When will the kite industry provide something other than chicken loops and hooks?

[iriejohn]

The kite industry has still not understood that the overwhelming majority of kitesurfers never unhook and do not need or want chicken loops and hooks!

What is required is a quick release that can be both activated and reloaded using one hand only (ie that a person with one arm must be able to use).

We actually use such a release every day with seat belts in our automobiles. Designing the same sort of system for kitesurfers really is not rocket science!

[a99]

Is inventen anchard or somehow similar in sounding.

[Toby]

Fireball by Cabrinha

[iriejohn]

Fireball by Cabrinha

Uses a hook.

[ScoopZ]

All they seem to do is take away throw, even with fireball.

https://kitemovement.com/wp-content/upl ... 102908.png

Miniaturisation would be nice, with the large chicken loop it must be a minimum 10 inches away excluding the hook.
I'd like to Frankenstein the ozone click-in with a duotone rope CL at some point.

[SWO_kite]

So is this a complaint thread? Or an idea thread?

If you don't like hooks and loops, what do you like? Do you have a sketch of what you have in mind?

From an engineering perspective, there seems to be few configurations beyond a classic hook and loop system. Even the seat belt idea is based on a spring released latch (hook and loop). My thoughts are that even if the design was changed, it would still be roughly the same size and weight of a hook and CL. The size of the current chicken loops and harness hooks also do play a roll in their ease of use as well as their ability to function when exposed to hot, cold and sand.

I'm very curious to see anyone's concept ideas for innovation.

[leeuwen]

I think the problem is harder then you suggest:

First it needs to work under load and full with sand & salt water and super easy to release at the same time without accidental releases. Also it should be able to carry big loads, be small and manufacturing costs should not be to high.

Next problem is kite schools: people getting lessons need an easy transfer option of the kite between people. Also quite some people self launch/land with a tether which also needs some way of easy connect and release.
I don’t think a new system will fully take the market unless these scenarios are tackled as well.

Next up is compatibility. The new system will require new bar and new harnesses or at least spreader. So borrowing or renting a kite will become a problem if you have a different system. Basically installed base wil hamper a new system just because everyone else is already using a widely compatible system.

To be widely used it should probably be royalty free. So for an individual brand putting lots of R&D into it it will be hard to earn back their efforts.

Last it needs to be a good enough improvement without being to costly that people will actually want to switch.

All in all I don’t think it is an easy puzzle to solve. It would be great if all the brands came together to get a better system (I agree the current system has issues) but I have no illusions that this will happen.

[deniska]

As a few previous posters, I don't see anything wrong with current CL designs.
Even if you don't unhook, you may use the loop for passing your kite to another person, while it's flying, for anchored self launch/land (when you hook the loop to any hook you find on the ground), etc..
You can swap gear with a wind surfer and it will work...
Unified standards are good.
Last thing we want is even more fragmentation.. when you cannot try your friend's kite because your harness does not have a fireball adapter or does not connect to some weird slider design..
Besides, who said that seatbelt release would be reliable around salt and sand?

[leeuwen]

As a few previous posters, I don't see anything wrong with current CL designs.

I do think it can be improved and has some issues.
The hook makes it possible to get a line stuck under it for a death loop, you can have a “foul” hook in where you get an unwanted release and resetting the safety can be pain (although now we have some brands which improved this with the click-in system).

I disagree with the notion that the solution is easy though, see my post above.

[SWO_kite]

To be widely used it should probably be royalty free. So for an individual brand putting lots of R&D into it it will be hard to earn back their efforts.

Did you know that the modern vehicle 3-point seat belt is a design owned by Volvo...