Hi gang,

Hopefully a lesson to be learned for someone else reading this on my stupidity/excitement for jumping...

I bought a Crossfire 5.0 & 8.0 a few weeks ago from EBAY and decided to tryout the 5.0 in some gusty winds the other day because I wasn't getting enough lift from a Beamer 3.0...needless to say, I got taken straight up about 10-12' only to blackout on the landing...some nice lady saw me from the road and called 911. When I came to the next thing I knew I was being loaded into an ambulance...after spine xrays and a CT scan I am happy to report nothing is critical, but even after 10 days (5 on pain meds and muscle relaxers) I'm still hurting (I think the real pain may be yet to arrive when the ER and ambulance bill arrives...???@#$)

My question is what equipment exists out there for hip/back/tailbone protection? And what type of ankle guards do people use?

I still want to fly, but need to be a little (read A LOT) more careful about it...I never even considered a helmet for a 5.0 and had NO IDEA what this kite could do for lift...I'm just very happy to still be here...hope someone reading this can benefit from my ignorance....

Happy Flying
:puzzled:

Well, its sad you had to learn that way, but at least now when you promote the sport to your friends or passerby you can warn of the inherent dangers in kiting.

I don't use any kind of ankle or elbow or knee pads, but I don't go too crazy with kitejumping. Honestly, a lot of how safe you are depends on your technique for jumping. If you are jumping while the kite is lower in the window, its going to pull you forwards or sideways more and has a chance to leave the window, which would make you drop out of the sky. Keeping your kite within the window and REDIRECTING will keep you floating longer and thus have a safe landing.

Take your beamer back out and get comfortable with redirecting, even if your jump isn't 5+ feet. Knowing how to move your kite in the window and understanding where the power comes from, how it goes, and how to keep the power in your kite is all paramount, especially for jumping.

Hope your healing process goes well, and keep reading this website, its a WEALTH of information..

Bout all I can think of for now, I'm sure people will be all over this thread like flies on poo... I'm sure somebody else will have something to add.

A number of the guys in my area like the SixSixOne stuff when going for the speed on the ice or when the snow is not very powdery.
http://www.sixsixone.com/sixsixone_bike.aspx

I Downhill Bike as my primary sport ( kiting being second ) and I have Dainise Full Armour, It is a suit complete with elbow, forearm, spineprotector chect protector, and knee/shin guards in hard plastic, and It also has padding in other places ( femut and hips ) I also wear a backpack at all times After exploding my Camelback several years ago after hitting a tree after ( till that point ) successfully landing a 20 footer drop..

You are lucky as hell.... be happy you're not on the Out for the season roster and Take your accident as a powerfull lesson...

Respect the wind.... Mother nature can be a mean #@%$#! ...

It is not uncommon to hear about folks getting hurt with smaller kites. Probably more than large ones.

I make a point of putting my helmet on EVERY time I put up a kite !

Many choose when they where one or not. I think that is a dngerous game. Too easy to " forget " to put one on.

Can't goo wrong with Six Six One . I like my Hilbilly Asss Pads

Most of us get dealt a spanking or 2 as we go. Sorry you got beaten up instead. I'm glad you aren't put off ! Landing one of those jumps is something worth working for !

Thanks for sharing . Folks need to hear these stories.

Many great suggestions above on safety armor etc.. It seems like I post this a lot lately but here it is again,,,,,1. respect the wind 2. start out slow and 3. work your way up. Whatever you fly start out on the low end of its wind range and get used to the kite. Learn to fly before you learn to jump. When you start jumping start out small becoming comfortable with 1ft jumps and work your way up.

It might just be me but it seems the accident toll has been rising precipitously the last few months:puzzled:.

Stay safe,
Good winds

it does seem that people have been getting hurt lately, or at least are being honest about it. I'm actually thinking about picking up some hillbilly hip/butt pads for NABX this upcoming year. I heard the dry lake bed is very unforgiving. I slammed hard already once this year and it was hard to walk for a few days. I think the extra safety is worth while. and ALWAYS wear your helmit. I used to not wear it because i wanted my pictures to look good, then one day on a speed run i crashed and almost hit my head. i got very lucky and now i don't even risk it

@ flylikeag6......if your in Connecticut hook up with local guys so you can get up to speed and start having fun safely. If your closer toward NY I'm sure you could hook up with Marc, Bob, Jim, and many others and if your closer to Mass hook up with any of us who ride at Nahant beach in Mass.. Its worth it even if its a little longer drive to get together with other kiters who can help you get rolling safely.

Armour Choices are plenty.... I just Thought to mention that most Motocross Stores have awesome armour of all types and is usually cheeper then anywhere else... plus you could but Flak jacket Style armour If you dont want to Have to Dress Up everytime you fly... Toss a jacket on and let er riip...

