That's why I hate delta kites. I've yet to NOT see one do that at least once a session...

Well spotted. That's about as 'out of control' as a bunch of windsurfers at a beach boys concert.

Looked pretty sedate and well controlled to me ,3 lazy loops doesn't really add up to out of control, seems like the kilter got it sorted pretty quickly.

I remember Perth one summer I was learning on the old Fuel. I was riding along and boom, steering line snapped! LOOP LOOP LOOP LOOP FARRRRRK.

I was using 5th line to so I ripped that bad boy, then boom- ripped the 5th line attachment off my leading edge. I couldn't land the bloody thing. The looped 30 times

I just ditched the kite, swam in and went looking for my kite.

The Epic Infinity V2 I rode did that . . . tip tangle, loop, loop, loop, release, loop, WTF!!!, loop, RRRRRRRRIP from TE to LE. That was a happy day, telling the owner :(

That's hardly looping out of control. I've had much worse.

They should probably teach the causes of kite looping during lessons when it's under controlled situations. First time it happened to me it was like, what the hell is going on.

KIT33R said..

The old C kites used to turn on their wing tips and looping was uncommon because they'd crash pretty early and not self launch. Modern kites tend to pivit around their centre making looping easier. Short bridles help minimise the tip trapping but it can still happen and be very scary. It's up to the manufacturers to come up with a solution.

But that one or two loops would throw you twice as far and twice as fast.
Like when the flapping wing tip would twist the steering line while setting up

TurtleHunter said..

KIT33R said..



The old C kites used to turn on their wing tips and looping was uncommon because they'd crash pretty early and not self launch. Modern kites tend to pivit around their centre making looping easier. Short bridles help minimise the tip trapping but it can still happen and be very scary. It's up to the manufacturers to come up with a solution.

But that one or two loops would throw you twice as far and twice as fast.

Like when the flapping wing tip would twist the steering line while setting up

Can't argue with this. I've been kiting since 2002. My point being is that with all the fantastic inovations we have today looping is still a problem.

Poida said..

you normally get that 1 sec in between loops, where it hits the water or the beach, when you can flick the quick release and flag the kite
imho its best to hit the safety by the second or third loop, after that things start to speed up

This is the thing to me, punching out early, not hanging on hoping it might improve. After lots of loops the release might not work. Its only a kite, pull the safety. You pay for the safety, so use it! Once it starts looping like that theres no way to recover it (that I know). I agree this hazard should be taught in lessons.