Lines are visible in the top photos...... The plot indeed does thicken waveslave...

waveslave said...




Can anyone spot the bar & lines ? ^^^
I'm looking for a tangled mess that should be hanging off the kite somewhere ?
I can't see it ...
Which makes me suspect that the runaway kite was not being flown at the time.
Maybe the kite took off during the inflation process ?
Maybe the little kite-pump leash snapped ?
lol.
The plot thickens:

I was told that the bar and lines were attached. The Western Power guy cut the lines and returned the bar to the owner.

rdunlop said...

The kite pulled down two (2) overhead lines of the 22kv main distribution lines

Pulled down ? I can't see this... sounds a bit dramatic.
Maybe it was the take off lines on the insulators etc.
Those aluminium 22kV lines aren't exactly bell wire, look at the size of the shackles and insulators. Its designed to withstand more than a table cloth sized piece of nylon impacting it and wrapping itself around it.

Hopefully I can shed some more light on the story. I was walking my dog at the bent st ramp so wasn't far away. The guy was riding a surfboard and when the little front came through he was clearly struggling with the wind, I was heading that way to land him when he got to the beach but he ditched the kite before he got there, the lines landed on the ankles of a guy pushing a pram waiting to cross the rd, luckily he stepped aside and didn't get dragged or zapped. The lines lay across the road and the kite created a nice fireball dropping two power lines, it didn't continue to burn though.
I moved my car to northern end to direct traffic up penguin rd and when western power came up the right lane with lights on (which was only about 10 mins) an elderly lady tried a U turn right in front of them causing them to lock up, another close call. Once they cut the lines off and cleared the road they disappeared for a while and I took off. Didn't see any cops for the period I was there. Hope that clears up what is and isn't BS.

flynj3 said...

Hopefully I can shed some more light on the story. I was walking my dog at the bent st ramp so wasn't far away. The guy was riding a surfboard and when the little front came through he was clearly struggling with the wind, I was heading that way to land him when he got to the beach but he ditched the kite before he got there, the lines landed on the ankles of a guy pushing a pram waiting to cross the rd, luckily he stepped aside and didn't get dragged or zapped. The lines lay across the road and the kite created a nice fireball dropping two power lines, it didn't continue to burn though.
I moved my car to northern end to direct traffic up penguin rd and when western power came up the right lane with lights on (which was only about 10 mins) an elderly lady tried a U turn right in front of them causing them to lock up, another close call. Once they cut the lines off and cleared the road they disappeared for a while and I took off. Didn't see any cops for the period I was there. Hope that clears up what is and isn't BS.

1.) why ride a surfboard in flat water? the fact that he was riding a surfboard suggests he was more than a beginner however
2.) the way you describe it sounds like he was a little premature in his release, if you gotta get rid of the kite and its not an immediate emergency you don't just ping it off with no regard to whats downwind at least bring it to water/ground then release

Regardless, sounds like someone not experienced enough to ride at the pond...

ffs we don't want them banned from the Pond.

Then they'll all come back to Woodies

ApatheticEnd said...

.... That $120 for a WAKSA membership and 3rd party liability seems like a good idea now i bet.

Knobs.

I'm not having a go at anyone but have a question re insurance...
Does the insurance mentioned cover 3rd party property? (ie powerlines)
I was under the impression it covered 3rd party person (ie man pushing pram)

Miss Jessie said...


I actually take out extra insurance on top of AKSA which gives me more extensive 3rd party insurance and public liability, as my worst fear is hurting someone and as no matter how safe I try and be, anything can happen.

Interesting, (and very true that anything can happen). I read something about this once before. Can you give some of your reasoning and any more detail please?
Taaa

Not living in the area I can't say what the kiting conditions are like.
But I do work for a supply company.
The power pole in the photos has a lot of work done on it in the last 4-5 years, New steel cross arms, insulaters on both the HV & LV & the look of the wires they are aluminium.
The wires can very easily burn off in a phase to phase flash over before the protection kills the line.
EWP's are standard practice & the power crew could not work off the pole on this job as the pole is splinted & there is a union work ban on climbing these poles
Cheers Booga

Could this runaway kite, ^^^
be the result from a snapped death-leash ?
Probably.
Maybe it was a death-leash that had been weakened after undergoing mods by the owner ?
I'm talking about mods in the form of knots to shorten it's length.
Shrunken down the lazy way to prevent the leash drooping, dangling, tangling and deathlooping.

