Kitesurf Kitemare: anchored self launch goes wrong

Luckily everyone was safe, but I was out with my friend for a kitesurfing session, and his self launch anchor (sand anchor plus line and caribiner) came out of the ground while my kite was attached to it. It flew across the field into the neighbors yard, and we had quite an adventure trying to get the kite back down.
Music:
New Shoes by Blue Wednesday
Ghostwrite by RJD2
Gear:
Camera - Panasonic GH5, GoPro 9, Gopro 10, GoPro Max,
Kites - Core Xlite 12m , Core Nexus 2 9m, Core XR4 15m, 12m, 9m, 7m, Sensor 3 Bar
Kiteboard - Core Fusion 138, Nobile Infinity Foil Splitboard, Slingshot Celero Surfboard
Foil - Slingshot Hoverglide with Space Skate , Infinity 76, Apollo 60 wings
Gear - Ion Booster Vest, NP Helmet, Patagonia 3/2 wetsuit, Solite Boots

[@kippywylie]

Not sure if this helps. But I launch solo every winter for 5 months where I live in Mexico..... since I'm the only kiter around. Here's my pointer: After your CL is secure and you are placing the kite on its edge for your launch... As you walk back towards your kite try to immediately reach and guide down a front line during you walk towards the bar... Preferably the upper front line. And never a steering line. You will have the line gentle between your fingers ready to arrest the kite should it lull and surge as yours did here. With the front line you have near zero risk of line burn

[@KitesurfingAcademy]

One can never get enough of those safety tips when it comes to self-launching. Thanks for sharing, man! Thanks for helping us learn! Best!

[@erbartlett]

I went back and self launched by dragging the wing into the wind and had no problems with lulls and gusts :) lesson learned

[@trTMNN]

Really nice that you stepped over your ego and decided to make a very informative video about the things that can go wrong with manouvres that in 99% of the video's seem to go smooth.

[@erbartlett]

Im just an average person that loves kitesurfing, and my hope is that sharing these experiences will lower the difficulties for others to enjoy the sport! Kiting always puts my ego in check, whether it’s kitemares or just the challenge of learning a new trick or learning to foil…

[@jeroenwesselink7337]

Wauw, a real Kitemare. Thanx for sharing, learns me a lot about kiting 😅

[@erbartlett]

Fortunately I wasn't connected to it, and no one was around to get hurt. Figured its a good lesson for everyone out there to see what happened, and learn how to better manage the same situation!

[@TomKitesurf-Passion]

Oh wow i were very feared about that powercable! Nice rescue job :)

[@erbartlett]

The buddy that came to help me had experience working with powered lines and just took care of that part. The hard part was the tree branch since it was almost 30ft up

[@gregakespret7751]

Glad nobody got hurt! Good video

[@erbartlett]

Thanks! Yeah, there's only one house out there, and they're my friend's neighbors. They were super cool about it, and thanked us for providing them with entertainment :)

[@collider4378]

Thanks for posting this! I'd recommend getting rid of those spikes altogether... A bag (back pack, ikea bag, kite bag) full of sand with a carabiner attached is much safer.

[@erbartlett]

Haven’t tried the bag idea yet, but it’s next, thanks for suggesting.

[@collider4378]

@@erbartlett Sure thing! Did a bunch of research self launching a few years ago, and the bag o sand seemed the least lethal :D I fly mostly foils these days, but the sand bag worked great when I needed it. I've also used the PKS sand anchor (same basic idea), but truthfully an Ikea bag is much cheaper.

[@erbartlett]

@@collider4378 I could see how it works well when foiling because I’m usually on a much smaller kite. Do you find the ikea bag is strong or heavy enough when twin tipping with a bigger kite?

[@collider4378]

@@erbartlett Yes, I used one a couple times on a 9m LEI. If I was going to make it a permanent solution, I would stitch in straps or rope that go all the way around, or use a more heavy duty bag, maybe army duffle. Don't forget to bring a small shovel or something to scoop the sand, doing it with your hands is painful, particularly in winter!

[@erbartlett]

@@collider4378 great tips, thanks! just pinged you back up on kiteforum. Definitely want to hear about your experience with foil kites.

[@MartinDevoto66]

One session you won’t forget!!!!

