AGK said...
When they use the trim system it's alot more like a sailing trim. Ie the front lines of the kite power(trimming on) and depower (trimming out) the kite a heap more than moving the bar. This is due to the angle of attack is changed a greater distance by this method. Using the bar in and out is more like a fine tune or trim tab as it actually doesn't change the angle of attack ( on fixed front line kites like the ozones anyway) rather stalls the wind off the leech of the kite and power is gained this way by the kite slowing and stalling back into the "power zone". from a sail design and racing purpose this is actually slow as its inducing drag and theoretically over trimming....
Very interesting answer, I am intrigued, as I have always thought it was as doycle says, exactly the same net result regardless of which "end" of the kite the trimming takes place. However I was running through it in my head and I realised that's only true if you're dealing with a rigid/fixed object, rather than something which deforms.
Also it makes sense as my range of bar movement is say 40cm (wild guess) and my front line trim is 20cm (guessing again) thru a 2:1 pulley so 10cm of actual line range. So if they had the same effect, the front line trim should only make 1/4 the difference of the bar. Yet is accounts for far more than that.
So now I'm all ears.
Heres a vid of some guys setting up custom trim systems.