Serious crash

[Tone]

I've had a harness hook rip off my harness bar a few years ago, just as I sent the kite to 12. The bar was ripped from my hands SO fast my fingers stung for days. I am sure there are some instances when you could hold onto it but I don't think it would be easy as you're going for a big sent jump and not expecting to have to hold onto the bar for you life!

[Toby]

Once on Boracay the chicken loop broke during a jump.

We were filming for my Airstyle DVD, and winds are onshore.
I lift off and then the QR broke, luckily I still had both hands on the bar.
My cameraman was irritated, since all my tricks are strictly hooked...and he wondered why I went unhooked

I was hanging onto the bar, flying towards land (an 18 can fly...) and I scream to my cameraman...he ran to help me and I came slowly down (so happy to ride 18s, much better hangtime!) and crashed slightly on the shore line and landed the kite immediately.

Nothing happened to me or the kite...

But, also had QR breaking and everything flew away...no chance to hold anything...and that was in warm areas without gloves...

[ichabod]

I think the guy on the core was unlucky as it came undone on the way up with the kite still way out to the side of him. It would be hard to hold on in this situation I reckon. When my CL broke I was lucky as I had just reached the peak of the jump and kite was more or less overhead and not accelerating

[nikalaitzian]

I accept the unlucky brake of the CL but again every season you need to change at least the loop.But i REFUSE to accept the ACCIDENTLY opening by design failure...

[jeromeL]

The bar is ripped out of your hands so hard you feel like your fingers are broken. All you can do is hope to land good.

I had a front line break in light wind going for a 5 feet boost, all the power from center line went to steering line and bare ripped out from my hand, my finger were bruised...

THough chicken loop releasing would be softer feeling I think just like unhooking, I am surprised he was able to hold on so long, maybe his inertia was still going up then he move the kite a bit through window which was too much too hold with cold numb gloved finger...

[jeromeL]

Until it happens to you, it is impossible to understand the pressure of the bar on your hands. You can't hold on. Impossible. Maybe if you are on a very small jump like a meter or a foot and it slowly releases I've been able to hold on like that, but something like this video no never you can't do it. The bar is ripped out of your hands so hard you feel like your fingers are broken. All you can do is hope to land good. Very lucky here that water looked so shallow, glad you made it out alive. Very dangerous. And like Nika said, I would never ride a core bar. Bad design.

Yes you can, this guy held on for a few seconds but decided to let go.

If you have the bar all the way sheeted in and your chicken loop breaks then it would be the same amount of pressure minus your body weight. Now others might have trouble if they are fat and have never done a pull up, but to say it's impossible would be wrong.

I've had my quick release go off on me multiple times in the past, but each time I held on with no problems. In fact it is MUCH SAFER to hold on than to let go. And it looks like this guy let go because he either got scared, or his kite was starting to loop and he got scared...

Sorry but you are wrong, the guy explained what happened on his facebook and he definitely didn't want to let go. He said the sudden power surprised him and didn't get a good enough grip to hold on. And with gloves he said he wouldn't have been able to hold on anyway.

Honestly, when riding with gloves you have to relax your grip on bar at all times if you want to keep forearm stamina and keep blood flowing in your finger. You don't want to hold onto that bar for your life... So it would be pretty understandable to loose the bar, I am surprised he was able to hold for so long.

Also if QR goes off the best is not to hold on the bar but grab the chicken loop and let go of bar to depower and come to a stop. Well that's I usually do.

[edt]

Lets fly I don't think you've felt that yank yet. your fingers feel store for days like someone took a hammer to them. if you didn't feel that well I hope it doesn't happen to you it sucks. you have wake boarded on a boat right? you know that feeling when they gun the engine and you grip as hard as you can then yell at the driver "hey not so fast next time" well this is 100 times worse.

Only a blown eardrum isn't too bad. I've blown out my ear drums about 10 times so far, so much scar tissue now that I can't ride anymore without docs ear plugs. If you get docs make sure you get the ones with the little line so you don't lose them if one pops out. I recommend ear plugs or ear flaps or even listening to mp3, anything between your ear and the water will prevent that burst eardrum. I mean yeah it helps for surfers ear too, but kiters are just as likely to blow out their eardrums as to get surfers ear so we have two reasons to wear ear protection.

[ThickAir]

This is one case where rigging suicide may have been safer and caught you on the way down.

Actually, worse scenario is it happens at apex of jump and the bar only gets ripped out of one hand. Kite now heading for the water and accelerating you down towards it.

[Bushflyr]

I've had a harness hook rip off my harness bar a few years ago, just as I sent the kite to 12. The bar was ripped from my hands SO fast my fingers stung for days. I am sure there are some instances when you could hold onto it but I don't think it would be easy as you're going for a big sent jump and not expecting to have to hold onto the bar for you life!

Definitely this. I had the exact same experience. Fortunately the velcro on my harness held and I didn't completely lose the kite.

Holding on when you're expecting a big pull and it comes on gradually is one thing. Instantly going from depowered to full power is pretty tough to hold on. I've done it a couple times, but never in the middle of a huge jump.

[yomotha]

I ride core and haven't had an issue with their chicken loops (yet). In the past I've had a Cabrinha break on me (in the air) and an f-one auto release on me twice (once causing me to lose a board).