Kite Tube Rider, "This is Going to Hurt"

[jasper]

Hollywood, I watched a number of the home videos on this product because I was considering a purchase. With and without a rider they are unpredictable and they can and do dive and change direction rapidly. The tube in the photo is in a position you'd expect if a rider were on it. But I don't think you can bank on that being the case. Some of the videos show the tube in positions you'd believe a rider wasn't on it, yet they were. Some show the tube in positions much like this with no rider.

I'm glad the company is pulling the product. Although it may be reasonably safe at slow speed, the likelyhood and degree of danger posed by additional "air speed" from wind gusts or an inattentive driver is too high. How many times do we see people pulling tubes past the recommended speed?

jasper

[mfloski]

Re: Kite Tube Rider, "This is Going to Hurt"

Suddenly, the tube dove into the water and the rider followed, this all happened much too quickly for me to react with my camera for another shot.

You're so full of ***! The Wego doesn't "dive" back to the water, it coasts down or flips. The only time riders get thrown like that is when it flips over, and the tube in the picture is obviously still riding right side up. According to your description of what happened, there is NO SCIENTIFIC REASON the rider would get tossed off the tube at its max height, pure physics. The darn tube is still pointing up, meaing it should either be hovering at that height or continuing to rise.

This is so bogus!

I disagree about it not diving back to the water....I own one and have seen it "dive" back to the water hard and fast!

[BanksPhotos]

Re: Kite Tube Rider, "This is Going to Hurt"

Suddenly, the tube dove into the water and the rider followed, this all happened much too quickly for me to react with my camera for another shot.

You're so full of ***! The Wego doesn't "dive" back to the water, it coasts down or flips. The only time riders get thrown like that is when it flips over, and the tube in the picture is obviously still riding right side up. According to your description of what happened, there is NO SCIENTIFIC REASON the rider would get tossed off the tube at its max height, pure physics. The darn tube is still pointing up, meaing it should either be hovering at that height or continuing to rise.

This is so bogus!

Hollywood, I am not going to argue with physics. However, I will start an argument with someone who obviously can not give me the courtesy of a polite reply. You are looking at one frame, one fraction of a second, nothing more. If the front or an edge of the tube caught air the wrong way it would rapidly tip. After the rider was off, the tube would be in an uncontrolled dive, not a controlled descent (there is no one on the tube to control it). The tube would be yawing, pitching and rolling, not always coasting. This frame shows the darn tube still pointing up, but what you don't know is whether it is coasting or diving uncontrollably. The tube may have done a complete flip and this frame shows it upright again.

I still don't understand this statement you made, "According to your description of what happened, there is NO SCIENTIFIC REASON the rider would get tossed off the tube at its max height, pure physics.

There may be no scientific reason to you, I could probably come up with a few, however if you watch this video you will see riders get tossed off this tube and if you look closely you may see the tube diving once or twice. Wego Wipeout Video.

Regards,

Josh

[Hollywood]

RE: Re: Kite Tube Rider, "This is Going to Hurt"

I've seen the videos, and none of them show the rider getting pitched HIGHER than the tube if it didn't flip over and dive. None dove straight down while pitching the rider up. The ones where they fell off at max height the rider falls straight down because they let go, while the tube still might hover before diving/flipping.

Your pic might be possible, but I highly doubt it.

[BanksPhotos]

Re: RE: Re: Kite Tube Rider, "This is Going to Hurt&quo

I've seen the videos, and none of them show the rider getting pitched HIGHER than the tube if it didn't flip over and dive. None dove straight down while pitching the rider up. The ones where they fell off at max height the rider falls straight down because they let go, while the tube still might hover before diving/flipping.

Your pic might be possible, but I highly doubt it.

Jeez, what does it take... The rider was never thrown higher than the tube in this picture. As I have stated, maybe one tenth of a second earlier the tube was at the rider's height. Additionally, I commented that the tube dove into the water. With this remark you stated, "The Wego doesn't "dive" back to the water, it coasts down or flips." This rider is falling straight down, I just caught him at the apex of his dive. You have now admitted the tube dives, now admit the photo is authentic.

We are making progress with you,

Josh

[Gary_]

"This is Going to Hurt"

I am Gary Hamptom, the one that is in the picture flying through the air. Because of this I know the picture is real. This pictrure was also in this weeks Chetek Alert news paper (local town paper).

This happend 4th of July in Chetek WI. I was attempting to show off in front of the beach in Chetek where there was a beach party. I am unsure how I ended up higher than the tube. I remeber being out of control and pushing off the tube to get rid of it. I think Josh is right that the tube dropped rapidly after I got out. I was not real concerned about the tube at the timne the picture was taken.

