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Hats off to Mini Mal

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Created by hitch_hiker > 9 months ago, 4 Feb 2011
hitch_hiker
WA, 492 posts
4 Feb 2011 7:18PM
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Just witnessed MiniMal rescue a beginner female euro kiter at Point Moore - Geraldton who was in real trouble/distress. He had to release his own kite to help out, ended up both kites got loose. Lucky for her as a poley paddled out on his board and rescued her kite, Mals ended up in the shipping channel. Sacrificed his kite to save a euro, and who says we don't love euros. Hats off to ya big fella. Hope they bought you a carton of premium beer (Aussie custom just a small hint for you euros), so you can give to the cray boat that ended up saving ya kite! Better buy a scratchie

Toesup
WA, 93 posts
4 Feb 2011 9:15PM
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Point Moore is no place for beginners , thats why I never had my kite school there,
I watched the whole thing , what beginners must understand is if you are in trouble there is a procedure called self rescue , unfortunately most beginners find out to late they should have practiced this procedure before heading out to hells gates hence saveing Mal a heep of trouble.

hitch_hiker
WA, 492 posts
4 Feb 2011 11:46PM
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to true Lindsay

Mini Mal
WA, 298 posts
5 Feb 2011 8:38AM
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Thanks hitch hiker. The storey so far.I had just finished my underpowered session and landed my kite on the beach, noticed a kiter getting dragged north trying to relaunch. Went back out to investigate found a young ( all young compared to me)euro chick very very distressed barely able to breathe and getting submarined. got her kite to relaunch but it went into death spirals and she could not release. pulled out the hook knife and cut her away from her kite. My slingshot chickenloop selfreleased , no kite for me either.
We floated together for a few to get breath back and composure and started the swim home across the reefs.
All the gear was recovered, thanks to Matty K on the crayboat for grabbing my kite it could not have ended up in better hands

Big eeeZeee
NSW, 1100 posts
5 Feb 2011 11:47AM
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ TOP BLOKE.

the gibbo
WA, 776 posts
5 Feb 2011 2:37PM
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nice work mate, very selfless act
how many people kite with a hook knife ?

markonz
VIC, 68 posts
5 Feb 2011 6:26PM
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Why wouldn't you kite with a hook knife??? never know what can happen out there and for what they cost you cant go wrong!

Mini Mal
WA, 298 posts
5 Feb 2011 6:17PM
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Mystic harnesses I have had come standard with hook knife .

Lofty
WA, 87 posts
5 Feb 2011 6:46PM
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well done mate.


Where in Gero is Point Moore?

dave......
WA, 2119 posts
5 Feb 2011 8:00PM
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Mini Mal said...

Thanks hitch hiker. The storey so far.I had just finished my underpowered session and landed my kite on the beach, noticed a kiter getting dragged north trying to relaunch. Went back out to investigate found a young ( all young compared to me)euro chick very very distressed barely able to breathe and getting submarined. got her kite to relaunch but it went into death spirals and she could not release. pulled out the hook knife and cut her away from her kite. My slingshot chickenloop selfreleased , no kite for me either.
We floated together for a few to get breath back and composure and started the swim home across the reefs.
All the gear was recovered, thanks to Matty K on the crayboat for grabbing my kite it could not have ended up in better hands


You are a legend Mal..... I think I did my IKO course with him.Old school kiters know what to do when the poop goes down! Get them to buy you some BROO premium beer. 100% Aussie!

latlong
WA, 93 posts
5 Feb 2011 11:47PM
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Good old hells claims another victim. The reef out there eats kites and boards and can be pretty unforgiving for newbies as well as experienced locals. Kites seem to sink straight to the bottom and boards just disappear. Not a place you want to be with marginal winds and a bit of swell
Nice work Mal

the gibbo
WA, 776 posts
6 Feb 2011 2:27PM
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genuine question from me for once about the hook knife, there was no sarcasm in that(for once), hope didnt take it the wrong way

the hook knife thing i have never heard talked about really, will have look at them for sure, you just never know.

i have done the submarine thing before, not fun but managed to pull the release, not easily though

one story of using one is enuf to make ya think, cheers

poor relative
WA, 9106 posts
6 Feb 2011 2:31PM
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Good on ya Mal.
A purely selfless act.

AquaPlow
QLD, 1066 posts
6 Feb 2011 11:16PM
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^^^ what they said Hats off - glad you got your kit back too.

Hook knifes - used to be in every new harness, a pocket around the back. The kites of yesteryear were more likely to need them. Not so common in modern harness - if at all. My latest 2 do not have a pouch for the knife. Having said that, I often overlooked taking the knife out when washing down, and over the years chucked 3+ out totally rusted out. Blade sits in the base of a small V so snag a cable in the V and it cuts (when not rusted out!!).

Just checked old harness (rusted out knife in the pouch).

Not sure where I would put one now. Comments on this welcome..

Cheer AP

newo
WA, 250 posts
7 Feb 2011 2:45AM
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Did you get a "reward"? ;)

Skwinty
WA, 164 posts
7 Feb 2011 10:58AM
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Good work Mal. Turns out he is an old hand at saving lives. He also once pulled someone from a burning building years ago. Saved their life. (true story)

He had to give up a carton of beer to the skipper of the crayboat that picked up his kite and another carton to a bloke who saw the event unfold and agreed to go and get his dinghy to help retrieve the kite. (crayboat got their first but mal had already offered a carton for his troubles)...

So now he is 2 cartons of beer down and the euro kiter that had her life saved has gotten off scott free. (No disrepect to the tourist... she is probably unaware of the "carton currency" that exhists on our shores...)

Cruel World.... and as Mal would say... "Nobody hears your screams at Hells Gates"

Mini Mal
WA, 298 posts
7 Feb 2011 11:14AM
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Good onya Skwinty " keeping it real".

DaCurls
WA, 134 posts
7 Feb 2011 10:55PM
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just leave the point to the slayers, i had a very scary experience there the other day, channel busting and the wind pissed off really offshore and barley made it back to the north side. if i had been trawling the depths (as per usual) k's off i would have been screwed, the only advice i can give is to locate a cray pot and wrap your gear or yourself to that.

It ain't called Hells gate for no reason, specially when its busting. if id have been there i'd have helped out, pretty much a permenant fixture these days,
in future go to seppo's, glenny's, sunsets or drummonds far better for you 'us' euro's

gruezi
WA, 3464 posts
11 Feb 2011 4:58PM
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Great stuff Mal....you are and have always been da man. Hook knifes are very useful in these rare events...I remember buying 10 of them which I gave out to my kiting buddies.

Stuck in EFL, cold and miserable.



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"Hats off to Mini Mal" started by hitch_hiker