly ride the winds of Fay. It saddens me to see any other rider get hurt. We all have this fever to ride and get our session in...unfortunate for Kevin's to end this way. My heart goes out to him and his family.
Here is wishing you a speedy recovery Kevin.


CJ

St. Pete Florida

This made the news up here in RI/MA, i hope the guy recovers. Man that video just throttled me. Really sorry to see this :(

CJ, please be carefull!

I've just received a full report of what happened. I will be working on a write up of the events and hope to put it up later on today.

In the meantime, avoid squalls and keep Kevin in your thoughts.

Rick's request for his status
 

I live in Lauderdale and have had so many family and friends calling me today hoping that it wasn't me or one of my sons in that video. I was on the beach about 1/2mile south when this squall hit. I was shocked at how fast it hit us...watched it on radar coming in (they said band was moving toward us at 37mph....I am sure the squall was in the 50's)) and walked down to beach to experience it firsthand (I live on beach). It was coming in faster than I bet ANYONE realized...
Our sport is somewhat controversial and when this happens and the news media gets hold of it.....well it becomes a big deal. My prayers and thoughts to Kevin and his family. We have all done some stupid stuff and got lucky without learning a hard lesson like Kevin did. I almost lost my youngest son in a winter squall incident when we first started kiting 4 years ago...I'll never forget and thank God for our 400' of beach and that the wind wasn't as hard as what Kevin hit....a miracle that my sons kite hit a tree before he hit the building.
my prayers and support to Kevin and his family.....this is so tragic and I hope he will recover and kite again..He has a story to tell and I sure hope it will do our sport some good....Safety is so huge..
I am going to practice blowing out of my leash more....I would never want to not know what to do instantly...
Kevin...may fair winds forever blow your way!!

A detailed summary with some analysis of this tragic accident appears

HERE


Please talk to your kiteboarding friends about this. No session is worth this kind of trauma, either personal our to our sport. We need to turn a corner on this problem, now.

Dont even know where to start but just want friends and family of said kiteboarder to know that Chicago's Crew is pullin for him. The Vid is very hard to watch, the shit hit the fan so fast, that pretty much no one in that situition can pull the releases needed to escape that pounding quick enough.

Are best thoughts and wishes are with you.


STF

Chicago Crew

The thoughts, prayers and best wishes of the Pacific Northwest (Seattle) crew are with Kevin as well. We are discussing this incident on our forum and will undoubtedly learn from this as well. Heal up, Kevin!

Update from Miami Herald on line
 

"Kevin Kearney, the Fort Lauderdale kite-surfer tossed into a building by Tropical Storm Fay's winds, is improving and his condition will be updated from critical to serious, said Kathie Capstack, a hospital spokeswoman.
Kearney has been stabilized and is conscious, his mother said Wednesday."

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/weat...ry/649692.html

Great news! Hope he recovers fully.

Can someone get word to Kevin that Chris and Janis out in Utah send our best thoughts and prayers to him, his family and Marley?

update, well wishes, fund
 

Hey gang,

Kevin is recovering very rapidly, and is awake and out of the ICU. He even recognized me and other friends easily. I told him to stay out of the light, and thank goodness he listened for once. :) So, that is good news for all of us. :D


Moving along, keep sending messages with well wishes away, as I am going to forward them to Kevin once he recovers a bit more.

Finally, we are setting up a website for fund donations for Kevin Kearney, Stay posted for the website details / how you can contribute to help with his hospital bills.

So what have we learned about going out in tropical systems? What should we look for and what should we avoid?

Maybe not kite surfing in them would be a start. But hey, to each their own.

It's that time of year again. Hope we have no serious storms and yet this is the time of year for it. Folks in Europe have been racking up lots of severe squall related accidents in just the last month or so. Not a good sign.

Despite possible miraculous properties of your high depower kite, bad things still happen and for many reasons. Best policy is still, to stay well away from squalls. An instructor was lofted about 400 m into a house in Italy a few days ago. Two other guys were lofted at the same time. One managed to Emergency Depower (out of three) while the second guy smashed into a car suffering serious injury. It looks like a frontal boundary with some strong storm clouds (cummulous nimbus) passed over bringing this stuff. Tornados or dust devils may have been seen. Don't need funnel clouds to mess you up kiting, just too much wind which happens frequently in squall lines. These lines come with fronts and are REAL common in tropical systems, as we know so well, I hope. Anyway, storm season is here along with all that violent convection. This year differs by so many storm fatalities in a short time. In the past, some of our systems have brought grief after crossing the Atlantic to Europe. Not sure that is the case this time, yet anyway. Have a care out there.

Videos from the about and from the area of these tragic accidents in Italy appear below:



A TV broadcast in Italian describing the accidents




An amazing video of many kiters apparently riding obliviously in and around the developing waterspout. This continued until three were literally seized from the water and flung inland by this violent weather system. The group indifference to this abundantly obvious hazard is astonishing, almost akin to sheep grazing as the rancher walks along and shoots them at random. Still, the sheep graze on.




A GoPro camera mounted on the helmet of a kiter riding beneath the cloud that spawned the waterspout for an extended period. He even rides towards the large water spout as it develops




Another Italian news broadcast about the accidents

More info at http://www.kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2357684