My lesson of the week

[Steve-O]

Here's a good one. Gabe and I were kiting early Christmas morning when that nasty storm was approaching. Winds were 20 knts and on the increase. Beach was empty and it was time to come as we were getting over powered on 9m and 12 m. Anyway, big dude with family on the beach was watching us. We didn't want to self land in those winds so I walked over to ask him "Can you give me a hand getting my kite down?" Before he got done saying "sure", he grabbed my bar and starting to send my kite toward the ground of course powering it up. Quickly got a faceplant in the sand and starting to drag down the beach.

Luckily kite hit sand, and I quickly got it back up in the air. Thank you bow kite. Saved my ass once again. So with a face full of sand, walked up to the guy and said "man, don't touch anything until I explain what it going to happen." We got the kites down and went home.

Lesson learned......next time I approach a non kiter for help the conversation will go something like this....."Please don't touch anything, but do you think you could help me get my kite down?" It's amazing what we learn through experience.

[Kamikazi]

WOW... I'm not sure how to reply without sounding very rude, but....you let someone grab your bar??? That is not very smart. I espect you will give an esplanation but... that is dumb. I can understand someone thinking someone knows how to catch a kite, also dumb, I cant understand how some dude just grab your bar????

Paz
Jaime

[bayflite]

one things4 sure
xpect the unxpected

[inferno]

Originally Posted by Kamikazi

WOW... I'm not sure how to reply without sounding very rude, but....you let someone grab your bar??? That is not very smart. I espect you will give an esplanation but... that is dumb. I can understand someone thinking someone knows how to catch a kite, also dumb, I cant understand how some dude just grab your bar????

Paz
Jaime

i dont think he wanted the guy to grab the bar....

[Kamikazi]

yes, but he did.

[C. Moore]

I had a guy grab my bar once. We were talking on the beach and I looked towards the water and next thing I knew this guy grabbed my bar.. The kite started looping and I was running down the beach and he wouldn't let go. I quickly and forcefully knocked his had off my bar. The winds were very light and the only injury I sustained was picking sand burs out of my feet.

I have learned a valuable lesson. Keep non kiters a good 6 foot radius from me.

[Wolfie]

I read about this on www.kiteforum.com once. This happens more often than you would think. It seems that some in the public have this uncontrolled urge to reach out and grab a bar. I have no idea why, but I have now heard of at least 5-7 cases.

[bryanleighty]

Originally Posted by Kamikazi

WOW... I'm not sure how to reply without sounding very rude, but....you let someone grab your bar??? That is not very smart. I espect you will give an esplanation but... that is dumb. I can understand someone thinking someone knows how to catch a kite, also dumb, I cant understand how some dude just grab your bar????

Paz
Jaime

this reply to Steve's story makes absolutely no sense and borderlines on ignorance.

gawkers on the beach have no clue and they see the pretty kites and how fun it looks.. some people just like to touch things and have no idea how dangerous it can be.

i had some beach runner refuse to go around my lines and kite as i was trying to do a self launch a couple days ago.. she purposely walked through my lines rather than go around.

would you call me dumb and stupid because she did that?

hope not.

[Steve-O]

Obviously I didn't want the guy to grab the bar. As you can read in my first post, I was asking for help. Before he even got done saying sure, his hands were on my bar and pulling the kite down. Wind was honking so it all happened in like a second.

Yeah, I've had people grab my kite bar, as well. It's usually a complete surprise.

If Kamikazi thinks you are to blame for this happening, point Kamikazi out to me at the next session so I can walk up and grab his bar and throw his kite into a full-on loop. I assume that after he gets up off of the ground he won't be jumping up and down blaming himself for the incident.

In a situation like this, there is not much you can do except try to slap the person's hand off of the bar and by then the excitement has probably already started anyhow.