TKB Beginner to Advanced Kiteboarding Instructional Guide

TKB Beginner to Advanced Kiteboarding Instructional Guide

Originally Published in the June 2008 Issue of The Kiteboarder Magazine

It’s that time of year again! The season is about to kick off and everyone at The Kiteboarder Magazine put their heads together to improve upon and expand the scope of The Kiteboarder Instructional
Guide from last year. Rather than bore you with the same regurgitated newbie beginner information, we enlisted the help of many of the top instructional coaches in the country to share their expertise with you and also added some new sections to ensure The Kiteboarder Instructional Guide is both up-to-date and useful to every level of kiteboarder.

With the evolution of equipment over the last few years, we felt it was imperative for a publication to provide current beginner through advanced instructional information that will not only help you improve your riding, but also provide insight into instructional topics that are often left out of guides such as this. Please do not use this information to replace lessons or instructional programs. The Kiteboarder Instructional Guide is designed to supplement your learning process. As always, the best way to learn to kiteboard is to take lessons from a reputable, qualified kiteboarding school and instructor.

Rideable Wind and Weather

By Rick Iossi, Fksa.org

Wind lust. Many of us have felt the pangs. Unfulfilled wind lust makes us waste time waiting for wind and can compel us to ride in potentially hazardous weather conditions. Hazardous conditions vary according to a rider’s experience, but they can be defined as those conditions with a higher probability of messing up you and your gear. 13 kiters were lost to hazardous weather conditions worldwide in 2007.

A man in Denmark was reportedly lofted over 400 feet into a building while both new and experienced kiters were undone by stormy and excessively strong conditions. Wind and weather knowledge is as essential to any kiteboarder as knowing your gear, the wind window, and emergency rescue procedures.

BE CHOOSY
Many riders think that any wind is good wind, but usable wind is best for your fun factor and safety. Usable wind matches your experience, gear, riding location, and realistic expectations. If the wind is outside of these parameters, you may have a long swim in, work too hard for too little, or worse, find yourself in conditions you have no idea how handle resulting in a trip to the emergency room or, at the very least, to the kite repair shop.

As a general rule, especially if you are a beginner, avoid offshore, onshore or turbulent winds passing over land. Local wind, weather and warning signs vary substantially so your best bet is to get yourself schooled in the basics of weather 101, then ask locals and research for yourself which weather resources provide the most accurate forecasting and real time information for your area.

Wind is created by the flow of air from high to low pressure. The greater the pressure difference (known as the gradient), the stronger the wind will be. Fronts bring both usable and unusable winds (wind to
be avoided).

Fronts are marked by hazardous squall lines, dramatic increases in wind, extreme wind shifts, and substantial temperature drops. Cold temperatures bring hazards all on their own. Stronger sustained winds for powered kiting may follow shortly after squall lines and wind shifts. Avoid unusable winds (excessively gusty, from the wrong direction) and rig right for usable winds that may follow. Tracking fronts and
squall lines is EASY via the Internet.

Tropical systems can have powerful embedded squalls with unusable gusty and violently shifting winds. Squall-free usable winds can come with tropical systems but are less common, so be aware.

So, how can you easily track the wind and weather to reduce wind waiting?

1. Marine/Water and Hazard Forecasts – Check forecasts (predicted winds, direction, hazards, temperatures, anticipated changes, cold fronts, tropical or strong systems). Anticipate changes; don’t fall into
them. Find out what weather sites are accurate for your area. http://www.nws.noaa.gov/

2. Radar & Satellite Maps – Are storms (often bright colored masses), squall lines, or feeder bands inbound? Looping weather images can show trends and speed. http://www.nws.noaa.gov/radar_tab.php
http://www.weather.gov/sat_tab.php?image=ir

3. Synoptic/Frontal Maps – These resources help you determine if significant weather systems are inbound and check for incoming cold fronts, tropical systems, strong high/low pressure gradients and pressure isobars for strong wind. http://www.weather.gov/outlook_tab.php

4. Real-Time Winds – How are winds upweather (the direction of the prevailing system)? Are gusty and shifty winds inbound? Frequently you can see a preview of what the front will bring to your area hundreds of miles upweather in advance. If unstable weather is coming, avoid it until it passes. http://www.ikitesurf.com/

5. At the Beach and While Riding - Always be aware of wind speed, direction, sky, and water conditions at launch and during your session. Is the wind usable? Are sky conditions stable or threatening? What do threatening sky conditions look like in your area? You should know. Are dark clouds and/or a wind/whitewater line inbound? Always be aware of your surroundings, the current weather, and
temperature changes.

6. It’s Almost Here! - Land and thoroughly secure gear early BEFORE significant wind, temperature changes or threatening weather arrives. Systems can move 50+ mph and hit with minimal warning. If caught on the water, consider totally depowering early or engaging your safety system. Waiting too long has taken riders away from us.

Learn about weather. You’ll be glad you did!

Rick Iossi: Rick started kiteboarding in 1988 and founded the Florida Kitesurfing Association, Inc. (FKA) in 2001. An early kitemare got him interested in collecting incident data and the weather patterns in Florida whet his appetite to learn more about forecasting. A great resource for the industry, kiteboarders worldwide and Florida locals, Rick contributes to many magazines and forums worldwide and has helped us all gain better insight into how we can kite safer and preserve access.

The Wind Window and Site Selection

By Hunter Brown, Gokitesurf.com

The Wind Window

One of the first concepts you’ll learn about as a beginner is the wind window. The wind window is the area in the sky where your kite can fly. To determine the wind window, stand with your back to the wind and hold your arms out straight to the left and right. The area between your arms and straight overhead is the wind window. The wind window is the quarter sphere of the sky downwind of you. Your kite will generate the least amount of power along the edge of the window (to your sides and straight overhead). All landing and launching should be done at the edge of the wind window. The further downwind in the window you move your kite, the more power it will generate.

Where you put your kite in the wind window will determine how it will pull you. If you wish to ride to your left, you will dive your kite downward and to the left. This will generate more power and cause you to travel to the left. Same goes for the right. The direction you dive your kite determines what direction you will end up riding or body dragging (more on that later) in.

Site Selection

Choosing where to ride can be one of the most important decisions you make as a kiteboarder. It can determine if you have enough (or too much) wind to ride, how much fun you will have, and most importantly, how safe you will be. By selecting the proper location, you can minimize the risk of hurting yourself or others around you.

There are a few key things you must consider when choosing a spot to ride. You must first evaluate what direction the wind is blowing in relation to the beach. You never want to ride at a beach when
the wind is blowing offshore (from the land to the water) unless you have some type of boat support or are willing to ditch your gear and swim in. If you do ride in offshore conditions and something goes wrong, you will drift away from land, which is not a good thing. Also, in many circumstances, offshore winds are gusty and not as enjoyable to ride in. The opposite of offshore is onshore winds, where the wind blows from the water to the land. If something goes wrong in onshore winds, your kite could pull you onto the beach and into any solid objects that are on the land. Even very experienced riders should never ride in onshore wind, as a general rule. Ideally, you want to look for beaches with sideshore (wind parallel with the beach) or slightly side-onshore wind conditions. This will allow you to safely leave and return to the beach while minimizing your risk or either being pulled out to sea or onto the land.

Once you know what direction the wind is blowing in relation to the beach, you want to look downwind. If something goes wrong when launching a kite or kiteboarding on the water, you will end up downwind of where you started, sometimes very quickly! If you have an obstacle such as a pier, jetty, rocks, boats, people, or any other hard object in close proximity downwind, you are putting yourself at risk of being pulled into them. By selecting a spot with no obstacles downwind, you will eliminate the possibility of getting pulled into something and lower the chance of serious injury or death.

It is important to remember that people on the beach or in the water are obstacles too. You do not want to endanger an innocent beachgoer, swimmer, or surfer by kiteboarding directly upwind of them. Unlike a trash can, people can sue you if you crash into them. Minimize the number of people downwind of you to reduce the chances of hurting someone else.

