Chicken Loop Bye Bye?

[kookkiter]

thank Starsky

[Xor]

I may be missing something but the website only has a video already posted with a glimpse of the system. Release is compact, simple ball I have tried this it works, but it's set so far up you may as well have a chicken loop. Wooden bar no ends, works well, but no bar ends means pinched fingers.

Here is the description, photos and one more video: http://boardridingmaui.com/connection-system.html

[kookkiter]

thank Starsky

[ronnie]

I may be missing something but the website only has a video already posted with a glimpse of the system. Release is compact, simple ball I have tried this it works, but it's set so far up you may as well have a chicken loop. Wooden bar no ends, works well, but no bar ends means pinched fingers.

Here is the description, photos and one more video: http://boardridingmaui.com/connection-system.html

Once again he has come up with a simple but refined answer.

It looks as if there are essential parts missing, but he has been using it for a long time so it must do the things he needs.
Do you really need a stopper ball?
Do you really need on-the-fly trim adjustment?
Do you really need a swivel?

With each thing you add, there may be a downside - like the stopper prevents the bar going out far enough to depower and drop the kite when you let the bar go.
Underbar and overbar trim adjustments both have inherent issues one of which can be limiting bar travel.
The knotted rope below the releases may take up some of any twisting in the front lines. But it would also be very easy to replace the ring with a swivel if you felt you needed it.

[tomatkins]

It may be that we are entering the era of "mix and match" equipment devices, and the thrust of future development will be to cater to the variety of individual needs. So far the thrust of develomental efforts have been to address gross safety issues... and to give the pros equipment that they are happy with... and to allow "filter-down" to occur and hopefully make the "average Joe" happy with what he or she buys.

This new and unique "connection system" lends itself to any number of modifications, which could be marketed separately as assessory items, or could come as a kit, as seen in the Dynabar offering. I don't see why the Dynabar could not be combined with the system, for those who want a sliding system.

Here is a picture of a simple modification, for those who would want a swivel (probably not needed, as Ronnie pointed out) and would want "on the fly" adjustment. A different method of routing the excess rope would be to put it inside the spreader bar or in a separate compartment.

[edt]

It may be that we are entering the era of "mix and match" equipment devices

I doubt it. Kiters know less and less about the way their bars and kites work, a good reason for this is that kites are so much safer they don't have to know everything, it's more like a car now, turn the key start driving you don't need to know how the ABS works.

What this means is if a typical kiter begins to mix and match his safety devices there is a big chance he will make some mistake, for instance, using the wichard 2471 instead of the wichard 2773 could kill you because the 2471 can jam under load while the 2773 won't. Another thing that can happen is if someone attaches two safety systems together, the flag out line can get stuck because they don't understand how it really works and might put a lark's head in the wrong place.

A typical kiter just buys the same control bar board and harness as his kite, and as he gets more adventurous he might buy a different brand of harness or board than his kite.

there are not that do it yourselfers who know enough how to mix and match without killing themselves. I don't see it as a trend.

I do see the desire for getting rid of the chicken loop that is definitely there and when it comes, it will be these setups created by the kite manufacturers that kiters have learned to trust.

[ronnie]

It may be that we are entering the era of "mix and match" equipment devices

I doubt it. Kiters know less and less about the way their bars and kites work, a good reason for this is that kites are so much safer they don't have to know everything, it's more like a car now, turn the key start driving you don't need to know how the ABS works.

What this means is if a typical kiter begins to mix and match his safety devices there is a big chance he will make some mistake, for instance, using the wichard 2471 instead of the wichard 2773 could kill you because the 2471 can jam under load while the 2773 won't. Another thing that can happen is if someone attaches two safety systems together, the flag out line can get stuck because they don't understand how it really works and might put a lark's head in the wrong place.

A typical kiter just buys the same control bar board and harness as his kite, and as he gets more adventurous he might buy a different brand of harness or board than his kite.

there are not that do it yourselfers who know enough how to mix and match without killing themselves. I don't see it as a trend.

I do see the desire for getting rid of the chicken loop that is definitely there and when it comes, it will be these setups created by the kite manufacturers that kiters have learned to trust.

I agree with you that it will be the manufacturers that will offer better systems and there will be less need or advantage to tailor a system to give you what you need.

There is a video which I can't find of a Cabrinha rider being dragged up a beach to a concrete wall near Sydney in Australia because he modified the bar system.

I'm surprised that manufacturers are prepared to sell systems that do not flag out properly and are relying on the fact that you can always let the kite go completely.

[ronnie]

There is a possibility for trimming on the spreader bar by mounting a cleat on it. Preferably a cleat with a pulley on it and it might then be possible to manage without the usual 2:1 ratio for trimming.

[tomatkins]

Two areas where the new device mechanisms could be contained are INSIDE the spreader bar and INSIDE kite control bar. The spreader bar does not have to have the tubular shape, that we presently witness, but could be greatly enlarged and reshaped as needed to contain a device with gears or levers or pulleys or springs, etc... and such a mechanism would be shielded from snagging stray lines and debris.

Two examples of devices contained inside a control bar are: (1) the sheet-able 'pulley bar' invented by Billy Parker, and (2) a 'gust-buster' device that I created. Here is a link to a thread describing the "gust-busting" elastic recoil device. I can't find a good link to the Billy Parker pulley bar. Neither device "went mainstream", but both functioned as designed, and serve as illustrations of the idea of containing mechanisms INSIDE a piece of kiting equipment, where they are protected and not likely to snag a stray line, and thereby cause trouble.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2374480

I like the goal of preventing lines from tangling on our equipment... and one way to do this is to keep devices shielded within smooth-sided structures.

[flyingweasel]

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