Flooding and severe miserable weather down here for months on end. It's been months since I have been able to fly and we have had 2 days that have had no rain since December, so I decided to head out with a friend of mine to go fly. I brought my 19m Slingshot Fuel and my 16M Best Waroo. It was really to windy for the 19 so I decided I was going to fly the 16.... I wish I had brought my 14m Vegas or my 12m Torch. I was only about 25% powered on this kite and since the winds changed directions every few minutes and were gusting from 10 to 24mph I could not comfortably get on my board. So this happened. LOL! Of all days, I did not wear (forgot) my knee pads and my gloves. I have had higher jumps but I ended up going faster down wind than my little legs could run and I crumpled like a cheap suite. Been doing this a long time and this is kinda embarrassing but funny as hell.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7ml-94HJaA

DID YOU GET THAT! :D

Glad you weren't hurt.
I understand it was good to be standing on a hill during all that rain...:o

Newbie observation / question.
I noticed that the kite was inverted on the ground before take off, similar to launching a Rev in high winds. I thought the safest way to launch a large kite was upright up right near the edge of the window then slowly bring up one of the sides before launching.
Is one method of launching a large kite safer than the other or are both ways acceptable ?

funny

Launching with the kite downwind is dangerous, you can see me shoot downwind rather quickly for a fat girl. Launching on the edge of the wind window is the safest by far, I have had a few downwind launches that have had a definite pucker factor. I had to launch downwind due to the winds shifting from the south to the east every few minutes or so, so I could not get the kite to sit in one position long enough before I hooked in. I have not been able to teach my friend Carlos (AKA Slim Shaky) how to launch a kite for me. LOL

Consistently inconsistent winds are what we have around here so a lot of flying is sketchy at best.

The rain has been relentless here. We have had bridges completely disappear, damns almost bursting, the river walk flooded out almost all the businesses......... I fortunately do live on top of a hill so I have been dry...ish... But I think we are finally starting to see an end to it..... I hope!