You want to keep in mind that many kiteboarding locations are good for certain wind directions only. It is good to ask your local shop or area riders which spots are best to ride for different wind directions. As a beginner, the best advice for choosing a location is to ask other kiters in your area. Other riders or the local shops can point you to the best locations for developing your skills.

Hunter Brown: Hunter is the owner of Gokitesurf.com, with locations in Wilmington and Writghtsville, North Carolina. Hunter says there’s more to North Carolina than just Hatteras, and invites you to come check out the conditions, sights and sounds further south. Hunter offers gear from many top brands, demos and repair service. He has established himself as a North specialist so if you have any questions about North gear, Hunter’s your man.

Choosing the Right Gear

By Paul Lang, The Kiteboarder Magazine

Years ago, it was not difficult to choose what kiteboarding gear you should buy. Back in the “old days,” you went with whatever gear you could get your hands on. Times have changed and the gear has
made leaps forward in safety and ease of use. Now, there are so many choices available that it can be overwhelming for a new kiter to pick out their first set of equipment.

The best thing you can do to help make this decision it to try as many different kites as possible. For a new kiter, this is easier said than done. An overlooked option is to seek out a school that uses gear from multiple brands so you can get a feel for a few different kites and boards before you are done with your lesson. Ask your instructor lots of questions about the differences between the different kites and boards. Hang out at the beach and talk to the other kiters in your local area about their gear, why they chose it, and how they like it. A simple fact of kiteboarding is that you have to pony up a large initial investment to get the equipment you need to ride. Take the time and do your research to make sure that you will be happy with your investment.

Can’t I just buy used to save money?

Sure, you can go on eBay and end up with a kite for under $100. Buying used can save you money on the front end but you may pay for it in the long run, so proceed with caution. Find out how old the gear actually is, not just its current condition (you would be amazed at how many “brand new” 5-year-old kites are floating around out there). Ask a more experienced kiter to look at a used set up before you buy. You might think you are getting a great deal, but I have seen countless new kiters show up at the beach with absolute junk that they are convinced they got a good deal on.

It’s much better to spend $2500 on new equipment that you will be happy with than $500 on an old and unsafe pile of gear that will make learning to kite much more difficult. In that case, you are not saving $2000, you’re wasting $500.

As a beginning kiteboarder, you want the safest and easiest to use equipment available. Unless you have a trustworthy kiteboarding friend who wants to sell you used (but still relatively new) gear, your best bet is to stick with new gear. Consider buying last year’s kite on closeout if you are working within a budget. Once the newest kites come out, the previous models often drop substantially by at least 20-30% off retail.

Where should I buy my gear?

Choosing who to buy your gear from is probably the most important decision you can make in the search for the ideal set up. If you are new to the sport, you will need guidance in choosing the correct gear and the most obvious place to go would be your local kite shop. Ask other kiteboarders where they got their gear and how they felt about the service. Price is not the only consideration here. You want to find a shop that you feel comfortable spending large sums of money at. Look around until you feel you are going to get the service you deserve. If you do not have a local shop, get on the phone and talk to shops in other areas. Don’t buy a kite just because it was on sale on the internet or was the cheapest one you could find. There are a lot of great shops that sell kite gear on the internet, but always talk to someone at the shop before you buy. Service after the sale does matter if you have any questions about how to use your gear, if there are manufacturer modifications, or if you have warranty issues.

What kind of kite should I buy?

This is an impossible question to give a straight answer to. Truth be told, most new kites that are currently on the market will work fine for a beginner. Some will work better than others, but all new kites are better and safer than any kite that is more than a few years old. For a new kiter, the most important features to look for are:

Safety: You want a kite that has an easy to use quick release and 100% depower system. Make sure to ask about these as not all kites completely depower in an emergency situation.

Stability: A stable kite is easier to learn on. You shouldn’t be worried about terms like boost and hangtime when you are still body dragging. Focus your questions about the performance of a kite around the kite’s stability.

Relaunch: New kiteboarders crash their kites a lot. If your kite is difficult to relaunch, then all you will do is become a more accomplished swimmer, not a better kiteboarder. A kite that is very easy to relaunch will let you spend less time swimming and more time riding.

How do I pick the right board?

This is another question that is impossible to give a simple answer for. A lot of people like to over simplify boards by claiming that because a board has a lot of flex it will do this and because it has a deep concave it will do that. All of the different features of a board work together and you cannot look at only one factor to determine how a board will ride. Overlooked aspects of board design that make
huge differences include edge shape, flex distribution, fin position, rocker, and outline. In short, you cannot know how a board will ride simply by looking at the bottom. You need to ride it.

If you are a beginner, you can easily narrow the possibilities down to a few choices per brand. New kiters should look for a board that they will grow into, in the area of 135 cm to 160 cm, depending on rider weight. Choosing a board that is too small will make it difficult for you to stay on top of the water. Boards that are too large will cause you to become overpowered easily. When learning, stick with a twin tip board until you can ride that with no problem before moving on to smaller boards or directional surf-style boards. The best way to see if a board will work for you is to try it, so ask shops if they have demos you can use.

What kind of harness should I buy?

There are two main harness types: waist and seat. Waist harnesses fit around your waist and have a relatively high hook position. Seat harnesses have leg straps which keep your hook from riding up and have a relatively low hook position. You can also buy a harness that is built into a pair of board shorts. The best way to choose a harness is to go into a shop and try them on. Buy whatever feels comfortable, not what you think looks cool. If you have any problems with your back, you may want to go with a seat harness as they transfer the kite’s pull directly to your legs.

Paul Lang: Paul’s strong background in kiteboarding instruction comes from his years as a sailing and windsports instructor. He is the Assistant Editor at The Kiteboarder, the technical engineer for our weekly live podcast interviews and manages the Mission Bay Aquatic Center in San Diego, CA.

Muscle Memory and Safety Systems

By Paul Menta, The Kitehouse

An unknown skill that is not talked about much in kiteboarding is muscle memory. This may well be the skill that you will need the most when dealing with unexpected and potentially dangerous situations. Webster’s dictionary describes muscle memory as “when an active person repeatedly trains movement, often of the same activity, in an effort to stimulate the mind’s adaptation process, the outcome is to induce physiological changes which attain increased levels of accuracy through repetition.”

So what does muscle memory have to do with kiteboarding? It helps you to:

* Fly the kite (steering skills)
* Learn not to look at the kite (your hands will tell you where the kite is)
* Relaunch
* Get on the board
* Ride
* Repeat tricks
* And most importantly, know how to activate YOUR SAFETY SYSTEM!

All kiteboarders will use their safety system for an emergency at some point. For every ten kiteboarders I meet, six have never tried their system or know how to put it back together. Knowing how to activate your safety system and how it reacts is a huge part of kiteboarding. The only way you can have this become a muscle memory is through practice. Put your hand on the system’s release every time you ride and engage your safety at the end of your session when landing your kite to gain repetition.

Any time you are on a new system, you need to activate the release while the kite is on the ground and then try it again while it is flying. On the ground, you can see how it operates and also learn how to put it back together. When you activate the release while flying, your memory will now know what to expect when the kite safety system is activated so it’s not a shock to you when you have to engage it for real.

It is theorized that anyone learning a new activity or practicing an old one has significant brain activity during this time. So whether you know it or not, your brain is really working when you are doing a new activity. The good thing about all this is when you are in a position where you need to activate your safety system, there is often little to no time for you to think, so your muscle memory takes over to help you activate the release like it’s a natural act. This may not happen quickly enough if you do not practice the skills and understand how your system works.

Learning and participating in this sport is a lot of fun, but only you can develop muscle memory. Not a bad way to learn something, being outside on the water to develop a skill – things could be worse. Just by reading this instructional topic you have already started the process of muscle memory. Take a look at some of the systems available to see how they work or refer to the kite manufacturer’s guide book or website for more info.

SAFETY SYSTEMS

Depower loops (also known as chicken loops) are released by either:
* Pulling a release handle to open the depower loop, activating the safety system.
* Pushing the quick release above the depower loop, separating you from the loop and engaging the safety system.
* Some systems also have a release that is a pin which is activated when you pull a handle that opens Velcro to activate the system.