On every kitebeach there lurks unsafe, moded, knotted-up death-leashes.
Runaway kites just waiting to happen.
It's a fact:
Knots tied in bungy-rope will diminish the rated breaking load on the tether by up to 70%.
Don't tie knots in death-leashes.
Don't make an already flawed kite-management system even worse than what it is.

tightlines said...

waveslave said...

Could this runaway kite, ^^^
be the result from a snapped death-leash ?
Probably.
Maybe it was a death-leash that had been weakened after undergoing mods by the owner ?
I'm talking about mods in the form of knots to shorten it's length.
Shrunken down the lazy way to prevent the leash drooping, dangling, tangling and deathlooping.

On every kitebeach there lurks unsafe, moded, knotted-up death-leashes.
Runaway kites just waiting to happen.
It's a fact:
Knots tied in bungy-rope will diminish the rated breaking load on the tether by up to 70%.
Don't tie knots in death-leashes.
Don't make an already flawed kite-management system even worse than what it is.

Or maybe he just wasn't using a leash.

Do you want to make a bet ? ^^^
Are you a gambling man ?
$100 says he was using a death-leash in some form or another.
So is it a bet, dude ?

I am a resident that lives on Hawker and was without power for about an 1.. this was the second time without power in two weeks. The first loss of power was a council worker hit the power poll and live wires came down in my neighbors yard. Luckily their child wasn't in the yard playing. Accidents happen. Kiting on any level should not be banded, locals and visitors just have to kite safe. Follow the rules, always wear a leash.

Thats it ! Ban all council workers

ok guys, this is from a non kiters perspective.
The Who, How and Why of how it got there doesn't really matter to the general public.
The fact is it is a very dangerous situation and could of caused some major injuries to peron/s and babies, not to mention the power distruption.
A couple of you guy's seem to realise this,
Some others seem to think bugger the community, its only a power disruption, no one was injured, its been blown out of proportion, whats the big deal.
I'm really suprised to see some bad attitudes out there.
Most of the kiters I know are responsible guys and we get along great.
Stay safe guy's

Really,
And without power lines the kite blows down the road into an oncoming car that jumps the sidewalk and cleans up two kids.

What do you say then " bring back the power lines and this wouldn't happen"

90+ percent of you guys can do this without having to change the surrounding environment to suit your own mistakes.

From the authorities point of view what is going to be easier.
1, Spend millions on underground power or
2, Ban kiting.
Think outside your own little circle, use what locations you have responsibly when the sh/t hits the fan or power lines don't go blaming everybody else for your stuff up.

I have an insurance broker who finds the best cover for me each year. This year I am with Allianz who are the only insurer to specify that they cover accidents while kiteboarding to 3rd party or property. (They actually specify kiteboarder!) This cover meets and exceeds AKSA. Don't know about power pole, can ask this week.

I have approached AKSA on this issue of paying two insurance twice, proposing that AKSA has only a membership option where the kiteboarder provides a letter of cover from their insurance agent. AKSA responded and said they believe it will cause cost increases for all should they cater for the few who will take this option. Thus no provision for myself to only pay membership was made this year.

Unfortunately I have a different opinion, this is making it more expensive for many kiteboarders as a packaged insurance, kite, house, car can often be much cheaper and easier esp when you have a broker. However I don't know how many people have and want more extensive kiters insurance, so AKSA is probably right.

I started negotiations with an insurance broker firm last week for sponsorship, hopefully a topic of this will ways to improve insurance cover and lower costs for specific for kiters with insurance companies. More to come February.

One thing I do think we need, is a way of policing reckless and dangerous kiters. I'm not saying this dude in this topic here is. It could have been a complete accident. I am referring to a kiter at our local spot seen on a blue moon. I saw and met him for the first time this month. He lived up to his bad reputation. Firstly this guy is an experienced kiter who actually teaches! I saw him launch to the left between sunbathers and not to the right where the beach was clear, crash twice into beach goers standing at the waters edge with his kite, this is not including the numerous other crashes into the sand. My mate also saw him crash into swimmers and I believe also hit a surfer within the 3hr period he was out. What can you do about this guy? I've been told to not even try talking to him as its been tried on several occasions in the past and to just stay clear with my kite as he often crashes into kiters too. ??? (Probs shud have started a new topic on this one, but maybe AKSA can jump in here)