The boat was doing about 40MPH against the wind on a gusty day. You can see by the wake of the boat the driver had just turned the boat. This is probably what caused me to loose control of the tube.

[Onthewater]

RE: "This is Going to Hurt"

now it is getting deep.

why planetnautique? what friend requested you post on here. (banks and gary)

40mph on a flying tube that has been in the news? genious

what kind of boat is it?

[Hollywood]

RE: "This is Going to Hurt"

Once again, I'm sucked into the madness that is this thread. After some quick BKH/napkin math, based on falling from 30' in the air, your combined velocity is ~50 mph at the instant you hit the water. I'm well aware it's possible to survive uninjured from say a barefooting fall at this speed (completely horizontal, have the ability to roll/skim across the water), but w/o any protection and "flailing" around like that I can't believe you're not critically injured.

Try taking this crap to the message board at skifly, that'll be interesting.

[Rick]

RE: "This is Going to Hurt"

Hollywood The press release section today includes a recall on the kite-tube . It mentions 2 deaths and 39 serius accidents... Friends don't let friends Lite-tube...

[Hollywood]

RE: "This is Going to Hurt"

I'm in no way doubting this thing is dangerous, I just don't believe that particular picture that was posted in this thread.

[Flux]

RE: "This is Going to Hurt"

To get that tube to fly you need a few things:

Fast moving boat and or a headwind, basically you need the kite tube to have a relative velocity of probably 50+ miles per hour relative to the wind to get that thing going on it's way up.

Second thing you need is for the rider to "stand up". They basically pull back on the hand holds and use their feet as the fulcrum, this puts the belly of the kite at a higher angle to the wind, creating the lift.

Once all of this is in place, that thing will rise. But the slightest side wind or turn of the boat could set it on edge and force it back down to the water. That thing has about 80 sqft of surface on either side. It could easily lift someone as high as it could go until the rope hits the angle where the downward pull is as great as the upward pull. At higher relative speeds to the wind, the angle will increase and the kite will go higher. But again, it's very unstable. If it were to tip a bit and not be perfectly lined up with the headwind, it will be big trouble. That lift can very quickly turn into a downward force and slam that tube with rider on edge into the water.

I have witnessed this kite on a breezy day, probably 15 mph gusts. It was being dragged around a lake where it is difficult to drive straight into the wind. They were probably doing 35-30 and the tube would lift 10-15 feet, catch a side wind, and slam on edge into the water and bounce around. I was waiting for it to launch, but they needed to go a bit faster and head into the wind.

The physics of the thing is actually quite simple and I have little doubt that the picture could be real. Fast boat, windy day, driving into the wind, guy stands it up and very quickly they could be at 30-40+ ft in the air, very quickly in the right conditions.

Photoshopped or not, those things are dangerous. Problem is they are being sold as a recreational tube and they are anything but recreational. Flying it requires perfect conditions, anything less and it's out of control.

[redelf75]

Re: RE: "This is Going to Hurt"

falling from 30' in the air, your combined velocity is ~50 mph at the instant you hit the water. ... but w/o any protection and "flailing" around like that I can't believe you're not critically injured.

I too find it somewhat remarkable that he was only dazed. But I don't doubt the validity of the picture; I just think he was extremely lucky.

[whitetiger54822]

THIS IS FOR REAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This guy is crazy, he used to live with me, he's got his boat faster than stock.......he's an electrician at my place of work, not to mention, one of the best we have. i've been on his boat..................this is not fake....................don't believe me???? come take a ride with him sometime. and see for yourself................here it it a few weeks later, and he is still feeling the pain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Hollywood]

RE: THIS IS FOR REAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nothing you just said helps legitimize the photo. Man I gotta get out of this office and get to GL!!!

[Gary_]

This is real

whitetiger was right on almost everything expet for why I have been sore. This picture really has nothing to do with that. I was sore for about 4 or 5 days just from exsive physical exertionand being out of shape. I spent a good part of the day on the tube that day. About the time that finally got better I got a gout attact. So now I am finally fealing better again.

That landing I hit feet first. The parts of my body that hit the watter mainly my hands and feet had a stining sensation for about 10 to 15 minutes. That went away and I was fine.

As far as how to prove the photo is real that is a little dificult. Anybody that knows me will belive it. Also most people that read the Chetek Alert where it was printed or any of the hundreds of witnesses that I had when this occered will believe.

But still with a news paper behind me, hundreds of witnesses and other prople that have been around me enough to know this is real. What more can I do to make people believe it.