All kiteboarding bars look the same, but can act very differently from each other. On some, you can let go of the bar and the kite falls to one side or the other completely depowered while still hooked in. This also works the same when you unhook or activate your quick release or depower loop. Fifth line systems have what the name implies: a fifth line. This line normally runs down from your center line to a ring that you connect your leash to. Once the depower loop is released, the system activates and the kites lands leading edge up with no power. Four line systems can also have a metal ring (mini fifth line) on the center line that, when released, lets the bar travel forward and stops the kite’s power.

If a bar has connection points on the outside lines (round metal rings), that is generally where you should connect your safety leash. When unhooked, you let go of bar and the bar slides up towards the kite and stops the power, leaving your leash holding the kite with one line. This is called flagging the kite and is very useful for self landing. Some outside lines also have handles connected to the rings. We call these the “OH SH!T” handles. You can grab one of these and release your depower loop so the bar will travel up the kite to flag it, while still holding the handle. Handles are often used for self landing, when your kite crashes in big surf, or for emergency situations.

You can see there are many variations to safety and bar systems. Read the manual that comes with your kite and ask your instructor, retailer, or kite manufacturer rep how the system works so you will have a full understanding of all the options you have to make your kiteboarding safer.

Assisted Launching and Landing

By Neil Hutchinson, Tiki Beach

Since the beginning of formal instruction, there has been debate over whether you should launch toward or away from the water. My experience is reflected in the instruction which follows but it really depends on many factors including but not limited to obstacles, the width of the launch area and wind strength. How you launch or land is more about assessing the launch/land area, double checking your lines and bridle, and always being one step ahead. Ask yourself if all goes wrong for whatever reason, where would I be best positioned?

Assisted Launch Of Your Kite

In normal conditions with a large and wide launch site, it is best to launch your kite towards the water using the following steps.
1. Rig you kite close to the waters edge.
2. Attach your safety leash.
3. Have your kiteboarding knowledgeable assistant hold your kite by the center of the leading edge on its side pointing into the wind. Never grab a random person on the beach to launch your kite.
4. Walk your bar 90º to your kite with slack in the lines. This will place your kite on the edge of the window.
5. Make sure you bar is the right side up and start to tension your lines.
6. If you have to adjust the angle of you and your kite to the wind to achieve 90º, you move, not the assistant.
7. Visually look down your lines for bridle/line tangles or knots, and make sure your lines are connected to the correct sides of the kite.
8. Just before giving the OK to your assistant, take one last glance around you for obstacles that may have appeared, i.e. bystanders, lifeguards etc.
9. When finally ready, give a clear “thumbs up” to your assistant for the launch, at which point your assistant should just let go of your kite.
10. Bring your kite up slowly and under control along the edge of the window. Always be ready to pull your quick release if there is a problem.

Assisted Landing Of Your Kite

1. When returning to the beach, give the universal sign of tapping your head with a flat hand to your knowledgeable assistant. Tapping your head means “Please catch my kite.”
2. Slowly lower your kite along the edge of the window to your assistant.
3. When your assistant catches your kite by the leading edge,start walking towards him or her, putting slack in your lines.
4. Walk to your assistant, take your kite, and secure it.

Launching and Landing Tips
* When at a narrow launch or a launch with many obstacles, launch your kite towards the beach with you on the shoreline, or if possible, in the water.
* When finding 90º to the wind, with your kite lines tensioned the trailing edge of your kite should be tight and not flapping. If it is flapping, you are too far downwind. If the kite is trying to knock your assistant over and he or she is having a hard time holding it in place, you are too far upwind.
* Always launch C-kites unhooked with the kite depowerd via the depower strap.
* Always launch bow kites hooked in and adjust the power by sheeting out on the bar.

Neil Hutchinson: Neil was one of North America’s first pro riders and operates out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He is largely responsible for pioneering the kiteboarding BoarderX competition format and was one of the leaders and riders who organized the Florida to Cuba and Florida to Bimini Island crossings. Neil’s talent as an emcee has made him very popular as an event announcer for competitions across the country such as the USW&WO, KB4C and Kite4Girls.

Right of Way Rules for Kiteboarding

By Martin Kirk, Kiteboarding School of Maui

It may come as no surprise to learn that kiteboarding is the fastest growing water sport on the globe. To continue this growth spurt and to keep beach access open, each rider must assume responsibility
for looking out for other beach and ocean users as well as learn the basic right of way (ROW) rules for sailing. Knowing ahead of time how to respond correctly to other kiteboarders, windsurfers, and sailboats as well as where to fly the kite to avoid collisions is absolutely essential. Listed below, ROW rules 1-5 are adapted to kiteboarding from international sailing rules (sailing.org), and rules 6-10 have been generally adopted by kiteboarders worldwide. Remember, it is each rider’s own responsibility to maintain a good lookout at all times.

International Sailing ROW Rules Applied to Kiteboarding

1. Avoid collisions at all costs (if you can’t control the kite well enough to avoid collisions, avoid heavily trafficked areas).
2. If kiters converge and are on opposite tacks, the port tack kiteboard (kite on left side of wind window) must give way to starboard tack kiteboard (kite on right side of wind window). Starboard tack
has ROW.
3. If kiters converge and are on the same tack, the upwind kiter must give way to the downwind kiter. Downwind (leeward) kiter has ROW.
4. Kiters passing (overtaking) must give way to kiters being passed. Kiter being passed has ROW.
5. Kiters returning to the beach must give way to kiters leaving beach. Kiter leaving the beach has ROW.

Generally Adopted Kiteboarding ROW Rules

6. Kiters must keep clear of others more restricted in their ability to maneuver. Kiters down in the water, surfers, canoe paddlers, windsurfers, fishermen, and swimmers have ROW.
7. If kiters converge and there is a risk of kites colliding, upwind rider flies kite as high as possible and downwind rider flies kite low.
8. Kiters heading out or jumping the wave must give way to kiters surfing the wave. Kiter on the wave has ROW (this rule is opposite of windsurfing ROW rule).
9. Kiters heading out have right of way over a kiters surfing a shorebreak wave but a prudent rider waits for the kiter on a wave close to shore to clear before going out. Kiter going out in shore break has ROW.
10. Kiters jumping must yield to all other kiters. Remember to keep a two line length downwind buffer zone to avoid putting others at risk.

Martin Kirk: Martin Kirk, a lifelong sailor, began buggy kiting in 1986 and kiteboarding in 1999. Martin co-developed the curriculum that was adopted by PASA kiteboarding, is former president of Hawaii Kiteboarding Association (renamed Maui Kitesurfing Community) and holds a current US Coast Guard Captain license with sailing endorsement for 100 Ton vessels. KSM instructors are all IKO affiliated.

Getting Up on the Board

By Michael Percy, XL Kites

The quickest way to get up and riding on the board is to not rush the process. Trying to do too much too soon will actually slow you down. If it takes all your concentration just to keep the kite flying,
you are not ready. Get some more time with the kite, and in the long run you will progress more quickly.

Equipment and Preparation

Get a big board. It makes getting up and staying up much easier, and you can always use a big board for light wind no matter how good you get. Set your footstraps loose enough so that your foot slides in easily but not too far. You want your heels near the edge of your board so you can edge it properly. Wear a life vest. Impact vests just don’t have the flotation to keep your head above water. Good flotation lets you recline and relax in the water while getting your board on your feet.

Step 1: Get the board on your feet Keep the kite overhead with one hand on the control bar. With your other hand, put the board in front of you and hold one footstrap while you stick a foot in the other footstrap.
With one foot in the board you can control it enough to get the other foot in. With both feet in the straps and both hands back on the bar, you are through the hardest part.

Step 2: Keep the board in front of you as you drift with your kite overhead. Bend your knees a lot so you are close to your board and centered over it. If you start to get pulled around to one side, shift your
weight and angle the board to bring it back in front of you. If you get pulled around to where you are no longer facing the kite, immediately kick out of your board and roll over onto your belly so you are facing the kite again.