[@erbartlett]

Lesson learned :)

[@Surf_Life]

Very entertaining 😁 I like your positivity…

[@erbartlett]

Every disaster is a lesson learned :)

[@larsw.larsen4173]

Always use 2 anchors - the extra one for flagout line. The kite will just depower, if main anchor is pulled vertical.

[@erbartlett]

Yep, that’s definitely something I have done since this particular session :) it’s just annoying to carry more heavy anchors

[@larsw.larsen4173]

@@erbartlett i just use 2 dog leash ankors. They are not big or heavy at all. If the beach is rocky, I use 2 bags that i fill with the stones from the beach. The flag out possibility gives the extra security.

[@erbartlett]

@@larsw.larsen4173 what kind of bag do you use so that they dont rip?

[@larsw.larsen4173]

Nothing special. 1 for main and one for flag out. Handy seizes. 2 handels on each, just in case one handle breaks. I always put flagout bag upwind of main bag - in case of main bag gets pulled.

[@carbonarne675]

I'm using my clothes in my backpack with all food and water on the lower tip while doing that. You can shake that of

[@getsharp]

Self launching at light wind is always sketchy. People have this misconception of letting the kite alone and running back to their bar. Instead, you should grab your steering line on the ground, and walk it to the bar while keeping the tension on the line. That way you can make sure to keep the kite in place. Slowly walking your bar while feeling the line also allows you to see if there is enough wind. If not, on half way you can run back to your kite to secure it. TL/DR never turn your back to the kite and run to your bar. There are more controlled ways out there. Seems like time for a new kite!

[@erbartlett]

Yep, walk back while holding the steering line is one option. I think the other is just to drag launch in this situation, so the kite doesn't even have the opportunity to fall back on itself. This is a super old kite that was about to get traded in, so not too much of a set back.

[@CaZper.]

Why don't you do a drift launch on this underground ? In Germany there are many prohibition signs for my chain :D

[@erbartlett]

My friend always anchor launches from this spot, so I just used his anchor. Now that this happened, I drift launch from this spot :)

[@jjouh]

you have to walk/run to your bar with the upper front line sliding in your hand so the kite does not go deep in the window... if the wind is too gusty, the anchor should be avoided IMO. tks for sharing!

[@erbartlett]

yeah, i did that here, but there were deep channels in the marsh and i fell into one as i was running towards the kite :) after lots of good feedback from different people, i think the better choice here would have been to just hook in directly, leaving the kite flat, and then dragging the kite into the wind to avoid the risks of the gusts

[@jjouh]

@@erbartlett exactly ! this is what i always do when no one is around to help. Works great! good luck with your repairs;) for the small tears you can use the glue called "aquasure+FD" in addition of a spi patch

[@erbartlett]

@@jjouh it was a great reminder of what not to do :) and nothing helps the lesson sink in like damaged gear. Thanks for the tips!

[@KiteboardingInUruguay]

Interesting video, glad it was only your ego and a couple of kite tears that suffered. I’d add a third item to your list (potentially), it looked like you were launching upwind of some trees, from the video. (I could be wrong) If that’s the case, then you’d have turbulent wind to deal with in the launch zone. If memory serves me correctly the rough calculation would be, if the trees are 10m tall, then the turbulence would occur up to 100m up wind of the trees. That would also cause the kite to bounce/move while you were getting back to your bar in an attempt to launch.

[@erbartlett]

Yeah, wind shadows are definitely something to look out for. Given all the great advice I've gotten from posting this video, I'll probably do a follow-up breaking down all the suggestions. In this particular situation, the trees where down wind, and I had a clear upwind area (at least no trees). It was a very gusty wind direction though... it was supposed to have a lot more south in it, but the wind came in with a lot more east which tends to me more gusty for us. Hope to make it down to Uruguay one of these days to kite! My wife lived in Argentina for some time, and she keeps telling me she wants to take me to Uruguay because she loved it when she visited.

[@KiteboardingInUruguay]

@@erbartlett give me a shout if you ever make it. I’d be happy to show you some of our kite spots. 🤙🤙🤙

[@bengt2852]

Love it👌

[@canucck]

Get a duffel bag from an army surplus for $25 or less, and about 10 ft of rope with two carabiners and bowline knots and you will never have a similar experience, assuming that you fill the duffel bag with a lot of sand.

[@luccafrieri]

Just drift launch next time.

[@erbartlett]

Yep, that was my conclusion too, and that’s what I did last weekend at the same spot, much more confident than relying on the wind to keep the kite on edge