It has been a while since I last wrote on my blog about the things that feel important to me in kiting. While I never forgot about it, there where other duties that required my full attention such as family and building my own house. A bigger impact was required to get back to you in the form of a crazy accident a couple of days ago.
I was kiteboarding at a location in Fuerteventura which I know very well with equipment I feel good and comfortable with in fairly light wind conditions at around 15-18 knots.
The anomaly was the size of the waves which where in the region at 2m, large but not unusual for me. The wind was approaching onshore and as i dropped down on this wave I made the fatal mistake of loosing the tension in my kite lines. As a consequence of my stupidity the kite dropped into the sea and my board washed away as the wave closed out on me.
I wouldn’t be writing these lines if it was only for the matter of a crash but what happened next made me share it with you. It wasn’t long before the next wave hit me and exactly 24m downwind my kite got worked. Feeling the force of the waves through my kite, lines and harness felt like a big truck, ripping me down to the bottom of the sea with just enough air in my lungs to surface. It only takes moments but feels like a lifetime, inhaling and back down into the dark.
A quick strategy adjustment later and I had disconnected from my kite, now trying to save my life from violent waves and further downwind, sharp reef. I must have gotten completely out of breath at this point and there it was - Panik.
Panik in the most horrible form of struggling to breath. Like mountain climbers on top of mount Everest that are missing oxygen, I was trying to take off my wetsuit to get more air in my lungs. Just when I thought I’m going to pass out over the next couple of waves, there he was my savour. Another kiter named Daniel which provided the so needed help. He dragged me out of this hot spot and with his help I could catch my breath again. The rest is history, climbing out over a reef and recovering the kite and lines from the rocks.
Panik is a bitch and one day you’ll meet her, particularly if you put yourself in these conditions. It was my first encounter in many years of kiting and surfing and there is only one thing I can do to make it better. Prepare.
1 comments:
Hi flo its Gary Kruger here from Surfstore Africa in Cape town. You taught me to kite roughly 6 - 7 years ago and i got to level 2 iko instructor. thanks for all that you tough me in the time that you shared instructing me and may you find peace in your kiting venture and new family growth.
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