Step 3: Check how much power you need Move the kite to the edge of the window. Fly the kite very gently up and down along the edge. The kite will gently pull and lift you as you fly it up and down. This will tell you how much harder you will need to work the kite to get up on the board.

Step 4: Smoothly get up. Bend your knees as much as you can so your rear end stays centered in the middle of the board. Starting with the kite at or near overhead, dive it down through the window. As the kite pulls you up, put your weight on your front foot to point the board downwind. Once up, start to edge to control your speed.

Step 5: Keep going! Sweep the kite up and down as needed until you are up to speed. When you have enough power, park the kite – leave it in one position without flying it up and down. Then control your power
by pulling the bar in or letting it out, and control your speed by edging your board.

Michael Percy: Michael Percy founded XL Kites in 1998. Michael was in the first class of kiteboarding instructors to be certified in the US and has taught thousands of kiteboarders. XL Kites now operates shops and training centers in South Padre Island, Houston, Dallas and Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

How to Body Drag Upwind

By Vadim Polonsky, Green Hat Kiteboarding

Whether you’re a beginner just learning to get up on the board or a pro mastering the latest trick, body dragging upwind should be second nature for every kiteboarder. This essential fundamental skill is very simple and is something you should learn early on.

Reasons to learn to body drag upwind:
* To quickly get back to your board
* To get back to the beach when you are not able to ride back (the wind is too light to get on plane, your board is broken or lost, you’re trying to rescue another kiteboarder, etc.)

Basics of Body Dragging Upwind

Body Position
* Lay on your side in the water
* Extend your lower arm (your “fin”) and point it upwind

Kite Flying
* Fly the kite one handed using your upper hand
* Keep the kite stable and low in the window

Getting to Your Destination
* Tack upwind by switching the kite and your body position back and forth from one side of the wind window to the other. Before you switch directions, go further than you think you need to.

TIPS
Body dragging upwind is simple; however, there are a few tricks which can make learning it even easier.
* First, learn to control your kite with one hand without looking at it. Practice this on an empty beach in knee to waist deep water if possible.
* Keep your control hand close to the center of the bar; try not to put too much pressure on that side to avoid steering the kite in the opposite direction. You can also put your thumb over the center of the bar to help keep the kite stable.
* When body dragging, straighten out your body and open up your shoulders. Keep your body on its side, perpendicular to the water surface – the idea is to create the maximum size fin with your body.
* Keep your “fin” hand open, parallel to and just below the surface of the water. Keep your fingers close together.
* When extending your “fin” arm, point it towards your kite and about 20º upwind. Once you get a little speed, you can point it more upwind (up to about 40º). Make sure to keep your body in a straight line and aligned with your “fin” arm.
* Fly the kite low. If you fly it too high, you will be more likely to be pulled downwind by the kite.
* If you get good at flying the kite one handed, you can try making small figure 8s with the kite to increase the power. Make sure to keep the kite low.
* Do not try to look at your destination (board, beach, etc.) all the time, only glance at it when you switch tacks.
* Time your tacks. You get dragged a bit downwind with each tack – longer tacks will get you upwind faster. However, make sure not to go too far or you can lose sight of your board.
* If you have your board with you, you can use it to body drag upwind more efficiently. Just grab the handle or a foot strap with your “fin” hand and make it an extension of your body.
* Look at your feet to avoid swallowing a lot of water. Once every few seconds, hold your breath and look in front of you to make sure nothing is in your path (other kiteboarders, boats, reef, etc.).
* If approaching a breaking wave, power up your kite (bring the bar closer to you), keep it low and stable and dive into the wave to avoid being caught in the break.

Board leashes

It’s not uncommon for some to skip learning how to body drag upwind and replace this necessary step with a board leash. Watch out for this shortcut as it’s not as appealing as it may seem. A board dragging behind you is likely to dig into the water, which will create a lot of tension on the leash. Once this energy is released, the board will slingshot towards you with full force. This could be very dangerous.

Another side effect of using a board leash is that you will never practice body dragging upwind. Sooner or later you will definitely get in a situation (not enough wind to get on a plane, broken leash, rescue, etc.) that will require this skill and your board leash will not help.

There are some rare situations where a board leash might make sense. For example, areas with a combination of high boat traffic and strong currents might make it dangerous to be body dragging and a board leash would decrease the time spent in the water, or wave spots where a lost board means a broken one due to an exposed reef or harsh onshore shorebreak.

If you must use a leash, go with a retractable reel leash or consider OR’s GO-Joe which attaches to your board and helps to accelerate it back downwind to you when you lose it. If you use leash, you absolutely must wear a helmet.

Vadim Polonsky: Vadim is a co-founder and PASA certified instructor at Green Hat Kiteboarding in New Jersey. A nationwide retailer specializing in kiteboarding gear and a school offering boat assisted lessons, Vadim has been involved in designing Green Hat’s successful lesson program, organizing local demos, and working on the company’s website.

Riding Upwind

By Chris Moore, Kitty Hawk Kites

Every kiteboarder remembers that day they rode back to the beach and came ashore at the same place they launched. It’s also what every beginning kiteboarder pines for; an end to the non-stop walks of shame. Once you can ride upwind, you have reached kiteboarding nirvana as this means kiteboarding self-sufficiency, no more walking upwind, and no more exit plans on how you are going to get back to your car!

Tips to Get You Riding Upwind Faster

Start with a Smaller Kite and Bigger Board Look at what others are riding and try to go one kite size smaller with a larger board. This will help you to understand what is going on with the kite and board placement because your board won’t sink quickly and you won’t get dragged around to the point of exhaustion. With the larger kiteboard and smaller kite, practice your riding so that you can reach a point of consistent speed, i.e. not too slow and not too fast. This may require that you initially take a downwind direction to build up speed and then slowly change your path to a more upwind reach. Try not to slow down so that you stop completely as this will cause you to lose valuable upwind ground.

Body Positioning: Look Upwind

Once you can ride at a consistent speed, it is time to work on your body positioning to go upwind. Look upwind and find an object on the horizon that is over your lead shoulder. As your head turns upwind, your shoulders will naturally follow. This will in turn start rotating your hips and direct the board upwind. It is critical that you are trying to steer the kiteboard upwind, not just edge the board upwind. Realize that you can direct the board upwind by rotating your hips and this is independent of edging or digging your heels into the board. A common mistake is to ride with too much power and try to edge upwind. Edging can cause you to lose kite power as you apply a braking or plowing motion with the board.

Open Your Body and Drop Your Lead Hand

The next step is to drop your lead hand so you can really rotate your shoulders upwind. This helps to turn the kiteboard upwind, plus it is fun! Go ahead and drag a hand in the water. Be sure you move the other hand more to the center of the control bar to avoid losing control over the kite’s movements or accidentally steering it off course.

Kite Position

Your kite should be positioned on the edge of the wind window about 45º-60º above the water. This helps to give you a bit of lift from the kite and you don’t need to edge too hard because you aren’t over powered and you have a slightly larger board.

Leg Positioning

Try bending your back leg so as to put your knee into the back of your lead leg’s knee. This movement will help control the amount of pressure on the board. A tiny bit more pressure on your lead leg will give a little more speed. A tiny bit more pressure on your back leg will slow you down. Practice makes perfect and you should slowly ease into more and more kite power. As you get comfortable riding upwind, you will be able to stay upwind in more powered conditions and will be ready to move towards a smaller board and larger kite.

Chris Moore: Chris’ passion for the sport and his genuine personal interests in his students shines through as manager and lead instructor of one of the nation’s largest kiteboarding centers. Kitty Hawk’s
waterfront locations are located in the Outer Banks of North Carolina where you can take advantage of some incredible conditions for learning.

How to Tune Your Gear

By Jeff Howard, Prokitesurf

The first step in getting a good reference point regarding where to start adjusting your system correctly is to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations in your owner’s manual. These days, most designers work very hard to make it much easier for the customer to have a system and kite ready to fly right out of the bag. With that said, there are still many systems out there that will need adjustments to get to their optimal flying positions. If for some reason you do not have the manual or it doesn’t describe tuning very well, I would recommend that you start with the middle knots when attaching your lines to the kite.

