Proletariat - 17-2-2013 at 11:41 PM
Today was an awesome day with variable, weird winds and tons of different sized kites and a great bunch of guys. The wind changed from 10(15)mph out
of the south, to 13(18) out of the west to almost 0(4) mph for an hour or so and finally settled on 20(28) out of the northwest.
Well, when the wind died down I thought it might be cool to pull out the 8.5m Blade IV and see how she's doing. The second I got it all set up, the
wind started picking back up and the Blade immediately became difficult to manage (because that's what Blades do).
Luckily, John had the cojones to grab ahold and try to make the blade work for him. I was on the kite end trying to detangle a wrapped bridle line
and had finished doing so when the kite caught a relatively nasty guest (had to have been 30) and shot straight up in a powered launch. Turns out I
still had my hand inside the bridle when this happened, so one of the lines grabbed my wrist just below my wristwatch and started to pull me up into
the air -- fast. Luckily my watch snapped (a $300 Citizen, so no cheapy watch) and I wasn't pulled up into the sky by a vindictive Blade.
Lesson #1: Don't wear watches while flying. Yeah, I know I should know this. I even considered leaving them home because rings and watches are just
something else for a line to hung up on (maybe we should start wearing latex suits). Anyway, now I'm convinced. Don't wear watches or rings or
anything similar. I talked to a guy the other day who now clips his toes before he goes kitesurfing because he loses a toenail every time he goes out
if he doesn't trim them. Eliminate all extraneous line grabbing items.
Then later, when I felt it was finally time to pack up the Blade, I had just begun to corral the kite into some semblance of order when things went
sideways in a hurry. I was behind the canopy and the right side of the kite was flopping around pretty good, so I grabbed the trailing edge to
stabilize it and the right side of the kite just filled and powered up like its life depended on it (turns out, it still may).
It's important to say here that I keep a Kershaw speed open knife in my right pocket at almost all times. It's amazingly useful for all sorts of
#@%$#!. However, while the Blade was flopping around trying to get off the ground in a hurry, one of the outside lines caught my knife clip, ripped
it out of my pocket with EXTREME force and smashed it into the side of my head. I was kinda dizzy for a minute, and I kept thinking,
"wait a minute... kites aren't supposed to go *THUNK* when they hit your head.... WTF?" Then I saw my life lying about 5 feet away and it had opened
(thanks for the speed open thingy, Kershaw).
So it turns out that the line ripped the closed knife into the side of my face, then opened and the opened knife smashed into my helmet before safely
flying in a high parabolic to lay (no, it didn't stick -- that would've been awesome) on the ground. I kept checking the side of my face for blood,
but there wasn't any. Did get a good bruise, though. I may have been totally lobotomized had I not been wearing my helmet.
Lesson #2: WEAR YOUR HELMET. I know they're hot. I know they kinda look silly on people with big heads (like me). I know you just wanna feel the
wind through your hair. Doesn't f*&$#cking matter. Wear your helmet at all times. IMO, it's the only REQUIRED piece of gear. The rest is
important, too, but just wear your helmet. You never know what sort of weird crap could happen
bourgeois.jason - 17-2-2013 at 11:54 PM
That's a wild story. I would never try to fly a large Blade in that much wind. I wouldn't even try my 4m Blade IV in much more than 15 mph. I can't
imagine trying to put up an 8.5m fixed bridle kite in that much wind.
You are right about the helmet. Helmets are a must. I've flipped out of the buggy while going pretty slow and had it hit me on my helmet. I could
have had a serious injury if I did not wear a helmet.
shehatesmyhobbies - 18-2-2013 at 03:28 AM
Definitely a wild story, almost scary actually. I am glad you wearing a helmet, but I would seriously suggest knowing the kites wind range before
setting it up. 28 mph is a bit high to consider breaking out something like the blade 8.5. In that kind of wind a 4 or 5 meter kite would have been
more than a handful. As soon as you witnessed the kite power up and lift off by itself while hopefully being anchored by the brake loops on your
handles, it should have been a big clue that it was way too much kite.
Hopefully you can learn from your mistakes and keep flying.
