Power Kite Forum - Windstruck, literally

Windstruck, literally

Windstruck - 10-7-2016 at 04:23 AM

Well my friends, I've got to say I'm very glad to be writing this, because it means I'm writing anything. I was out kite skating yesterday on some grass fields under my 9m Frenzy and having a grand old time. Winds were transitioning from moderate to strong as the afternoon progressed. While I was setting up I had spied a good sized dirt devil on a nearby baseball diamond so there were definitely some rogue gusts in the area. As per usual I was covered head to toe with body armor including a decent ski helmet though not the full motorcycle helmet I sometimes wear but avoided yesterday because of the heat. Same stuff I've got on in my Avatar pic.

What I'm writing next is based on witness accounts, not my own memory. A fellow Kiter said a rogue gust came through and picked me up like a paper doll, swung me up and out like a pendulum with me about 30-40 feet in the air and then slammed me to the ground. I was supposedly out cold for 4-5 minutes. I have a ghost memory of the kite powering up a lot but then absolutely nothing.

He supposedly got me to give my wife's phone number and he reached her. The field is actually within sight of our local hospital and I was able to walk to his car and he and his girlfriend drove me to the ER. I was completely out of it and barely remember the ride much less what sort of car it was.

Got me into the ER and out of all my gear but I don't remember them taking it all off. I do remember them telling me that all my gear might have saved my life, so I guess it was good for more than just warding off paper cuts. All CT scans and X-rays were negative, but man, I feel like I've been in a car wreck. Slept in a home theater chair last night because it hurt too much to lie down.

I must have slammed to the ground on my right side because my right hip and right shoulder are badly contused. I might have seperated my shoulder at the AC joint but a follow up with my orthopedic surgeon will give me more on that later. My rib cage and sternum hurt quite a bit, probably what somebody would feel like when they get flung to the ground from 30 ft in the air.

My wife has the guys number that helped me initially and I want to thank him and set him up with some good local whiskey (he mentioned High West). A friend of mine and new member of PKF, Shawn Wiest (Land&Sea) also helped out by gathering up my gear that was left at the field. Thanks Shawn!

My wife was scared out of her mind and broke down crying several times which made me feel like dog crap. She further had to cancel a trip to her brother today to watch her neice compete in swimming in North Carolina which further sucks. Now she gets to stay home and care for her idiot 55 year old husband.

I guess if there is a moral to this story it is to really, really respect the nature of these activities and stay protected. All my safety gear did likely play a role in me still being alive and my helmet certainly did. I wish to heck I had been flying one of my glorified bed sheets yesterday (it would have been the 9m P2 based on conditions). I'm sure I would have been lofted and slammed to the ground but I bet I would have only gone half as high.

To add insult to injury, on my discharge papers from the ER I am described as a 55 year old man, non-athlete. The age, heck, just a number, but the descriptor? Ouch.

bigkid - 10-7-2016 at 04:47 AM

I'm sorry your wife had to endure such a terrifying moment in your life. I totally understand the emotions and fear that are still grasping at her heart.
As for you young man, I'm glad you are still able to stop, look, and listen. I totally understand were your at. The only thing I can say is good thing your mind still believes your still 18.
Take a bit of time and reflect on the important stuff and hug the ones that are standing close. Take some time to heal, address the lives of those closest to you and see what happens. Not many people get a second chance.....
Been were your at and totally understand, get well soon.

Feyd - 10-7-2016 at 04:49 AM

Glad you're okay man. Glad you were wearing the gear.

Feeling like you were in a car wreck is about right. A lot of G's in that kind of impact. Fortunately nothing is broken and a possible AC separation is always better than a level 3 separation.

Gusty conditions can be a challenge on a good day and downright dangerous on a bad day. The problem is you can never tell what you're going to get until you get it. We wear helmets always. Molly's helmet saved her in her crash for sure. Even static flying, helmet.

Sux about your wife having to change plans. And the next few months of trying to explain to people how her 55 year old donkey husband but wrecked flying a kite. :P

It happens. Even to those with the most experience, things can and do go wrong. But taking precautions really improves your odds of just getting beat up vs. getting broken or worse.

