His quick release is pretty cool and rediculously simple. It only takes a few seconds more to hook up when you get in the buggy too.

MDK, I have in the past been been removed from the buggy with out a harness, but it was with larger kites. You ill have to have arm strength to pull it off, Long rides will convince you of a harness sooner than later. No, I would not have been hurt if I was not hooked in. With a smaller kite, the kite usually is ripped from your hands before you know it.
If anyone is interested in the QR, u2u me and I can share the info.

trying to get to the second page, this did it, weird.
thanks Jeff, I was flying the 2.6 viper and it was ripped from my hands a couple times, once becouse ran out of skill and the other from a gust. your right, I will probably wind up in a harness but I may not use it for small spaces or short runs just to minimize the risk, also I will u2u about the QR. Thanks!

MDK, weird, the only time I could see this 2nd page is from my tablet....dono why, just refused to load from a regular PC.
Your questions remind me myself when I first started. The only thing you will do, riding without a harness, is cuasing yourself some sore muscles. Learn how to controll your kite, get comfortable with the kite's behavior, then fly it while attached to it, practice some emergency releases and only then combine it all together. Knowing the way your kite flying in different conditions, will only work in your favour.
Trust me, no matter what anyone will tell you, there is NOTHING like having your own experience, and I think ppl here will back me up on that.
Quick release is the way to go when sh$%# hit the fan, doing it when you only have a split of a sec' is a whole different story.......ask bigkid, he'll know

@AviN, good stuff thanks!

MDK

We have a few folks here who ride without harness by choice. Scudley and Dirtslide are lucky enough to get out a lot. Both are very skilled pilots. They tend to fly small kites as well. Both remain pretty injury / accident free considering the hours under their belts. They can fly as long as they chose unhooked. It just takes conditioning.

I like to hook in but fully respect those around here who don't. They are all better pilots than I am !

Goofball was NOT hooked in when he was tossed along with his buggy at NABX. Flying unhooked certianly reduces your chances but accidents still happen .

P.S. It was a real joy watching you as you got used to the Playa. It is intimidating and you did amazingly well !

@Bladerunner, Thanks! Honestly I thought the kiting with roller blades was amazing, but I will keep my butt in a seat, or try anyway To the guys that don’t use a harness…..impressive, I’m not sure I could achieve that level of conditioning, I’m still sore from NABX I just realized I sort of hijacked this thread, sorry Jeff, I will start a new one later concerning harness and safety.

On wind speed and hooking in - MDK since you said the speed of the buggy appeals to you, realize that the power you need to go 50 or 60 mph is much much greater than your commendable ~35 at nabx this year. I have ridden all day without ever hooking in, but the level of force I can handle is much greater if the power is going through a harness. To go fast, you need what would be considered a larger kite than you would fly static and possibly even flying that larger kite in conditions you wouldn't even consider flying static at all. The day I went 63 mph, it was with a 2.7m Vapor race kite and winds were steady in the upper teens and I think gusting into the upper 20s to 30 mph. I could've made the fast run without being hooked in but I would not have had the strength to get back upwind more than once or twice. The fast run has you slipstreaming, allowing the wind to pull you off your line to a direction more downwind to find that optimal high speed angle. The pull isn't incredible in this situation but as soon as you turn either way to slow down, the kite is now facing the wind again and you've added the apparent wind to that with your speed you built running downwind.

So flying that 2.5-3.5m kite in 20-25 mph winds is not so superhero powerful, but more like a good fun day when you are scooting around on wheels.

Bob,
Just the thought of flying anything in this kinda wind (20-30mph) makes my muscles hurt, my eyes pop and a slight will to crawll back to bed....:tumble::D...
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How do you slow down/turn when you get to those high speeds without been ejected from your seat ?

You either do a suicide gibe turn and brace for the power when the kite comes back into the wind, or you start edging upwind with the kite down near the ground if its gusty or with smooth winds you can find a higher flying position to edge upwind and start to slow down. I've only had one time where this didn't slow me down because the wind increased right as I was ready to slow down and turn around. After sliding sideways for easily a hundred feet with burning rubber smells coming from the tires, I pulled the safety on the Apex III 7.5m.

MDK, not to worry about the hijack.

