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Out of control at Rowena
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SeaTurtle



Joined: 08 Jul 1999
Posts: 22

PostPosted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 12:16 am    Post subject: Out of control at Rowena Reply with quote

First session: some guy did not look before flipping his jibe & nearly caused a collision. I had to lay it down to avoid the crash & almost broke my foot. Rule #1. Look before you initiate a jibe. You idiot!

Session two: the kiter, BS (his real initials) lost control of his kite at the west end of the beach. What the heck was a kiter doing at the far west end?
Pat, the volunteer ranger, saw him launch on the east end & his fellow kiters who launched him told him his kite was too big for the conditions.
He still went out.

I was entering the water and the kite was quickly approaching me. Then the lines landed on me. Then the kited was on top of me & I was underwater. I was terrified and both my dog and I had kite lines on both of our bodies. I was able to shove the lines aside and pushed my entangled rig downwind and was able to escape after what seemed like an eternity of fighting for my life.

It was blowing about 30. Ranger Pat got the kite on land & took care of the situation.

I was not decapitated, but could could have lost limb or life. It was the most horrifying experience. Kiters should never be upwind of a windsurfer. Those signs on the beach are ther for a reason. Even though BS had 10 years of kiting experience, he was out of control & kindly admitted that multiple times.

The kiters need to be in their own space. How can this be enforced before someone does loose their life?



Pat told the kiters
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 9:22 am    Post subject: Re: Out of control at Rowena Reply with quote

SeaTurtle wrote:
How can this be enforced before someone does loose their life?

IMO, first comes peer pressure, then personal request, then official intervention (e.g., ranger, then sheriff), then direct confrontation, then whatever it takes to protect oneself. The sequence may be adjusted according to the threat level; being draped in lines warrants both immediate defensive action and ensuring it does not happen again. I also strongly recommend video recording his actions in case documentation becomes important.
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cgoudie1



Joined: 10 Apr 2006
Posts: 2597
Location: Killer Sturgeon Cove

PostPosted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 9:36 am    Post subject: Re: Out of control at Rowena Reply with quote

So a windsurfer almost took you out and so did a kiter. I'm supposing you
made Pat aware of the windsurfer no-look jibing problem also?
Just say'n, you can be kooked hard from either sport.

It was a howler yesterday from about 1:30 until about 4 at Doug's as well.
that kind of wind definitely ups the anti.

-Craig

SeaTurtle wrote:
First session: some guy did not look before flipping his jibe & nearly caused a collision. I had to lay it down to avoid the crash & almost broke my foot. Rule #1. Look before you initiate a jibe. You idiot!

Session two: the kiter, BS (his real initials) lost control of his kite at the west end of the beach. What the heck was a kiter doing at the far west end?
Pat, the volunteer ranger, saw him launch on the east end & his fellow kiters who launched him told him his kite was too big for the conditions.
He still went out.

I was entering the water and the kite was quickly approaching me. Then the lines landed on me. Then the kited was on top of me & I was underwater. I was terrified and both my dog and I had kite lines on both of our bodies. I was able to shove the lines aside and pushed my entangled rig downwind and was able to escape after what seemed like an eternity of fighting for my life.

It was blowing about 30. Ranger Pat got the kite on land & took care of the situation.

I was not decapitated, but could could have lost limb or life. It was the most horrifying experience. Kiters should never be upwind of a windsurfer. Those signs on the beach are ther for a reason. Even though BS had 10 years of kiting experience, he was out of control & kindly admitted that multiple times.

The kiters need to be in their own space. How can this be enforced before someone does loose their life?



Pat told the kiters
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philodog



Joined: 28 Apr 2000
Posts: 209

PostPosted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 10:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don`t care if I have the right of way, I try to never be close behind and downwind of any sailor or kiter. Just not a safe place to be.

