Kite-surfers mourn adventurous mate

By ELIZABETH BINNING

Kite-surfer Douglas Wisor had just landed on the beach when a strong gust of wind caught his kite and flung him to his death.

The 31-year-old was dragged through a row of trees at speed then dumped into the side of a caravan at the Te Awanga Motor Lodge, just east of Hastings.

Suffering head and chest injuries Mr Wisor died soon after, the first kite-surfing fatality in New Zealand.

The accident happened just before 2pm on Saturday as the American, who worked as a winemaker in the Hawkes Bay, was finishing a kite surf at Te Awanga beach.

He was on his own and about to undo his harness when the strong northwesterly caught his kite.

Motor camp manager Joy Mildenhall said campers heard a loud bang as Mr Wiser, who was not wearing a helmet, hit the vacant caravan moments later. He died on the way to hospital.

The accident came as a shock yesterday to those who have taken up the relatively new adventure sport.

"Doug was a real nice guy. This is a real loss for the kite-boarding community, his family and his friends," said one person on a surfing internet chatroom. "A shock like this sure makes you take a moment to reflect on all the near-misses we have all experienced."

Mr Wisor, an experienced kite surfer, may not have had time to use a safety button which releases the kite in critical situations.

Kitesports owner Tim Stockman said from Christchurch that the sport could be dangerous in gusty conditions, especially if the surfer was on their own.

Landing can be particularly dangerous because if something does go wrong there are more chances of hitting an object than out at sea.

Last December a kite-surfer was badly injured in Golden Bay after a gust of wind carried him 50m and dropped him into a house.

Craggy Range Wines managing director Steve Smith said Mr Wisor was a talented winemaker who came to New Zealand about four years ago.

Mr Smith said Mr Wisor loved all adventure sports. "The world is a poorer place without him. He was an unbelievable young man."

Kite-surfing

* Surfers stand on a board and are pulled along the water at speeds of 30-40km/h by a kite that is attached to a harness around their body via a long rope.

* Surfers do "jumps" which take them 4-5m into the air.

* At least 17 people have been killed worldwide since 2000.

* A man was seriously injured near Nelson last December after being thrown into a house.