With your kite connected and your leash attached, you’re ready to get the kite in the air. These steps will be much easier with someone assisting you, so grab a friend or riding buddy for some help. With your kite ready to launch and your assistant holding your kite, the first step is to make sure to position yourself to where your kite is near the edge of the window. Pull your bar in and out. As you pull the bar completely in you should have some amount of tension being pulled on the back lines, if they remain slack with the bar in, you will need to adjust the back lines closer to the kite one knot at a time until you have at least some amount of tension to the rear of the kite.

With this done, you’re ready to get your kite in the air for the next step. On most SLE, hybrid, and bow kites, there is plenty of travel for the bar in the out position to completely depower the kite, so the out position of the bar is pretty much already set.

Correct Positioning and Riding Settings:

After many years of teaching and helping people adjust their systems for optimal riding, there is still only one main point I see all the time that can change your riding style and that is shoulder position relative to your hips during riding. When riding along in slightly gusty or in normal conditions, take notice of where your shoulders are relative to your hips. Other than in major gusty conditions, your shoulders should never come in front of your hips! Your upper body is what gives you control over your board’s edge as well as advantage over the kite’s power. Keep this in mind at all times during riding, as this will tell you when you need to adjust your sheeting system to give you the best overall riding position.

So now knowing where your body position should be, let’s move on to how to keep this positioning correct using your bar setup. On all setups you will find a sheeting system, either the below the bar chicken-loop cleat system or the above the bar strap or cleat system. They all do the same thing, which is to adjust where along the line the bar causes the kite to be powered or depowered. I have found that some of the above the bar systems can be very hard to reach for anyone with normal to short arms, so when choosing a kite system make sure to take note, because when you do need to make adjustments you will find that your body positioning will be shoulders in front of your hips, which is the area we are trying to avoid.

While riding, notice where your shoulders are and move your bar in and out using your ARMS ONLY. If you find at anytime your shoulders moving too far forward to get the depower you are after, trim in on your sheeting system so that now when the bar is in that same position your shoulders are in line with your hips. If you find you’re holding your bar all the way in against the chicken loop to get the power you want, trim the line out. If your bar is all the way out and still seems to want more power, you will need to bring your kite down and take those back lines again one knot at a time closer to the kite.

Once you figure out how to use the system correctly and where and when to adjust, you will find yourself in most cases doing this adjustment maybe only a few times during your whole riding session. I personally can take one run, adjust to where I want the sheeting set and never touch it again for a whole riding session.

Adjusting and setting up your system isn’t hard, it’s just knowing where and when you need to adjust everything. Take your time and understand how your system works and what does what because the worst thing is not knowing what to do when you want to change things.

C-Kite Tuning Tips

With the kite directly overhead, sheet the bar in and watch the wingtips. If they flare out, your kite is oversheeted and you need to either lengthen your back lines or shorten your front lines. At full power, you want the wingtips to be parallel, but on the verge of flaring out. This is the reference point for trimming a C-kite, and from this point you depower the kite by lengthening the back lines. If your kite has a fifth line, it should generally be snug, with a small amount of slack when the bar is sheeted all the way in.

Bow Kite Tuning Tips

Bow kite tuning is basically the same as tuning your C-kite, except that you do not have the visual clue of the wingtip flare to guide you. Fly the kite up to 12:00 and slowly sheet the kite in. Your kite should remain stable with your bar sheeted all the way in. If your kite begins to stall backwards, your kite is oversheeted and you need to lengthen your back lines. If your kite doesn’t seem to produce
the power it should and turns slowly, your kite is undersheeted and you need to shorten your back lines.

SLE /Hybrid Tuning Tips

Hybrid kites lie somewhere between C-kites and bows, so the tuning is a combination of the two. Fly the kite at 12:00 and sheet the kite in. Depending on what specific kite you are flying, you may be looking for visual clues like wingtip flare or you may need to look for the kite to become unstable and fly backwards or both. If you are having trouble tuning your hybrid kite, contact your manufacturer or local shop to help you as every hybrid is a little different.

Bar Tuning Tips

On most kites, all lines should be exactly the same length when under tension. All new kites come with pre-stretched lines, but after a few sessions, your lines will stretch a little and need to be adjusted and tuned.

Here are a few tips that should help you troubleshoot:
* Kite is flying more to one side or the other when the bar is sheeted all the way in. Problem: One outside line is longer than the other.
* Kite is flying more to one side or the other when the bar is sheeted out. Problem: One front line is longer than the other.
* Kite tends to stall, crumple and fall when flying. Problem: Your front lines are too long or your back lines are too short. These can be adjusted on the go by engaging the depower strap, therefore shortening the front lines.

Jeff Howard: Jeff has been involved in all design aspects of kiteboarding and accessories since the early 90’s, and many of his ideas and techniques have been used by industry manufacturers in some way or other. Remember Airush’s great trim strap in the early days? That was Jeff’s design. In 2000, Jeff started Prokitesurf in Corpus Christi, Texas, which is also one of the oldest and most experienced kite repair centers in the country. He is also involved with Crazy Fly boards.

The Basics of Jumping

By Tonia Farman, Women’s Kiteboarding Association

There are two fundamental methods to jump in kiteboarding: load and pop and sending the kite. Both types of jumps can be executed once you can confidently ride upwind. You will lose upwind ground
once you start jumping, so make sure you can ride upwind to get back to where you started.

Sending the Kite

This is the easier of the two jumping methods and the one used most often when you see kiteboarders gliding through the air. In this method, you are using the power of the kite as you “send it” or fly it across the top of the wind window to generate lift. The speed at which you send the kite, combined with your ability to hold your edge on the board before liftoff will affect the height and distance of the jump.
STEP 1. Ride controlled and moderately fast. Bring the kite up to 11 am (or 1pm if on opposite tack).
STEP 2. Edge hard on your heelside, then use your back hand to pull on the bar, quickly steering the kite up to 12 pm (or 11am if opposite tack). When you feel the kite pulling you up, release your heelside edge and pull your legs up for extra momentum and height.
STEP 3. As you take off, almost immediately pull on your front hand to bring the kite overhead. You want it back near 11 am (or 1pm if opposite tack) on approach for your landing.
STEP 4. Spot your landing, turn your board to point downwind, and ride away toward your kite.

Common Problems and How to Fix Them

* Not getting any lift out of the water
1. Increase your board speed.
2. Send your kite more aggressively across the top of the window.
3. Edge your board harder and release it when you send the kite.

* I crash like a bomb from the sky and sometimes my kite even falls out of the sky
1. Increase front hand pressure on the bar as soon as you jump to bring the kite back to the top of the window for a smooth landing.
2. You may be sending the kite too hard. Send the kite across the top of the window less aggressively.

Load and Pop

This method of jumping, often used for wakestyle moves, uses the release of the load of your board on edge against consistent tension of the kite to pop you off the water. These jumps are fast, require quicker rider response, and are generally lower to the water.
STEP 1. Start by flying the kite low, 45º above the the water. Your kite will remain in the same position for the entire jump.
STEP 2. Bear off your edge, heading downwind slightly to increase your speed.
STEP 3. Progressively edge your board, carving into the wind and building tension in your lines.
STEP 4. Once you are at maximum load of kite tension against board tension, quickly push down on your back foot and use all that tension to release your edge for the pop. Lifting your front leg will help.
STEP 5. Spot your landing by turning your board to point downwind, and ride away toward your kite.

Common problems AND how to fix them

* Not getting any pop
1. Increase your speed.
2. Edge more aggressively and stomp that back foot harder prior to edge release.
* I butt-check or crash forward on my landing
1. Make sure your board is pointed downwind on landing. Landing with the board sideways or on edge to the wind creates tension that prevents you from landing smooth.

Tonia Farman: Tonia Farman is an avid rider, advocate and promoter for kiteboarding. She heads up the Women’s Kiteboarding Association, leading group kite clinics and lessons throughout North America to get more women into the sport. She also runs Kiteboarding 4 Cancer, teaches private kiteboarding lessons in her home region of the Gorge and rides for Liquid Force.

