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Pulley Bar?
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Post new topic   Reply to topic    Northwest Kiteboarding -> Gorge / Portland / Oregon Coast
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kitezilla

Since 22 Jun 2006
453 Posts
gorge
Obsessed



PostSat Feb 06, 10 1:37 pm     Reply with quote

A lot of younger people don't realize that it was through the efforts of Robby Naish that kiteboarding was brought to the US, as Bruno Legaignoux passed the baton to Robby and Don, by giving them his secrets and a license to use them.

It took him all of about a year to learn to kiteboard, and by 1998 and 1999, he was twice the world champion in about 3 of the kiteboarding disciplines of the day, like jumping and slalom racing.

Robby was brave enough to take a chance on producing and selling kiteboarding equipment, in the time, when liability was an over-riding concern to most other people in the water sports industry. He had guts.

Robby considered all forms of water sport activities, as legitimate...not passing judgement, until he had taken a crack at it. When others were dissing things like the Wind Weapon, he saw the fun in using it, quickly learned how to make it work, and used it to sky more air than most kiters will ever get.

One of the reasons I would like to get his opinion on the pulley bar, is not just because he is a polite and honest person, whose opinion I would trust, but because he would know a lot about it... as a result of his interest in the development of BIG kites. He produced a 30 meter kite in 2004, and did so, in the "era of the pulley bar" ...and if anything would have helped in making those 30 meter monsters turn faster, it would have been a pulley bar. So, I would think that he put as much thought into the use of a pulley bar, as anyone.

I am sure Hein can fill us in on the other desirable features of the pulley bar, because, I have gathered from the conversation here, that they are not just for making big "C" kites turn faster.

My take on the development of the pulley bar, back in the day, was that, they came into existence just to make those big old "C" kites behave better, by making them turn. Before the development of the SLE-Bow type of bridled kite, the only kites that pivoted on their wing tips in the sky were the Ram Air kites...the lower aspect "C" kites, similar to ones being made today, carved a big arc in the sky, in order to turn, and the high aspect kites, like the "X" kites, that Robby made...they swooped through a giant arc in the sky, when ever you needed to turn them. The bars used to turn the larger size kites had to be so frick'en long that they would get stuck between your legs, as you cranked the kite around...I think some bars were close to 3 feet long. By using the features of the pulley bar, you could cut a foot or more off the bar, and that was a good thing.

It may be that the pulley bar is not just a relic of the past era of doggy "C" kites, and it may be that the appreciation for them that a small group of modern day kiters exibit...may spread to the rest of us.

I like the 'Je ne sais quoi' mystery surrounding the subject of the pulley bar. I heard that a 32nd degree Mason found the original bar, wrapped in a shroud, while he was visiting the Vatacan...and that the shroud had a shadowy image imprinted on it...and the image was that of...gasp..........................................
.............................................................................................................arg!...

..............................................Oh, no, how did you get in here?.............no, noooooo!
..............................................gug....kaaa....gok!......
.................................


...............................................loosing consciousness...............

.................................can't breath......................91_......... CLUNK!

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Inept_Fun

Since 14 Apr 2005
1417 Posts
Hood River
XTreme Poster



PostSat Feb 06, 10 1:59 pm     Reply with quote

so basically your trying to sell to me that kiteboarding wouldnt exist without Robby Naish? Well you might have never heard of a fellow name Cory Roesler then. Or companies like Wipika, and Flexifoil who also sold kite gear when Naish started, and these are strictly kite companies at that, not windsurf/kite. So yep I could care less about Robby Naish or what he thinks about anything, especially anything to do with kiting, and neither should you.

The only reason Im so sour on Robby Naish is for whatever he said in that windsurfing mag a while back about kiting being too easy or something, I wish I could find the interview. Anyways the only reason someone would think kiting is too easy is because they suck, have never riden boots, tried a handlepass, or hit a slider.

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Spike

Since 13 May 2007
1414 Posts
Alameda
Spelling Expert



PostSat Feb 06, 10 4:15 pm     Reply with quote

kitezilla wrote:
A lot of younger people don't realize that it was through the efforts of Robby Naish that kiteboarding was brought to the US, as Bruno Legaignoux passed the baton to Robby and Don, by giving them his secrets and a license to use them.

