Yesterday at eastern beach a kiteboarder on a Royal Era 12m became unhooked quite close to the shore. He couldnt hook back in and so let go of the bar. The kite remained powered and kitelooped three times, dragging the rider up the beach until the kite hit a pine tree.

The royal uses a rear line safety system but has the knots for adjustment above the pull through ring. These knots stopped the bar from travelling up the rear line as intended and caused an uncontrollable kiteloop.

I would recommend that anyone who owns this bar system change the knot type so it can run smoothly through the ring.

That sounds like a case of the riders becoming the test pilots again - was happening a fair bit a couple of years ago when bows first came out

I ask the occasional newcomer if they have ever pulled the safety on their kite, or any kite - most say no did not ever think about it, some say they did not want to in case they hurt their kite. But I explain they will wish they had when they are being dragged towards something unable to release - especially in higher wind and with bridled kite that are at higher risk of kitelooping over and over again without hitting the water (because they spin on their own axis more)


test the safety without kite in the air - just at bar - then fire it off in real light wind to test it out (obviously use your brainpower to make sure that it at least looks like it will work first..).

I have been stuck to an unreleasable out of control kite in high wind and remember praying for the first time!

In my own personal opinion, flagging leash type safety systems do not work on bridled kites. Because of the bridle, the kite cannot spill the breeze and tends to kite loop uncontrollably down wind. This is the same with all brands that use a flagging leash, especially in high winds.

Cabrinha do have the option, but I will always advise that you dont use it unless you are self rescuing in light winds. With most modern kites the depower available in the bar is more than that achieved with the flagging leash, and the kite remains under some sort of control.

If it is too windy for that, and you are in trouble - eject!

my two cents...

In the case Andrew is talking about the rider had actually rigged their Era kite wrong. The leash line is the red line running thru the bar.
It is not the side, line. That's a self landing line.

This topic has been well covered on NZKiteboarding.com
www.nzkiteboarding.com/forums.php?m=posts&q=195

But if anyone wants to go over how their leash system works.
And how it should be operated in different situations, feel free to call into Anabatic Kiteboading at Orewa Beach.
Or call my on 09-4262444

Each kite has a specific system, it is up to riders to be sure they understand and practice how to operate it.

When actually learning to kite, understanding/practising how to eject your kite should be one of the first things you learn. If you have never done it chance is you will hesitate at exactly the wrong time (ie when shit hits the fan for the first time for you).

The more complicated the bar /line kite (bells whistle etc...) systems - the more there is to go wrong in my experience - especially when you start to ride in higher winds - the chances of a big mess up increase 10 fold.

If something can go wrong ( in this case mixing up the running line and leash line) - it will go wrong.

Yes you would expect learners to become familiar with their equipment during training. But if your implying the guy was a learner then that's a mistake. He's a skilled rider. His kite ended in a tree thats all.

The Royal Era is not intended as a learners kite as it is a powerful beast.
But riders could learn with it if they wanted too.

Here is a link to the manual for the 2008 Royal Era kite. www.royalkiteboarding.net/ERAmanualLG.pdf

Hope that helps clarify things regarding the new Royal kites.
Our December order has just arrived this week. All in time for the Christmas break.

Well yeah... even an experienced/ skilled rider could mix up the running line and leash line on this Royal kite then.

I agree it is your own responsibility to make sure you understand your own kit/how safety works etc, but also think that it is a great thing that a rider can share their own bad experiences on the net for others to learn from, it has saved riders some serious shit for sure in the past.

the guys name is Grant and yeah he knows his shit... been windsurfing for 20+ years and kiting since 2003 so certainly not a beginner. Techically speaking we are ALL learners... even Aaron Hadlow.

he told me what happened today (i was there the other day when he put it in the tree). Apparantly the quick release did its job a little too well.. ie it released automatically... the spring popped out. It happended at the wrong place.... close to shore and he had his leash on the wrong line. Nothing to do with rigging lines up wrong.... just put the safety on the outside line which is pointless these days unless in certain circumstances.

i personally are more concerned about the CL than the ohshits on that kite.

The Royal i reckon could work well as a beginners kite as long as your kite skills are good. Being a kite full of low end grunt it tends to make gusty conditions easier to handle... sorta like the Fuel. so long as the wind speed stays in the kites range then its all good with that kite (the ERA)... especially the 12 and i'm assuming the 14 as well. as for the 8m..... um maybe not lol

Good discussion. I once hooked my leash to the Oh-shit line on my Waroo 7m because I couldn't totally depower it, it was gusting 45 knots at the time and in retospect that was a dumb thing to do.

Both the Royal QR and the new North iron-heart have a reputation for popping open unexpectedly. Apparently there is a new French law that specifies a minimum pressure required to activate the QR for kites sold in France, sounds like a law that makes things more rather than less dangerous.