Glad you're okay.

Randy - 10-7-2016 at 04:57 AM

So sorry here about this accident. Hope you recover soon and thank goodness for your safety gear.

BTW - when you are feeling better, perhaps a post with info on your safety gear and a few pictures would be helpful for everyone to see.

Windstruck - 10-7-2016 at 05:13 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Randy

So sorry here about this accident. Hope you recover soon and thank goodness for your safety gear.

BTW - when you are feeling better, perhaps a post with info on your safety gear and a few pictures would be helpful for everyone to see.

http://www.powerkiteforum.com/viewthread.php?tid=32153#pid31...

http://www.powerkiteforum.com/viewthread.php?tid=32153#pid31...

skimtwashington - 10-7-2016 at 05:38 AM

:o:o:o

Holy crap Steve.....! Glad you came through relatively unbroken...and sorry for your trauma. Rest up and heal quick.

When I saw the title of thread-obviously- I knew it was a very bad incident...yet since you were writing at all-as you said- so soon from your last post.... and soon after this accident...... somehow I was hopeful that it wasn't a worst case scenario. Slowly my gut untightened a bit as I read through, understanding it wasn't going to be so horrible- despite being as bad as it was. 30 feet is a tremendous height to be slammed into the ground.

As you try to understand what happened, despite the memory loss, I guess you will also come to some ideas about how to try and avoid such an accident again-if possible....or rule it just as a freak crazy rogue wind . I hope you can prevent anything like this from happening again.... if there is perhaps anything you might find you may have done differently. I don't know. Things can just happen as said.

Thank gosh you had a helmet and other safety gear on.

Obviously.. a safety release with a kite does not mean you cannot be lofted(by releasing), as in many cases things just happen too quickly. Imagine while knocked out if the kite inflated again and re-lofted you, or even dragged you injured giving further trauma.

Lucky others were around to help. A reflection regarding safety about kiting alone, perhaps...?

It's going to be tough conversation with your wife to explain what went wrong, that you are always careful...but...but...?
...and most importantly, why you should still be participating in the sport of power kiting. How can she not have fear when you go back out to play in the future?

When one reads about this it causes one to re-examine their own choices in flying and safety precautions.

You are not the only one to have had such a horrific accident, but it's not a club any of us want to join .
But many who aren't in that club, like myself, still do empathize, sympathize, and wish you all the best.

I hope you will get back out after the appropriate time, and we will celebrate your next (safe and successful)outing.

Finally....glad the accident and injuries didn't knock the humor out of you:

Quote:

To add insult to injury, on my discharge papers from the ER I am described as a 55 year old man, non-athlete. The age, heck, just a number, but the descriptor? Ouch.

How dare they!

hiaguy - 10-7-2016 at 05:44 AM

Wow and ouch! Rag-doll isn't anything we ever want to hear. I'm glad you're (comparatively) alright.
There's something about being "non-athlete" that works in our favour; plastic courage and extra caution likely means that it's not as bad as it could've been.
The bad news is that the "I told you so" will probably outlast the healing process... I hope both of them are brief for you (and your wife).
Heal fast,
Howard

ssayre - 10-7-2016 at 06:16 AM

Glad it wasn't worse and hope you heal quick. Also, glad you had other kiters nearby. What's that like? I'm almost exclusively by myself.

Tell the wife not to worry and to look at the bright side. She could have married a boring golfer instead of someone who likes to have fun

PHREERIDER - 10-7-2016 at 06:25 AM

wow glad you're ok , might want to think about a neck roll, motox has good ones.

abkayak - 10-7-2016 at 08:13 AM

Good your up to writing...real glad your ok
Soo...dibs on the frenzy...juskidin, bedsheets can beat a guy up just as good don't you worry
As far as the wife...it all just changed

Heal up fast

KAZEDOKA - 10-7-2016 at 08:30 AM

Wow. Your armor saved you ass.. hoping you have a thorough recovery.
Prescription ibuprofen, scotch and a good cigar.