As for kitelines, this fits right on your spreader bar strap:

http://www.windance.com/DaKine-Hook-Knife-With-Pocket-KBKA2509/
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johnl



Joined: 05 Jun 1994
Posts: 1330
Location: Hood River OR

PostPosted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 11:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I didn't get to Rowena until around 3pm. Just after all the good wind ended. BUT the parking lot was about 95% full. That is more than I have seen there all year long. That had to create some chaos on the river especially given the high wind. But if you watch people sailing, probably 70 - 80% (I'm being nice I would guess 90%) of the jibes are made without looking. So I assume the person isn't going to look. I try to look all the time but I know I fail to look from time to time. Especially if it is on a really smooth swell.....
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 11:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

philodog wrote:
I don`t care if I have the right of way, I try to never be close behind and downwind of any sailor or kiter. Just not a safe place to be.

As for kitelines, this fits right on your spreader bar strap:

http://www.windance.com/DaKine-Hook-Knife-With-Pocket-KBKA2509/

Both excellent advice, and the former also extends to passing head-on immediately downwind of anyone. They can jump, slash, crash, or warterstart into a full plane with no warning. Whether on the same tack or closing on opposite tacks, I try to leave enough space that the other guy couldn't hit me even if he tried, and so they have room to do any or all of the above without threat to me.

SeaTurtle wrote:
some guy did not look before flipping his jibe & nearly caused a collision. I had to lay it down to avoid the crash & almost broke my foot. Rule #1. Look before you initiate a jibe. You idiot!

If any one person does that too flagrantly or too often for you to just swerve and ignore it, try engaging their emotions -- primarily a good scare -- to wake them up. It works much better than words on site or in print. If their eyes get real big and they abort and crash when they finally spot you, they got the message. The vast majority will look next time. For the ones just too arrogant, stupid, or aggro to learn, next time you might add words, followed any NEXT time by a hull tap. (That's where cheap or tough boards are handy.)

If all else fails and it's all you have time to do, at least curl into a tight ball to protect yourself. The last guy who jibed into me with zero warning and no place to go ended up black and blue all over his left side from a direct cannonball hit at 25 mph, but I barely felt it.

Problem: I can't turn my head enough to be certain there's no one behind me, so I just try to maintain lots of space and look as best as I can. If my eyes get big and I have to abort and crash, I guess I'll have to put rear view mirrors on my helmet.
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scottwerden



Joined: 11 Jul 1999
Posts: 302

PostPosted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 12:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't have much sympathy for the complaint of being jibbed into. (a) you can see when someone in front of you is prepping to jibe, and (b) you should not be sailing close on someone's lee anyway. Sail defensively and just be aware that most gorge sailers need lots of downwind space for slashing and the like.
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 12:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

scottwerden wrote:
I don't have much sympathy for the complaint of being jibbed into. (a) you can see when someone in front of you is prepping to jibe, and (b) you should not be sailing close on someone's lee anyway. Sail defensively and just be aware that most gorge sailers need lots of downwind space for slashing and the like.

Yes, but them mid-river, no-notice jibes can be a beyatch. Very Happy
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anthwind



Joined: 22 Apr 2001
Posts: 24

PostPosted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 1:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

philodog wrote:
I don`t care if I have the right of way, I try to never be close behind and downwind of any sailor or kiter. Just not a safe place to be.

As for kitelines, this fits right on your spreader bar strap:

http://www.windance.com/DaKine-Hook-Knife-With-Pocket-KBKA2509/


I windsurf and kite. I have had a knife on my windsurfing harness for the last 9 years. It was given to my by friend kiter. A little insurance is cheap.
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CUSalin



Joined: 11 Mar 2001
Posts: 405
Location: Hood River, OR

PostPosted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 2:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rowena is not a very Kite friendly place for the inexperienced. Lots of hazards. Too many Windsurfers. Kiters with brains stay to the East or West of where all the Windsurfers launch and when they do conflicts are rare if alltogether non-existent. That guy had no business trying to land/launch his kite where he was. Doubt if he'll ever do it again.
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