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Old 02-27-2008, 10:53 PM
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skempthepimp skempthepimp is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Tampa
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That was the craziest experience I have had in kiting yet. First off, it was way more than 12 or 15 seconds, it was more like 40-60. I was way too outta breath for a 12 second run. I also think I recall the kite hitting the water several times because I would slow down and watch to see if you were gonna get the leash off when the kite was down, but the damn thing powered up 3 or 4 seconds later. I can tell you that it seemed like an eternity to me because no matter how fast I ran you were just gonna beat me there. If I did beat the kite I still didn't know what the hell I was gonna try to do. I saw that the tree was in your path and prayed for luck, but I could hardly watch the last second of it because I really thought that I was gonna be 50 feet away from complete horror. Needless to say I am thrilled to be wrong.

When you were being ripped through/across/under the water you were fighting the whole way. What stunned me the most was seeing into a man's eye after he escaped a close call. The adrenaline exhaustion was intense and overwhelming.

When the kite crashed and you got the QR off of you, you crawled OVER a barnacle encrusted slab of concrete just to get to the beach, lay down and regroup. Your first words (besides "Don't touch me"!) were, "I was dead." It was obvious you were in a lot of pain and some shock, but there was also a shock factor of "WTF just happened" and "how am I alive" that is burned in my memory. It could happen at any time folks.

I have re-lived this kitemare a thousand times in my head today and can say that it was just insane and pretty much unforeseeable and inconceivable.

This is definitely a story I will not be sharing with my wife. Some things are better left alone.

Bill, I am just glad you got through it bro. There was nothing you could have done but hope for a little luck. For the first time in my life I realize that the Australian Pine tree isn't such a bad thing after all. Kudos to ya and a speedy recovery.