equipment failures and kiteloop transitions

Arrived at Mayflower, just 2 dudes there getting their gear out of the trunk: English guy who doesn't like to help you launch, and Scott, a retired New Yorker living in Orleans. Scott and I launch each other and I lead him over to the slicks near Chapin. I was really nailing some good kiteloop transitions. Felt good as I had been wanting to get those for a while. Some feel very powered, others not. The Best Taboo is a great looping kite.

Then, in mid air, something snaps. Now I am unhooked. I am near the sand spit so a long swim across the lagoon has been avoided. I look down and see that the harness hook has detached from the spreader bar. I have had this spreader bar since 2003, so I guess I have found its shelf life.

This culminates a series of failures this past month: an intake valve on the Taboo 9 delaminates and a deflate valve on the Wainman Gypsy started to leak after it spent a couple of weeks tightly bundled for travel. I wonder if that damaged the valve.

I am just glad the harness hook didn't detach half way to the Apes. I need all of my gear to be solid by the end of April when the Masskiting Masters in Hatteras gets under way. Can't wait till the pig roast!