Kevin passed along some more specifics about his study listed below. There have been very few studies like this, perhaps four worldwide that I have heard about since kitesurfing was started.
There is much we don't know and would benefit from learning about kiting injury mechanisms, not only folks in the kiting industry but also care givers such as orthopedists, surgeons, rehab. specialists and the like.
Specific Aims:
The overall purpose of this study is to determine the frequency, severity and mechanism of injury in beginner, intermediate and expert kiteboarders.
Specific aims include:
•To determine the likelihood of injury based on experience levels of kiteboarders.
•To determine if experience levels (beginner, intermediate, or expert) influence the frequency, severity and mechanism of injury sustained by kiteboarders in each of these skill level groups.
•To determine if specific kiteboarding activities predispose kiteboarders to increased injury.
Specific Questions to be Addressed:
•What is the likelihood (odds ratio) of injury for beginners relative to intermediate kiteboarders, and beginners relative to expert kiteboarders?
•What is the likelihood of beginner kiteboarders sustaining an injury within the first 20 hours of kiteboarding?
•How severe are injuries sustained by the kiteboarders in the beginner, intermediate and expert groups?
•Is there a specific maneuver (jumping, landing, etc.) that elevates the risk of sustaining a kiteboarding injury to beginner, intermediate and expert kiteboarding groups?
•Does familiarity with equipment influence the rate of injury in kiteboarding?
•What is the distribution of injuries to the body in kiteboarding?
I believe this is an important study, please participate if you can. It is open to all kiteboarders whether injured in the last year or not.
http://www.stats-consult.com/survey-signup.html