Nonsense Rolling Eyes , thats like saying we would be without a president if Obama didn't volunteer for the job. If Naish wasn't there, somebody else would have made it happen.

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kitezilla

Since 22 Jun 2006
453 Posts
gorge
Obsessed



PostSun Feb 07, 10 9:25 am     Reply with quote

Inept_Fun wrote:
so basically your trying to sell to me that kiteboarding wouldnt exist without Robby Naish? Well you might have never heard of a fellow name Cory Roesler then. Or companies like Wipika, and Flexifoil who also sold kite gear when Naish started, and these are strictly kite companies at that, not windsurf/kite. So yep I could care less about Robby Naish or what he thinks about anything, especially anything to do with kiting, and neither should you.

The only reason Im so sour on Robby Naish is for whatever he said in that windsurfing mag a while back about kiting being too easy or something, I wish I could find the interview. Anyways the only reason someone would think kiting is too easy is because they suck, have never riden boots, tried a handlepass, or hit a slider.


Robby Naish said a lot of things in the past, and I can't remember any of them not being polite and respectful...never posturing as a rebel or a punk...never had to, since he had real talent at anything athletic, that he attempted...always trained and acted like a true professional athlete...always had time to talk to talk to kids and their parents...no arrogance about him...just a nice guy, blessed with enough talent for any 10 people... somebody, any up-and-coming waterman or athlete, would be well-advised to try to emulate.

Of course, "hero worship" is not very becoming, but I have to admit, I have a few heroes, and the Cory, that you mention, is one of them...known him for the past 20 years, and respected him and his dad, from the first time I saw them flying their "jacob's ladder" stack of kites in the late '80s, in the Gorge. I'll always cherish the free kite lesson and "Kiteski" tee shirt, I got for my birthday in 1995. I didn't buy into kitboarding at that time, but had nothing but respect for the thought and effort he put into pioneering what was to become a fantastically fun water sport activity. Same goes for guys like Bob Dill, Blake Richards, Tony L, Bill H,...the list goes on...guys that risked their lives first, by working around dangerous chemicals, in order to make the equipment, and then again, as they tested the stuff, on the water... I got nothing but respect for these guys, who risked their health and even their lives, in order to make the toys, for the rest of us to enjoy.

Having heroes is not all bad, and trying to emulate them can go a long way toward making the world a more pleasant place...especially if you try to emulate the most positive aspects like humility, courtesy and respect for other beings and their opinions, in this plane in time and space, where we exist.

"Kiteboarding versus Windsurfing"... I don't personally feel the distinction...to me, just great ways to have fun on the water...but I do appreciate your feelings on the subject.

But I thought we were talking about pulley bars, here...

Has the discussion come to a halt?

Has it come to: "Bro, if you have to ask the question...you won't be able to understand the answer!", so why should I waist my time trying to talk to you?

Some things in life are that way...like: 'You gotta walk a mile in his shoes, to understand him'.

Is it like that, or can the differences between the pulley bar and conventional bar be described in words? I'd hate to have to walk a mile in Heins' booties...I've seen his his booties!

Just kidding, Hein! You are another one, who the world has not given enough credit to, for all you have done through your engineering talent and craftmanship, to make the world a better place for the rest of us to enjoy wind and water activities...and the best part is...you are not through yet. Can it be that there is some proprietary stuff going on, related to the pulley bar? Hey...you can tell me...nobody's listening...

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wakeup

Since 11 Sep 2005
328 Posts
always
Obsessed



PostSun Feb 07, 10 9:57 am     Reply with quote

ok du
time to quit talkin smack, and try one out
i have one that i will call a "demo"
i will bring it to Idaho and anyone can try it out---you will need to attach your own fly lines and it is "use at your own risk"
I will not help you set it up---if you can't figure that out, then you prolly shouldn't be trying it

all you that wanna try it---do you want me to bring a 15" or 17"??

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forrest

Since 21 Jun 2005
4330 Posts
Hood River
Hick

CGKA Member


PostSun Feb 07, 10 11:45 am     Reply with quote

Don't pick on Nobby Rash!

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