Your First Rolls

By Stephen Bartram, Jupiter Kiteboarding

Back rolls and front rolls will bring some excitement and game to your usual repertoire. The back roll and front roll can be done with your kite parked at 45º. Since you don’t need to send the kite as you would for a boosted jump, you’ll need to approach both tricks with a decent amount of speed and pop. This is going to require you to use your legs to push off the water hard for the pop in order to get the height needed for each kind of rotation. With either move, you want to really focus on using your head to initiate the rotation and generate the momentum for the rest of your body to follow. If you’re unsure about which one to try, the back roll is a good starting point, because the rotation feels more natural.

How to Do a Back Roll

STEP 1. Find a smooth patch of water and come in with good speed (flat water is ideal for learning, but waves and chop can add a new element to the maneuver for you to get creative).
STEP 2. Park your kite 45º off the water and flatten your board, bearing off slightly downwind to build speed (gripping the middle of the bar with both hands helps prevent the kite from steering during the trick).
STEP 3. Load and pop by resetting your heel side edge quickly building up tension in your kite lines and pushing off hard with your back foot.
STEP 4. As you leave the water, look hard over your lead shoulder towards the sky. Use your head and upper body for torque and bring your board up off the water in an arc.
STEP 5. Keep looking over your front shoulder until your see the water again. Spot your landing by looking at where you want to land.
STEP 6. Bend your knees and absorb the landing.
STEP 7. Ride away clean.

Tips:
If you’re not getting enough height or are crashing a lot, try to:
* Pop harder to get more height.
* Bring your knees to your chest after you leave the water to speed up the rotation.
* Park the kite slightly higher at roughly 60º, but try to do the roll with the kite lower once you gain confidence.
* Rotate harder with your head and shoulders.
* Visualize and go for it. Don’t chicken out.

How to Do a Front Roll

STEP 1. Come in with good speed and hold your kite at 60º. The higher kite position will help you get your timing down since the front roll requires a little more commitment.
STEP 2. Bear off your edge to build speed, then edge hard for the pop. Really push off with your back foot at the end for forward momentum.
STEP 3. Concentrate on throwing your head and lead shoulder forward to help bring your body up and more parallel with the water.
STEP 4. Maintain the rotation by looking hard around your back shoulder while tucking your shoulders forward.
STEP 5. Keep your arms in nice and tight. Bring your knees in to speed up the rotation if necessary.
STEP 6. Spot your landing when you see the water come into view.
STEP 7. Absorb the impact and wave to everyone on the beach.

Tips:
* Push off harder with your back foot during the pop to get your body spinning forward.
* Look up higher and around your back shoulder a little more aggressively than with the back roll.
* Fully commit to the move. Keep your head and shoulders thrown forward until you spot your landing.

Stephen Bartram: Stephen is originally from Chicago and works for Jupiter Kiteboarding, organizers of the annual Jupiter Kite Invasion in Florida every year. A PASA certified instructor, he has been kiting for
7 years, rides Cabrinha and loves freestyle kiteboarding and strapless kitesurfing. His goals are to stay positive and participate in more comps this year.

How to Unhook

By Kurt Miller, The Kiteboarder Magazine

At first, unhooking from your kite defies all logic as a kiteboarder. When riding unhooked, the kite is at maximum power with no ability to depower. Sounds like a situation to avoid! Even so, unhooking is the gateway drug to more advanced maneuvers. Without going unhooked, a kiteboarder will miss the pure adrenalin rush of feeling the kite’s power directly through the arms. This rush, however, is not without consequence; if you are not prepared to crash your kite or experience a bit of pain, do not unhook. Additionally, it is unwise to unhook if you have shoulder problems.

Riding Unhooked
The first thing to check before you even think about unhooking is that you have plenty of room downwind. Unhooking will inevitably take you downwind a great distance (at the beginning anyway), so if there are objects or other kiters nearby, do not attempt any unhooked maneuvers. The second thing to check is the sheeting of your kite. Maximum power should be with the bar pulled all the way to the chicken loop. Oversheeted kites do weird things, particularly when unhooked. You can cure this by trimming the kite with your depower strap a little.

Once your bar is tuned correctly and you have ample space, ride downwind to slacken your lines, pull out your donkey stick, and unhook by pulling in and down on the bar. Immediately you will feel out of control due to the lack of depower, but this is OK. That feeling will go away once you have done it a few times. The best way to learn how to control the power of the kite when unhooked is to ride downwind with your hands centered on the bar. Once riding you will notice how it is easy to control your speed when allowing yourself to head downwind. If you try to ride upwind while unhooked, I can guarantee that you will end up skipping across the water.

There are two main methods for hooking back in:
STEP 1. Ride downwind, slacken your lines, pull your bar into your body, and slide the chicken loop up into the harness hook.
STEP 2. You can also hook in using the depower of your SLE kite by grabbing the chicken loop with one hand, letting go of the bar, and sliding the chicken loop around your harness. Be very careful to not pinch your fingers in your harness hook if you do it this way. Once hooked back in, rinse and repeat.

The Raley

After you get the hang of riding unhooked and hooking back in, it is time to add a raley to your trick repertoire. The raley is the most basic unhooked maneuver because it involves no spins or handle passes. Raleys provide an important foundation for more advanced tricks (such as S-bends).

To initiate the raley:
STEP 1. Ride downwind with the kite low in the sky and unhook.
STEP 2. After unhooking, point upwind, build up some speed, and load up the edge of your board. You should be able to pop off the water using the tension created by edging your board against the power of the kite. Remember to keep your hands centered and your kite lower in the wind window. This prevents you from sending the kite and dangling in the air.
STEP 3. Once in the sky, throw your legs up and away from the kite. It’s not a real raley unless you get the board over your head.
STEP 4. After fully extending, bring your legs back underneath you by crunching your stomach and pulling in on the bar.
STEP 5. Stick your landing and ride away stoked.

Kurt Miller: Kurt Miller is currently a senior at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is cofounder and president of the kiteboarding club at UCSB and an instructor for Kite Wind Surf in Alameda. Kurt has roots in the San Diego surfing scene and became a kiter several years ago to complement his addiction to watersports.

Basic Grabs

By Mark Doyle, Professional Kiteboarder/Instructor

Grabs are a fun way to express yourself and add style to both basic and more complex moves. The trick is to hold the grab for as long as you can before landing and riding away smoothly. I’ve outlined 11 basic grabs that will get your started. Once you’ve got them down, adding rolls, rotations, bending or twisting at your waist or boning out (extending) one leg will add some more style points to your bag of tricks.

Tindy: Bend your legs up and reach with your back hand to grab the toe side rail behind your back foot (this grab is the easiest to reach and therefore is not legitimate in professional kiteboarding).

Indy: Bend your legs up and reach with your back hand to grab the toe side rail between your feet (you can bone this grab out by straightening your legs or tweak it by rotating half way into a front roll, stopping and reverting back. This is known as an Indy Glide).

Mute: Bend your legs up and reach with your front hand to grab the toe side rail between your feet (a back roll with this grab can help open your body up and makes a very stylish but simple move).

Crail: Bend your legs up and reach with your back hand to grab the toe side rail forward of your front foot (you can bone this grab out by straightening your back leg).

Slob: Bend your legs up and reach with your front hand to grab the toe side rail forward of your front foot (you can also bone this one out by straightening your back leg; a back roll rotation also works well with this grab).

Nose: Bend your legs up and reach with your front hand to grab the nose of your board (like the crail and slob grab, you can bone it out by straightening your back leg; both back or front rolls also look good with this grab).

Method: Bend your legs up and reach with your front hand to grab the heel side of your board forward of your front foot (you can tweak this grab out by extending your back leg and make it stylish by adding a front or back rotation).

Melon: Bend your legs up and reach with your front hand to grab the heel side of your board between your legs (this grab is a little harder to reach and can be very stylish if you arch your back, which enables you to reach the board better anyway).

Stalefish: Bend your legs up and reach with your back hand to grab the heel side of your board between your legs (similar to the Melon but this grab is a little more difficult and can look very good if you arch your back).