Windstruck - 10-7-2016 at 08:49 AM

Quote: Originally posted by KAZEDOKA

Wow. Your armor saved you ass.. hoping you have a thorough recovery.
Prescription ibuprofen, scotch and a good cigar.

Thanks buddy. Had somebody call that an internal alcohol rub earlier today. Hah! Hadn't considered a cigar but an excellent idea. 600 mg ibu every 6 hours.

Windstruck - 10-7-2016 at 08:51 AM

To all my friends that have weighed in. Great thanks to all. Yesterday I was feeling like 10 lbs of dung in a five pound bag. Have improved to 8 lbs. Come back kid.

Bladerunner - 10-7-2016 at 10:12 AM

I am so sorry you got snatched up by a Devil! I have seen how fast it can go bad on the dry lakes. Makes me feel bad about winging this morning because we will have another 8 - 10kt smooth wind day.

At our age bouncing back doesn't happen as fast. Take that extra time to heal right!

I really didn't expect to here this story from you. While we have never met I feel you make smart choices. Those smart choices paid off!

I find it interesting how you blank out going up? I have been lifted to about 20+ feet a couple of times and was fortunate enough to keep the kite overhead and come down soft. You are fortunate people were there! I wonder if they can tell you why the kite didn't slow you? I learned that being out on a small lake by a road side does not qualify as not alone. People who saw me lofted just drove off thinking it's part of the game.

You have done us all a great service. Proving that kites and stones can break your bones but plastic courage can save you!

Heal Well!

:bigok:

PistolPete - 10-7-2016 at 12:31 PM

Sorry to hear about this, thanks for sharing. Hope you heal up quick! When you started explaining a 9m Frenzy in moderate to strong on skates I thought, WOW! I rebuilt the bridals on a 2010 9m Frenzy someone cut up, and it files fine, but still have not used it on the landboard. After getting a dozen stiches in the chin experiencing a superman landing on handles and kite killers (with a full face dirtbike helmet on), I have toned my landboarding. The 9m is a great kite but I want to have a soft landing in water if I am lofted/boosting a 9m depower kite. On land 15m+ and light winds for me to do liftoffs anymore. For us old guys healing takes a bit longer, take it easy and get a full recovery, when you do get back out there you will appreciate it even more.

bigkid - 10-7-2016 at 12:42 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Bladerunner

At our age bouncing back doesn't happen as fast.....
I find it interesting how you blank out going up? I have been lifted to about 20+ feet a couple of times ........
:bigok:

bounce back, hahahahaha

I remember leaving the buggy and thinking this isnt going to be good. the next thing I remember was looking at the ground as I was headed head first back to the beach, my last thought was to tuck and role.
My next thought was "SOMEONE GRAB THE F#@&^*G KITE." As I lay there all wrapped up in kite lines, I dont remember anymore of my OBE.
I asked the trama surgeon about it and he said its a natural response to the G-force. Which was more than you could handle physically. If you had your flight suit on you more than likely wouldnt have blacked out.
As for the kite floating you back to earth, its not a parachute. After you reach your apex, the kite is no longer powered up much like letting go of the handles and watching the kite fall out of the sky.
Not every OBE is slow enough to be aware of all aspect and maintain control of the kite.

Dont try to over think the mishap, it is what it is. Would it have happened if you were flying another kite? really? the one you were flying was the one you wanted to fly.
Kiting is not without risk, only thing you can do is fly and eventually crash. Its the law of flight. Sooner or later it will happen.
I only know of 3 people who have had major OBE's that have not returned to the sport. All the others have got back out under the lines and never looked back.

Hang in there, youll be back at it soon enough. :thumbup:

(just reading about your accident made me hurt so I took a pain pill just to make it through the rest of this post)

Windstruck - 10-7-2016 at 01:38 PM

I most certainly have the mindset of getting back on the horse. That's really not the problem here. The issue is the family dynamic. My wife is truly my best friend and the love of my life and I truly don't like bringing her angst. It was really hard to see her break down and cry yesterday.

Be on the lookout for sale items of my "lofty" kites, viz., 9m Frenzy, 12m Summit, and 15m Summit. They are all in great shape and I can personally vouch for the lift the Frenzy has. Abkayak already claimed dibs on the Frenzy but he was probably kidding. U2U if interested in getting those deals off the street before I post for the feeding frenzy.

