What makes a kite good for unhooking/handle passing?

chanson · Since 31 Jan 2006 1874 Posts WISCONSIN Chimey

yeah, that dude rips those roo's...

forrest · Mon Apr 30, 07 10:54 pm

Thanks for all the answers and encouraging words! I'm glad we got into a decent discussion about this, regardless if anyone thinks we're right or wrong, the forum is an excellent place to discuss. I'm going to continue to do my research, watch more videos, and try my tricks out on the beach.

(BTW, I think I tried about 25 surface handle passes last Wednesday at Lyle, many of them were close to successful. Would have done 25 more, but the wind was dying. This is going to be the best summer ever!)

Hein: I took up rock climbing over the winter, lost most of my beer gut, and can do lots of pull-ups on the last two segments of my fingers. When I first started kiting in March I discovered unhooking was quite a bit easier. I've got a little more muscle to gain but I'm almost ready dude! Smile

I do admit, s-bends look sick and I've only done one unhooked backroll, so I could focus there for the time being.

I'm going to try and demo some more kites and see how they feel. If I learn anything interesting I post it back in in this thread.

tinyE · Since 21 Jan 2006 2004 Posts not really an XTreme Poster

has anyone ever moved their backlines to a different knot (more forward or back) on the rear bridles? I was thinking this might slow it down a little (or speed it up).

forrest · Mon May 14, 07 1:43 am

Alright, well I got in one last day here in England, wind was blowing 25 to 35 and I was on my 9m.

I got two surface handle passes in each direction. The trick was definitely turning straight at the kite. For now I'm turning downwind, unhooking and diving the kite for two reasons. To get my speed up so I can maintain planing, and when I let go of my front hand, my back hand starts to steer the kite up. Once I dive the kite, I turn straight at the kite, let go with my front, spin around, bend over slightly, reach for the bar and finish my spin. It's actually pretty easy. The whole trick was just riding at the kite.

I imagine once I get a little better at these it'll be faster and I won't need to dive the kite, it will just be a fluid motion at the end of a trick or something.

I'm also unhooking and doing raileys pretty easily on the Waroo. There is so much flat water at low tide that you can do three raileys in in a row before you have to hook back in and tack upwind. The 14m seems to have a larger sweet spot for unhooking than the 9m but I think my original assumption that this kite is bad for unhooking was wrong and that it's a great kite for unhooking. This leads me to agree with what Joby said in another post that any kite will work, and it's just rider ability. This sport is so gear oriented that sometimes I think the reason I suck is cause I have low-end gear or something.

BTW, I sold my 2006 9m over here for enough to buy a brand new 2007 9m. Uhg, the dollar is so weak right now.

pdxmonkeyboy · Tue May 22, 07 2:21 pm

Since another thread started talking handlepasses, thought I would send this thread TTT

thealohakid · Since 09 Aug 2006 58 Posts MAUI

absolutely hang a bar in a tree. pulley or no pulley. Wakestyle kiteboarding is about muscle memory. The more you go out and practice the handle pass the easier it is on the water. I hung my bar using a rope and depower strap so I can adjust the height of the bar. The higher the bar, the more muscle it takes to do the trick. I also practice 1 armed spinning rotations on this bar so my shoulder gets used to the torque that some unhooked moves can cause. The hanging bar is really for your first aeriel handlepasses (sending the kite) but that seems to be the direction you're headed. I also have a bar tied onto surgical tubing tied to a tree about 10 feet up to simulate the pull of the kite. I think this might be a little better for surface handlepasses and flat 3's...As for the Waroo's I ride nothing but and after getting used to the differences and how to adjust the waroo's vs c-kite style. I have no problems doing the same tricks. Like the others have said 07's way better. bow/sle kites are amazing but remember, there is a diffenece between usable range and optimal range. There is no such thing as a 1 kite perfect quiver.

forrest · Wed May 23, 07 8:20 am

Awesome, thanks for the encouraging words!

kitekid · Since 15 Apr 2007 170 Posts Stoked

Hes right get a kite with good bar pressure so you can feel were the kite is at all times so like a north vegas, naish torch, airush 06 flow ,feuls etc. another thing is learn to fly a trainer kite with your eyes closed.