It's now official.
IKO does not use board leashes anymore.
IKO has (finally) realised that attaching newbies to meat cleavers with a rope....
is not safe teaching practise.
New workbooks and instructions are now in place.
lol.

methinks many instructors also sell boards.
boards are easy to lose if you are a newbie

sci said...

Thank god now lets get rid of helmets and armor plating!

Hey! Those Reel Leash thingys look pretty cool !

forgetting your personal emo slave to attach to the other end of the leash

waveslave said...

It's now official.
IKO does not use board leashes anymore.
IKO has (finally) realised that attaching newbies to meat cleavers with a rope....
is not safe teaching practise.
New workbooks and instructions are now in place.
lol.

It's about friggin' time! Pity it took someone to die before it came about.

Good winds,

waveslave said...

Tragic. ^^
Who died and how did it happen ??

It was posted here a week or so ago.?????

No one was killed by a leash!
The guy was dragged a long way and drowned.

Seems his board leash had tangled around his lines and prevented the quick release from working.

So,up till then Kitehard claims that no one has actually been killed by a board leash.

So,they can't be TOO bad.

user said...

waveslave said...

Tragic. ^^
Who died and how did it happen ??

It was posted here a week or so ago.?????

No one was killed by a leash!
The guy was dragged a long way and drowned.

Seems his board leash had tangled around his lines and prevented the quick release from working.

So,up till then Kitehard claims that no one has actually been killed by a board leash.

So,they can't be TOO bad.

Hey User, I have been outspokenly anti leash since we worked out upwind body dragging back in 2001 despite IKO's stance on leashes being OK.

It is a welcome bit of news and I still cant believe they were advocating leashes for so long. Ridiculous!

The list of deaths from board leash is short, but the injuries list is VERY VERY long and includes that recent picture of the dude with the smashed front teeth and busted jaw.

The guy in Taiwan died, as I understand it, from his board leash ending up through his lines over the bar causing the kite to loop endlesly and rendering the safety systems useless. But thats just the way I read it. This exact thing has happened to me back in the earliest days of kiting in 2000. I do not like board leashes of any type.

Good winds,

poor relative said...

LEashes are an essential part of any safe kiters kit.
They should be enforced
Like helmets and those tops that make you look fat.

I look fat without the top

I just had a great 1/2 Idea

Use your noggin imagination...

A foot pressure activated 'little' sail (at one end of board) that springs up about 6 inches high when your foot comes out of the strap. The little sail would be free to pivot thus blowing the board downwind automatically for easy retrival.
It could also be flourescent coloured for easy location !!!

PURRFECT

Remember its only a 1/2 idea - havent figured out how to make it self right when upside down

CHEERSZ

Geez - I have only just posted my 1/2 idea & theyve made one already!

Thats fast

DOH

P.s If they made it so it springs up (looks betta flat when not needed) they may be more popular.

i had the leash shown here when i was a beginner, helped alot then i out grew it as i progrssed.

and as it was suggest by kite power, you tie at the board end some light duty rope, so when you fell hard it snaps, or under high load it snaps

i broke it several times, never had it fly at me once.