Anybody serious about some skating gear please U2U me as that stuff is the least likely to be used again. Mitts off my buggy. You'll be seeing that again at IBX 2017!

awindofchange - 10-7-2016 at 01:41 PM

So glad that you are ok, good thing you were wearing your protective gear. Hope the healing is fast and painless.

FlyGuyFrank - 10-7-2016 at 02:15 PM

D-A-M-N!!!! That's a harrowing tale if ever I've read one. Sincere wishes for a full and speedy recovery!

Frank

soliver - 10-7-2016 at 02:39 PM

HOLY CR@9 STEVE!!!... I'm SO SO SO SO sorry this happened. I have totally been in your shoes as you know and the feelings of helplessness and having hurt or scared my wife FAR outweighed any of the physical pain... we had some serious "Come-to-Jesus" meetings after my accident and I can completely empathize with your current state. I hated most the feeling of guilt watching my wife have to take care of our kids with me being unable to do anything.

I am very happy for you that you were geared up the way you were; that certainly saved you some pain and medical bills!

Wifey will come around, but it may take some time.

Bladerunner - 10-7-2016 at 03:32 PM

I am clearly effected by your news.

Today I backed out of a pretty reasonable situation. Winds were a nice clean 10kts that hit 14 for a short while. They were 8 when I headed out and had to walk a mile to the park so only took the 18m Phantom. The whole way there the voices in my head were screamin' at me to back out. My kite was acting up ( like the inside strap is getting caught up ). I found myself with the kite not launching and resting about 15ft in front of the bench and trees I must avoid. Wiggled it over a went to safety. I was unreasonably scared?

Even after Tristen showed up and we tried to launch again I chose to " live to kite another day" . Fact is, If I had let my balls drop and figure out what was going on with the kite I would have had a great day.

So ..... instead of getting out on Coyotes in your honour today, I chickened out! I am part mad and part proud of my choice?

BeamerBob - 10-7-2016 at 09:26 PM

This could happen to any of us. Very glad you dressed for the crash instead of the ride and very nice to have folks around to assist. Hugs to your wife for worrying about you.

carltb - 11-7-2016 at 03:51 AM

id just like to add that I feel your accident and wish you a speedy recovery. it sucks to get injured but stay strong and youll be 100% before you know it

acampbell - 11-7-2016 at 07:36 AM

Sorry for the rough and tumble but glad you are on the mend! Hope they were able to give you some good meds for pain. A good pharmacist will keep you out of trouble with usage and dosing.

Props for a loving wife to take care of you.

Heal fast and feel better soon.

gemini6kl - 11-7-2016 at 08:19 AM

wow what a freak accident. I guess all that plastic did pay off. Did u get hit by the dirt devil or just a rogue gust of wind? The part about the non athelete was funny. get well soon.

gemini6kl - 11-7-2016 at 08:41 AM

let me add. you have to check the forecast everyday before you kite. sometimes you have a cool weather front that might be moving in at a specific time of the day . these can cause rogue gust on a perfectly clear day I have been hit by these types before and ususlly thre is a small sudden gust first with a change in direction or just irratic behavior from the kite and then the full blown system moves in a few seconds later with the dramatic increase in wind speed. Always pull your release right away , when sht hits the fan in kiting you only have max 2 seconds to react.

smiler8401 - 11-7-2016 at 10:19 AM

thank steve for sharing with us .
it keep remind me thing are not always work well as planned .
so sorry that you had to learn it the hard way .
Glad that you are OK .
heel fast mate and come out stronger and wiser .

abkayak - 11-7-2016 at 10:26 AM

Was really kinda hoping to borrow that 9m when visiting out there...jusayin

Windstruck - 11-7-2016 at 10:36 AM

Sorted through my gear today. Amazed everything actually made it back from the ER. I had spied a wrist guard on the counter not with my stuff in my exam room and had gotten it with my other stuff. 100% retrieval!

