Some other members of KF will probably think of more things that are missing, from what you clearly described, and what has become a somewhat common tinkered up arrangement for a minority of kiters... but here are 2 things that I found missing from my experimentation with such an arrangement of this kind of ring, rope and shackle system. I found that the chicken loop and hook system lent itself better to certain things, and since a worthy goal of a "hookless" system would be to invent a device that would be equivalent to the conventional "hook and loop" system... in ALL respects... and not to give up the good characteristics of the conventional system in our attempt to get rid of the BAD characteristics of the hook system. So, the following are 2 good characteristics of the conventional system, which I would like to see incorporated into any new "shackle" system.Starsky wrote:Am I missing something? It's already out there. Those that want to unhook have a great set up as is. For those that don't, the simple ring on dynema slider a lot of good wave riders use is hookless and simple using either your standard commercial release or a good shackle to bring it in a little closer.
A ring and piece of line is so cheap and simple that it's unlikely anyone need or should put much more into an alternative concept to what we have.
Hitch your ring into the line if you don't want it to slide.
(1) The EASE of grabbing onto something large and convenient, in the event of such situations, as an accidental primary safety release. For instance, the huge chicken loop device is quite easy to see and grab on to, and reposition into the hook, even when there is a little bit of tension on the powerline, such as, when the kite is in the water and the wind is still pushing it. So, the point I am trying to make is that a little ring or a conventional shackle on the end of the power line, instead of the huge chicken loop... is not so easy to grab and maneuver into position, and to connect it to the bar.
(2) Self-launching using the "tethered" launch ("ghost launch", "dog stake launch", etc.) can be accomplished much easier using a "hook and loop" system. After the kiter has run back to the bar, the chicken loop can be positioned quickly and easily back into the hook, and secured with the dick, all by using just ONE hand... whereas, the off-the-shelf "shackle and ring" arrangement demands the use of both hands and more fiddling with the positioning and closing of the shackle. It would be a worthy goal to design a release "shackle" that could be simply snapped into place onto a ring, just as easily as a chicken loop can be placed into the hook.
Our goal should be to totally improve the present system and not give up ANY of its good characteristics, and to do so we must think of all the different techniques that individual kiters might feel the need for... including aspects of riding, jumping, launching, landing, etc.
As far as an example of how I have dealt with the (2) self-launching with a tether... here is what I used to do, but I admit, it was not as easy to perform, as was using a conventional chicken loop. I attached to the power line, a small ring just above the shackle, and I would then attach a rope to the anchor (dog stake or post, etc.), and on the end of the one meter rope, I tied a Cabrinha mushroom release device... and I would clip this piece of hardware to the ring which was attached to the power line, and this would hold the kite in place, just as would a carabiner clipped to a chicken loop. When I arrived back at the bar, in preparation for disconnecting from the anchor post, I would get down on my knees and fuss with the shackle on the power line to position it and close it onto the ring of the spreader bar, and then I would release the mushroom release from the little ring, and then launch the kite. This technique worked, but can be immensely improved on by a well designed shackle system... I would hope.
So, these are a couple of probably many reasons to design a "kiteboard-specific" piece of hardware, and not just use what is available at the hardware stores.
I would hope some members would list other pros of the chicken loop-hook system, which need to be duplicated in the "hookless" system devices.