Mad Science: Strength Training for Unhooked Tricks

forrest · Since 21 Jun 2005 4330 Posts Hood River Hick **CGKA Member**

Disclaimer: I know most of you guys that can already ride unhooked and do tricks to blind are probably laughing at me, but I honestly don't care. I'm part mad scientist, part engineer, part computer geek, and part kiteboarder so you'll just have to deal. Plus work is boring me today.

Here is my prototype. It's basically a bar you can turn with a bungee cord hooked to my climbing trainer. There is some danger of the webbing coming off the trainer and this carabiners flying at my sack with speed, but it's a small risk.

The idea is that the bungee cord provides some resistance at the same angle the kite would. You can then do reps against the resistance to strengthen those "to blind" muscles. You can also feel the steering lines passing across the o-ring so you can tell if you're turning the bar a bunch when you pass the handle behind you.

It's not near as fun as actually kiting and trying the stuff to blind, but I don't get to kite everyday, so at least I can pretend while doing something useful for my future as Andre Phillip's stunt double.

nielsenmartin · Since 05 Mar 2007 15 Posts HR

how come u weren't at the clean up, forrest? i thought u said u wanted 2 help build a slider rail...I was bumed cuz u said u'd b there and i was lookin forward to werkin wit u on that

fully thrownin it down,

Mart

magicmaker · Since 29 Oct 2006 895 Posts da Hood Opinionated

forest was at the cleanup, and one of the last people to leave the party. It's amazing how many people came to the cleanup and i did not get to meet. I'm sure it happened with lots of people because there was A LOT of people at teh cleanup.

forest, my advice to you for unhooked training, is do an upwinder all the way to swell city, then ride unhooked all the way back down. not only does it strength train, but it also helps you (well maybe not you, if you already ride unhooked a lot) get over what i call, unhooked sissyness. well, i guess i'll actually admit i have a kite bar for use as a pull up bar attached to the ceiling in my garage, but i haven't used that since before my trip to thailand.

not to mention it is lots of fun riding unhooked up by the bridge in the big ole swell. There were some 4 foot rollers breaking when i was out there Friday afternoon.

oh yea, another great way to train unhooked, is ride a kite size bigger and go unhooked with that. When you move back to a smaller kite size, it will be all that much easier Smile

forrest · Mon May 21, 07 2:30 pm

I was there all day manning the shovel, sorry I missed ya. Sad

My idea was to split one of those huge logs with a big ass saw so it would be flat like a box. Didn't really pan out.

Speedo · Since 07 May 2007 264 Posts Obsessed

what is the benefit of riding unhooked?

(im still a noob)

Kataku2k3 · Since 14 Aug 2005 3753 Posts Los Angeles, CA Videographer

For unhooked tricks/wave riding. Can't do handlepasses, and even some of the more simple stuff hooked in! Very Happy

magicmaker · Since 29 Oct 2006 895 Posts da Hood Opinionated

Speedo · Since 07 May 2007 264 Posts Obsessed

magicmaker · Since 29 Oct 2006 895 Posts da Hood Opinionated

no i meant sternum, my bad

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6549 Posts Couve / Hood Honored Founder

Good points all of them, one more thing to add:

Getting your bar setup so its good for unhooking can make you a safer kiter. Before I started unhooking I would ride with full power with the bar against the stopper or pulled halfway back. If I pulled the bar all the way in then I would oversheet the kite. Unhooking like this is really difficult... now I ride with full power with the bar pulled in all the way in (using a sliding stopper makes this easier.)

So point is if someday your quick release on your chicken loop fails and you need to unhook yourself, you'd be better off if you are comfortable unhooking. If you get good enough at it you'd probably find the action is more natural than pulling a quick release.

Kraemer · Since 24 Apr 2006 1736 Posts Sky Pilot Unicorn Captain

Well Stated Magic + PKH.
What about the weight room (ya know if it's raining)?

Inept_Fun · Since 14 Apr 2005 1417 Posts Hood River XTreme Poster

unhooking adds difficulty to your tricks, also helps you get more pop off flat water, and gives you more variations of tricks that you can do by passing the handle. Its the way to go once you get some hooked in stuff down.

forrest · Mon May 21, 07 10:20 pm

Unhooking is just fun, I like wakeboarding and never got a chance to do it a bunch cause I couldn't afford a boat. Now I have a kite and have a chance at all the fun riding.

The handle pass stuff is just part of other tricks, but I never had much opportunity to try/learn them before I started kiting. Now I do, so I'm pretty stoked to try and learn as much as I can!

jimmyc · Since 04 Aug 2005 74 Posts Cape Cod, MA

Forrest,

That is an interesting contraption. I think I see what you are trying to train...ie, shoulders; specifically rotator cuff, back; lats, and core; abs/lower back. If there is enough resistance and you do enough reps to bring on fatigue then I'd say your contraption works. If not, then augment it with a good shoulder/back/core workout.

I'd recommend these two exercises in addition to your other shoulder training. These will help your rotator cuffs, which get blasted when you accidentally edge while passing the handle.

Good mosh pitting. Very Happy

forrest · Tue May 22, 07 10:15 am

Good deal, thanks for the advise!

jimmyc · Since 04 Aug 2005 74 Posts Cape Cod, MA

Here is some more advice...things I learned along the way.

1. First and most important...LET GO!!!! Save your shoulders! When you find yourself with one hand on the bar and in an odd position, it is best to let go and let your HP leash do its thing. If you hold on through thick and thin you will hurt yourself.

2. Your trainer is a good idea to get the motion down. Make sure you rotate the bar 180 degrees when passing it, or you will wind up with your hands on the wrong side of the bar and you'll wonder why your kite is looping uncontrollably.

3. This one works!!! Sitting as you are now, ie, sitting in front of your computer, raise your left hand up in front of you. Then while sitting straight up (good posture), rotate that arm around your body (to your back) as though you are passing the handle. You'll start twisting your arm inward as your arm gets behind you to do the pass. Make your right hand meet it to complete the pass. Not bad, but if you're like me as you twist your arm to twist the bar, you'll find your arm is forced down...your shoulder/back just won't allow your arm back easily. Now try again but lean pretty far forward while you do this, with your head almost hitting your desk. You should find that this makes it a whole lot easier to rotate your arm and also will allow you to get your hand behind your back a little further. I hope this makes sense.

4. On the water, when you are first trying this, do so in light wind. Get some speed, go to toeside, pull the bar in to your waist while spinning and then pass it. Try to lean forward a little but don't look at the water, look up.

Have fun! Wink

forrest · Tue May 22, 07 10:48 am

Excellent info! Is it bad that my shoulder is popping and cracking as I do the movement you're talking about? hehe