Below are pictures of two helmets. The black one is the one I was wearing (note how well used it is) and the multi-colored one is the one I wish I had been wearing but had avoided for thermal reasons. The latter will be the exclusive helmet of choice moving forward.

Speaking of moving forward, while I was outside on our driveway this morning untangling the Frenzy's lines (it had bee more or less bunched up in a heated mess and brought with me to the ER) my wife asked what I was doing. I told her I was untangling everything so I could get it ready for sale. She then asked me the most wonderful question: "Why do you want to sell it?". That's my girl! I told her about what Big Kid had said which was I had been flying the kite I wanted to fly that day but that I no longer wanted to fly this kite. "Yeah, killer kite!" she said laughing before getting into the car and heading off to go swimming. Yeah baby, yeah!

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flyguy0101 - 11-7-2016 at 11:09 AM

Steve,
Glad you are okay- it makes me think about my lofting 2 yrs ago that resulted in literally breaking my back in half (complete horizontal fracture of my t11)- I can honestly say that while I have gotten back on the horse- I have reduced my jumping and vertical ascending to clean winds only (on shore breezes)- heres to a speedy recovery :thumbup:

scott

bigkid - 11-7-2016 at 11:28 AM

Haha :thumbup:

As for the helmet thing, curious to your reason why the full face is better?
I was wearing my full face the day I was hurt. The chin guard was the part of the helmet that ended up in my chest. When you tuck and role and land on your shoulder and head it pushed the chin guard passed the ribs and into the lung. Remove part of the lung and replace the broken rib pieces with titanium and you will know it for evermore. Full face helmet :thumbdown:

3/4 helmet :thumbup:

end of the day it's what feels right. :cool:

It took me a week to look at my stuff, glad your at it in just a couple days.

Windstruck - 11-7-2016 at 11:40 AM

Quote: Originally posted by flyguy0101

Steve,
Glad you are okay- it makes me think about my lofting 2 yrs ago that resulted in literally breaking my back in half (complete horizontal fracture of my t11)- I can honestly say that while I have gotten back on the horse- I have reduced my jumping and vertical ascending to clean winds only (on shore breezes)- heres to a speedy recovery :thumbup:

scott

Holy rapid decent Scott! T11 is about half way down so the "literally...in half" statement is on the mark. Fantastic that you weren't paralyzed. A T11 break is high enough to take out a whole lot more than just your legs. Really appreciate the well wishes. Can't say I like being in this club we both belong to but both of us are here to write about things and for you to be able to describe more tame post injury riding experiences. Mine will come, mine will come.

Windstruck - 11-7-2016 at 11:47 AM

Quote: Originally posted by bigkid

Haha

3/4 helmet :thumbup:

end of the day it's what feels right. :cool:

It took me a week to look at my stuff, glad your at it in just a couple days.

Jeff, that just sounds horrible. I am so happy you are around for many reasons not the least so you can write on this forum. Protective gear is such a crap shoot really; you try and protect your face and jaw and end up scooping out your chest- go figure! I took a shower just now and "discovered" a big set of bruises around my right elbow and along the back of my right shoulder. I'm loaded up with 600 mg ibuprofen every six hours so I'm sure more bruises will start cropping up.

My AC joint in my right shoulder is way better than yesterday. I can actually raise my hand to go to the bathroom without wincing today; almost wet myself waiting my turn yesterday. My sternum and various places around my chest cavity hurt the most today; it's like I fell from the sky by the way it feels.

utahtami - 11-7-2016 at 12:05 PM

Hey Steve!
Wishing a speedy recovery to our favorite "non-athlete". (I am sure it was just a typo!) Thanks for reminding us all of the potential disaster that awaits. Glad you aren't any worse.

Windstruck - 11-7-2016 at 12:41 PM

Quote: Originally posted by utahtami

Hey Steve!
Wishing a speedy recovery to our favorite "non-athlete". (I am sure it was just a typo!) Thanks for reminding us all of the potential disaster that awaits. Glad you aren't any worse.

Thanks Tami! Yeah, the non-athlete label was a real stinger. What were they thinking? We're all athletes, it's just that most don't get the sports network we play on. Long live the "Ocho"! :lol:

3shot - 11-7-2016 at 04:53 PM

Dang Steve. Man I'm so glad you are up and as best as you can be at the moment. Get well soon bud!