Not a bash by me, hopefully just a little insight.
beachrights - 18-2-2013 at 05:31 AM
I hate these stories! Always gives me the creeps and for good reason. Glad you are ok. damn good thing your Kershaw did not open sooner! Kind of hard
to explain how you got shanked by a kite!
erratic winds - 18-2-2013 at 05:46 AM
And to think I missed such an adventure! I'm just glad you're ok!
Hell, this was probably happening in my rear-view as I drove away!
Got some decent riding in before the lull...and kissing the parking lot.
Glad I left, as I already had enough fun to go see the doc today about my knee, playing in 20-28 would have been great fun but probably a couple more
bruises...
van - 18-2-2013 at 07:04 AM
I had the same thing happened to me with my watch. It seems that its more of an issue when you're on the kite end. I was helping a fellow kiter
launch an LEI. Gust hit and the kite flop around and went out of control. The kite took off and somehow one of the brake lines caught on my watch on
the way up. By the time the line snap off it had also slid forward on my wrist causing a superficial cut. It was bleeding a little but I was glad it
did not go deeper. I still wear my watch since it's hard to remember to take if off but I don't like helping others to launch and I try not to ask
anyone to launch my kite either. It's such a high risk sometimes to have another person near the kite during launch in strong wind.
Bladerunner - 18-2-2013 at 07:42 AM
Some great points / lessons here.
I put my helmet on every time I fly so I don't have to choose the right times. Like my safety belt in my car, it's sort of second nature now.
I always pass when onlookers want to help me with my kite. They are most likely to be wearing jewelery + get caught up.
KAZEDOKA - 18-2-2013 at 08:32 AM
I think your primary lesson learned, should be more about the choice of kite..
and the fact that john tried to make it work was not a good thing in those conditions.
You should have flagged it out and packed it away. your 3M hornet would have been a better choice.
just sayin..
Proletariat - 18-2-2013 at 09:42 AM
Naw, I actually pulled out the blade in a lull, when there was basically no wind at all then it picked up to like 15 when I was trying to help John
with the bridle and it caught my watch. Theb it picked up more and ee staked it down. Then when the knife incident happened, it was absolutely howling
and I was just trying to put it away. I should've weighted it down before even touching it.
The thing that goes through my mind every single time I pull out the blade is "is this going to be a bad idea?"
Yesterday was the first time the answer was "yes" 
abkayak - 18-2-2013 at 09:46 AM
definitely keep the blade…..u guys are soul mates now...imo
Proletariat - 18-2-2013 at 09:52 AM
I know abkayak! I was thinking the same thing. It has tasted my blood, therefore it has developed a hunger for more. It would be irresponsible of me
to release it back into the wild.
Feyd - 19-2-2013 at 04:39 AM
You guys are nuts. Good story though.
Feral Blades. Like a dingo I suppose?
Proletariat - 19-2-2013 at 08:36 PM
It ate my baybay.
Cerebite - 23-2-2013 at 09:15 PM
To those of you who are on our case about flying The 8.5 m Blade in"those winds," you are missing the point that the wind was under 5 mph except for
the gusts, and had been for most of the day, when we set it up. We had been having no luck with 5 -6 m kites.
Dave decided to set up his big foil and by the time it was up so was the wind. We tried two or three times to re set the kite and quit before we got
hurt and then I went out on his new 3m Hornet which was powering and lifting like crazy I the gusty winds.
Oh I was wearing my usual "mad max" body armor and helmet for this exercise.
jeepersjoey - 24-2-2013 at 09:34 AM
I got too see this going down as well.
I was flying the 6.5m Ozone Method.
At one point, the BLADE came crashing down on top of me. However, I got out from under it and then had a great wall in front of me that allowed me to
QUICKLY pull my Method into a ball and get the heck out of there.
John is right...it was a weird day. It really did ramp to ludicrious speed while we were not watching.
However...great day. Epic.
Proletariat - 24-2-2013 at 12:12 PM
heh... ludicrous speed.
snowspider - 25-2-2013 at 07:40 AM
Getting whacked by your "safety equipment" just messes with your head (no pun intended but certainly appropriate). I'm getting used to putting on my
helmet as I'm getting the kites out of the van.
erratic winds - 25-2-2013 at 12:43 PM
for me its, ok, armored up, I can get the kitebag out of the car. Kitebag on the ground, put helmet on. Helmet on? Alright, let's get to pumping up
a kite!