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Originally posted by f0rgiv3n Quote: Originally posted by Erics The thing is that a helmet is for the flyers protection and kite killers are for other peoples protection as kS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s stop the kite from getting loose as well as stop the kite getting blown away and damaged. Therefore both are important, but for different uses. Cheers.

Plus one!

In the US some states have a mandatory motorcycle helmet law and others don't. When driving from state to state the roads all seemed about the same, hard and not forgiving. It is legal to drive a low horsepower scooter 40+ mph without a helmet. With that logic I guess falling off a scooter at 40mph is safer than falling off a motorcyle at 40mph. I like dgkids' idea about wearing a mouth guard when practicing tricks. I like Angus' suggestion to wear hillbilly pads at Ivanpah. You want to look cool or live to fly/ride another day? Just my thoughts...

I work in an ER. I take care of lots of people with busted parts including heads. I wear a helmet.

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Originally posted by lynx69 In the US some states have a mandatory motorcycle helmet law and others don't.

Nearby Florida does not require helmets. We refer to it as an "Organ donor state"

I can't believe helmet laws in the US ...

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Originally posted by furbowski If I were rollerblading on concrete I'd want a helmet!

Why? That's where I play hockey if you're hitting your head, you're doing something very wrong when you fall over

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Originally posted by acampbell Quote: Originally posted by lynx69 In the US some states have a mandatory motorcycle helmet law and others don't. Nearby Florida does not require helmets. We refer to it as an "Organ donor state"

I live in Massachusetts and YOU MUST WEAR A HELMET ON A MOTOR BIKE. In Rhode Island it's not required. Now I only live 10 min from the state line of Rhode Island and its just hilarious watching men/woman on Harleys taking off helmets while going 65 crossing the state line. :puzzled:

i need to wear my helmet more.........

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Originally posted by Kamikuza Quote: Originally posted by furbowski If I were rollerblading on concrete I'd want a helmet! Why? That's where I play hockey if you're hitting your head, you're doing something very wrong when you fall over

I doubt I ever would actually, come to think of it actually yes I did get knocked out once from a fall, tripped over a crack in ice while skating as a kid. I've done a few face-plants while flying kites but no head-first stuff, not yet anyways.

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Originally posted by Kamikuza I can't believe helmet laws in the US ... Quote: Originally posted by furbowski If I were rollerblading on concrete I'd want a helmet! Why? That's where I play hockey if you're hitting your head, you're doing something very wrong when you fall over

I think helmets are important.
Funny thing is, in 8 years of playing roller hockey I've never worn a helmet either. But, I don't go without shin guards.

See I really don't get these guys who play without shin gaurds what do you slide on when you fall over? I've never worn elbow pads except in competitions when I've had to by rules, and I've never hit my elbows either. Gloves and shingaurds is all I need

Once, I was laying out my kite in a carpark - put my skates on (was kite skating) so I could set up quicker ... un-parapacked my lines then skating back to the kite - forgot I didn't have shingaurds on and slid to a stop beside the bag - on my knee :embarrased: ow ...

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Originally posted by dgkid78 I live in Massachusetts and YOU MUST WEAR A HELMET ON A MOTOR BIKE. In Rhode Island it's not required. Now I only live 10 min from the state line of Rhode Island and its just hilarious watching men/woman on Harleys taking off helmets while going 65 crossing the state line. :puzzled:

lol thats how it is here... Wyoming you dont need a helmet, but in Nebraska you do... i think colorado is also no helmet... and so is south dakota... so we get all these bikers through here around sturgis, and they are not happy in nebraska

(this thread kinda got hijacked didnt it?)

When I grew up We didn't wear helmets playing hockey. Goalies didn't wear masks and I had straps on my skis.

I lived through all that but am not about to suggest I was RIGHT just because I did . :duh:

The thing is if you do not wear a helmet and have a bad accident the local goverment will say that the sport is dangerous and then ban it, a similar thing for kite killers if the kite gets loose and goes into a kid playing nearby then that will spoil things for all flyers and cut down the sites avalable for use. In the Uk we have enough places with bans to give excusses for more.

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Originally posted by Erics The thing is if you do not wear a helmet and have a bad accident the local goverment will say that the sport is dangerous and then ban it, a similar thing for kite killers if the kite gets loose and goes into a kid playing nearby then that will spoil things for all flyers and cut down the sites avalable for use. In the Uk we have enough places with bans to give excusses for more.

that is probably the BEST argument (besides safety) in favor of kks and helmets--believe me, there are some aholes that would love to ban kiting for whatever reasons their sick,twisted minds can conjure up---like the other day--me and my sister buggying across a huge soccer field,no one near us and we get to the end-bout 50 yards away from these goofy soccer parents,and they're all just giving us these icy stares--i SO wanted to B#^$% SLAP these aholes--first time ive ever seen a reaction like that--and we werent even near them--how DARE us fly kites on their field without their permission--its a public field as well-open to all activities.........

If you have an accident and you're wearing all the gear the government will STILL say it's dangerous and try to ban it - you can't win.

I still think the risk of me, attached to a kite by KKs setup correctly and not using a strop or harness, getting dragged behind the kite are effectively nil. And if I did get the kite wrapped around a truck I'm betting the velcro would give up and I get left behind ...

Yes accidents can still happen even when using kk and helmet, but using them greatly cuts down the chances of it happening.

Helmets do not prevent accidents. They protect the user by reducing the severity of the resulting injuries. There is a huge difference.
S

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Originally posted by Erics Yes accidents can still happen even when using kk and helmet, but using them greatly cuts down the chances of it happening.

second scudley's comment above, also it's often been noted that folks who wear safety gear and feel invulnerable will then put themselves at greater risk.

using helmets will do nothing to prevent an accident, in fact they may well increase the possibility of an accident because the helmet wearer may then feel like taking more risks.

"accidents can still happen even when using helmets, but using them can greatly reduce the consequence of each accident."

so imho that's a better way to way your sentence...

putting KS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s into that sentence wouldn't work, though.

what I meant is that the helmet in an accident lessens the severity of head injuries.

gotcha, sorry...

word choice can be misleading, there's a lot of thought going into some of the entries on this and related threads...

did you fly today?

I did! by the light of the full moon, very nice...

:Ange09:

Through all this, I've been coming from the perspective of someone who never flies my foils hooked in and rides a landboard or skates ... seems like the buggy guys have different criteria but ... perhaps we could sum up with a list of Pros and Cons for KKs?

PROS
When unhooked, can let go of handles and not have to chase the kite downwind (that's a biggee for me :D )

CONS
Can't scratch your arse without pulling the brake line and turning the kite unexpectedly. Result - finger jammed up your rectum in a public place.

why worry about scratching your bum when you should be cocentrating on flying?

Cos it's itchy. Or sweat is trickling down the crack of my arse and inflaming my piles. Jeez dude think of a reason