Windstruck - 11-7-2016 at 05:06 PM

Quote: Originally posted by 3shot

Dang Steve. Man I'm so glad you are up and as best as you can be at the moment. Get well soon bud!

Thanks Jason! About 48 hours out and feeling good to be alive. :saint: Ozone kites going cheap! Own a piece of history. :karate:

lunchbox - 11-7-2016 at 08:27 PM

Wow...that is crazy! Glad you're ok.

Maybe it's time to re-buy those Nasa Stars and find some asphalt and concrete and do some concrete surfing :D

nate76 - 12-7-2016 at 11:03 PM

Glad to hear you're ok, Steve. I had a scare 2 winters ago when I got lofted pretty good in some really gusty winds. Happened to be on a frozen lake with boiler plate ice/snow. The 2 fishermen who witnessed it said, "Dang, that was a purdy neat trick you just did!"

Long story short, I landed hard on my side, spent two weeks sleeping in a lazy Boy recliner. Since my wife made me promise not to break anything several years ago, I made a deal to take her out for Indian food in lieu of getting x-rays. She got some good Marsala Chicken, and I can say with mostly a straight face that I just bruised some ribs.

Probably one reason why I prefer lighter winds nowadays though. Glad to see you had the appropriate gear!

Speedy recoveries,

Nate

Windstruck - 13-7-2016 at 04:13 AM

Quote: Originally posted by nate76

Glad to hear you're ok, Steve. I had a scare 2 winters ago when I got lofted pretty good in some really gusty winds. Happened to be on a frozen lake with boiler plate ice/snow. The 2 fishermen who witnessed it said, "Dang, that was a purdy neat trick you just did!"

Long story short, I landed hard on my side, spent two weeks sleeping in a lazy Boy recliner. Since my wife made me promise not to break anything several years ago, I made a deal to take her out for Indian food in lieu of getting x-rays. She got some good Marsala Chicken, and I can say with mostly a straight face that I just bruised some ribs.

Probably one reason why I prefer lighter winds nowadays though. Glad to see you had the appropriate gear!

Speedy recoveries,

Nate

Thanks for the well wishes Nate. Scary getting lofted and then beach slapped onto boiler plate. I'm very glad to hear you got out of things with only some dinner obligations and rib bruising.

I'm writing this having just awoken from another night in my home theater chair. My head, shoulder, and hip are almost better, but son of a beach, I've still got a lot of pain in multiple places around my rib cage. I suspect cracked ribs, torn or strained intercostal muscles, cartilage, etc. One spot in particular under where my hand would be if I performed a left-handed pledge of allegiance is the worst. Hah! Small penalties.

To all - thank you so much for your continued well wishes and fellow tales of woe. Great feeling of community here on PKF - what a family we have here! :thumbup:

ssayre - 13-7-2016 at 06:27 AM

I can honestly say, I've not had any injuries from kiting. I don't push it too hard though. That along with a little luck have probably been the reason because I know a freak gust is impossible to avoid. My worst injuries have been from indoor soccer and slamming the concrete at a skate park a couple times. What you describe pain wise sounds very similar to my skate park fall. My right shoulder pain and bruised ribs. Bruised ribs took a couple weeks and hurt to sneeze or cough. My injury just happened to coincide with having allergies this last early spring. Talk about a pita, bruised ribs and sneezing every couple minutes on top of a nose that wouldn't stop running. Carrying a ladder at work was no walk in the park either. I wasn't wearing any protective gear and do not own any protective gear besides a helmet.

I'll use your accident as encouragement to get some more safety gear.

Windstruck - 31-8-2016 at 04:21 PM

I went to the ER today because I had been getting some strange post-concussive symptoms. I got a new CT and sure enough I have an Abby Normal brain. You can see what is wrong on the CT image below. The Abby Normal part is at around 10-11 O-Clock and looks like a dent.

