Kitesurf365 - Doran Bas | Episode #420

Date: January 14, 2026
Host: Adrian Kerr
Guest: Doran Bas

Episode Overview

This gripping episode features Doran Bas, an experienced Israeli kiteboarder who recently survived a harrowing “mini tornado” incident while kitesurfing in Israel. Doran recounts, in vivid detail, the dangerous meteorological event that violently lifted him into the air, his survival through a combination of instinct and experience, and the tragic loss of a fellow kiter that same day. The conversation balances technical insight, personal emotion, and reflections on risk, community, and kitesurfing culture.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Doran’s Background and Kitesurfing in Israel

• Length of Experience: Doran has surfed since 2003, mostly local to his home in Israel ([00:58]).
• Community: Part of the F1 Laguna group since 2005 and a former competitor on the Israeli scene.
• Frequency: Surfs about once every two weeks due to work and local weather patterns.
• Spot Description: Israel isn’t widely known as a kitesurfing destination—sessions are often determined by rare winter storms bringing “25, 30 knots” but few total “days surfing in our spot” ([02:23]).

“Usually, we have only winter condition... Sometimes you have winter coming and storm forecast and 25, 30 knots and then you want to go surf. Mostly we don’t have too many days surfing in our spot.” — Doran Bas ([02:23])

2. The Incident: Unexpected Tornado Event

• Shift in Weather: A squall rapidly increased wind from 20 knots to over 35 knots, then subsided, lulling everyone back out ([03:34]).
• Equipment Choices: Doran went out on a new 9m kite, despite having just recovered from injury ([03:34]).
• The Event: A sudden “mini tornado” struck the group mid-session. Only those in its direct path were affected—Doran, central to its trajectory, was sucked upwards ([04:51]).
• Immediate Experience:
  • At first, Doran thought he’d collided with another kiter but realized he was being lifted uncontrollably. He was unable to use his safety releases due to rapid altitude gain (~30m almost instantly).
  • He instinctively performed a kite loop (mega loop), which pushed him out of the turbulent updraft, a move he credits for saving his life ([04:51]).

“The second I realized how high I was... I wanted to pull my chicken out, I couldn't. It was already 30 meter high and the water was very low. So I decided to keep holding the bar… I don't know how I pulled the kite to kite loop. And it took me out of the turbulence. And I think that's what saved my life.” — Doran Bas ([04:51])

Memorable Moment

“Everything was silent for that second. And I started going down very fast. I couldn’t make too much things because I didn’t have too much room… I was ready to take the chicken out. As soon as I landed, the kite wanted to went up. You landed so hard… And when I got up, I pulled the quick release out.” — Doran Bas ([04:51])

3. Aftermath and Rescue

• Initial Response: Shocked but mobile, Doran was cared for by friends and first responders. He had hypothermia and possible internal injuries ([08:39]).
• Tragedy: News quickly arrived that another kiter, Leo, caught in the same tornado and entangled with another kite, had suffered fatal injuries, casting a shadow over the incident ([10:00], [15:58]).
• Physical Injury: Doran received a pelvic fracture and internal bleeding, narrowly avoiding surgery and being discharged after a brief hospital stay ([15:07]).

"They say I can free home, bro." — Doran Bas ([15:11])

4. Discussion of Risk, Luck, and Community

• Unprecedented Conditions: This type of tornado had never been seen so close to the beach in Israel, making the incident “a matter of luck” ([13:57]).
• Collective Grief: The community was shaken but quickly returned to the water, though some individuals reevaluated their risk tolerance. There was a shared sense that Leo would want them to keep kiting ([18:00]).
• Survivor’s Perspective: Doran swings between feeling extremely lucky and deeply affected by survivor's guilt ([16:19]).

"Everybody asked me how do I feel. I tell them sometimes million dollars because I'm alive. I went up 100 meter above the beach and I talking to you now. But still I have a very, very bad feeling in my heart because we lost a friend." — Doran Bas ([16:19])

• On Kiteboarding Risk:

  “It puts it in perspective, right? ...We need to respect the conditions more...” — Adrian Kerr ([19:23]) “Most people want adrenaline, the rush and the height and to go jump as high as we can and feel free. This is... you don't see it... It's one time.” — Doran Bas ([19:45])

5. Return to the Water and Psychological Recovery

• Est. Recovery Time: About six weeks before Doran can physically kite again, but emotional processing will take longer ([20:21]).
• Lingering Trauma: The dreamlike, surreal nature of the incident continues to replay in Doran’s mind ([21:15]).
• Technique Under Pressure: Doran describes how his instinct to “heli loop” (drilled from experience and previous training for turbulence escape) emerged automatically, though the landing spot was extremely hazardous ([22:37]).

“Nobody want to see death coming to his way. It was 25 seconds plus, minus all the…the height. But it still comes to your head every time.” — Doran Bas ([20:21])

6. Closing Reflections

• Host’s Support: Adrian underscores how the community can heal, and that kiteboarding remains a meaningful, albeit risky, pursuit ([24:33]).
• Acknowledgment of Loss: Doran expresses both gratitude for survival and profound sadness for the fallen friend, reiterating the importance of community and support.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• On the moment of survival:

  “In the beginning I didn’t understand what happened…It was already 30 meter high and the water was very low. So I decided to keep holding the bar…I don’t know how I did it…I pulled the kite to kite loop. And it took me out of the turbulence. And I think that’s what saved my life.” — Doran Bas ([04:51])

• On luck and loss:

  “It only matter of luck that I went out and he didn’t. He got sucked also…He hit the pavement and he broke in his head…And also to understand that that almost was me.” — Doran Bas ([16:19])

• On community response:

  “Some of the people will already kited yesterday and today…but some of them, they say I don’t know, fuck, why should I go in in this wind.” — Doran Bas ([18:00])

Key Timestamps

• 00:58 – Doran’s background & kitesurfing in Israel
• 03:34 – Description of the day, weather changes, and rigging
• 04:51 – Incident description: lift-off, survival instinct, kite loop
• 08:39 – Immediate aftermath, medical response
• 10:00 – 16:19 – Discovery of the fatality, emotional impact
• 15:11 – Details about Doran’s injuries and hospital experience
• 18:00 – Community’s reaction; will people keep kiting?
• 20:21 – Returning to the water; processing trauma
• 22:37 – Technical choices made in survival & reflection
• 24:01 – Host’s closing thoughts, condolences, and looking ahead

Takeaways

• Vigilance against sudden weather changes is crucial in kiteboarding.
• Instinctive responses, drilled from experience, can make the difference between survival and catastrophe.
• The kiteboarding community is resilient, but events like this prompt deep collective reflection on risk.
• Even seasoned riders remain at the mercy of rare, unpredictable natural forces.

This episode stands as a sobering and heartfelt reminder of both the thrill and the peril of the sport—emphasizing the importance of community, preparedness, and respect for nature’s unpredictability.