There are many threads talking about the risks of gliding with a 4 line kite, the number of single points of failure, and the ways some experienced kiters minimize these risks. This is great info. That said, with all the obvious risks highlighted it occurred to me that I have not heard of a single line break while gliding.
Does it happen?
I wasn't sure if everyone who does it is just very careful with their gear or if the accidents are kept quiet to avoid attention. OR, if the stress on the gear is minimal which greatly reduces the risk of failure on well maintained gear.
Initially, I made the assumption that only the most experienced kiters (mostly paragliders), who closely checked their gear and kept count of how many long soars/glides were had on a set of lines would attempt it, but I doubt that is the case any more. I suspect there are hundreds of folks who get the bug and go for a long soar on older kites and lines. These folks are at greater risks than the paragliders who have hundreds of flight hours under their belts.
I realize to experienced snowkiters, this may be a stupid question, but I'm curious. There are some great snowkite videos out there and the best ones always include some long soars!