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Unhooking for big boys!!

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ragzilla
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Unhooking for big boys!!

Postby ragzilla » Mon Oct 09, 2017 12:55 am

Hey folks.
Struggling with this unhooking business, so coming to the good folks at KF for opinions.

I'm 125kg of kite flying madness, and I'm looking for advice from other big & heavy riders that unhook, or are learning to unhook.
I appreciate people's input, but in all fairness, if you weigh 75kg when wet then your opinion & advice is as good as irrelevant.
Not trying to be nasty about it, but us big guys have different methods & technique.

So....
I can unhook all day. No problems. Spent the weekend at my lagoon just cruising and tuning the muscle memory to unhook & hook in without looking at the QR.
When I go across wind I'm fine, when I go down wind I'm fine (even threw a unhooked downloop)...... but every f***ing time I My edge gets loaded for pop the bar is ripped out of my hands.
I'm talking 40 times over the course of the weekend sessions, and every time I'm loaded up just before I pop the kite is yanked straight out of my grip.

I tried trimming the kite, I tried changing bar pressure settings, and freestyle/wake settings on bridles.
But still the same!!

I spent the day riding with a mate who weighs 60-65kg when wet. We both set out to learn unhooked raleys for the day. He's not a big strong fella, but within a few commited attempts he was easily popping unhooked.
Whereas I still had the same result.

I've been over analysing it a bit.....
but my theory goes.....
As a heavier rider, my kite has far more pulling power. For example, my buddy's kite only needs 65kg of pulling power, but mine requires 125kg pulling power.
Make sense?
So he unhooks, and only needs to hold 65kg, and I'm trying to hold 125kg.

Is that sorta correct??
Are there any other big dudes who have had the same problem???
Any bigger dudes have got it down and can give me some tips??

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Re: Unhooking for big boys!!

Postby bacon2109 » Mon Oct 09, 2017 1:21 am

NO....
If I recall physic (math) ur weight no longer at 125Kg....
check Newton laws.

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LetsFlyaKite
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Re: Unhooking for big boys!!

Postby LetsFlyaKite » Mon Oct 09, 2017 1:22 am

It's getting ripped out of your hands because you're not holding on tight enough. Start gripping it harder and it won't get ripped out of your hands

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jeromeL
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Re: Unhooking for big boys!!

Postby jeromeL » Mon Oct 09, 2017 1:55 am

I'm not heavy but I guess one big difference is going to be kite size. Also it sounds like you let the kite rip you off the water instead of sending a pop. When learning on 14 I did experience a bit what you describe.

I'm a beginner unhook; can do backroll, frontroll and almost S bend,
When I tried on 14m Bandit holding it down or pop is going to pull hard and long, on my 12 or 9 C the power come just at the pop and feels very soft.

Maybe try to load aggressively fast and pop early... the C kite have good slack but they also seem to generate power just when you pop, so as you pop you already accelerate up and kite take over for another surge of power making it pretty smooth, you don't want to wait for kite to rip you off water, you have to releaE with your feet first.

The ther day I tried unhook kiteloop and bar got ripped off my hand before I had a chance to pop, on those you have got to head downwind a load the line very quickly and pop before the kite loop and rip off your hand.,,

Don't forget to depowe kite so it doesn't stay super deep when you load edge...

Anyway sorrry il not heavy but Hopefully that's helpful

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Re: Unhooking for big boys!!

Postby wind chaser » Mon Oct 09, 2017 2:30 am

I'm 93kg with a wakeboard background. I head downwind just before unhooking, then load and pop. I've had the bar rip out of my hands a few times and it was because I didn't trim enough. Recently broke my leg on a fast unhooked bakroll so I'm no expert. One thing I do know is that Wakestyle is a lot more challenging when you're heavier. The impact can be brutal at times and more shit gets broken - gear and bones.

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Re: Unhooking for big boys!!

Postby Faxie » Mon Oct 09, 2017 3:08 am

Trim the kite so you're not too overpowered when fully sheeting in. Bear off downwind just enough to get some slack. Unhook and loadnpop fast. Just look at some freestyle contest video's... you can see them pull the trigger very fast.

A C-kite or bridled freestyle kite will help too. Sounds like you're on a big freeride kite... that won't make it any easier.

Your weight isn't really relevant.

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Re: Unhooking for big boys!!

Postby ragzilla » Mon Oct 09, 2017 3:52 am

Even with my total lack of physics101 knowledge...... there's no way my 65kg buddy is holding the same force at the bar as me at 125kg. He's on a 9 & im on 13..... I doubt it.

Thanks windchaser & Jerome.
Windchaser@ you're totally right.... I thrash my gear. last year I went through 4 boards, and it's a running joke at my local pond not to lend me gear.

For the numnuts that suggest I go down wind before I pop....... how else would I do it?
😂😂😂😂😂
Hold the bar tighter!!
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Let me guess..... your 80kg and ride a 9m in 20kn?? I wouldn't unzip my 9m bag until its minimum 35kn.
🤣🤣🤣
Trim your kite!!!
*sarcasm**
Jeeez, is that what I'm supposed to do??

I genuinely want to hear from big guys that unhook. Thinking maybe going up a few board sizes from my 142 might help.

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Re: Unhooking for big boys!!

Postby nothing2seehere » Mon Oct 09, 2017 9:51 am

Sounds like your initial assessment is about right. You need to generate ( and thus hang on to) more power to lift 125kgs.

Hows your pull ups and muscle ups going? You are going to need to be stronger than a smaller person just to perform the same stuff.

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Re: Unhooking for big boys!!

Postby PeaBody » Mon Oct 09, 2017 11:56 am

nothing2seehere wrote:
Mon Oct 09, 2017 9:51 am
Hows your pull ups and muscle ups going? You are going to need to be stronger than a smaller person just to perform the same stuff.
^^this

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Re: Unhooking for big boys!!

Postby Tone » Mon Oct 09, 2017 12:16 pm

When I was 120kg I could unhook without much effort. Big powered railys were hard as the amount of grip you need to keep hold of the bar was something else. Now I am 110 kg it is a lot easier. When I was 103kg the year before last I was able to do a lot more.

check your gear dude as 125 is coming up to the limits of most warranties on things like chicken loops


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