Im not a crazy 10 ft jumper yet and landboard in lower winds most the time and im very careful about the winds I go in but what I use for mountain biking as well as kiting is a old pair of padded football pants with all but the tailbone and hips cut out, helmet and some kneepads. They are not restrecting at all and im use to them the pads are not plastic but they do the job for me, I however ride with only a wifebeater sometimes when it is hot and being draged on your side dont feel too good so maybe the underarmor stuff will be on my next thing to buy for kiting list its a very very long list.

At my age I find that confidence in my padding gives me the confidence to push it harder.
That crazy self preservation thing that kicked in as I got older will hold me back if I am not padded up.

Hillbilly Pads, helmet, and shoes with ankle support are mandatory. Tons of respect for the wind and the changing weather. I tend to fly in the AM or later in the afternoon, especially with the big kites, as the mid-day inland thermal activity can whip up some interesting conditions. Glad you are ok - I bet you have a new found respect for those Crossfires... the 8 is hands down my goto kite when I need a bit more adrenaline in my life.

-Bill

Hi Gang,

Thanks for all the comments and advice - I will definitely be spending some time working on my kiting skills a lot more. It's pretty clear to me what I did wrong now...

I am in central CT (20 minutes west of Hartford) so any of you pros out there, please feel free to take me under your wings - I am willing to drive a little bit now if it means hooking up with some more advanced pilots Just let me know where you are and when you fly...

It's been 2 1/2 weeks now since the big digger and my back and tailbone are still in a great deal of discomfort...I'm hoping I can get back to normal and give a snow board a small try with my 3.0 Beamer at least this winter....I guess time will tell.

That gives me time to build by safety gear stockpile...(funny, but not that funny

~Robert

P.S. I just got the Emergency Room bill last night - I'm not sure what hurts more....hope you guys are insured!!

rocfighter is in ct. talk to him.

The new 661 knee support+kneepads look like a must-have, I'm going to have to find some locally to try em on.

Biggest thing I can say is learn HOW to fall. All skateboarders wear is a helmet, knee pads, and elbow pads(sometimes). When you go big, and are going to fall, flick off the board and land on your knees and slid. Also learn a Parachute Failed Landing (PFL). This can save you when you get sky'd over 20ft and don't think the kite is slowing you down enough. It's similar to a parkour roll, you want toe spread your impact out over as much time as possible. Look up a youtube video of a PFL, but basically you absorb as much impact as you can with your feet first, then rotate to your knee, then hip, then shoulder.

This extends the force over time and reduces the impact felt by a single part of the body. Other than that, read what they say above. Don't jump on small kites or outside of your wind limit. Small kites won't slow you down enough upon landing, and they also can move way too fast when it's windy enough to jump on them.

As for the wind limit, find a specific wind value that you do not feel comfortable operating the kite, and stick to it. I learned the hard way, with my 12m frenzy that 20 gusting to 30 is way too much. Catching 25ft of air isn't near as fun as you'd think! Especially when you think your legs are going to snap on impact. I executed the PFL, then proceeded to get yarded for another 100ft into a farmers muddy field.

Be smart out there, and always wear a helmet. There is no reason not to wear one, None.

wow... 5m crossfire in gusty winds when just starting out... sounds like a recipe for disaster! They are unforgiving kites. And 5m is still pretty fast when powered up, in lighter winds the bigger kites ae slower and more forgiving. As BR says, the speed and power of small kites in big winds are where the majority of injuries come from.

Glad to hear you're basically unbroken, sounds like you are recovering from soft tissue damage.

I fly mostly beach onshore winds on soft fluffy sand when static jumping, if not no way i would have broken nothing more than my tailbone up til now!

I just finished a few days hanging out with some snowboarders, crazy folk... A couple of them were riding with cracked helmets...:shocked2:

For now, I'll just say that body armor is no replacement for good wind judgement. That will come with hours flown.

Good luck with your recovery.

The PLF/PFL < link has great written instructions.

Quote:

Originally posted by WIllardTheGrey The PLF/PFL < link has great written instructions.

It would be nice to see a sticky on this ! Or stick it in Scoops guide ?
VERY IMPORTANT and is often forgoten when helping out beginers !

@flylikeaG6--wow....i just read your post, one thing you said that really struck me was"i had no idea these kites were that powerful" --i have shown at least 100 strangers an intro to power kiting--everything from a 3m beamer to the mighty blade 10.5--and they all say the same thing you did-- i always tell them in advance that the kite has tremendous power potential, and i always make it safe and fun for them, but i always want to leave them with a little bit of fear and caution, so they dont have a rude awakening such as you experienced--even so, it's good youre ok and it seems you have learned from it.........

Something I wouldn't even think to be possible: