Hi Peeps,

I found this through a friends website in NZ. It is the coronial findings through an inquest of a death of an experienced kiter. I thought it would be a timely reminder that we are not infallible, nor indestructable. Regardless of your experience, make careful, considered choices in the upcoming months.

Winter is coming and with it, fun times, squally winds, big seas and huge waves. Just play it safe and double check everything BEFORE you launch.

Inquest: death a tragic accident

The death of a Nelson land boarder at Wakapuaka on Christmas Eve was a tragic accident and part of the implicit risks involved in the sport, a coroner says.

Coroner Carla na Nagara gave her findings into the death of experienced kite and land boarder Ruben Laas at an inquest held at the Nelson District Court yesterday.

Mr Laas was killed at the Wakapuaka sand flats from blunt head and chest injuries after he was repeatedly slammed into the ground in a kite boarding accident.

Ms na Nagara said Mr Laas' wife, Heather, was helping launch his kite and Mr Laas was almost on his board and ready to go when things went wrong.

He was first picked up by a gust of wind and dragged across the sandflats on his stomach 100m and was then pulled up into the air to a height of 15m.

A couple living on a hill above the sandflats described seeing Mr Laas being lifted up by his kite and being dropped so hard that dust was visible.

His kite filled up and he was pulled across a paddock and dropped hard a further three to four times.

He was initially seen to land on his feet, but in subsequent drops he appeared limp.

Mr Laas came to rest when his kite got caught in a fence.

His safety gear and padding was found scattered across the mudflats.

Heather Laas ran to her husband, but he was unresponsive and an advanced paramedic at the scene later pronounced him dead.

Ms na Nagara said two main issues arose in the inquest into Mr Laas death, the first was the size of his kite and the second related to a safety release mechanism on his kite.

Mr Laas was a vastly experienced and safety conscious land boarder and the kite he was using on the day at 15sqm was considered large for the strong wind.

However, he had used the kite for many years and considered it steady and predictable. He had also been out in similar wind conditions before.

The wind at Nelson Airport at the time was recorded at 26 knots gusting to 32 knots, but evidence at the inquest from people with local knowledge said the wind was stronger at Wakapuaka.

The Coroner said while the large kite may have been challenging in the conditions it was not outside Mr Laas' experience.

Ms na Nagara said the safety release mechanism on Mr Laas' kite was not disabled but had been set up in such a way as to make it extremely difficult to use.

The red toggle pulled to engage the mechanism, was firmly tucked up into a black material casing. This meant it was difficult to access and pull out.

He could have released the kite by pulling it down and unhooking it, but in the strong wind conditions this would have also been extremely difficult to do.
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"With reference to the various means he had to release the kite it needs to be borne in mind the kite would have been under considerably weight and the events were unfolding very rapidly and could be measured more in seconds than in minutes."

Ms na Nagara said it was not uncommon for individuals to set up their kites to their personal preference.

She said things could have been different if Mr Laas had used a different kite and had a different set up on his safety release mechanism, but Mr Laas was very experienced, knew what he was doing and the choices he made were part of the level of risk involved in his sport.

"Having considered all the evidence before me I find his death was a tragic accident, which has to be seen as a reflection of the risk implicit in the activity he was undertaking."

Be safe,

DM

Far out! for my 2c landboarding, strapped in with hard sh!t everywhere around you, is sketchy as hell.

Really sad for this bloke and family.

Timely reminder Mr AKS.

GalahOnTheBay said...


Don't rely on jetskis or boats either:

Nah you just gotta rely on Rowdy.

To add to the first post I don't think his safety release would have helped him working or not by the sounds of things. As it was said the incident happened over a matter of seconds. If you can't unhook you can't release either mostly. Both take a certain amount of dexterity and awareness that you just don't have getting flung around into the ground at the end of a kite.
The lesson to learn here is be aware, careful and smart while kitesurfing. It can be dangerous.

I was going to go play in the bay late this afternoon if the wind swung around enough. DM has done a pretty good job of talking me out of it.

Hi,

Three out of my four near fatal incidences were in wild winter winds.

Avoided one by sheer luck:
Cause = mad gusty wind and luffed kite (lofting/rag doll experience) Missed an oyster encrusted pole by 18 inches! Kite was a write off!

Avoided one by sheer adrenaline/experience:
Cause = rigging error on my part. (Dragged into concrete wall feet first ...... luckily)
Ran along a vertical wall for 20m before lofted onto soft sand then QR out.