Lein: Bend your legs up and reach with your back hand to grab the heel side of your board behind your back foot (you can bone this grab out by extending your back leg).

Tail: Bend your legs up and reach with your back hand to grab the tail of the board (you can bone it out by straightening your front leg; back leg must be bent in order to reach the board).

Tips:
* Load and Pop off the water first before you let go and start to reach for the grab (if you let go of the bar too early, your one arm that is holding the bar will get too much load and your other arm will not be able to reach the grab).
* If you find that you are not able to reach the grab, try bending both legs up to bring the board closer to your body.

Mark Doyle: Mark Doyle has been a professional kiteboarder for eight years and is currently living in South Padre Island, Texas, managing XL Kites’ newest location. He also offers advanced riding clinics throughout the year in Texas, Oregon, California and abroad. Mark is getting ready to release over 100 instructional videos to help you progress your riding.

Riding in the Surf

By Paul Lang, The Kiteboarder Magazine

Now that you have your basics dialed in, it’s time to head for the surf. Before you venture into the waves, you should be very comfortable riding in flat water and have your transitions dialed. If you have never been in the surf before, it would be very beneficial to try paddle surfing, body boarding or even ocean swimming first to get a feel for the waves. Be prepared to pay your dues in the ocean and start with small waves. Remember, you never want to go out and kite in surf that you would not feel comfortable swimming in.

What Board Should I Ride?

Don’t worry about getting a directional board for the waves yet. For beginning waveriding, a twin tip works fine, but go ahead and use a directional if you already have one. If you are riding a directional, please do everyone (including yourself) a favor and learn how to jibe at your flat water spot first. A twin tip will let you build skills, ocean awareness, and confidence without having to learn to jibe at the same time. As your skills build, you will definitely want to transition to a directional, but you will learn more quickly if you stick to your twin for the first few ocean sessions. Whatever board you ride, do
not use a board leash as a general rule. Board leashes in the waves can be even more dangerous than in flat water.

What Conditions Are Good for Beginners?

With waveriding, you want to start small. Look for side to side-on wind conditions and knee-high surf. Knee-high waves have enough size to be fun to play on, but are small enough so that you are not going to take a big pounding every time you fall down. With kite selection, choose a kite that will leave you a little underpowered instead of overpowered.

How Do I Get Out?

Don’t rush yourself. Walk into knee-deep water and put your board on. Dive the kite and start riding towards the waves. The waves nearest the beach are smallest and the easiest way to get over small whitewash is to edge upwind and bend your knees just before you reach the wave. In knee-high surf, edging and bending your knees is the only technique you need to get to the outside. In larger surf, you
will need to edge before you reach the wave and pop off the tail of your board to jump over the wave. You don’t have to actually clear the wave – your goal is to be very light on your feet as you ride over the whitewash. Bend your knees, keep your kite at 45º, and keep your speed up so you are ready for the next one. If you are approaching a wave that you don’t think you can get over, no problem. Just turn back towards the beach and try again.

What About Surf Etiquette?

There is one rule that you must follow in the surf: do not interfere with another person’s wave. If another kiteboarder, surfer, or windsurfer is on a wave, give them room to enjoy it and don’t get in the way; launch upwind or downwind of the main peak and stay outside of the waves unless you are riding one. Give surfers the respect they deserve and never jump near them or spray them, even on accident.

How Do I Ride the Waves?

As a beginner, you want to start working on timing your turns with the waves. Start from near the beach and ride towards the waves. As you approach a wave that is about to break, start to swing your kite towards the beach and jibe on the face of the wave. Your goal is to do your turn on the face of the wave and be heading back towards the beach with good board speed. You can do either a frontside or backside turn. Just do what feels comfortable at first. It’s going to take a lot of turns to get the timing down, so get out there and practice, practice, practice.

Setting an Example

By Rick Iossi, fka.org

Positive role models possess qualities that motivate us to improve. We look to role models whether we realize it or not. Their actions influence our behavior for better or worse.

Access is threatened in many areas and positive role models are needed more than ever. If respected kiters act to preserve access and avoid problem behaviorswhile riding incredibly well, we may follow suit. If they ride carelessly, that example is frequently copied and negative consequences are shared. Simple things can help like giving adequate distance to water/beach users, staying out of swim areas and lineups, and showing courtesy, skill and control as a capable waterman while avoiding careless riding.

Role models act for effect and lead by example. Talk is good but without effective action, little benefit may be realized. A leader may do things that need doing for no other reason. Taking this course can be lonely at times but necessary.

Pete Cabrinha and Robby Naish, global role models in kiteboarding and watersports, were asked for their input.
1. Importance of Role Models?
PC) If your riding skills or actions get someone off the couch and safely into the water, then you’re a valuable asset to the sport.
RN) Pro and leading riders have an obligation to set as good an image as possible, particularly for young participants.
2. Is leadership by example gaining importance for the industry?
PC) Responsibility and self policing are important to our sport. Every beach needs a dedicated crew working to preserve access. Moderation and the ability to work with
all sides of the issues are key.
RN) Government looks out for the interests of the majority: kiteboarders will never be in the majority. We need to stay “invisible” while riding and having fun. Kiters are obligated to protect access; one dude
can ruin it for everyone. There is a fine line between being a “dork” kite cop and retaining self-dignity and effectiveness with riders at large.
3. Team Riders As Representatives
PC) We try to tap into our athlete’s strong points. We definitely don’t sponsor riders that are known to be anti-social or aggressive to other riders, no matter how good of an athlete they are.
RN) Team riders represent 24 hour a day and don’t clock out at 5 pm. Carry yourself well and be a good rider on and off the water. Let your riding speak for itself; it will speak louder than bragging about it. Don’t be a wave hog or do tricks too close to shore. Have fun and show you are doing the sport for the right reasons.
4. Advice for dealing with problem kiters?
PC) Approach every situation with a smile. People are more responsive to ‘suggestions’ vs. attacks. Be diplomatic until all options have been exhausted. If it is critical, grounding a kite until things are sorted out is within reason.
RN) This may not be a problem if you are the biggest, toughest guy on the beach, otherwise use strength in numbers and talk to the guy as effectively as you can. Some will respond, others will say I’m good enough, been kiting for years, you can’t tell me what to do. It is a privilege to use the wind and the waves. Be smart, tactful and practice what you preach. Never tell other guys what to do and ignore it yourself. Everyone needs to get involved.

Exploring New Locations

By Gavin McClurg, Offshore Odysseys

These days, travel has become a lot more complicated but if you follow some basic guidelines, it will cut down on the stress so you can ride more and pay less.

1. Pack the Right Stuff
Our clients repeatedly tell us that the “Golf bag” gig is up at the airlines. You can still use these board bags, but the trick is telling the agent trying to nick you for a $100 bucks that you are only carrying kites. DO NOT ever say surf, and DO NOT ever say board. We believe a two kite, two bar, one board quiver is the best if you’re going remote and are concerned about weight. If you’re traveling with
a group, share pumps. Remember to keep it under 50 pounds!

2. Back Ups
On day two of your 10-day dream trip to a virgin kite spot, you tangle with a reef. Not a problem, you’ve got a small repair kit. The repair kits sold by Kitefix.com are excellent for kites and bladders. Then have a small tube of sun-cure epoxy for the boards, and a spare set of fins and hardware (which also comes in handy if you blow a screw on your footstraps). Don’t forget a Leatherman or similar multi-use tool.

3. Research the Time and Place
You can get skunked on even a well-researched trip. But these tips will keep the wind in your kites more often than not. Get any needed documents like passports and visas early, check the airline for their bag policies so you have no surprises at check-in and look for alternative activities before you leave so you’re prepped for any non-wind days. If you’re going to a location in the trade belt (within 25 ° of the equator) it’s all about seasons – December through April head north of the equator and June through October go south. Avoid transition months between the monsoons (November and May). If you’re heading to a well-documented spot, sites like windguru are all you need, but if you’re going remote you’ll need other tools like buoyweather.com which give the big picture. Reading these weather maps takes some practice, but like kiting, the more you do it, the better you get.

