TUBING BANNED AT SHELL KNOB, MISSOURI ON TABLE ROCK
The US Army Corps of Engineers’ Little Rock District has issued a permanent ban on kite tubing on all waters under its jurisdiction, including Table Rock Lake.
According to a recent release from the Corps " Possession or use of the products on district lakes can lead to a citation. Officials said they made the ban permanent because kite tubes are “inherently dangerous products.”
Kite tubing is a form of extreme water sport that emerged last year. The district issued a temporary ban in July 2006 after a string of accidents involving serious injuries and deaths were reported nationwide and in Canada. At that time, at least one manufacturer withdrew its product from the market.
A kite tube is a towable water device that can carry a rider or riders on top with a design that acts like a wing and can rise above the water surface by more than two feet. It is normally inflatable with a solid fabric floor and more than 10 feet in diameter or wingspan. When airborne, the tube lacks lateral stability and control, resulting in a tendency for it to overturn or throw off the rider, sometimes from heights greater than 20 feet.
Little Rock Corps District lakes in Arkansas and Missouri where the ban is in effect include Table Rock, Beaver, Bull Shoals.
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