Avoided two by experience/skill:
Cause = 30kn onshore gusty wind - Kite luffed (avoided lofting/ragdoll experience into Mullaloo surf club western wall) (fired off QR micro seconds before lines went tight) Luff, Bang, Splat!

Cause = Crazy strong gusts on 2-line kite at Zenith. Lofted high in the air. Unhooked and let go. Badly jarred ankles. (Took about a second)

I too live for the big winds and swells, but I am always extra cautious in the crazy stuff and no longer take the unacceptable risks I used to be comfortable with as a single, bullet/flame proof young male. Perhaps this is why I am around to talk about it today?

No one is exempt from accidents. Be careful! You too Jnr Walks ;-)

DM

AKSonline said...



No one is exempt from accidents. Be careful! You too Jnr Walks ;-)

DM

1 day before my 13th birthday.
Dad bought me a Bandit Dos 5.5m.
25-30Knts and i tried to kiteloop on the beach.
Flew into the mullaloo fence and missed a pole by about 30 cm.
6 stitches in the foot and 1 week without walking, couldn't even use all my new presents.

Anyway moral of the story, if your going to go out in winter weather, whether your a pro or a intermediate rider.
ALWAYS give yourself about 10-15 mins warm up before you do anything to stupid.

Yup,tried looping the 12m standing on the beach one day (just for sh1ts and giggles), I knew it was foolish but sometimes you have to learn from your own mistakes .

Predictable result, lucky it was only 10-12 knots, mmm,crumbed sausage...

Last winter I had my 5.5 m out in about 25-39kn in about solid 5ft swell alls good till I drop my kite in front of a beast of a wave..I pull my safety so it doesnt get pulled shreds by the wave. The kite rolls under the waves gets tangled pops up into the wind starts looping like a mosquito on acid..
MY MISTAKE was attaching my safety to the back of my harness...so as soon as it started looping I was getting dragged backwards unable to reach my QR and heading towards the beach partially underwater like a sea anchor. I got dragged out of the ocean up the beach backwards...like being straddled by a guy in jail... luckily my kite hit the sand and stopped looping after 10m or so... and also that it is a small kite. In hinsight I reckon even an 8m kite would have landed me on the roof of AKS.
Moral of this story attach leash to front of harness also Know instinctively how to activate your safety when you are getting dragged if its not in the auto brain 2seconds can be a killer.
RIP Laas.

AKSonline said...


Come to think of it, nearly killed myself at least once a year.

Be careful anyway!

DM

You're not doing it right!

Good thread by the guardian Marshall!

Don't know how too bring up the Gero Graph but today was sickIf that is the first winter front than let it be.
Bring on the fronts,the only trouble is the rain..

tightlines said...

Wow that was fun.....scary fun.

No graph for where we were but ocean reef shows 15 - 37 knots this arvo, sounds about right.

I disconnected my safety for most of the session because I didn't want to be attached if it all went pear shaped, (there was no-one anywhere downwind).

Timely warning Darren.

ah that front reminded me of two winters ago. Pinna crew dwindled to about 5-10.
Still remember ed waving me in to land my 7 as there was a massive front if I looked over my shoulder.

I love winter and all it's chunky wind. And I love my 5m that Daz sold me for the days when it's not about tricks but simply being out there in the ocean and surviving.

Best thing I learnt was to drop my kite in the water if it gets too crazy. No problems with relaunch with that much wind. I also remember doing a few self rescues just so I didn't have to go onto the shore with a lit kite.

Ahh have to start bringing my gear to work so I can come back for a pinnas winter sesh. No way am I dealing with brighton waves and fronts.

mega squall at cott yesterday about 5pm

absolutely flattened everyone

one kite self packed !

some very experienced kiters said strongest wind ever been in
most ended up at the cove

one guy out to sea on 12 was struggling (kite badly misbehaving)

was very localised as not registered at swannie, thou is a spike on east freo graph

no injuries - more luck than anything one thinks
watch for the rain same story everytime

kitemare at dean st

Hey darren you also forgot the time I hot launched you in 35 to 40 knots when your kite slipped out of my hands

pezza said...

Hey darren you also forgot the time I hot launched you in 35 to 40 knots when your kite slipped out of my hands

Fastest beach skudding I have ever done! Even got airborne over a small bump on the beach. It wasn't a NDE but I did see my life flash before my eyes. Luckily the kite looped and the bridle twist resolved itself by about the second or so loop.

DM