The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission took the unusual step of warning consumers about a class of products associated with a sport prior to the July 4th holiday weekend. The sport, known as “tube kiting,” is a new type of “extreme” sport which involves a large inflatable device, much like a large inner tube, that can be as much as 10 feet in diameter. The tube kite is hooked to the back of a boat by a tow rope and then ridden by a rider. The tube lifts off the water into the air trailing the boat as the boat approaches speeds as fast as 35 miles per hour.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has received reports of 2 deaths associated with tube kiting this year. In April 2006, a 33 year old man was killed in Texas. On June 26, a 42 year old Wisconsin man was also killed while tube kiting. There have also been 12 reports of serious injuries by tube kite riders, including:

• A broken neck
• A punctured lung
• Broken ribs
• A broken femur
• Chest injuries
• Back injuries
• Facial injuries
• Loss of consciousness

Possible reasons for adverse incidents and personal injuries from tube kiting may include the difficulty a rider may have controlling the tube in high winds or wind gusts, or sudden slowing or stopping by the boat operator. At least one park in the National Park System, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, has banned tube kiting due to at least four serious injuries which have taken place on Lake Powell in Utah.

Source: CPSC Hotline Release #06-202, June 30, 2006.