CJP
Watch those North kites. Felix tells me a guy got killed on one at Jupiters Beach in Florida last weekend.

Got the info, no fatality, but this guy is lucky to be alive!!

Benjamin QB Kempe survives kite-surfing accident
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

By Stacy Hicklin

November 28, 2006

With the hit to his head and the bleeding ... they said his life could have gone either way.
Late Sunday afternoon, Benjamin quarterback Conner Kempe was airlifted to St. Mary's Medical Center at West Palm Beach after suffering what looked to be life-threatening injuries in a kite-surfing accident.
'We were met at the door of the hospital by a chaplain -- they had given Conner his last rites,' said Joseph Kempe, Conner's father. 'With the hit to his head and the bleeding ... they said his life could have gone either way.'

Joseph Kempe and his family consider the events of the next 24 hours a miracle. After initially fearing death or paralysis and/or severe brain damage, Conner is expected to make a full recovery. Doctors say he could playing football in 4 to 6 weeks.

Kempe, a junior at Benjamin, was kite surfing along Jupiter Beach and Ocean Trail when a strong gust of wind picked him up and carried him 300 yards to the shore. He went through two metal fences, into a concrete pump cover, over a pole, into the back of a car and finally landed on a curb.

After being highly medicated for 24 hours, Kempe is breathing on his own. He did suffer a slightly bruised lung, a fractured kneecap and facial fractures that can heal without surgery.

This season, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound quarterback threw for a county best 1,806 yards with eight touchdowns. Benjamin qualified for the playoffs, but it lost to Dade Christian 28-21 in overtime in the first round. Kempe has drawn interest from numerous Division I schools and looks to be a highly recruited player entering his senior year.

'They said that if he wasn't a football player and in such good off shape, not many would have survived what he did,' Joseph Kempe said.

quote:

---

Originally posted by GalahOnTheBay

quote:

---

Originally posted by kkiter

Hey CJP
Could that internet problem be a profile change?

---

lol - yeah obviously too busy posing and posting as the gaylah, ummm I mean me...

---

Yup and let me tell you the Maroochydore locals think your a top bloke. They really appreciated all the grog you shouted them during the two weeks "you" were up there.
By the way it was chalked up on account - the Maroochy surf club will be billing you direct - thanks for the identity loan GALAH - I had a really goooood time

Gave myself a good rogering at Wanda today. Snapped a pulley line on my 9m SB and my kite went looping. I went from 50m out from the beach to the dune in 20 secs, dragging hard over the sand. The fence stopped my kite. I did manage to unhook, but with people around was reluctant to let go. Thanks to the bloke who came charging in, ditched his board and ran up the beach with his kite to help. Your a champ. It all happens pretty quick. Glad I wasnt at Dolls or Kurnell or the concrete would have stopped me.

That sounds like the knob heads that were the topic of the thread posted by Steve a few weeks back, The one that nearly took out a beginner. Sounds like the naming and shaming did not work.

I remember a few years back one of the knobs got slapped around by a surfer at Bondi.... no wonder eh.

I had a safety leash on. Because of the numerous loops my kite had done, I was powered up, even on the safety. My only real option was to disconnect the safety and let it all go.

agree, you need a safety that works man.... regardless of how many line cross-overs you get from looping the kite, your safety should still work. If it does not and you can't pull your final release to ditch the kite because of sun bathers/beach goers down wind of you, you kitesurfing in the wrong place... Do a site scan before you kill yourself and others..

Bo,

It depends on how you connect the leash. On the Flexifoil Atom you have two options. The first is for more risky situations which connects the leash from just below the safety release to the left outer line to flag the kite to one line (total depower) and still be able to spin the bar. The other system (the mini fifth line to the front two lines) is for when on the water and quick relaunch is wanted rather than a swim back with a bunch of messed up lines. This depowers the kite a lot and the kite will sit at the edge of the window waiting for you to grab the bar and go again. I take it as the decison of the rider as to what setup of leash to use depending on their own risk assessment of the area and conditions. There is also the option to connect a fifth line to the kite as well.

Kiters this thread has now been extended to include communications about the newly forming kiteboard club in Sydney.
cheers
col

Max is right Col you were soaring round the bay like a great GALAH on the wing.

No doubt about it CJP was getting some serious air at KKK country 20 to 25 foot plus, but biggest air of the day goes to the Saint Moritz 30 foot plus at Dolls.

People are always saying Moritz has got his head in the clouds.
CJP, you are definitely getting up around the 25ft mark on the good days.

"Pulling off the biggest jumps", or "pulling off on his biggest jumps"?

Actually at his age, the memory isn't what it used to be, and he was trying to get high enough to see where his house is so he could find his way back home.

No comprende

Cabron taught me. I also learnt a few other choice words after he inverted his Contra today.