Sky Country Alasca-2 User manual

Alasca-2
Sky-CountryteamisgratefulthatyouhavechosenthisAlasca-2
kite!
WeusedtheinnovativetechnologyinAlasca-2togiveyoumaxi-
mumjoyofkiting.
Alasca-2istheentrylevelkite,designedspecicallyfortrain-
ingandfreeriding.Alasca-2-5willsuitanexperiencedkiterasa
stormkite.
Thismanualcontainsallthenecessaryinformationabouthowto
use,keepandserveyourkite.Studyitattentivelyandifyouhave
anyquestions,youcanwriteusonoure-mail:
[email protected]oraskadealerofSky-Countryproducts.
Attention:Kitingisapotentiallydangerousactivity.Thatiswhywhilepurchasingthisequipment
youshouldunderstandallpossiblerisksconnectedwithkiting.Whileincorrectusingofthe
equipment,theserisksincreasesignicantly.NeithertheproducernoradealerofSky-Country
productsbearresponsibilityforinjuriesordamagesoccurredasaresultofincorrectusageof
thisequipment.Beforeusingthisequipmenttheridershouldadequatelyestimatetheweather
andmeteorologicalconditions,kitingareasaswellaschooseallthenecessaryequipmentto
ensureahighlevelofsafety.Donotraisethekitenearseriousobstacles,especiallyiftheyare
situateddownwindfromyou(trees,electricitytransmissionlines,highway,motortransport,
people,animals,openwaterareasorthinice,etc.).
Itisstrictlyforbiddentoxthekitermtotheriderwithoutapossiblefastrelease.Donottrust
yourkitetothose,whodidnotobtainaqualiedstudy.Youshouldrideonlyingoodknown
places(wateropenings,holes,otherobstacleshiddenunderthesnowrepresentseriousdanger.
Whilekitinginthemountainsaskthelocalemergencyserviceaboutpossibledangersatyourrid-
ingarea.Keepyourequipmentinagoodcondition.Youshouldnotridealone.Duringthestart
payattentionthatthestretchedextendersdonotinjureotherpeople,becauseastretchedline
isasourceofdanger.
BeforeusingtheAlascayoushouldgetaridingcoursefromanexperiencedinstructor!

Technical data
Packaging
Kite   -1   
Controlbar  -1
Rucksack  -1   
Manual   -1
Reparationset  -1
size 5 710 13
wingarea,sq.m. 4.5 710 10
a/r 4,0 4,5 4,5 4,5
cells 22 27 27 27
windforce,m/s
(min-opt-max)
10-12-18 7-10-15 5-7-12 3-5-9
Canopyfabric:  NCVSkyTex9017E25A
Lines:   LirosDSL-70
Extenders:  LirosDC300,DC200
Materials

Kite system
Thekiteconsistsof:awingwithwinglines,powerlinesandcon-
trollines,acontrolbarandreleasesystem.

Wing
The“Alasca-2”kitehasawingofthe“parafoil”type-itsconstruc-
tionremindsasmallparaglider.Thewingconsistsoftwotextile
layers-theupperandthebottomsurfaces,aswellasinnerribs
thatformthewingprole.Tofullthewingwithairthereareair
inletsattheleadingedgeofthekite.Theribshaveopeningsfor
airowinsidethewing.Onthebottomsurfacethereareloops
wherethewinglinesaremounted.
Wing lines
Thewinglinesareusuallyadaptedbytheproducer.Theydene
thewingform.Whilecorrectusageofthewing,thewinglines
nevergettangled.
Oneendofeachextender(powerlinesandcontrollines)is
mountedtothewing,whileanotherone-tothebar.Theex-
tendersareproducedfromthedyneemalineandhave25me-
terslength.Connectionoftheextenderswiththekiteandthe
barismadethoughrunningloopsontheknotssituatedonthe
endsofwinglinesandbarleads.
Extenders

