Ha - put this under techinique cause it was a case of lack of the above.
So... I am havin a monster downwinder sesh on my old 9m C (which I love) in 23kts or so, nothing extraordinary, just good wind and doing some huge (for me about 8m or so) boosts and for the 1st time really riding some waves etc. A few big rib busters but all good and a huge smile on my dial.
So then on the way back out (past the break) I go to do a little semi-boost (you know just a little lift - not really goin for it) off a swell face that lifted up and the lip just catches a bit so that I get a bit inverted and sideways on the lift. "No probs" thinks I "I'll just go with it and do the ol' dead man routine and correct on the way down". Wrong!!
Too much momentum and because of the sideways trajectory, I somehow managed to flick my board (twin-tip) straight through my front lines (the board then turned to get stuck on the other side of the lines with me still stuck in the board straps) at the same time as my safety leash (connected to my 5th line) bizarrely flings around and snaps tight around my legs/bum/feet. "WTF!! This isn't gonna be pretty!! Get ready for the splash down and go from there" I was thinking (in the < 2 secs available) not fully aware how tangled I was at that stage.
SPLASHH!!! Upside down and sideways/backwards then things became clear how stuck i was the lines powered up (this is all in a matter of 3 secs or so). It is all a bit unclear what happened (well i was inverted travelling backwards/sideways at the time) but I think the 5th line/safety leash was wrapped 3-4 times around my legs/feet/board meaning i couldn't get out of my straps - still upside down and getting lifted back up by the kite doin it's own thing not fully powered but certainly the best part of it.
I had ejected the bar by this point but to no avail as the whole setup was tangled around me/board and unable to power down and I am being dragged by my feet!! Anyone who has ever tried to lift their weight from being held upside down will know how hard it is (spesh for a jelly belly such as I) to lift up - let alon do anything).
Anyway, somehow after about 2-3 lofts/drags and failed attempts to pull the 5th line to reduce power, I managed (I think) to get my legs over the front lines (so they were behind my knees) to get enough freedom to move my feet and get out of the straps after another drag or two. It pulls like fek but I get out of the board and get my legs (after one more big pull by the kite) out of the lines. Then some very frantic back paddling and rotating of legs etc to be free of the kite as the bar goes up the 5th line and the kite begins to collapse.... I am totally in shock by this stage but aware of several minor cuts from the lines and potentialy a nasty number on my calf back of my right knee etc.
All up I was EXTREMELY lucky!! I copped a real hammering but could seriously have bit the big one or de-gloved my calf etc!!
I'm not really sure if I could have done much else in the situation (after making the error in judgement to go with the invert that is) as I don't know If I could have got to the lines with my kiteknife due to the way I was being dragged. I will admit though it didn't actually occur to me which is not good. I was just thinking "Fek!! Get ya legs kn free!! Fek!! Get ya legs kn free!! Fek!! Get ya legs kn free!!".
Anyhoo - what it has taught me is to NEVER be complacent even when going a Mickey Mouse little boost and that I will be looking for a cheap 2nd hand hybrid/bow kite with 100% depower on the bar before the end of the season.. I am oh so broke but I will find a way (or it may kill me
).
Oh I will also stop inverting too (which I used to do ages ago but weirdly only started doing for fun again recently).
Soooo sooooo lucky. Very lucky i had a relatively small kite for the conditions too.
