*** Hurricane Riding, the Real Deal ***

[ricki]

Some more information was posted on kiteforum:

Originally Posted by mastree

I was there today... still shaken up from the incident. I hope "K" will be OK. He is still in the hospital and we are waiting for an update on his condition.

Before the squall line moved in, there was one other kiter out with him and they were attempting to get back on the beach and land their kites. The other guy (no names mentioned) kept his kite low until someone was able to land it. "K's" kite was higher and as a result he was lofted. There were several of us standing there watching the whole thing unfold. Wishing that we could have reached him before he lifted off the second time. But It happened so fast! I will now be practicing with my eject knob on a regular basis. Ejecting the kite (or engaging the safety) needs to second nature and able to be done with your eyes closed. I still can't believe how quickly it happened. Reaction time needs to be immediate!

Good luck "K", we are all pulling for your speedy recovery.

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.