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Accident shakes sport

A kite boarding teen is hospitalized after being pulled into power lines.

By EILEEN SCHULTE, Times Staff Writer
Published October 2, 2007

Chris Haff, 34, of Sarasota sails through the sky during a blustery day of kite boarding under the Skyway bridge on Monday. Tampabay.com's new beach guide offers the latest beach news, events and restaurant reviews.
	[Willie J. Allen Jr. | Times]

The wind howled over the weekend, bringing most of the area's tight-knit kite boarding community to the beaches.

Chris Whisnant, 21, an experienced boarder, was just north of Clearwater when he saw a line of clouds threatening on the horizon about 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Then he got hit by a gust of wind so powerful he let go of his kite.

"I ejected it," he said.

Christopher Kenny, 16, kite boarding nearby off the Dunedin Causeway, may have been too inexperienced to let go.

Shortly before 4 p.m., a blast of air hit Kenny. He hung on and it pulled him into power lines on the north side of Dunedin Causeway. Witnesses told deputies that they observed an electric arc after Kenny fell 20 to 30 feet to the ground below, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. Bystanders who ran to his aid said he was conscious but disoriented.

Kenny, who lives in Belleair, was taken by ambulance to St. Joseph's Children's Hospital in Tampa, where he was listed in serious condition in the pediatric intensive care unit on Monday. His parents, David and Cecily Kenny, released a statement saying their son "appears to be feeling a little better today." They also said they are grateful for the support from friends, family and the community, but they ask "you respect our privacy at this time."

The news of Kenny's accident traveled fast through the area's kite boarding community.

Randy Radcliff, 42, who teaches for Best Kiteboard, said the sport has been around for about a decade and has at least 200 enthusiasts in the Tampa Bay area. Kite boarding is similar to wind surfing, but instead of a small sail, participants are tethered to a kite that pulls them across the water. Boarders can manipulate the kite to turn and jump high above the water.

Radcliff said one place he never takes beginners is the Dunedin Causeway.

"That is one beach we don't recommend at all," he said. "There are too many hazards. It's too close to the road and too close to the power lines."

Steve Visnage, 35, who also teaches kite boarding, said a friend called him on his cell phone to tell him about Kenny's accident.

"I was really bummed out," he said.

Visnage had noticed the same dark clouds on Saturday. Visnage, who was teaching beginners off Anclote Key, pulled his students off the water.

"The winds were 40-45 miles per hour," he said.

Visnage who works at Watersports West in Largo, remembers selling about $2,500 worth of kite boarding gear -- including two kites, a board, a harness and a life vest -- to Kenny in the summer.

"He went to Lake Michigan to do training," he said, adding that he doesn't know Kenny very well.

Cindy McEwen, manager of Best Kiteboard Retailer & School, said "tons" of people are getting into the activity just for the rush, even though it can be dangerous.

"It's an extreme sport, but they love it," she said.

Visnage said he hopes Kenny's accident doesn't cast a negative light on the popularity of kite boarding.

"I think it's a safe sport as long as you're educated," he said. "Kenny just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time."

Eileen Schulte can be reached at schulte@sptimes.com or (727) 445-4153.

[Last modified October 1, 2007, 23:12:35]