Utah Windriders Association

Just a reminder of our fallen brother who passed away kiting Rush Lake on June 23, 2005. He was a great guy and one of a kind. Please be careful out there!!!

RIP

good frend, good boos, best kiter.miss u mitch. sal

I was always look upwind for you, Mitch!!!

I am sorry to hear that....to help keep myself safe, can someone please explain what happened so that I may learn something not to do or how I can be more careful? I hear about accidents happening and would like to learn from them. Thanks
RIP

Jake,

I can't find the post describing the accident, but here is a thread in which it's discussed: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=425

I certainly do not have the experience of Kenny however this year at the Utah Games I had a horn and hardly no one could hear the horn from the beach. I think some one waving two Red Flags on the beach would probally be one of the best things for people to be aware of microburst.

Thanks for posting all this information on Mitch. I have a lot of ski friends that knew him that refuse to take up kiting because of his death and look at me sideways when I go to Rush.... clearly it was just a matter of circumstances, equipment and psychology. RIP Mitch.

Mitch loved kiting, and I think we all loved kiting with mitch. In memory of Mitch Cummings.

So how do I tell if there is a micro burst coming? Thanks for the info and I am sorry to hear about what happened. It does kind of scare me, I'm not going to lie. But I hope that the kite community can help each other out and we can try the best from keeping this from happening again.
Thanks again

Hi Jake,

Weather is chaotic, and even with the best knowledge and data, there is still
risk. For some, maybe most, of us that is part of the joy, but mitigating that risk
is also part of the responsibility you have to your friends and family. For a Kiter,
microburst winds can be very dangerous. I am not a meteorologist, and I don't claim
any different knowledge than many others on this board have, but I do have some experience.

I'm gong to suggest a couple of things to watch for. Dust devils, especially forming in a
(dry) line, while not always an indicator, should be watched. In a heavy sky, a cloud wall (a thick cloud that
stretches clear to the surface) could be an indicator. If you've passed through or seen hail in
the area, there's potential. Microburst winds can come from a clear sky. Usually you
can see microburst winds coming on the water, as
it often turns white and frothy, but without much wave/swell action. You don't have a lot
of time if you're really close to the down draft, but even seconds could help.

Experienced windriders are almost always very aware of their surroundings, and the best
advise might be to stay aware. It can be pretty easy to get into a bliss state, and there's
nothing wrong with that (in fact it's one of the closest things to heaven this world has to
offer), but stay aware of the surroundings, and go armed with as much information as you
can get.

We all miss Mitch. The world is a little dimmer without him in it.

-Craig

Jakekelly wrote:So how do I tell if there is a micro burst coming? Thanks for the info and I am sorry to hear about what happened. It does kind of scare me, I'm not going to lie. But I hope that the kite community can help each other out and we can try the best from keeping this from happening again.
Thanks again

I'll always remember the quote at the end of the write up for Mitch in the paper.
"Come Faeries, take me out of this dull world, for I ride with you upon the wind.... " W. B. Yeats