Hi everyone,

I'd just like to inform all users about an incident that nearly killed me yesterday at main break.

Whist taking off on the first wave of an 8ft set, a rider jumped onto the shoulder of the wave and wouldn't get off. I yelled at the unknown person (not out of anger) to get them off the wave as I was right in the pocket and couldn't go anywhere but down "the line" - the wind direction was a perfect cross shore wind. Unbelievably, when I got this guys attention he told me to f**k off by giving me the finger and continue on the wave. I could go anywhere and we got so close - our kites pretty much nearly touched. The wave engulfed me and I couldn't pull through the back of the wave for fear of both of us getting tangled!! My kite hit the deck and I took five waves on the head got my lines seriously mangled and nearly got dragged to the box - anyone who has kited main break would know that this is not an ideal position to be in...

I returned to the launch beach as soon as I can. I really wanted to confront this guy, not out of anger to punch his lights out but to ask why anyone would put my life and more importantly his life in such danger?? Imagine if he had got tangled up in my lines before those set waves hit (or worse both of us!!), that would potentially be fatal. When I had got to the beach he was gone!!

I want this to be a lesson to all kite surfers... Please, please know the rules!! I had tacked out, was upwind and this guy just shot down on a wave that another kite boarder was on. Regardless of what any of us think our experience is know the rules and if someone starts shouting at you we all need to keep our EGO's in check as they might be trying to warn you about a potential incident which could put lives at risk...

A good link to the rules of kite surfing:
http://www.mauikiteboardingassociation.com/kiteboarding_right-of-way_rules.html

On a positive note:
I ride a 2014 Ozone Reo and many riders (who ride different brands) comment that the kite is not made of a solid construction. That kite took an absolute flogging and was dragging be through the water. When back on the beach, I inspected the kite and there was no sign of any damage, the bladder was still solidly inflated and the stitching looked fine. Hopefully she'll still continue to fly as well as she has been doing, but only time will tell!!

Safe kiting to all of you!!

Shine on,
Shane

Your restraint is admirable, totally understandable if you wanted to cave that ****ers head in.

From what I understood you got rolled. It's only happened to me once but the lines went every where around me .luckily there was no waves behind so I had time to pull everything off me but if a wave had taken the kite I dont think even my knife would have been enough.i was just asking if you think it'd be safer to eject before then.every situation is different so pretty hard question to answer I guess.

You are right that the rules should be followed.

The bit that puzzles me is where you said you couldn't do anything but go down the line. Could you not have ridden out in front of the wave and gone past him then sort it out with him?

I wasn't there so I don't know what really happened but one thing is clear, with the usual Margies circuit you've got at least 100m of riding the swell before the peak to have the discussion and sort out who's wave it is, and take evasive action.

I've had a kiter I know fairly well call me off a wave there when I was on the inside. From their point of view they'd picked up the swell from further out than me. Personally I wasn't convinced, but chose to let it slide and let them have the wave. Pretty standard stuff really.

The long lead up before the peak means there's no need to get caught inside someone else and have a kitemare

** happens though. As the windsurfers say 'that's kiting'. Not worth stressing over one wave, better to avoid the hassle and find another one.

jimmijaz said..

From what I understood you got rolled. It's only happened to me once but the lines went every where around me .luckily there was no waves behind so I had time to pull everything off me but if a wave had taken the kite I dont think even my knife would have been enough.i was just asking if you think it'd be safer to eject before then.every situation is different so pretty hard question to answer I guess.

and your one wave was a knee high beachie that wasn't even really a wave

in waves of consequence, I'd like to think everyone out there is respecting each other

Shane you are a better person than me, that guy would still be picking his teeth out of the sand

theDoctor said..

jimmijaz said..

