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akjindal
Joined: 27 Sep 2001 Posts: 6
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Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 10:27 am Post subject: Many thanks for the rescue |
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Was sailing at the hatchery on Thrs July 26, when the wind died. I was out the in the middle of the river there wasn't enough wind to waterstart. I spent about an hour trying to get to the Oregon side - swimming my gear and butt sailing when there was enough of a breeze. Eventually I was able to flag down a lone kiter (must have been doing a downwinder) who told a kiter instructer on a jet ski about my situation and he came to my rescue and towed me back in to the hatchery.
Many thanks to AJ from Gorge Gradients and the unkown kiter. |
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isobras
Joined: 17 Jul 2012 Posts: 439
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Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 11:00 am Post subject: |
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Glad you made it, AK, but, really, we need to be able to swim farther and faster than that. The whole river, shore to shore, is only .65 miles at the Hatch. Work on your gear-swimming technique and you should quickly become more self-sufficient and lessen the impact of current and holey winds. SEARCH the forum on the word sidestroke and you should find several discussions on it.
Mike \OO/ |
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ericandholly
Joined: 20 Jun 1999 Posts: 292
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Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 11:36 am Post subject: |
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The kiter is Mitch Panzer. Great guy.
Hopefully the woman on the Ezzy's who screams at kites will read this and realize that not all of us are swell crazed meth heads. Most of us recognize most of you from when we used to sail from the Hatchery. Different toys now, same objective.
Lots of kids are now getting into riding directionals, as well as adults who formally windsurfed. the younger riders will be up in high wind when wake style is less fun. They will make some right of way errors like we all did when first windsurfing in waves. Screaming and cussing is not an effective teaching tool. Moreover, when ones screams and cusses at younger males, they tend to respond rather poorly.
Adults need to act as such. We all have our moments, but a few of you need to do a lot better. There are going to be more kites at The Hatchery. More spreading out and civility will be required. More education will be important for folks new to the patterns on the swell train.
By the way, when a windsurfer screams down wind to get on a swell that I am already on as they are headed on a port tach, me on starboard, it really doesn't bother me at all, providing you then jibe and we ride it together in the same direction. If I know you, and know that you are good I kind of like doing figure 8's down wind. If, however, you scream down wind, drop onto something that I'm on and expect me to yield and glare/cuss etc you are a tool and I will not reward your infantile behavior, and poor river etiquette. If you bogart onto a swell, smile, point where you'd love to go, I may just give it to you. I'll certainly make every effort to share.
Respectfully,
Eric
Last edited by ericandholly on Fri Jul 27, 2012 10:26 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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ckeller
Joined: 21 May 2002 Posts: 6
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Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 2:50 pm Post subject: |
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I was saved by a kiter as well when my mast broke at Arligton last year. I was half way across the river and it was getting dark. As far as I am concered kites can and should be on any part of the river, I feel safer when they are around. |
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acctx
Joined: 28 May 2008 Posts: 76
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Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 6:20 pm Post subject: |
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ckeller wrote: | I was saved by a kiter as well when my mast broke at Arligton last year. I was half way across the river and it was getting dark. As far as I am concered kites can and should be on any part of the river, I feel safer when they are around. |
I was kiting, had a huge crash, literally lost my boardshorts. While putting them back on I lost track of my board, body dragged for about 15 minutes couldnt find it and had no idea where it was. A kind windsurfer brought it back. |
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caustic
Joined: 12 Jul 2009 Posts: 5
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Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 6:57 pm Post subject: |
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acctx wrote: | I was kiting, had a huge crash, literally lost my boardshorts. While putting them back on I lost track of my board, body dragged for about 15 minutes couldnt find it and had no idea where it was. A kind windsurfer brought it back. |
How did he know you were a kiter if you weren't wearing board shorts? I would have thought you were a windsurfer that had gotten tangled up with someone's kite. |
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mchaco1
Joined: 08 Sep 2010 Posts: 645
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Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 7:39 pm Post subject: |
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I was "rescued" by one of the kiteschool jet skis at the event site a month or two ago, and always have concerned kiters checking up on me when Im riding the elevator |
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isobras
Joined: 17 Jul 2012 Posts: 439
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Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2012 5:25 pm Post subject: |
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ericandholly wrote: | Hopefully the woman on the Ezzy's who screams at kites will read this and realize that not all of us are swell crazed meth heads. |
I have no interest in WSing without swell, but ... screaming at someone because they also enjoy it? What's with that?
I knew there was a valid reason I moved out east rather than to Hood River.
Mike \OO/ |
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akjindal
Joined: 27 Sep 2001 Posts: 6
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Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 2:25 pm Post subject: |
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I went over to the Gorge Gradients hut the next day to thank them again. They said they are fine to use their jetskis to help people people out - kiters and windsurfers - as a community service . In fact, AJ told me that after he helped me and was on his way back to the Event Site, he saw another windsurfer walking his gear along the OR shore and stopped and towed him in.
Hopefully knowing that can help calm down some of the rage against the rise of kiteboarding. |
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akjindal
Joined: 27 Sep 2001 Posts: 6
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Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 2:38 pm Post subject: |
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Isobras - I did a search on "sidestrokeand read a few of the articles in the threads (but not all...)
I've been in a situation like this before and I know the techniques for self-rescue (at least in theory). De-rigging on the water and paddling in didn't work so well for me the last time. I ended up losing my sail and mast and could only save my boom and I paddled my board in. But it was OK because I really didn't like that sail anyway
In this situation, I had a plan that if I didn't feel like I could swim all my gear in, I would ditch the rig again and paddle my board in. It was still breezy and I was hoping that the wind might pick up again but if help was available I would take it since it would save a lot of time and money.
I supposed I could practice swimming my gear to be more efficient. While I was in the water I was feeling glad that I work out regularly so I had the strength and endurance to keep trying and not panic due to fatigue. |
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