Bob, my 1st NABX trip, I did as you said about keeping the kite low and heading up wind to slow down. Problem was I was picking up speed and sliding sideways (without a harnes) and the power line broke about 2 feet above the handle. Wont use climax lines again. The handles ripped out ouf my hands and i scubbed off the speed before zooming past all the rigs parked in buggy town. Could have been nasty but was lucky the kite landed all over my truck and not anyone or another car.

Maybe I should start another post. ;-)

Jeff, you right, I don't want to continue this issue in your post, but I'll open another one about 'how to brake' stories, and I'll be more then happy to hear other ppl's expirience with that, especioally since they are some 'Speedy Gonzaless' buggys here....:roll:

I had to keep mine high while turning into the wind to slow down as well, down low it ripped from my hands, I claimed this was running out of tallent there was one time that I did speed up doing this but thankfully there was enough room I just stuck with it till I was able to start slowing. let me know if this conversation moves to a new thread, I would be interested in hearing stories from the experienced pilots.

regarding an automatic quick release:

Chucky - intelligent, auto-releasing safety for buggy pilots:

(its in german, because the developer is a german. translate with google.com)
http://www.spiritofsky.de/content/de/Chucky.html



at the bottom of this page below you see two videos explaining the auto-safety:

http://www.spiritofsky.de/content/de/Buggy-Kurs.html

@ herc, Fantastic! almost feel like an idiot not thinking of this to begin with, so simple! I like it thanks!

thanks for your story--its kind of ironic, last year we were buggying with my buddys pl 2.3 viper in about 25 mph winds, and i commented to my friend how unstable the kite was in those winds(gusty as usual) and how you really had to concentrate so as not to be surprised with an obe or worse...... i told him i would have been more comfy with a bigger kite that day--yes its more power, but slower and easier to control, at least for me......hope u heal up fast.......

take a nasawing.. its low performance is actually helpful in such gusty winds. a nasawing does not accelerate impulsively if hit by a gust.. they are so incredibly smooth and stable..

herc,
I have a custom colored set that Susan made up for me, they are great kites. When the wind is 1 or 2mph, I get the 15m out and have a blast. But they are not as fast and not as easy to fly, and they are hard to figure out. But when you get it dialed in, watch out, they are awesome.
This is my grandson at the park with the 15m.

I would like to thank you guys who responded to this post, with get well soon, praying for ya, heal up soon, and the rest,
THANK YOU!
And to the people who have been there from the beginning, the ones I deal with on a regular basis, the ones who have seen the not so good days,
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

My hope from all this is not to "rain on your parade", or give the significant other a reason you should not participate in this sport, but to make you think for a second before it's to late. If that little voice says "don't" or if it feels not quite right, or whatever, live to fly another day. Things are going to happen, and crap will hit the fan, it's not a mater of "IF", it's a matter of "WHEN". Small or large, the bobo's and the ouches, come and go. Some are bobo's that don't go away and ouch for evermore, and if I can steel from the coreylama, Safen Up! Buggy On!

I will see you, or not, somewhere if it's blowing. If you come to my neck of the woods and want to play, I have the time and enough stuff to take you somewhere to buggy, board, or just fly.
All I want is for everyone to "Enjoy the Wind".

Thanks again,
Jeff

I saw jeff's truck leaving the beach the day he got hurt. I was wondering where he was going. Got to the beach and found out what had happened. Hope you heal up soon Jeff. Here is some video riding at the beach that day or the next not sure.
So this video shows what conditions were like. I am flying a 2.1M Libra Speed 2 and I kept breaking my strop line and having to tie it back together.

http://vimeo.com/13050127

Brian,
Was a bit uncomfortable watching your vid at first, but yep, that's the place. If the date of the vid was 2010 June 12th, then it was one day early. The 13th was the day.
Thanks for sharing.

Was reading Kami's post about the bike ride. And it reminded me of my riding days, not so long ago.
Sold my GL1800 a bit ago after the accident because I cant hold it up due to the chest thing,(I have moments of loosing my balance, part of the side effect thing). I miss that part of my life the most. Can't take off on the bike for a ride..........
The dog would jump up on my lap and ride in my coat, the wife on the back, and the trailer full for the 2 weeks on the road to who knows where. Not any more.

