Flying with the wind - a first study of its kind, carried out by Rambam researchers, reveals the dangers of the sport of kite surfing - "Kite Surfing"
The kite surfers (kite surfing) are a growing community in Israel, which currently numbers several thousands of so-called crazy people. A first study of its kind in Israel, reviewed their activities over a decade and found that in the air and at sea, the same dangers as on land lie, and in high percentages. The research data indicates that the surfers do not protect themselves as necessary and suffer injuries that are similar to trauma cases of car accidents and falls from a height, more than injuries resulting from water sports
Kite surfing: great potential for injuries
Many of the kitesurfers in Israel went out to the sea in the last few days, to take advantage of the stormy weather for extreme surfing. The sport, which has eight million fans in the world and has even become a competitive sport in the upcoming Olympics, is still in its infancy in Israel. However, not only in winter: surfers go out all year round and look for good sites for surfing. One of the well-known surfing centers in Israel is located in the Haifa area, thanks to the unique structure of the beach in front of Mount Carmel and the winds created in its garden. Due to the extreme nature of the sport, it carries a great potential for various injuries to surfers. A comprehensive study, the first of its kind in Israel, collected injury data among dozens of surfers during the years 2002-2013, revealing for the first time the physical consequences of kitesurfing.
The danger of drowning is not the most significant in kite surfing
The research was carried out by Rambam researchers, Dr. Pavel Kotlersky, Dr. Yaron Berkowitz, and Dr. Yaniv Keren from the Rambam orthopedic department, together with Dr. Shahar Groner from the surgical department at the hospital, and in collaboration with Prof. Kobi Peleg Rosh The Gartner Institute, the National Center for Trauma and Emergency Medicine Research, which assisted in the data collection.
The data shows that the extreme sport has already claimed the lives of two Israeli surfers in recent years. Besides these two cases, there are high percentages of injuries among surfers, some of them complex and severe. It is a mistake to think that since it is a water sport, the most dangerous thing it entails is drowning. Of the number of respondents: 17% suffered from head injuries, 15% from chest injuries, 68% from various orthopedic injuries and ten percent from various other injuries.
Two have already been killed in Israel
The data collection was done among kitesurfers, who responded to an Internet call to report injuries that occurred during their practice of the sport. Additional data was collected by the Gartner Institute, which receives reports about severe injury cases admitted to Israel's hospitals. The data shows that the extreme sport has already claimed the lives of two Israeli surfers in recent years. Besides these two cases, there are high percentages of injuries among surfers, some of them complex and severe. According to the data collected: 17% suffered from head injuries, 15% from chest injuries, 68% from various orthopedic injuries and ten percent from various and other injuries. It should be noted that most of the injuries are orthopedic injuries, and almost half of them involved fractures in different parts of the body, especially in the lower limbs.
According to Dr. Yaniv Keren, one of the researchers, the nature of sports injuries is similar to that of trauma cases such as car accidents: "Surfers report injuries and fractures reminiscent of trauma injuries, such as those we see in cases of accidents or falls from a height," he explains, " When you engage in sports without proper protection or in fairly complex conditions, the chances of getting injured increase, especially the chances of a serious injury."
Kitesurfer in a winter storm in Bat Galim - Haifa - winter 2015. Photo: Yaron Karmi
Kite surfing in Israel: without safety accessories
The researchers explain that from the scope and type of injuries, as reflected in the study, it seems that Israeli surfers tend to engage in kite surfing without protecting themselves. Apart from the Israeli study, only six other studies in this field have been conducted in the world, which also indicate that surfers do not use safety accessories while surfing, a fact that significantly increases the chance of serious injuries among surfers. "We found reports from the air rescue of Cape Town in South Africa, according to which in a certain year there were 30 rescues from the sea," says Dr. Kotlersky, who is one of the researchers, adding, "but what is more surprising is the fact that none of the rescued surfers wore a helmet. This is a sport that may endanger life, and yet - this is the result. During the winter, when the winds blow and the surfers go to the beaches, we implore you: protect yourself. It can save your life."
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