You know the Phil Collins song "in the air tonight"? about the guy who watched someone drown and didn't help? etc etc, well at Shakespeare i saw a similar thing yesterday.
It was really windy (Jamie on a 7m) and gusty, low tide. Some guy is coming out of the water up the beach and gets nailed by a gust, i mean it grabbed his kite, looped it and smacked him head first into the ground. He had hie board in his hand as we all do and had no time to grab his safety.
Poor guy lies there face down in the water and is being pulled up the beach. One of the locals sits there on the dune (15m away from him) and watches this, doesn't move just sits in his shades "talking it up", (not out there on the water mind you), (i know he is a local, always there on his sleeping bags!). eventually 2 GIRLS and a guy in normal clothes with an injured foot run from the grassy area and pull the guy out the water, they grab him and his gear and take it to the grass.
I know who I don't want to be on the water with should the shit hit the fan in the future.
Shame on you local, you should take up poker with that poker face and cool attitude on helping out.
Just hope next time it's not you on the receiving end of the wind!!, and if it is that someone who isn't as good as you is out there to lend a hand (do you suppose though people that the better you get, like Robby and the guys you don't need to really help out? suppose that is how it is?)

I didn't see the accident, is the guy OK?

yep, walked away from it, shaken........not hurt-too badly.
Good session??

Shaken but not stirred

That would have been me. However as with most kite stories not entirely what happend. Firstly i was watching people kiteing, not some kook who shouldn't have been out and walking up the beach. Secondly by the time i'd found out what happened Ian (DVNT) was already running over. To be fair he had enough safety gear on to be hit by a bus and still be ok...

Oh- it was you then.
The only stories not true are the ones deluging from your traphole.You might need those speactacles then if you can't see further than your nose.
Who are you to call people kooks?, oh sorry you to be the world's first pro "sleeping bag" kiter, better work on the handle passes and unhooked stuff then.
See you out there- Shannon!!

Believe it or not we don't allways see accidents. It's really windy, the wind hitting your ears makes such a noise that you can't hear anything else and if you are turned the other way then someone could be getting cut up with a chainsaw right beside you and you wouldn't notice a thing. This is especially true if it's blowin "jamie powered on 7m" knots.

And we are forgetting the golden rule of kiting... if in doubt don't go out. you could also say that this thread is yet another reason to pimp bow kites.

Thirdly there is only one Shannon that is currently kiting in this country that i know of and i chatted to him yesterday.... great bloke too. However i'm sure if Phileas had seen the accident he would have helped out.

PS We are trying to convert Foggs to the blimp side.

I've submitted my vote and of course i'd help out. We lookout for each other, no matter who it is and how good they are.

But that still doesn't mean that we see all accidents.... Jamie himself even said that he didn't see it and he'd have a better view as he was on the water (well high above it anyway).

Here's hoping that bow kites will help reduce the incidence of loftings in the future.

Nuff said...

yep- nuff said- nice pic of you by the way. 8)

Actually the person in the photo has "I fly a Bag" syndrome (easily confused with retardation) This is caused by their mouth excessively jerking off about matters which their 10 mins of "kiteboarding" experience
can't back up .

Perhaps you just need to get yourself a good Pump.

Phileas f@ck : As a parent of a child with Downs Syndrome I find the above posting ignorant and offensive.

Don't laugh at the expense of people you do not understand, because they don't fit into your narrow view of what is "Normal" or cool

Oh well can't please everyone. Back to kiteing...

I have had comments from kitesurf visitors to Christchurch that all the kitesurfers here are so friendly and helpful compared to the Auckland scene. They mentioned Auckland, where some top riders would see them arrive and just look away instead of saying hello? I am not bashing Auckland but praising the christchurch locals and wondering why it is not the same everywhere.
Kitesurfing is a sport that needs friends around when things turn bad.
Thanks Adrian

Agreed, Being ex south island I agree with Adrian, Genaral acceptance of outsiders up here is below average, having been exposed to some rudeness myself. Not everyone, nor necessary top riders, but snapper heads who think they are!