4. Stay Healthy
We’ve seen a number of people have their trip cut short by something easily preventable, most commonly sunburns and reef cuts. If you’re going somewhere warm, the things you need should fit into one small bag: two pairs of shorts, a long shirt, rash guard, sun hat with tie down, booties, polarized sun glasses you can use while kiting, cash and your passport. Having these few items leaves plenty of room for the more important things like high quality sunblock, a tube of zinc and a medical kit. Your medical kit should have at a minimum some cotton swabs, hydrogen peroxide, betadine, and an oral antibiotic in case cuts get infected (Ciprofloxacin or similar). Clean your reef cuts immediately, and take any bandages off at night so they dry out. Booties will prevent a good portion of reef injuries.

Gavin McClurg: What began as a dream almost three years ago has been a successful reality for Gavin McClurg and his first mate, Jody MacDonald. Together they launched Offshore Odysseys, a yachtshare
concept catering to kiteboarders who are as passionate about exploration and enjoying life as they are. Offshore Odysseys also offers single trips if they have openings.

ADVANCED TRICKS:

S-BEND

Rider:Gisela Pulido, Words: Zach Kleppe

The S-Bend combines a raley with a front roll rotation so you should be able to do both independently before you try this move.

STEP 1. Come in with moderate speed, similar to when you’re getting ready to jump.
STEP 2. Place your kite at 45-60° or 10 o’clock in the wind window, hold your edge, make sure both hands are centered on the bar and unhook.
STEP 3. Once unhooked, edge hard and stand tall to push off the tail of your board for the pop needed.
STEP 4. Throw your feet and board up and away from the kite for the raley while pointing your front shoulder towards the nose of your board as soon as you’ve released your edge. This helps you go into a forward rotation while doing the raley, enabling you to complete the S-bend.

STEP 5. By pointing your front shoulder toward the nose of your board, you are forcing yourself into a forward rotation while unhooked. Extend your arms and body so you go into a horizontal position. Keep rotating until you face the water again.
STEP 6. Now that you have done a full front rotation (S-bend) and you see the water, pull slightly with your back hand to bring your board back underneath you.
STEP 7. Now that your board is underneath you, you’re ready to land back on your heel side edge. Spot your landing and brace for impact.
STEP 8. Point your board slightly downwind to control the speed of your landing so you don’t skip out and butt check. This will allow you to set your edge when landing so you can ride out of the trick and
hook back in.

Tips
* Keep the bar pulled in close to your chest while throwing your feet away from the kite before entering into the rotation. Otherwise it’s not going to be a true S-Bend.
* Pull slightly on your back hand when spotting your landing to keep from over rotating.

313

Rider: Kevin Langeree, Words: Clinton Bolton

The 313 is a raley with a front side 360 handle pass. When doing this trick, you have to remember to maintain your speed, rotate quickly, and keep the bar close to your body.

STEP 1.Come in with moderate speed as if you were to do a regular jump and bring the kite to 45-60° above the water.
STEP 2. Once your kite is at 45-60°, unhook and edge hard. You will feel the kite wanting to slingshot you towards it (this will help you flick your board up behind you going into the raley).
STEP 3. Release your edge, and extend your body into a raley.
STEP 4. While doing the raley, quickly pull the bar to your hips bringing your board back underneath you. This will make it easier to pass the bar while keeping the bar close to your body.

STEP 5. Once your body is coming to a vertical position and your board is underneath you, release your front hand but keep pulling with your back hand to rotate quickly. By still pulling with your back hand,
this will help you rotate your body in order to make the pass, plus by rotating quickly it will help you keep your bar close to your body letting you use little muscle effort and making the bar easier to pass.
STEP 6. Once you have released your front hand, swing it back behind you making your back face the kite.
STEP 7. Grab the bar and release your back hand. Once you have grabbed the bar with your front hand, the pull of the kite and the speed of your rotation will help bring you back to your heelside edge.
STEP 8. Now that you rotated back to heelside, spot your landing and brace for impact.

Tips
* Remember to come in with moderate speed. Speed helps you with everything in this trick. If you don’t have speed coming in to do the trick, then everything else won’t be easy to do.
* You have to rotate quickly to keep the bar close to your body. Rotating quickly makes it easier to pass the bar allowing you to not use much muscle effort and also helps bring your body back to the heelside edge instead of under rotating and landing on your toeside edge.

Advanced Wave Riding

By Ben Wilson, Ben Wilson Surf

Once you are comfortable in the surf on a directional board, it’s time to start working on some more advanced moves. If you don’t already have surfing skills, smooth turns on the wave will take a lot of practice to dial in. What’s that you say? Turns on a wave not an advanced move? We beg to differ. Watch the guys who are really good wave riders at your local spot and try to pick out the nuances of timing, kite placement, board speed, and weight distribution. It takes a lot of practice to develop stylish and smooth turns.

As you gain skills and confidence in the surf, you want to focus on surfing on the wave, not doing turns in front of the wave. Following, I will take you step by step through frontside and backside top turns.

Frontside Top Turn

In waves like these, the unhooked, strapped front side top turn is perfect practice for bigger and better moves. Learn to do these turns properly and you will have a solid foundation for bigger things. Note:
Make sure you anticipate the turn as early as possible so you can set your kite low and moving forward so it is in an optimal position for the turn.

STEP 1. How hard, tight, or vertical you want to make the turn will determine the amount of back foot pressure you need. In this one, I haven’t gone very vertical so my approach was more of a steer up the face rather than a full on bottom turn, but of course with as much speed as possible.
STEP 2. Here I have reached the point at the top of the wave where I initiate the turn by applying even more back foot pressure.
STEP 3. This is the critical point of the turn where you need to move your weight forward to avoid falling out the back of the wave.
STEP 4. In this shot the wave has become quite steep and I’ve had to transfer my weight back to my back foot to set up for executing the turn and to avoid nose diving.
STEP 5. Here I have spotted my landing and flattened out my board to get ready for it.
STEP 6. As you land, absorb the impact by bending you knees.

Backside Top Turn

Top turns can be performed on either a steep face or by actually hitting the lip. In this unhooked, unstrapped backside top turn, I have chosen to hit the lip.

STEP 1. When setting up for this turn, you want to have as much controlled speed as possible. At this stage I have already positioned my feet in the sweet spot of my board, unhooked, and started to hit the lip. I looked over my leading shoulder during my bottom turn to spot where I wanted to do the turn (remember the amount of back foot pressure is directly related to how tight the turn will be). Note: The most important thing about doing an unhooked backside turn like this is kite position – you need to be doing the turn while you have no power in the kite, so it’s all about having the kite set up in the optimal position before you do the turn. The best way to do this is to keep your kite low and moving in the same direction as you are riding with subtle adjustments, while visualizing and anticipating your turns well before doing them.
STEP 2. In this shot I have reached the pinnacle of my turn and changed my upwards direction to start heading back down, so I have shifted all my back foot pressure to the center of my board by lowering my center of gravity.

STEP 3. Here I’m still going through the midway point of the turn and just focusing on staying centered over my board while preparing to move all my weight forward to head back down the wave. If you don’t, you will stall and fall out the back of the wave.
STEP 4. Now I’m distributing all my weight to my front foot to head back down the wave and execute the turn.
STEP 5.As you head back down the wave, flatten out the board to avoid nose diving and keep your knees bent to absorb the drop. Remember to keep your kite down low and forward so you don’t ride
underneath it.

Ben Wilson: Ben believes the true fundamentals of surfing apply when riding the waves with your kite and is one of the sport’s top pro kitesurfers. Focusing on instruction and travel versus competition, Ben runs kite wave camps in Australia and Indonesia and recently released a comprehensive, step-by-step instructional surf DVD called Smack for beginner to advanced riders. Ben rides for Slingshot and is very involved in the company’s R&D process.

Similar Posts:

• Load and Pop: Intro to Wakestyle Kiteboarding
• Off to the Rescue: Advanced Recoveries
• JONESING TO JUMP: Basic Kiteboarding Jumps

Filed Under: All Posts • Instructional • Kiteboarding

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