Kickers/sliders - short fins or no fins at all?

voy-tech · Since 08 Apr 2014 372 Posts Seattle Obsessed **CGKA Member**

Hi - I'm planning on trying out the new small kicker in the slider park and since I've never did any wakeboarding or tackled any obstacles on my kiteboard i need some feedback on my preparations.

First question: boots or straps? (I'm assuming boots)
Second question: small fins ok, or should i really take the fins out?
Third question: hooked in or out? (assuming unhooked)

Wind Slither · Since 04 Mar 2005 2573 Posts The 503 METAL

Ooh-Ooh, I know!

Boots, no fins, unhooked.

voy-tech · Fri Jul 08, 16 9:20 am

Slappysan · Since 13 Jun 2012 308 Posts Obsessed

While the norm is unhooked, you can hit kickers hooked if you want.

Many features will state "no fins", so if you are going to use small fins make sure that it's allowed. Safe bet is to lose the fins.

user124 · Since 02 Aug 2012 390 Posts Portland Obsessed

I know very little about kickers or wakestyle. Why is the norm to hit these unhooked?

voy-tech · Fri Jul 08, 16 2:38 pm

One more question - unhooked and leash set in suicide mode, correct? (just doing my first attempts at unhooked stuff so wanted to double check)

swimmer · Since 08 Jul 2016 7 Posts Kook

If you are just starting to do unhooked stuff I would NOT recommend using suicide mode on your first kicker (or feature attempts)! If you mess up the kite could still pull you. And go no fins! You don't want anything to catch plus it's bad for the features surface and you could break your fins.

As Slappysan said you can hit kickers hooked if you want.

Once you build up the experience of unhooked crashes and reeling/relaunching the kite with suicide (no features) then you can progress to hitting features in suicide if you want.

Remember suicide is not necessary for unhooking....

Mess-ups in suicide usually hurt more but offers a faster and less messy recovery. Safety wise the only time I can think of were suicide is preferd is for big dangle passes where if you miss the bar you don't want to fall straight down

stringy · Since 23 Jun 2006 1726 Posts vancouver XTreme Poster

I'd suggest spending some time outside of the slider park to get familiar with riding unhooked. this way when you spend time on features you are comfortable with riding unhooked.
you can hook your leash to your flag line, but keep in mind if you are unhooked and cannot hold the bar it can shoot up to the kite and then you got a bit of a mess to deal with. reinstra rode with the leash to flagging line because he had so much power in that 17m turbine, he would get worked in suicide!

as for fins, most riders go finless. don't piss off the slider park by damaging their kickers! I used to make these fins for riders wanting a feature friendly fin. designed with help from some seattle riders, they give enough bite, but are made of wear resistant plastic and shaped to minimize damage to board, fin and feature.

and definitely wear boots. impact vest with some floatation is a good idea as well as a helmet too.