3 Years kiting, never had to use my safety 'till yesterday…

9m overpowered big boost session, overcooked the landing, got slack in the lines, went to down loop, outside line wrapped behind bar…death loop.
Basically picked up instantly, looped and spat out.

First instinct was to unjam outside line, but was now being picked up for my second 'loop smashing' and couldn't get it (remember overpowered). Started pulling my way up front lines. Kite sat in water, thought I had it…kite slowly rolls back on its side, then up…and pow! nice big loop, as I had pulled some front line! Followed by 3rd and 4th loop.

Now getting very close to marina rock wall, grab down and pull chicken loop safety, but since I'm leashed suicide it don't make much difference, except I'm now being pulled with the same power backwards as I'm attached to my harness using the handle pass line across the back. Plus as a bonus, the slack I pulled in slipped through my hands when reaching for the safety and is now wrapped round my leg.

Bloody hard to reach behind to grab the release on the leash when being pulled, looped and lofted backwards towards jaggered rocks.

Thankfully, Ping! F-One leash breaks. Lines come away from my ankle after 'ring barking' it!

Now double emotion time. I'm alive but watching my kite slide over jaggered rocks, bar jams, loops super hard into the rocks, raps around a shelter, then lands on top of rocks.

Summing up
Adrenalin wears off, pain becomes apparent. Very glad no one was on the rock wall. Glad I was no longer attached. Amazed my kite has only one 20 cent sized tear (kudos x1000 to CORE, the Kevlar patches seem to take most of the bashing).

So, started re-thinking about using the handle pass system on the harness vs a fixed point. Though have got my arm jammed behind while trying to pass using a fixed leash attachment point in the past.

Anyone else got experience on this one??

Hey All,

I have just started getting into unhooked tricks. I am seen a lot of riders connecting there leash to the chicken loop. Like this....


The problems with this is if i knock my emergency release on the chicken loop i will loose my kite completely!


The other options are to connect to the "Safety Line" or "5th Line" but then the kite will loose all power and i will drop like a stone but i would not loose my kite.


I could also connect to the depower rope and only depower the kite to the max depower setting. I would still be 90% powered up if i let go and still not loose my kite.


I have not seen anyone doing this but could i connect my leash to this point here...

I would then still have full power and if i hit the release i would still be attached to my kite....


Does anybody ride with this setup? I notice the pro's all ride attached to the chicken loop but they can afford to loose their kite or have boat support to get it for them. Us normal kiters dont have this available to us. So i am thinking this is the next best option to the Chicken loop connection point. Any ideas??

Cheers....

Finchy