Don't kite surf during a tropical storm

There's a potential darwin award winner.

Did anyone else get the Vestas ad for wind turbines before watching this video? That is pretty good targeted advertising if you ask me.:D
 
Ken Ibold said:
But Fay is such a cute little storm! We're actually looking forward to going to the beach when it hits us.
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I am hoping it will refill Okechobee!

I am also glad it took a turn east. My stepdad is moving into his new place yesterday and today and he really could do without all the rain.
 
smigaldi said:
I am hoping it will refill Okechobee!

I am also glad it took a turn east. My stepdad is moving into his new place yesterday and today and he really could do without all the rain.
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We have some honeymooners staying at our condo in Sarasota. They sounded kinda sad the bulk of the storm was going to skirt them. However, the bride's mom -- my wife's best friend -- was going nuts, probably thinking all named storms pack the punch of Andrew or the chaos of Katrina.
 
Ken Ibold said:
We have some honeymooners staying at our condo in Sarasota. They sounded kinda sad the bulk of the storm was going to skirt them. However, the bride's mom -- my wife's best friend -- was going nuts, probably thinking all named storms pack the punch of Andrew or the chaos of Katrina.
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People do seem to think that.

I have been in several hurricanes and TSs as I am sure you have. Most of the time they are not all that bad.
 
smigaldi said:
People do seem to think that.

I have been in several hurricanes and TSs as I am sure you have. Most of the time they are not all that bad.
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I agree. We survived a direct hit from Andrew in Miami, and I would not like to replay that. Our general feeling is TS or 1 means party time, 2 - ride it out, 3 - usually hunker down, 4 or 5 - flee.
 
Ken Ibold said:
I agree. We survived a direct hit from Andrew in Miami, and I would not like to replay that. Our general feeling is TS or 1 means party time, 2 - ride it out, 3 - usually hunker down, 4 or 5 - flee.
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I generally agree with that. Cat 3 is where I start to want to go too. Cat 4/5 get out of dodge! I was in Texas for Hurricane Allen. Close enough to a cat 5 for me! Thank goodness it dropped in power just as it was hitting or else....
 
smigaldi said:
I generally agree with that. Cat 3 is where I start to want to go too. Cat 4/5 get out of dodge! I was in Texas for Hurricane Allen. Close enough to a cat 5 for me! Thank goodness it dropped in power just as it was hitting or else....
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Yeah, Cat 3 is borderline. Depends on the location, the house, the surroundings, how well prepared you feel. Afterall, in the words of Ron White, "it's not that the wind is blowing, it's what the wind is blowing. If you get hit by a Volvo, I don't care how many sit-ups you did that morning."
 
All I can say is that it made me think of this:

Oh, he floats through the air
With the greatest of ease,
This daring young man
On the flying trapeze;
 
I'll readily admit I don't know squat about kite surfing, but that is some SERIOUS hand strength!!! The video isn't great so I can't tell if he is somehow harnessed to the kite, but at what point do you....ohhhh I don't know....LET GO?!

Jason
 
Jason...if you watch the vid again and see the guy in the shorts/white t-shirt walking towards the downed idiot you will see him wearing a harness.

You are actually clipped to the kite....

Sorry...but my tolerance and sympathy for "thrill seekers" and "adrenaline junkies" has hit just about zero. It was a TS with 30-40-50mph winds and these idiots say "lets go kiting?" Most people want the thrill but forget all about the danger.
 
tdager said:
Jason...if you watch the vid again and see the guy in the shorts/white t-shirt walking towards the downed idiot you will see him wearing a harness.

You are actually clipped to the kite....

........
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Yea, similar to what we use in windsurfing... but there IS a release that should have been used.

This guy was certainly not experienced and needed to be more careful. However, there is a bit of risk in this sport. I've spent some time with the kiters, but kept to my windsurfing....

Now, this past week was great for windsurfing... out usually twice a day, having a ball.....
 
From WSVN:
http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/MI95252/
"Luckily, I didn't hit a big wall at that kind of speed. It looked like the ground took some of my fall," said Kearney.
....
Kearney said even with what he's been through, he'll be right back out with the rest of them.
....
The accident was a very costly one for Kearney. His medical bills will cost him between $75,000 and $100,000, and he doesn't have medical insurance.
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So .... the ground broke his fall?
 
OK...now I will say MORON!

So this guy has no insurance, gets hurt badly through his own stupidity, and then has the gall to say "I will be right back out there"?!

I hope the hospital nails his ass to the wall for their money...because I have a feeling he is going to try to get out of paying the bill.
 
tdager said:
OK...now I will say MORON!

So this guy has no insurance, gets hurt badly through his own stupidity, and then has the gall to say "I will be right back out there"?!

I hope the hospital nails his ass to the wall for their money...because I have a feeling he is going to try to get out of paying the bill.
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You would hope that once he inevitably files bankruptcy the hospital can attach the windsurfing equipment as an asset.

I know. Dream on.
 
Pi1otguy said:
You're just mad that he has more brass then all of us. :rolleyes:
If only I could become so brave.
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smigaldi said:
I lived on the east coast of Florida and have seen my share of the morons that surf the TS and hurricanes. They have no brass ones nor do they have any grey matter.
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No, we're mad because the rest of us get to pay the 100K bill for the results of his bravery.

My take is if these doofs say it's their life to do with as they please we get to say "OK, then, see if your buddies can chip in for the band-aids to patch you up."
 
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