I do sneak the wife's CBR1000RR out for ride around the block every so often when I'm having a good day and she isn't home.

Thank you so much Jeff, your story is a great wake-up call for all of us. I've done a lot of extreme sports and pushed the envelope more than a few times on motorcycles, mountains bikes, cars, and skis to name a few. Now that I'm well into middle age this is the first new sport I've actually approached with respect instead of recklessness. Your story is a great reminder for the times where I don't feel like strapping on the helmet and pads, to just do it anyway. Also, what you've described is very timely for me since I now feel feel ready to try kite powered wheeled platforms. I just bought bought g00fba11's ATB and Bobby's buggy. In a month or two Bobby will ship me the buggy and I'll try to figure it out, the idea being I try to learn the ATB a little first. Anyway, the issues you raise from the the tragedy and suffering you have personally experienced will be in the forefront of my mind as i venture out on the ATB and later, the buggy!
I will pray for your continued healing and the peace and serenity to push through the "bad" days. Thanks for what you have done, and continue to do for this sport!!!!

For those that are interested......
Went in yesterday for a LT Anterior Chest ICNB, in simple terms, they shot me up with all kinds of pain meds to short circuit the nerves in my chest. One of them was a product from Germany that the US won't OK for use, it is a patch that has concentrated habanero pepper on it. Some of the possibilities of this procedure is on one side, Victory. On the other side, Death. :o
Well the outcome was not so good, lots of swelling and the pain has increased. My cheek and tongue are numb so I don't feel it when I bite them. Most of my chest is numb, (when my wife points her finger in my chest to drive home the point I have to keep from laughing), but the area that we were working on is not cooperating. But they did up my meds so now I will sleep for the next few days.

Wish it would have worked for you. Hope tomorrow is a better day!

Hang in there Big Guy. And don't let Drew get ahold of your patches or they are bound to be found in his chile.:singing:

Quote:

Originally posted by thanson2001ok Hang in there Big Guy. And don't let Drew get ahold of your patches or they are bound to be found in his chile.:singing:

I did ask about the type of pepper and the amount on the patch, It is 900% hotter than the pepper itself. Left a 2nd degree burn on my chest which is normal. If Drew wants the left over patch, I will be more than willing to let him have it, might be a bit to much for a couple gallons of chilli. You most definitely will end up with a red:moon:

It saddened me to read that write up Jeff, although I appreciate you putting forth the time to get it off your chest. It's extremely unfortunate that you have to suffer through that. Surely its no fault of yours.


I've suffered broken ribs w/ a punctured lung, compound fracture, deep tissue cut, etc. etc. Not necessarily from doing something stupid, but from accidents and pushing myself too hard. Ask anyone who has broken a rib and they will tell you in detail how excruciating it makes life on a day to day basis. The meds are the worst part… and it strikes me as odd to think that there are idiots who pay big money to abuse the narcotics I've been given on prescription. The side effects of so many pain killers and stimulants make you health go to hell. It's just not a good situation to be in.

For god sakes, just wear a stupid brain bucket when you're doing something you know could end badly. This is mostly for the teens out there who are too cool to do it. It can and will save your life.

Praying for you Jeff, sleep well for the next coulple of days.

Thanks guys for the well wishes. It does help.

What Seanny said about his body damage, I don't want to make my little problem any bigger than others. There are some with much worse and to a greater degree, I take my hat off to them and by all rights they have a story that is more compelling than mine. Some will never speak of there plight and others will tell anyone and everyone that will listen. I don't want to be either one of the 2.

I had a good sleep today and the meds made things a bit easier to deal with,(no way I can drive, will have to wait for my wonderful wife to come home and take me out for some running around)so I am able to think a bit clearer.
I know my 2 pain specialist Doctors won't give up till they succeed in getting some relief for me.

My desire from all this is for a bit if common cents and the compassion for others who aint as lucky as I am. Whether they are in a wheel chair, or come out to fly once in a blue moon, or if they can only watch, we are very lucky to have what we do have and need to be a bit more compassionate towards others.
I would bet money that some want this to end as it shouldn't be talked about here, and others can't get enough.

I have decided to depart from this subject until I can share some great news, not good news but GREAT NEWS.
If It all comes to an end and I am back to 80% or better, I will share the GREAT NEWS, if not......