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From the radiology report: Intracranial hemorrhage: Subacute right posterolateral frontal and anterior paretal subdural hematoma measuring about 6 cm in length, 4 cm in height, and about 7-8 mm in width. In other words, a chronic subdural hematoma (way better than an acute one). The bugger formed right at the place where I bashed my head in. Guess a tad worse than a grass cut.

I had been seen and imaged so rapidly back on July 9th when this happened that the hematoma probably hadn't even had time to form yet, much less fill up with blood. Had I had a repeat scan the following day it probably would have shown up. At this point it is pretty much a waiting game for the old gucky blood to get slowly reabsorbed. Should be good to go for SnowKiting.

Christ, it's never boring around here. :sniff:

ssayre - 31-8-2016 at 04:51 PM

What kind of symptoms were you experiencing? Wishing you the best for the ongoing recovery. Scary stuff for sure.

Bladerunner - 31-8-2016 at 05:26 PM

Dude, I just knew you were banged up bad. You don't mash a helmet like that with a gentle bump.

For reason's I can't explain your injury really hit home. Maybe because I rely on " plastic courage " as well and know 1st hand it is only protection. No guarantee of no injury but I suspect my helmet has saved me from mild concussion at least twice.

I have been kicking myself for backing down the weekend after you went boom. Thinking your issue was playing too much in my head. I feel just a bit better about listening to the caution bells going off in my head. Better than the concussion bells!

In the U.S. would you have been out of pocket going back in a day or 2 for a follow up scan?

bigkid - 31-8-2016 at 05:33 PM

Sorry to see the booboo on the X-ray. Good to see all the grey matter in the center area. :thumbup:

I found out after 5 years my neck was messed up and now it's time for the second bilateral c2-c4 medial branch block. Not looking forward to the procedure after that. At least my head wasn't effected, I have enough brain problems.

Funny how old age makes a bigger impression on our recovery than our young desires are willing to admit. At least you won't get pulled out of the buggy again. :thumbup:

soliver - 31-8-2016 at 07:55 PM

Well poop!... Sorry to hear it buddy :no:

Curious too what made you go back for the second scan?

Continue your speedy recovery friend!

Helpful hint: get a mandolin, they don't hurt as much.

abkayak - 1-9-2016 at 06:07 AM

yea pbly want to pay attention to that...or now that its known your gonna have to
gotta admit that helmet picture left an impression on me too
good luck

Windstruck - 1-9-2016 at 03:19 PM

Thanks for all the outpouring my freinds! Greatly appreciated. Symptoms? A general feeling that things just weren't right coupled with periodic transient numbness taking over parts of my left side. The numbness stuff started about a week ago and really was pretty freaky. As this was explained to me, when the old blood that filled the hematoma is broken down by the body's natural processes the blood break down products leach into the brain near the point of injury. These breakdown products are highly irritating to the brain and it can lead to a series of transient changes such as what I'm experiencing. Not dangerous per se but pretty freaky.

skimtwashington - 1-9-2016 at 06:43 PM

Are you flying...or resting...?

Keep an eye on your healing..... and here's to a complete recovery soon. Time schedule just needs to advance a bit.

br44 - 2-9-2016 at 09:18 AM

Sorry to hear about your mishap and best wishes for a speedy and complete recovery. Also thanks for posting this.

Your story makes me wonder if I would have done anything differently... maybe, maybe not. In a way, I already have: not too long ago I largely gave up on the idea of kiting on land (MTB, skates etc). The lack of good locations nearby is definitely a big factor, but the main reason was the gradual realization that I had better not get hurt on land, not really worth it, when I can kite on water and snow. (That leaves ice in a grey area, ok if very careful.)

Perhaps a friend said it best, when commenting about landboarding vs. kiteboarding in fall, winter and spring: I'll take 15 minutes of body dragging through very cold water (to get to shore, should something happen) anytime, over the 0.15 seconds that it takes to get hurt on land. Winds are far cleaner on water too.

