Utah Windriders Association

Just thought I'd share some insight I gained from personal and witnessed experience on my trip to South Padre. It will now be my personal policy to launch from the water with my kite at shore whenever feasible. My first near issue came when launching in 30-35 mph winds, my chicken loop inexplicable detached from my harness and my kite powered up ( because I was still holding the bar) and blasted across the power zone, I released the bar after a short slide on the beach, and the kite depowered to my safety leash, but it did scare the ^**&^!! out of me. In this particular spot where I was launching there wasn't really an issue of being dragged through anything, but it opened my eyes to ALWAYS launching such that a mishap would send the kite out over the water for the body torture that may ensue. The second mishap I witnessed involved a very experienced kiter on Holly beach. He was launching from shore with kite near the water when he had an issue (chicken loop again I think) and the kite shot across the window (back towards the shore) and he was getting dragged towards the cactus, rocks, and Spanish Bayonets. Fortunately, people were quick to grab him and his harness, and his kite was caught (and killed) by the Spanish bayonet. This incident could have been prevented from launching out in the water also. This would also apply to landing as I witnessed others kiting into shore, walking their kites over land with kites overhead and then bringing the kite down to land. This just seems like giving way to much opportunity for something bad to happen.

Maybe this is standard practice for some, or maybe my inexperience is missing some other point to this, but just wanted to get others insight into what they think "best practices" for launching and landing may mean. Also, my brother likes to back up his chicken loop/donkey dick with a carabiner, an idea I like, which prevents accidental releases while still allowing a manual release when necessary.

I appreciate your feedback.

I think launching from the water is a real good idea and I hope we can do this at LINCOLN especially! That launch is kinda nasty.

You pose a very interesting and timely question. Historically, those of us with a C kite background usually launched towards the water, as dealing with gusts as we brought the kite up and across the power zone was a bit scary, if we launched towards the land. Launching towards the water allowed us to keep it low and just go. Bow type kites have lessened that problem. However, they (bridles) have created a new problem in that there is a greater chance for one line to get tangled and thus shortened. Which, of course will pull the kite violently in that direction. If this were to happen on the opposite side from which you launch, you are going to get pulled the other way, as the kite races up and across the window. Obviously, I would rather be pulled to the water, so launching towards the land may be better with a Bow kite. So, as in most things, the answer is "it always depends". One can make a valid argument, either way.
Jon Mzee

Best to have someone help you launch and check lines carefully before having them let go.
Then bring the kite up very slow as the wind up high might be way stronger than down low.
Make sure that the person launching knows the signals. I have made the mistake of assuming this and had someone walk over and just send it.
Luckily there were no crossed lines. I have walked my lines out and still come to find one crossed.
I am thinking of trying a self launch by hooking to the truck then running the lines out to the kite.
Holding the kite till it sits to the side of the window then head back and hooking in. I have heard this works good with the bow kites as they will sit to the side.
My point is that its not so much what direction as to how you launch. Most problems I have seen during launching have been crossed or hooked lines.
And like John says "it always depends". And if you are not sure and things look scetchy wear some Depends you might need them!
This does not answer the chiken loop comeing loose problem, just my thoughts on launching while waiting for wind.
I think like you did and being leashed and letting go was the thing to do, better scared than scarred.

I have made it a practice to launch my kite towards the water. However, a few weeks ago the scenario you described happened to me at Rush. The chickenloop came free and the kite went overhead and started pulling me the towards the cars. When I let go of the bar my kite landed on top of a car. Fortunately, someone grabbed my kite and no injury occurred.

Usually, on a bad launch you are pulled the direction of the launch with a c kite. On a bow, it can go either way.

One thing we can do is launch downwind of the cars at Rush. That means that we pay attention to park the cars upwind from where we are launching.

Grabber. letter go.....

I try not to attach my handle pass leash intill I am away from the launch.

If my chicken loop blows I have 3 choices grab the chicken loop and let the kite go to the front lines or try and stear the kite to a safe spot unhooked, or as always ...watch my kite blow away, live to kite another day.

I think you should always make each launch as safe as you can.

How do you do unhooked stuff with a carabener?

Seriously Thats a bad idea... would you rather be "shackled" to your kite and have to pull a realese. Or get used to triple checking your chicken loop before launching, most of the time the reason your loop blows is becuase it slackens and twist. I always look at it before launch and after landing ang hooked in trick that made slack. Then when you need to you can realese your kite by just unhooking?????

How many manufactors recommend using a carabener on the water, that would be a good place to check!

Billy-
SInce I don't do unhooked moves (yet) the carabiner works for me, I can still release the chicken loop by pulling its release. It seemed scary when my brother suggested it, but after trying it and practicing it seems Ok to me. You're really not "shackled" to the kite any more than normal with the chicken loop and donkey dick (IMHO) because any time you are powered up you aren't able to release your contact from the kite unless you pulled the chicken loop release anyway, then the handle pass releases as a final release. I really have been super careful checking my chicken loop when launching as I had been warned of this already, so I'm not sure what gives with this happening ( happened twice to me already-once on snow, once on water)

Kenny-
I think your idea of always launching downwind sounds prudent and I will take that recommendation.

Thanks for the input everyone.