BayAreaKiteboarding.com

I have tried it before but I can't hang on for long enough to enjoy it . My arms just get tired and I want to hook in again. There is no way I could even think about jumping. I wonder if I am doing something wrong or I am just out of shape. Who rides unhooked?

its like that at first but then with time you get stronger or just get used to it, im not sure which one.

I started playing with it a bit in Costa Rica. The key, and reason, to unhook is to throw tricks. You won't want to unhook to be cruising along. A good excercise to do is to just practice unhooking and hooking back in. Unhook, hook back in. Once that becomes automatic (I'm still working on it myself) then hooking back in becomes easy. Another tip Scott Cox gave me in CR is to not worry about pulling down hard on your bar to hook back. After you throw anything unhooked, veer downwind slightly and just grab the chicken loop and hook back in. Your kite will usually be stable, so there's no need to use the bar. Wax on, wax off, unhook, hook in. O:)

tuck your elbows in tight to your body
sometimes if you extend your arms, it can get hard to get back to your hoop.

Charlie's right, got to keep your elbows bent and tight into your body. Flex those stomach muscles too. If you let your arms extend out, the rest of you will follow, keep your center of balance when you want to ride "unhooped"*...

Unhooped (Fong, 2004) - To ride sans hoop, to become unhooped, unhooping

I guess I gotta work on it more. I brought this up because in the last tw issues of the kiteboarder (Sick magazine by the way) almost every shot is of people riding and doing tricks unhooked. It looks like the new way to kite. I have also seen some videos on the web like ----> http://www.kitesite.co.il/leeshai.zip

Sick TORCH video btw!

But I don't think I can get my fat but up and around that fast. Maybe i gotta work on it.

I started playing w/this last year after a bunch of pros made it look really fun. Try when you are powered just right - not lit. It makes moves like spins, rolls, jumps and transitions feel very different. Different is fun and good.

It's also VERY fun in the waves, as you can get into better position to smack the shit out of that lip.

Good wind + Waves, Zeev.

I tried to get rid of that damn work from windsurfing (waterstart, .. waterstart ...pull-up ...) , why should I work hard again? I prefer high and long floaty jumps....

Knyfe