I would to relay my thanks to the three kiters who helped me out at Pinarro Point on Saturday 5 March.

I am an experienced kiter, so this story just goes to show no matter how experienced you are you can get into trouble.

While riding unhooked doing a jump gybe out the back my kite dropped into the water, the chicken loop fell off the hook, this is not normally a problem as your leash depowers the kite. I have a well used harness from flying objects, when the kite powered up it tore the metal loop out of the harness, the stiching must have perished over time.
I saw the kite disappear down wind a long way off the beach.

Three kiteboarders came to help
The first grabbed the bar and was holding both kites waiting for me to swim down wind, it was a long way down wind. Another kiter tried to take me down wind with my board but was unsuccessful. I tried to swim but the person holding the two kites was drifting down wind quicker than I could swim. I saw my kite launch off the water and the kite headed down towards his kite, it look scary to me and I don't blame him for ditching my kite as it could have got ugly quickly.
A third kiteboard came to help as my kite rolled down wind. We attached my board to his leash, then I grabbed the back of his harness and lay on my board, he easily kited me down wind to my kite (my arm is sore today) then he look my board onto the beach and got someone to take care of it. Mean while I self rescued and eventually hit the beach, but he kept watching to until I almost made land fall.

I put my kite on the beach and reset the lines which were not tangled (amazingly).
Ran up, got my board, put the leash on the metal ring on the other side of the harness, self launched and kited back up to the start.

I was a long way down wind and without the help of those guys I would have lost my gear and had a very long swim in.

When I got back to the beach I had to immediately pack up as I had a baby sitter arriving to take care of my daughter as I was off to the rubgy (Western Force v Sharks).
It is unfortunate that I couldn't find and thank the people who helped me out but I thought that maybe they would get my thanks if I posted it on line. If you see me again then I owe you big time, drinks on me.

Many thanks
Mads

Hey Mads
Sounds exceptional but that is a fairly normal afternoon for the pinnas crew if you want to show your appreciation drop some coldy's off at the trailer and I sure Jason (school manager) will make sure that they get given to the right rescuers.
Glad all is well, check your harness though as not all rings etc are set up to load bearing if it goes T!ts up.

There's going to be beer at Pinnaroo! I know where I'll be kiting today!
Oh I do hope it's coopers green.

Hey Mads,

Glad it all worked out and good on ya to the crew who helped out. It's pretty much the same situation I found myself in a few years back when I was on the flat water. Going for an unhooked move, gust tore the bar out of my hands and SNAP goes the connection to my Flying Objects harness where my safety leash is attached. luckily a mate grabbed my kite 100m down the beach and another dude dragged me down there and didn't lose any gear.

I had a look at the harness and the stitching was pathetic at best and wasn't surprised it pulled out. I went back to where I bought it from as it wasn't that old and I was pretty much told to bugger off and sort it myself.

So if you are using a F O harness from a year or so back and doing any unhooked moves/riding suicide. check to see if the connections are double and cross stitched cos if it's not it is definately not a load bearing connection... which seems a bit odd considering what it is actually there for.

Laters

Sounds like this is not an isolated incident with the FO harness.

The fact that everyone looks after each other is one of the reasons I love this sport. People help to launch and land kites, it opens the conversation and I find that this creates connections between kiters. If you see someone in trouble then you give them a hand.

ps had another great day at Trigg but it wasn't as big as yesterday.

Looking forward to the bigs winds predicted on the weekend.

Mads