What makes a kite good for unhooking/handle passing?

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

So, I'm starting to unhook a lot... And when I say a lot, I mean just about every single time on my port tack. I'm starting to notice a few things...

--In order to pass a handle you need to be able to turn the bar without the kite zipping from one side of the window to the other, or looping. This requires you to put slack in the back lines so the kite doesn't turn.

--When you unhook you want plenty of power, but not to much.

--In order to accomplish this with my waroos I have to trim the kite to a depowered setting which causes me to loose just about all the power.

I am just starting with surface handle passes, and I can get the pass, but once I switch hands the kite always goes into a loop... Unless I depower the kite, but then I sink.

So, what makes a kite/bar good for handle passes?

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

C kites still rule when it comes to unhooking, they fly great unhooked and have a huge sweet spot sheeting wise that they still fly well in with plenty of power.

The 06 you mention is a tough one to dial in for unhooking, I'd say it has like a 3cm sweet spot sheeting wise that you really need to be in to get good yank and still have the kite fly forward. I experimented with shorter lines (20m and 23m) and they help a lot for making the sweet spot bigger, you can oversheet the kite a little more and it will still fly foward without backstalling.

THe 07 is much better for unhooking, I can fly it unhooked straight above me on the beach in gusty wind no problem and the kite just sits there, something I wouldn't have felt comfortable with on the 06. The sweet spot for unhooking is much larger, but you still need to make sure you depower enough not to backstall it. The 07 also isn't nearly as sensitive to steering input from the bar, so its less likely to loop when holding one handed.

If your arms can handle being really lit and unhooking you will get great yank and you can really huck a raley / sbend with extension, the kite will do most of the work for you. Light wind requires a bit more work on getting pop to make it legit without putting the kite too high.

Interested in hearing other folks views on this... I am still a mere grasshopper when it comes to unhooked moves, and haven't attempted a pass yet (may never with my shoulder the way it is.)

kiteboard117 · Since 02 Mar 2005 450 Posts PDX McLovin

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

in a handle pass spin, do you flip the handle when you're passing? (i.e. are the back lines crossed when you're done?), or do you try to leave the handle totally flat?

kitekid · Since 15 Apr 2007 170 Posts Stoked

Try a smaller bar not to small tho

forrest · Fri Apr 27, 07 7:22 am

You flip the handle naturally, so when you're done the lines have a spin in them.

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

Yea, the bar normally spins, but have you ever seen Mark Doyle pass? His bar stays flat...

kitekid · Since 15 Apr 2007 170 Posts Stoked

try seting up a bar in you back yard and but a pully on it and try doing handle passes wile keeping the bar flat

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

fuels are good for that.

Good for everything actually.

forrest · Mon Apr 30, 07 9:46 am

What do you mean, put a pulley on it?

BTW, posted this question to kiteforum to get a broader opinion base:
http://www.kiteforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2338368

I'm secretly thinking I need a C kite but don't want to start a huge fight. What do you guys think?

I'm just worried about range really... I never really had good sessions on my 8, 12, 16m C kites because I was almost always underpowered. Maybe it would have been different if they were newer than 2004 when i was riding them. BLAH! I just don't want to start over with trying to get my gear dialed in...

magicmaker · Since 29 Oct 2006 895 Posts da Hood Opinionated

d00d, get a 13m 07 fuel, that is a sick sick kite, i can fly it when the wind is averaging doing 10 - 20mph (avg 13- 15), but i've also had it out in gusts up to 30mph Shocked

i didn't even have to use my depower strap, Cool

just sheeted the bar out all the way, and it just ate teh gusts alive. i wiegh in at 160 and ride misfit 127.

C kites rule Exclamation

Hein · Since 08 Mar 2005 1314 Posts Possessed

....

mack · Since 08 Aug 2006 29 Posts Hood River, OR

hein speaks the truth, learn to handle gusts with your board, not your bar.

genek · Since 21 Jul 2006 2165 Posts East Po KGB

I actually got a chance to try the Liquid Force Havoc recently (it's a 4 line hybrid) and it was great unhooked. Better than my Octanes and '05 Fuel. I'm sure the '07 Fuels are awesome for unhooked and have great depower. It's good to know though that some kite companies are starting to dial in the "flat" kites as well. I bet there's a good number of '07 kites that'll satisfy you in both the depower and unhooked department, but ultimately you're gonna have to deal with handling the power while riding unhooked as Hein pointed out. Become friends with your depower strap, learn to edge hard, and work on your arm strength so you can hook back in while powered.

gabe · Since 16 May 2005 491 Posts Obsessed

the 06 waroo is so exceptionally bad at having a workable sheeting sweet spot for a fixed bar that it's probably unfair and premature to turn your back to the whole spectrum of sle kites.

as a largely uninterested observer to the whole freestyle scene, i don't really understand the fascination with handle passes except for the most elite riders and as a way to earn points in a contest. seems like there are a lot cooler and more fundamental tricks out there to learn first.

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

scottm · Since 12 Jun 2006 108 Posts Stoked