Control bar
Powerlinesjoinbeforethebar,cometoitsmiddle,enter
throughtheopeninginthebarandxtothechicken-loopsys-
tem.Thissystemallowstoxthebartotheharnesshookand
preventanyunintentionaldetachesofthekitefromthepilot.
Besides,betweenthechicken-loopsystemandthepowerlines
thereisafastreleasesystemthatallowstoreleasethekitefrom
thepilotincaseofemergency.
Onthepowerlinesbeforethebarthereisasystemthatchang-
estheangleofattack-atrimmer.Whileloosingthetrimmeryou
increasethetractionpowerofthewing,whilepullingthetrim-
mer,youlessenit.Withthehelpofthetrimmeryoucanchange
thetractionpowerofthekiteduringtheride.
Rememberthatwhenthetrimmeristightenedyourkiteismore
likelytocollapse.
Apartfromthetrimmerthereisanothersystemthatcanin-
stantlychangethetractionpowerofyourkite-thisisadepower
system.Whilepullingthebar,youincreasethetraction,while
loosingit,youlessenit.
Oneofthesafetysystemsisaleash,onesideofwhichisxed
totheextenders,anotheronetotherider’sequipment.Incase
ofemergencyreleasethekiteisstillconnectedtotheridervia
theleash.Ifneeded,theleashcanbereleasedfromtherideras
well.

-denethedirectionofthewind;
-placeyourkiteapartfromthemainridingarea,ifpossiblemark
yourplaceofstartwithags.Youshouldleaveenoughspace
downwindfromthekitetothenearestobstacle(thestronger
thewindis,thelagerthespaceshouldbe);
-xthewingonthesurface(pourwithsnoworpresswitha
rucksackoranyotherobjectontheice);
-unreel,untangleandplacetheextendersalongthedirectionof
thewind;
-xthebaronthesurface-eithertoaniceaxeortoaski,put
intothesnowwithitsheel.Whileusingtheiceaxemarkitwitha
pieceofabrightmaterialtobeabletoseeitfromadistance.
Preparation for the start.

Start with an assistant.
Giveasignthatyouareready.Yourassistantshouldstaybe-
hindthekite,raiseitfromtheground,holdingitfortheleading
edgeatthetopofhisbreast.Inthispositionthekiteiswelllled
withairandgainsitsworkingform.Yourassistantgivesyoua
signthatheisreadyandleavesthekite.Whenthekiteislledit
iesupexcellentlyandisreadytouse.Yourassistantshouldnot
throwupthekite.Itiesupindependentlyevenbyaminimal
wind.
Independent start.
Pullthefrontlinessothatthefrontedgeofyourkiteisup.The
kiteislledwithairthoughtheairinletsandwiththehelpofits
liftforceitthrowsdownthesnow.Atthebeginningofthestart
payattentionthatyourkitedoesnotturnover:ifoneoftheears
goesfaster,slowitdownbythebar.
Start

Awindwindowisazone,wherethekitecanstayintheairand
producetractiveforce.
Aneutralzoneisazoneontheborderofthewindwindow,
wherethekitealmostlosesitstraction.
Aneutralpositionisazonesituatedalmostabovetheheadof
therider,wherethekitedoesnothaveanytractionandneeds
minimumattention.
Aworkzoneistheinnerzoneofthewindwindow,wherethe
kitecreatesthetractionpower.Aborderofthewindwindowis
theleftandtherightbordersofthewindwindowzone.
Control of the kite

Thekitecanbecontrolledandcreatesthetractionpoweronly
undertheconditionthatthepowerlinesandcontrollinesare
loaded.Ifariderallowsthelinestodrop,helosesthecontrol
overhiskite.
Toraisethekiteintotheairyoushouldpullthepowerlines
(enteringthemiddleofthebar),whilemaximallyloosingthebar
fromyou.
Tolandthekiteyoushouldevenlyandsimultaneouslytighten
thecontrollinesatthepackingarch.Inordertoensureacom-
fortablestartofyourkitenexttime,youshouldlanditinthe
centerofthewindwindowwithitsleadingedgeupwards.
Control of the kite

