Bar

What is a kitesurf bar?

kitesurf bar airush
kitesurf bar airush

The bar is an essential element for the practice of kitesurfing since it is the element that through the lines joins our kite with our harness and would be the “handlebar” with which we handle our kite.

These bars are of 4 or 5 lines, the two outer lines are those of direction, which are what make the kite go to one side or the other and the two central ones are those of power, which when pulling the bar towards us It causes the kite to close and capture more wind, therefore it generates more power.

The fifth line is an extra safety system that is used in some type C freestyle kites that allows the kite to be de-energized beforehand, facilitate its re-launch and give them better performance in flight.

The bars usually have two colors to differentiate the part connected to the direction line on the left of the kite (usually red) and the part connected to the direction line to the right of the kite (usually black), to avoid having the bar backwards and we will turn the kite to the opposite side of the one we want to move it.

Parts of a kitesurf bar

kite bar parts
kite bar parts
  1. Control bar, is the structure that allows us to manage our kite, is where we place our hands.
  2. Chicken loop, It is the part that is hooked in the harness.
  3. Chicken stick, It is an element that prevents the chicken loop from leaving our harness by accident.
  4. Safety ring, is where we will hook our leash through which it will be joined with our harness in case of having to use the quick release.
  5. Quick release, is a safety system by which push the chicken loop will be released and leave the kite together only by one of the power lines or the fifth line if you have it with the leash that will be hooked to the safety ring.
  6. Floaters, These make our bar float.
  7. Auto swivel, It allows us to rotate the central lines to unroll them especially if we do kiteloops or backloops.
  8. Rubbers, It allows us to have the subject lines when we have collected the bar.
  9. Power stop, is a stop that we can move to adjust as much as we can depower the bar.
  10. Brake, these two shooters allow us to adjust the power of the kite.
    is a thicker line that allows us to raise and lower the bar to enhance and depower the kite, this will be the one that will support our weight.
  11. de-power lines,  is a thicker line that allows us to raise and lower the bar to enhance and depower the kite, this will be the one that will support our weight.
  12. pre-lines, they are the connection of the bar with the lines that go towards the kite.
  13. Pigtails, are the terminals with which we join the lines to the bridles of the kite, normally they are usually the interior males or power and females the directional or exterior, the left direction is usually red like the left line of direction and the left part of the bar, although this may vary with each manufacturer.

The kite leash

leash kitesurf
leash kitesurf

The leash is an important element of our team as it is what keeps our kite attached to our harness in case we are forced to use the quick release of our bar.

 

 

 

Board leash

board leash
board leash

The table leash is a very useful element when we are learning as it joins the board with our harness, so when we fall we will not have to do body drag to recover it. It is an element of mandatory use with a helmet because when falling the board can come towards us with great force.

reel leash
reel leash

There is a variation of the former called dog leash or reel, which keeps the line collected and stretched when we fall, this is a bit safer than the previous one but it can also be dangerous.

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