Kite Tubing: The New Extreme Sport

Pangloss62 · 06-19-2006, 01:51 PM

My father, a cultural elitist, indoctrinated me and my siblings into the "motorboats are bad" school of thought. He saw them as both environmentally damaging and tacky; a real man paddles a canoe. Accordingly, he took us on canoe camping trips that remain highlights in my memories of youth. As I grew older, I carried this anti-motorboat attitude with me, scowling at them and their usually drunk drivers as their wakes buffeted my canoe. Then one weekend a friend invited me to go water-skiing; you can't water-ski with a canoe. Yes. I had fun. Still hated motorboats, but I did have fun.

I guess it's the attitude of some motorboaters that bugs me; to look at a big lake as merely a surface upon which to play and have fun; and to hell with the fish, birds, and other people who don't like it! Then there are those giant, booze-soaked spectacles where people just tie up their boats together and find ways to "hook up" with similarly drunk people. Whatever. Most big "party lakes" aren't real lakes anyway, their impoundments. I suppose we can let motorboaters have a few of them. And hell, with that new guy running DOI, maybe they'll be able to have even more fun:

http://www.vanityfair.com/commentary...s/060612roco01

Having said that, if I was invited to go kite tubing, I'm sure I would try it at least once. Hey, KV, can one fly, say, at about 50 feet, and just kinda jump off the tube and perform a twisted, improvisational dive into the lake?

KinkyVixen · 06-19-2006, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pangloss62

Having said that, if I was invited to go kite tubing, I'm sure I would try it at least once. Hey, KV, can one fly, say, at about 50 feet, and just kinda jump off the tube and perform a twisted, improvisational dive into the lake?

Absolutely! It seems harmless, or less hurtful. But before you do, I would keep this in mind: You are being pulled behind a boat (the boat going about 35-45 you going seemingly much faster than that) plus being up in the air while gravity continuously pulls you downward (hard)...tends to bring you crashing into the water at 100 mph. Ok, so I know I exaggerate...but it feels that way. A couple of years ago I bruised 3 ribs on one side, and 2 on the other, doing a little less than what I described above.

glatt · 06-19-2006, 03:27 PM

Wow, the article and your description make it sound so risky. But I guess many fun things are.

xoxoxoBruce · 06-19-2006, 09:58 PM

I should think if the thing flips and you come down on your back, you could break your damn neck.
How much are they....... say..... delivered to my ex.

KinkyVixen · 06-20-2006, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

I should think if the thing flips and you come down on your back, you could break your damn neck.
How much are they....... say..... delivered to my ex.

Well, XO, they're not any worse than "normal" tubes if you have the right driver (like my dad) anyway. You could still break yourself regardless if you land the right, er...wrong way. But, for the record they're about 300 bucks.

06-19-2006, 01:51 PM	#1
Pangloss62 Lecturer Join Date: May 2006 Location: Atlanta Posts: 768	Lakes O' Fun My father, a cultural elitist, indoctrinated me and my siblings into the "motorboats are bad" school of thought. He saw them as both environmentally damaging and tacky; a real man paddles a canoe. Accordingly, he took us on canoe camping trips that remain highlights in my memories of youth. As I grew older, I carried this anti-motorboat attitude with me, scowling at them and their usually drunk drivers as their wakes buffeted my canoe. Then one weekend a friend invited me to go water-skiing; you can't water-ski with a canoe. Yes. I had fun. Still hated motorboats, but I did have fun. I guess it's the attitude of some motorboaters that bugs me; to look at a big lake as merely a surface upon which to play and have fun; and to hell with the fish, birds, and other people who don't like it! Then there are those giant, booze-soaked spectacles where people just tie up their boats together and find ways to "hook up" with similarly drunk people. Whatever. Most big "party lakes" aren't real lakes anyway, their impoundments. I suppose we can let motorboaters have a few of them. And hell, with that new guy running DOI, maybe they'll be able to have even more fun: http://www.vanityfair.com/commentary...s/060612roco01 Having said that, if I was invited to go kite tubing, I'm sure I would try it at least once. Hey, KV, can one fly, say, at about 50 feet, and just kinda jump off the tube and perform a twisted, improvisational dive into the lake? __________________ Things are never as good, or bad, as they seem.

06-19-2006, 09:58 PM	#4
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	I should think if the thing flips and you come down on your back, you could break your damn neck. How much are they....... say..... delivered to my ex. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

06-19-2006, 03:27 PM	#3
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	Wow, the article and your description make it sound so risky. But I guess many fun things are.

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