Kite lines

[Barry P]

I think most line sets these days are 600-800lbs on both front and back lines.

What scenario puts as much strain on the steering lines as the front lines?

[monkey1031]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJMgPku- ... re=related

yep. that'll do it.

[ollie]

Barry
I once had an old 9-m Link that was very prone to inversion or leading edge collapse in the lulls.
One day was way out on Millie, very gusty, and a sudden lull left the kite in a nose down position then the quick gust inverted it, another one two punch of lull & big gust allowed it to snap back to nonmal shape.
The thing was it snapped back "open" with such force the bar was ripped from my hands, went flying straight
downwind about 40' and landed in a heap of tangled lines, collapsed kite, and no board. After gathering up everything (including my wits) swam in and expected to find a blown out kite but it was fine. Instead there
was two broken lines, front line on one side and rear on the other. So anyway thats a story of masive
rear line loading. Never used that kite again and gave it away to a very experianced rider but would have thrown it away before giving it to anyone less skilled.
Bryan z

[JRN]

I wrapped a steering line around the mast of a sailboat moored off of Ramsey. Now THAT will break a line!!

[Denis]

Back in the days, after a jump I did a butt landing in the water with my board in front of me but still on my feet. My 19m Fuel went through a loop and snapped a front and back line in the process.

[tom_latcham]

Last spring I was sending my nine meter T2 and starting to edge hard for a nice kicker wave. Instead of a nice jump my kite started to spin out of control. I pulled the release and found I had snapped a front line. This scared me. I was jumping kind of high at times over the ice with those same lines 2 months before. I always feel for nicks and knots when I comb out my lines. The line snapped just inside the sheath where they sew the loop on the end. I went out and got T3 lines and bars for all my T2s the same week. I have not snapped a line since. My T 2 bars had 400lb front and rear. T 3 bar has 400lb rear and 800 lb front lines. Most of the pull is on front lines. If I was gliding high in the mountains. Like Chasta and Alex Peterson I would get all 800lb lines and shackel a climbing harness to my kite harness and chicken loop. Don't have the skills or guts to try that yet.
TL

[Barry P]

Thanks for the feedback.

So far, all the stories of back lines snaps are with (or preceded by?) a front line snap (except for the encounter with a sailboat mast).

Without tangling the lines I don't think it's normally possible to put more than 100 pounds on a back line.

[Barry P]

Thanks for the feedback.

So far, all the stories of back lines snaps are with (or preceded by?) a front line snap (except for the encounter with a sailboat mast).

Without tangling the lines I don't think it's normally possible to put more than 100 pounds on a back line.