You have seen them in the water, and perhaps also in the snow; riders who run and rise into the air at will, capable of traveling in any direction and across any terrain while being pulled by the force of a giant kite. Kite sports have evolved rapidly in the last ten years to become the newest and fastest growing “extreme” sport. So how does it all work? What are these riders doing to control the massive kites, and how is it possible for a kiter to stand on the beach or walk while still flying a kite that moments before had lifted him forty feet into the air? The secrets to controlling the kite come down to the design of the control bar, which is held in the riders hands and is used to fine tune the tension on the lines attached to the kite.
Modern powered kites, such as those used in kitesurfing today, are designed to be flown on a four-line platform, meaning there are two lines attached to the front of the kite, one on each side of the center. , and two lines attached to the rear of the kite, one on each of the two wingtips. Simply put, with the right amount of tension on all four lines, the kite will fly steadily and hold its course in the air, pulling an amount based on the strength of the wind. By adjusting the tension on one or more of the lines, the rider can turn the kite to change its heading, or alter the amount of wind the kite catches to create more or less power, or pull, from the kite. To control a kite with the potential to lift a person more than 40 feet into the air or propel a person more than 50 miles per hour through water or land (the current water speed record is 54 knots (or 62 mph), a kiteboarder should be making a combination of these two types of adjustments at all times.
The two tail lines of the kite are attached to the outer ends of the kite control bar. By pulling one side of the bar toward the rider’s body and leaning the other side of the bar toward the kite, the rider can increase tension on one side of the kite. This causes the kite to twist, or spin, around the tip of the wing being thrown, changing the direction the kite travels. The rider will pull on one side or the other of the bar to adjust the flying direction of the kite to avoid crashing, or to change direction, or to steer the kite up for jumping.
The two front lines of the kite meet before reaching the bar and are attached to a single center line called the protection line, which runs through the center of the control bar and ends in a plastic loop that is attached to a harness. special worn around the riders waist. With the lariat attached to the harness, the control rod can be slid up and down the clew line, which has no effect on the tension of the leading lines, but slacks or tightens both outside lines simultaneously. By pulling the bar along the sheet line and closer to his body, the sailor increases the tension on the trailing lines and therefore the rear of the kite, causing the kite to hold the wind with greater efficiency and pull harder, or feel more “powerful”. “. As the rider slides the bar up the guard line and away from their body, the tail lines slack, reducing stress on the rear of the kite and allowing you to more easily shed wind and “depower.” “, or create less jerks.
This simple system in combination with improvements in modern kite design has not only allowed professional kiteboarders to push the limits of the sport, but has also made the sport more accessible to everyday athletes and outdoor enthusiasts. equally. Of course, even with an understanding of how the equipment works, aspiring kiteboarders should definitely take a few lessons before attempting to fly the huge kites on their own.
Tips for tuning a four line kite control bar
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Make sure the two rear lines (attached to the outer ends of the control bar) are the same length and the two front lines (attached to the guard line in the middle of the control bar) are the same length. The front and rear lines are usually, but not necessarily, the length as well.
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When first flying an unfamiliar kite, attach the tail lines to the ends of the kite’s lead lines (also known as pigtails), to allow for as much length as possible on the tail lines. When flying the kite with the control bar pulled fully toward your body, if there is still slack in the back lines and the kite does not catch the wind or respond to steering, then land the kite and tighten the back lines by setting them closer to the kite on the main lines of the kite (pigtails).
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The rear lines can be tensioned this way until there is a lot of tension on them with the bar pulled, and the kite feels very powerful and responsive to steering. However, the back lines should not be so tight that when the bar slides up the guard line and away from the rider’s body, the back lines are not slack and there is still tension on them, preventing the kite from spilling the kite. wind and lose power. .
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Too much tension on the back lines can cause the kite to fall backwards out of the sky or “shut up”. With the control bar pulled all the way, or almost all the way, for power, the kite should not “stall”. If so, the back lines should be lengthened by a few centimeters.