No worries, Z, I am not calling you out, especially given that you are a lot bigger than I am! Also, I have screwed up while kiting much more often than you have.

What I am trying to convey is the idea that when you kite, if you get worked, it's almost always on...you. Try to look at things like that as you are learning, it will help you to progress. That's been the case with me. I nearly got seriously injured earlier this year in part due to what may be a design weakness in a new kite. My main focus after the beating was not the kite design problem, however, but the mistakes that I made that exposed me to the potential weakness in that kite's design. That focus has so far helped me to avoid a repeat of that incident.

Regarding your launching excitement, I know how you must have felt yesterday. I had a 20M Rhino for two years. I got dragged onto the beach by it more than once, I launched it once with only one of the back lines attached (it didn't steer too well), and I got teabagged on it when I went out with too much power. Each time I got worked because I screwed up somehow.

Here's another example of me screwing up. Last summer in Cabarete, I was hitting some tasty waves on the reef and everything was cool. Then, suddenly--SLAP! I smacked my face on the water as I went over the top of my board just in time to have a wave break on my head. Why? Because my left footstrap came off on one side. I had to track back to my board through the waves, then drag my ass back in to shore, and slog a few hundred yards upwind back to the hotel. I was pissed, but...

What was the real cause of my fall, the footstrap coming loose? No. The real cause of my fall was that I hadn't bothered to tighten the footstraps down for several days, even after several sessions in the waves. It's all in how you look at things.

The main idea I was trying to convey to you is that because there are things that we can not control--wind gusts, equipment failure, etc.--we need to be prepared to deal successfully with those uncontrollable aspects of this sport. When we fail to meet the challenge and get worked, the analysis should almost always be inward and not outward.

Don't take my comments as being negative toward you, Z. I want to see you do well because I expect to see you out there riding with us for years to come. I'll look forward to seeing you out on the water soon.