Sherman accident 6/13

[friggin old guy]

if you're on land and keep your kite at Zenith, you can get lofted....once you get pulled up, you'll most likely have your bar pulled all the way down, powering the thing up even more.

If you keep it at an angle, you will be able to resist the pull of the kite. As you do this, it will most likely head towards the edge of the window, which gives you a way to depower it in addition to being able to sheet out on your bar.

I always cringe when I see folks with their kites straight up, especially on gusty days.....the hindenburg thing can be UGLY

[marinkiter]

Walking the kite out and down the path at Sherman with a 20-30 mph tailwind, it's not easy to figure out how to keep it at an angle (for me at least). It seems to want to stay at 12. Any tips on holding it at an angle in that situation?

[windhorny]

you wouldnt in that situation. Another good reason to NEVER have your kite at 12 is that if it hindenburgs, you will get a quick neck snapping yank when it catches wind again. Of course this is a lot less likely when there is wind. This is something you see more of at alameda.

[le noun]

Walking the kite out and down the path at Sherman with a 20-30 mph tailwind, it's not easy to figure out how to keep it at an angle (for me at least). It seems to want to stay at 12. Any tips on holding it at an angle in that situation?

just launch from the beach then.

[Bulldog]

I think Marinkiter is talking about walking back to land his kite...

Any time you are walking downwind (with a tailwind) you can just run towards your kite if it is pulling too hard, exactly as you would if you were riding downwind to get back to the beach.

This will slack the lines slightly and kill some of the kite power. The kite will naturally drop a bit in the window each time, keeping it from rising up to 12 oclock.

[NCKite_Ryder]

just launch from the beach then.

Realistically launching from the beach is a dead. 5 years ago the majority of people launched there except for the locals. Sherman has way to big of a crowd now to be launching on the beach. (yes Le Noun we know you are a bartender and kite Monday's at 11:00am). And I've seen attitude thrown at people pumping and launching on the beach. I've come in at Sherman LIT LIT LIT! type of lit like it ramps from 12m to 6m within half hour. Walking down the path I literally keep one hand on my safety release ready to pop it if i happened to get lofted, thankfully I never have as Bulldog said walking at your kite will kill the power.

I don't get why the community doesn't clear out a large zone near the launch to handle more kites, for safety reasons. Is it an environmental thing? This whole Sherman injury thing seems to happen about once every two years. And its always the same injury of someone getting lofted into the brush cause they have to keep their kite at noon.

[Tunces]

just launch from the beach then.

I don't get why the community doesn't clear out a large zone near the launch to handle more kites, for safety reasons. Is it an environmental thing? This whole Sherman injury thing seems to happen about once every two years. And its always the same injury of someone getting lofted into the brush cause they have to keep their kite at noon.

I second that motion and will bring a garage full of tools to help the cause....

[cliftoncutshall]

Launching from the beach.... No problems. Old school locals, instructors, newbs, myself on occasion when the upper launch is crowded. I also land there when the wind is shifty and light so I do not out walk the breeze in my kite. It is the safest bet by far Just remember to look for traffic coming down the path and do not put your kite up in front of someone approaching the beach. Right of way always goes to the kite in the air already. Never be in a rush to get on the water. Your turn will come.

just launch from the beach then.

Realistically launching from the beach is a dead. 5 years ago the majority of people launched there except for the locals. Sherman has way to big of a crowd now to be launching on the beach. (yes Le Noun we know you are a bartender and kite Monday's at 11:00am). And I've seen attitude thrown at people pumping and launching on the beach. I've come in at Sherman LIT LIT LIT! type of lit like it ramps from 12m to 6m within half hour. Walking down the path I literally keep one hand on my safety release ready to pop it if i happened to get lofted, thankfully I never have as Bulldog said walking at your kite will kill the power.

I don't get why the community doesn't clear out a large zone near the launch to handle more kites, for safety reasons. Is it an environmental thing? This whole Sherman injury thing seems to happen about once every two years. And its always the same injury of someone getting lofted into the brush cause they have to keep their kite at noon.

On clearing new space....
Better check with Bob first! This is a public park.You cannot simply show up with tools and start a landscaping project

[etxxz]

two days ago a friend of mine flew over his mt bike's handlebars and had the break lever tear his femoral vein. lost 5 liters of blood by the time he got air lifted to the hospital and almost died. shit happens. There's nothing wrong with Sherman. Why we trying to find the bad and tear the place apart. We still don't know exactly what this guy did. We can't baby proof everything. I've walked down that path pretty lit too and have held down a few others coming in too. It was my fault i stayed out in those conditions. Lesson learned.

If you want to help bring carpets and weed wackers to clear the path's. Not to make the landing area handle more kites, you can't more cars in the parking lot anyways.

[NCKite_Ryder]

You have a point... but if they shut down Sherm for shit like this we will regret not "baby-proofing" it.