Unhooked riding?

[CorpusKiter15]

Ive been fooling around riding unhooked a little here and there and have attempted a few backroll kiteloops unhooked (in very light winds) but handlepasses and hooking back in under power seems pretty tough.

1) I want to learn to just be comfortable riding unhooked and be under control while keeping my edge, is this ideal? Or is unhooking more for downwind wave riding and brief moments for doing tricks? Because everytime I unhook, I eventually get a gust of wind that knocks me off my edge and I cant even think about hooking back in...so Im flying downwind and I have to bring the kite back up to 12 to hook back in. What's the trick to hook back in? Do I have to go downwind a bit then hook back in or what? Because if I just stand in the water unhooked with the kite at 12 I literally have to put all my might into bring the kite down so I can hook back in....thats if my arms are fully extended

2) There are more things I need to master before heading into handle pass tricks but there are two unhooked tricks I want to work on and get down in the process. I want to learn to do a backroll kiteloop unhooked and a basic ollie handlepass. Ive only attempted a backroll kiteloop and my issue is re-positioning my hands after the loop and stopping the kite from doing another loop...and then once I figure that out...I need to be able to hook back in?

Any tips you guys can give me would be great as well as the steps I need to take in order to start attempting a basic handle pass. I have a bar in my yard and I have practiced that, now I need to know what to do on the water...it seems if I use the kite to get air unhooked and go for a handle pass that I would be under too much power to handle pass? Clue me in

[JGTR]

I ride unhooked, but I only unhook just before I do a trick, then I hook straight back in. I think this is what most people do, you don't generally ride around unhooked for the reasons that you have discovered.
Although I've found its good to ride around unhooked sometimes as it builds confidence and you get used to handling an unhooked kite.

Backroll kiteloop is called a F-16

With regard to repositioning your hands, I find that when you do an unhooked move, just before you land/or just after you land there will be a moment when the lines go slack as you are travelling directly towards the kite (before you get back on your edge) - this is the time to reposition your hands as there will be no pull on the bar. If you leave it too long and you miss the chance then the kite poweres up and you get the problems that you describe

Jay

[aeberl]

I usually just let go of the front hand while landing the F16 (or a little before the landing) and let the kite loop a second time while I regain full board control. The second loop tends to be a "pussyloop" with very little power and I easyly can hook back in afterwards while riding downwind.
I might be wrong, but to me there should be little strenght/force brought up by the rider to do decent tricks, its all a matter of thechnique and timing, no need to be an olympic gimnast to be able to hook back in.

[smoore]

what your doing wrong with unhooking is...
1, you should be heading a little downwind towards the kite to make the lines slack then you can unhook and edge hard to pop for your trick (i reccomend learning a railey, then s-bend, then if you really want to handle pass go for a danglepass)
2, when you land your trick, land facing downwind and keep going downwind untill you hook back in, no need to put the kite to 12 o'clock, it will only pull you more.

regards, smoore

[whiskas]

As previous posts say, land downwind and the lines are much more slack and you can hook in much easier. Hook in before starting to edge again.

After a failed trick, you might still be holding on to the bar and take the kite up to 12 o´clock. Either you simply pull the bar down at the same time pullying your stomach (with the hook) up to hook in. This could be a little tough if the kite is well powered. OR you could let go of one hand of the bar and grab the chicken loop, depowering the kite, and making it easier to hook back in. If you still reach the bar (ie have a short depwer span) keep the other hand very close to the middle of the bar, or around the depower line, so you do not start looping the kite by mistake. Otherwise, just grab the loop with both hands and let go of the bar completely while you hook in quickly.

[Frankieboy]

I don't ride unhooked and never tried an F16 unhooked but still have an opinion

When unhooking and putting both hands on the left of the bar (assuming you are looping left) why don't you:
- let the left hand where it was (so not at the end of the bar but more towards the center line)
- put the right hand at the far end of the bar (where the right hand travels under the bar) and pull

This way, after the loop, you just have to loose the right hand and put it back on the right part of the bar (the left hand will be close to the middle of the bar giving you balance and stopping the kite from looping)

Does it make sense in real life (before I eventually try it...)

Frank

[besttaste]

It makes sense Frankieboy, but I still like to have both hands on one side of the bar. By doing this I fully commit! And I have never tried to slam the kite into water, but the other way it happens if one doesn´t pull strong enough.

I would like to know which kite size you tried the F-16 with? When I do the trick then, my 14m2 loops once but, my 10m2 loops twice and my 8m2 loops almost tripple. This is very normal because the smaller the kite the faster it flies / loops.

I agree with all the other guys in their recommendations for hooking in and out.

Technique, timing, power and commitment are critical to unhooked tricks!

Train the dangle pass on a bar then practise it on water.

[Konza]

I would like to know which kite size you tried the F-16 with? When I do the trick then, my 14m2 loops once but, my 10m2 loops twice and my 8m2 loops almost tripple. This is very normal because the smaller the kite the faster it flies / loops.

Yep, it's normal for beginners who just started to do unhooked kiteloops - like me too! Grab the bar like a sword or place them next to each other. Depends on which hand is stronger - better to have the strong hand at the middle of the bar. When the kite is coming up again let go with your weak hand off the bar. So the kite will loop only one time and catches you when coming down.

Here is a sequenz i have done some weeks ago which shows the problem:
When you don't let go with one hand - or replace your hands - you will come down without any lift at high speed. That's a very unhealthy way to land Now I'm trying to get it right to save my knees



(on the last pic the kite is about coming down again - and it's a 15m trimmed on wakestyle (slow turning) )

[besttaste]

@Konza

The sequence looks good!

I never had any problems with knees when doing UH KL and stomping the landing. It feels so good when the board hits the water plane, one absorbs the impact and continues riding. The problem with knees only occurred this Sunday after LEN10 KL (hooked in kiteloops with a powered 8m2 in about 32 knots) where I landed badly not pointing the board downwind and my right knee got wrenched...

Yes, it is good to have the strong hand closer to the centre of the bar.