Extending the Life of Your Chicken Loop
Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 8:36 am
One of the most common forms of equipment failure in kiteboarding is when your chicken loop trim line breaks while you are out kiteboarding. With normal use, the trim line wears out due to friction from sheeting in and out. Some manufacturers cover this line with a plastic tube which eliminates this problem altogether, however most control bars on the market today do not have this protective tube and are subject to breaking without much notice.
When I first started kiteboarding someone told me to dip my trim line in candle wax to extend the life of the line. The wax acts as a lubricant and reduces the wear of the line. Although this works to a degree, itís messy, candle wax doesnít stick very well to the trim line and it wears off easily. Then I discovered bow string wax thanks to my father in-law who is an avid bow hunter. This is stuff is easy to apply and works much better than candle wax. You can buy it at any hunting store (about $3) and it comes in a tube, similar to a large chap stick. All you have to do is apply a little to your trim line, and then using either a leather glove or a piece of chamois, rub the wax hard and fast enough that it gets hot and bonds to the line (donít use your bare hands, youíll get serious rope burn!). All told it takes about 3 minutes to do and it really makes a big difference. If you do it once every 5-6 sessions, youíll never break another chicken loop trim line.
By Alonso Vargas
When I first started kiteboarding someone told me to dip my trim line in candle wax to extend the life of the line. The wax acts as a lubricant and reduces the wear of the line. Although this works to a degree, itís messy, candle wax doesnít stick very well to the trim line and it wears off easily. Then I discovered bow string wax thanks to my father in-law who is an avid bow hunter. This is stuff is easy to apply and works much better than candle wax. You can buy it at any hunting store (about $3) and it comes in a tube, similar to a large chap stick. All you have to do is apply a little to your trim line, and then using either a leather glove or a piece of chamois, rub the wax hard and fast enough that it gets hot and bonds to the line (donít use your bare hands, youíll get serious rope burn!). All told it takes about 3 minutes to do and it really makes a big difference. If you do it once every 5-6 sessions, youíll never break another chicken loop trim line.
By Alonso Vargas