From what I understood you got rolled. It's only happened to me once but the lines went every where around me .luckily there was no waves behind so I had time to pull everything off me but if a wave had taken the kite I dont think even my knife would have been enough.i was just asking if you think it'd be safer to eject before then.every situation is different so pretty hard question to answer I guess.

and your one wave was a knee high beachie that wasn't even really a wave

in waves of consequence, I'd like to think everyone out there is respecting each other

Shane you are a better person than me, that guy would still be picking his teeth out of the sand

To the doctor: There are so many possibilities in the waves that it's hard to say... In my experience if your kite it's the water towards the waves you need to swim up wind of your kite ASAP hopefully you can get out of the way before your kite and lines come rushing past you. That's pretty lucky with the line entanglement mate!! Not an ideal situation to be in at all!!

bene313 said..

Strange that he acknowledged you and then gave you the FO. Perhaps you did something unknowingly to piss him off? Or angry local disgruntled with holiday tourists?

Maybe but I still wouldn't know what I did to deserve that. He came out of nowhere and I had fully tacked out to the back and didn't cut anyone off?? I suppose that's why I'd like to have a chat with him to understand what his side of the story is...

ShaneHoubart said..

Hunter S said..

I wasn't there so I don't know what really happened but one thing is clear, with the usual Margies circuit you've got at least 100m of riding the swell before the peak to have the discussion and sort out who's wave it is, and take evasive action.

I've had a kiter I know fairly well call me off a wave there when I was on the inside. From their point of view they'd picked up the swell from further out than me. Personally I wasn't convinced, but chose to let it slide and let them have the wave. Pretty standard stuff really.

The long lead up before the peak means there's no need to get caught inside someone else and have a kitemare

** happens though. As the windsurfers say 'that's kiting'. Not worth stressing over one wave, better to avoid the hassle and find another one.

I'm not to sure if the guy was a local or not. I live here but I'm from South Africa. In general the local in Margies are awesome. To be quite honest I've never had one issue, seen any localism or any trouble. Regard picking up the swell from further out, (this is just my opinion) it's a stupid rule as it still compremises safety with an upwind rider. I can relate to guys deliberately stalling to wait for the peak to come to them etc. but ultimately the down wind rider still putting themselves at risk!!

The first one on the swell rule is stated in the link you posted regarding kitesurfing rules

http://www.mauikiteboardingassociation.com/kiteboarding_right-of-way_rules.html

It's a long standing windsurfing rule and one that is applied at Margies in my experience - also at gnaraloo and elsewhere where they waves are decent

My guess is this was the issue with that wave.

If this guy closed you out into a 8ft wave he is a prize c0ck.

Plummet said..

If this guy closed you out into a 8ft wave he is a prize c0ck.

....regardless of any interpretation of right of way rules...

Plenty of shortacking at wave slaves local.

wrapped my lines around kite that dropped in on me once. ended up in tears for both of use but I am sure old mate will think twice before doing that again....so will I

No wonder he left the beach, probably thought he had killed you.

8ft margs with a kite is challenging enough without that Sh.i.t.

waveslave said..

ShaneHoubart said..

Regard picking up the swell from further out, (this is just my opinion) it's a stupid rule as it still compremises safety with an upwind rider. I can relate to guys deliberately stalling to wait for the peak to come to them etc. but ultimately the down wind rider still putting themselves at risk!!

This kind of thing seems to happen a lot at Margies,

usually when the wind is light and the waves are big.

eg:

Kiter No.1 picks up an ocean swell way out the back,

way out of sight, fairly downwind of the main peak.

Kiter No.2 stalls on the inside and grabs the same wave.

Kiter No.2 is upwind of No.1 and is right on the peak.

By this time, Kiter No.1 has fanged upwind along the wave face and is very close to No.2.

Kiter No.1 sticks to his guns and claims the wave. [cause he caught it first]

Meanwhile, Kiter No.2 commits to the drop cause the wave is starting to pitch,

the wind is light and there's no hope of an escape gybe.

Exactly what I thought when I read the first post. Someones caught the wave from well out an is fading into it, only to be snaked, thus he feels justified its his wave, thus the finger back!

[edit] to clarify. Im not justifying what he did. It sounds like he got both riders into a really dangerous situation just because he felt like it was his wave. Better to pull out, and have a conversation on the beach later if he felt it was his wave.

who was on the swell first ?