About two years ago I was skiing on a frozen lake in difficult conditions. Very gusty winds, getting stronger quickly. I had to stop and get my smaller kite just a few minutes after launching. A big front had been forecasted to come through. I kept checking my phone and knew the expected time. And indeed, as forecasted, a big wall of wind arrived quite suddenly, with gusts in excess of 30-40 mph. Exactly at that point, I had my most intense kiting experience so far... a sudden rush of happiness of such an intensity that it left me euphoric for a long time after that. (And I can still remember it quite clearly.) The reason?.... I had finished packing up my kite just a couple of minutes earlier.

ssayre - 2-9-2016 at 09:29 AM

Good story br44. I've packed up many times when the wind feels like it's getting spooky for lack of a better word.

Windstruck - 2-9-2016 at 10:38 AM

Agreed - good tale br44. I now am going to limit my mobile powerkiting to two forms. First, on land with a buggy equipped with Jeff's (BigKid) venerable AQR system. Really nice in its simplicity and purposefulness. I plan to use my Peak2s in the buggy. Yes, you can still get hurt in the buggy even without vertical ejections, but that risk seems manageable to me.

Second, snowkiting on skis. This will be in deep soft snow out in fields and large open expanses as compared to on some thin cover on soccer fields. I've got to face the fact that such early or late season snowkiting with thin cover on soccerfields is pretty much the same as my previous attempts at kite skating. In Utah once the snow is deep enough to cover the sage brush and long grass it is at least 3-4 feet deep of settled standing snow. The concussive risk is pretty minimal in such a setting and again the risks seems manageable. For snowkiting I'm going to use Ozone Access kites that have very low ARs, and while you could boost you would have to try pretty hard.

Finally, and this is really the biggest and most important part by far, I have to be willing to not start or pack it in when things are sketchy. As I originally reported in the first posting on this thread, while I was setting up I saw a large vortex or dirt devil take over pretty much an entire infield of a nearby dirt baseball diamond. Yo idiot! Don't set up after you see that! Idiot here being yours truly. :alien:

Randy - 4-9-2016 at 02:29 AM

Sorry to hear about your continued complications from your accident. I guess this would go down as "another ef&^$#ing growth experience." But seems like you are taking the lessons to heart and giving the rest of us the benefit of your experience. Thanks for doing that.

Windstruck - 4-9-2016 at 07:50 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Randy

Sorry to hear about your continued complications from your accident. I guess this would go down as "another ef&^$#ing growth experience." But seems like you are taking the lessons to heart and giving the rest of us the benefit of your experience. Thanks for doing that.

Thanks brother! I've grown and learned so damn much through this I think I may need to retire to Southern Florida if I keep up this growth much further.

I really don't want to be "that guy" on the forum always bringing up depressing crap and talking about my injuries. I often say "The whole world hates a whiner" and I'm sure as hell not whining. I'm just some 55 year old kid that has always loved the wind and just want to have years more of fun getting pulled around under kites with a 6-yr-old's grin glued to my face. If I have to be more careful and selective in my kiting venues that is a trade-off I'm more than willing to make.

All that said, I absolutely refuse to "walk quietly into the night". I progressed from Alpine to Telemark skiing last winter and I'll progress my kiting too.

Telekiting is on the horizon

Suds after thuds - 4-9-2016 at 01:49 PM

Windstruck - 5-10-2016 at 05:37 AM

I saw my neurologist earlier this week who read my lastest head CT study. The chronic subdural hematoma has fully resolved. I am hereby released from captivity. I haven't been under kite power since the accident on July 9th (other than two extremely brief times just to test out the AQR) and I've been itching to get out again. True to my word I've sold as much of my skating gear as I could with the rest still for sale.

Equipped with Jeff's (BigKid) AQR I'm heading down to Lake Ivanpah to meet up with Paul (Jeepersjoey) for a couple of days of buggy bliss on the playa just before Thanksgiving. I can hardly wait!

Sincere thanks for all the well wishes over these past months from my second family. It truly meant a lot. :thumbup:

soliver - 5-10-2016 at 07:18 AM

Wuhoo!!! glad to hear it Steve!!!

bigkid - 5-10-2016 at 03:40 PM

:thumbup:

skimtwashington - 5-10-2016 at 04:50 PM

Good deal all around :thumbup:

....... good health and good(great) place to ride -I hear.........

Take some pics....and have fun.