Toby, I disagree with you about "push away quick releasers (QRs)" for a number of reasons.
First: our quick releaser passed the French Afnor test, that is a very demanding safety test for quick releasers. We heavily invested in R&D (I can show you numerous calculations by engineering teams, dozens of designs...) to come up with a very secure quick releaser. Our design is patented.
Now tell me ONE brand that passed this Afnor* test using a push away system.
This means that under very strong pull (a kite can pull 200 kg easily), many QRs on the market will NOT release, or will require HUGE effort.
* Afnor test: see
http://www.kiteattitude.com/us/kite_att ... nswers.htm
Second, manufacturing a push away QR is very unexpensive: this is basically a pin and a tube, or similar.
Third,
under very strong load, do you seriously think it makes sense to push away rather than pull towards yourself?
It is not because many people are doing things one way that it is the only way or the best way... I am sorry to remind you that well over 50 people died from kitesurfing, and many others were very seriously injured, ... using what you call "standard gear" (!!!). This is very very bad publicity for the sport (although most media and pros are hiding the facts for obvious reasons...).
The reality is that many people are giving up kitesurfing and/or moving to windsurfing because they were scared.
My opinion is that we have to do something to change this.