[ricki]

Some more background, reposted from Facebook:

"F.L. How did she die?"

"S.B. German Silke Gorldt, one of the best kiteboarding ladies of the world, died today at the worldcup in Germany. Th following happend: one kiter let go of the kite and bar and his equipment got tangeled in Silkes lines. the kite started to spin in winds of 6-7 Bft and got so much power that Silke was dragged behind it over two wooden wavebraker and the beach before stopped before a fence. She died on the way to the hospital in a helicopter. When she got dragged she tried to get out of the loop, but couldn't get out of it.

Rick Iossi That sums it up well. In the early days, we were often unable to simply unhook when the kite was fully powered up. We weren't strong enough, the forces could move a car at times. It took several years for reliable quick releases to hit the market after her accident but the tragic occurrence galvanized the industry to create such devices. Some may recall that in the early days kite leashes were common, then were discarded as uncool and interferences with tricks. Anyway, after her accident concerted efforts were devoted to developing spinable kite leashes across the industry. The emergence of wake style kiting in large measure spread the use of kite leashes throughout the sport. Folks got tired of chasing kites more than worrying about runaway kites, either way, it was a turning point for the sport. We have Silke to thank for these measures coming about. Some of us were calling for such reforms prior to that time but her sacrifice pushed things over the top. Rest in peace Silke."