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Check out Nick Jacobsens latest video on facebook where he breaks his ankle.. near the start you can see he is leashed direct to CL

Lewis Crathern, his third vlog he has no leash whatsoever, just donkey dick. I asked him about it and his response was over 35 knots if anything goes wrong he wants the kite completely gone, assuming things escalate too quickly so better safe than sorry. No lines in the water, no kite in the waves (and kites probably don't cost him anything).
Jake Kelsick almost always has his leash attached directly to the chicken loop
Kevin Langeree is usually old school suicide above the CL

Personally usually safe suicide. I don't nit pick what others do, and I don't like explaining myself if people were to ask.

Im a suicide rider as well and not a pro. As many have said it's better to have 1 release vs 2 if things go south. Plus if your lines are twisted or even some how wrapped around the bar the kite will never flag out. If I was in big waves I would not use a leash at all. I all so made me a front handle pass leash attachment so I can all ways get the leash to release and to be dragged forward in a crash.

edt wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 17, 2018 5:02 pm

You don't want to leash right on to the chicken loop. You need that figure 8 ring so you can clip on to one of the figure 8 loops and put the other figure 8 loop through the chicken loop. The reason you can't clip right on to the chicken loop is that when you are hooking and unhooking this setup will eventually cause the carabiner to snag right on to your spreader hook trapping your chicken loop to the harness.

The kites I use don't have a figure of 8 ring, its just an O ring, so you are supposed to hook onto the O ring, and also onto the chicken loop. However, as mentioned above, I've bent quite a few of the leash carabiners by getting them trapped between CL and hook, and on one occasion as also mentioned above, the carabiner has become hooked over the CL and then clipped onto my harness hook, making it impossible to release.

dragnfly wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 19, 2018 2:51 pm

The kites I use don't have a figure of 8 ring, its just an O ring, so you are supposed to hook onto the O ring, and also onto the chicken loop. However, as mentioned above, I've bent quite a few of the leash carabiners by getting them trapped between CL and hook, and on one occasion as also mentioned above, the carabiner has become hooked over the CL and then clipped onto my harness hook, making it impossible to release.

Nasty! The design of the new North bars would prevent this from happening as the 8 ring is prevented from moving around the CL and getting close to the spreader hook.

dragnfly wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 19, 2018 2:51 pm

The kites I use don't have a figure of 8 ring, its just an O ring, so you are supposed to hook onto the O ring, and also onto the chicken loop. However, as mentioned above, I've bent quite a few of the leash carabiners by getting them trapped between CL and hook, and on one occasion as also mentioned above, the carabiner has become hooked over the CL and then clipped onto my harness hook, making it impossible to release.

Yeah that's what I was talking about. Just something to be aware if you have never leashed this way before.

ichabod wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 19, 2018 3:11 pm

The design of the new North bars would prevent this from happening as the 8 ring is prevented from moving around the CL and getting close to the spreader hook.

Hmmm, just checked that out, thats a great system. I like the look of the north bars for 2018. Sadly I will probably have to wait until 2020 before I can afford to buy a 2018 one!

Ok just had a kite session where exactly the same thing happened to me.. that is my leash ended up somehow clipping onto my harness hook as well as the 8 ring which is a bit scary. I blame the North leash which has a long an easy to open gate on the clip. Would be far safer IMO to use a clip with a twist lock so it can't accidentally clip onto things.

GJibb wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 19, 2018 1:02 am

Lewis Crathern, his third vlog he has no leash whatsoever, just donkey dick. I asked him about it and his response was over 35 knots if anything goes wrong he wants the kite completely gone, assuming things escalate too quickly so better safe than sorry. No lines in the water, no kite in the waves (and kites probably don't cost him anything).

Ok if he is alone. Not ok if other kiters and or people around. It can kill.

Back in 2004 we (X-Shooter and kiteproshop) developed a leash that you could ride suicide and had a remote release.
Things went wrong, you could kill the kites power and still have the Kite on leash so it won’t fly away.
Until today no one did something similar, which is sad...would be good and safer.