Safety during the riding
-donotstartyourkite,ifyoudonothaveagoodfootrest:you
canbeinjuredbyasharpfall;
-donotchangethedirectionofthekitedramatically.Youcanbe
tearedofromtheground!
-donotstrikeyourkitewithitsleadingedgetowardsthesur-
face,itcanbedestructedbyasharpfall;
-ifyoucannotcontrolyourkiteatasharppu,usethesafety
system-releasethekite;
Controlling-thekitegoestotheleftifyoupulltheleftsideof
thebartowardsyourselfandsimultaneouslyloosetherightside
ofthebar.Thekitegoestotherightifyoupulltherightsideof
thebartowardsyourselfandloosetheleftsideofthebar.
Ifyourkitehasfallenontheborderofthewindwindow,toraise
ityoushouldmoveinthedirectionoftheplace,wherethekite
fell,keepingthelinesstretched,soyoucangetinthepositionof
thestart.
Ifyourkitehasfallenwithitsleadingedgedownwards,you
shouldpullthecontrollinesthatarexedattheendsofthebar.
Thekitewillyupwithitsbackedgeupwards.Looseoneofthe
linesanditwillcometoanormalposition.
Control of the kite

Riding with the kite
Themainprincipleofridingwiththekiteisthecreationoffoot
rest,usingthecantsofyourskis,snowboardorboardtoensure
thecontroloverthekite.Donotallowtheextenderstodrop.
Terminology
Course-thechosendirectionofyourmove.
Tack-therider’scourserelatingtothewind.Righttackisifthe
windisblowingtotherightsideoftheriderandhiskiteistothe
leftofhim.Lefttackisifthewindisblowingtotheleftsideofthe
riderandhiskiteistotherightofhim.
Turn-changeoftack.
Traverse-movetowardsthewindwhilechangingthetacks.
Bythewind-traversecourse.
Halfwind-moveperpendicularlythewind(halfwind).
Backstay-coursewhilemovingalongthewind.
Pass rules
Whilemovingindierenttackstheriderwhogoeswiththeleft
tackmakestheway.
 While moving in the same tack the windward rider makes the
way.
Theriderwithlowerspeedortheonewhodoesnotmovehas
thepriority.

Folding up the kite
Afteryouhavexedthebarsafely,pressthekitewitharuck-
sackorpouritwithsnow.Thenyoushouldreeltheextenders
onthebar.Then,dependingonthewindconditions,youchoose
thewayoffoldingthekite.
Ifthewindisnotverystronganditdoesnotinterferewith
folding,youshouldplacethekiteonthegroundwithoneear
towardsthewindandpressitwithsomeload(forexamplea
rucksack).Placethelinessystemevenlyonthewing,sothatit
doesnotgettangled.Foldthekiteinbellowsfromearstothe
center.Thenfoldthereceivedrollseveraltimesandputitinto
yourrucksack.
Ifthewindisstrong,youcanjustrollthekitefromearstowards
thecentertoputitintotherucksackasap.Thenathomeorin
thecampyoushouldunrollitandcarefullyfolditattherstop-
portunity.Ifneeded,dryit.
Care and storage
Aftereveryridingyoushoulddrythekiteandthelinesunrolled
anddeletetherestsofsnowifneeded.
Donotkeepyourkiteatsunshine,becausetheultravioletde-
stroysthestructureofthematerial.
Youshouldavoiddraggingyourkiteonthesurfacetoprevent
damagesofwingandlines.
Itisforbiddentowashthekitewithanychemicalcleaners.Use
awetspongetocleanyourkite.
Donotrideifthelinesaretwisted.Theycanmeltandbreakata
hugeload.
Donotmakeanyknotsonthelines-thiswillsignicantlylessen
theirstrength.

Warranty
Theproducesguaranteesthedescribedfeaturesandnormal
performanceoftheequipmentduringoneyearsincethedayof
thesale.Theproducerprovidesspecialout-of-warrantyrepara-
tionsandmaintenanceoftheequipmentattheowner’srequest
atextracost.
Payattention!
Thewarrantyreparationsandthesubstitutionofthewareare
madeonlyincaseofproducer-causedfaults.Thewarrantydoes
notcoverthecasesofdestructionanddamagesoftheproduct
duetocarelessorincorrectusage,includingthestrikeswithair
inletstowardstheground.
Werecommendtoperformregularcontrolexaminationsofthe
product(includingtheexaminationoflinesstrength,linessys-
temgeometry,examinationofairpermeabilityofthetextileof
thewing).
Theproducerdoesnotbearresponsibilityforthecomplianceof
theproductwithdescribedfeaturesif:
-youdidnotsticktotheoperationconditions;
-youaddedanychangesintheconstruction;
-youperformedself-reliedreparations.
Attention!