Let’s face it ”“ a lot of people want to get into kiteboarding so they can jump. You should learn how to stay upwind and do transitions before you start trying to jump, but we know that the reality is that you want to learn how to jump as soon as you are able to go 10 feet on a kiteboard.
If you focus on good technique instead of just trying to huck yourself into the air, you will learn faster and be able to jump higher.
- Start by riding with good speed and your kite in the area of 60º above the water.
- Redirect your kite up and away from your direction of travel by pulling gently with your back hand.
- Progressively edge your board harder and harder and then stand tall and release your board from the water as the kite passes directly overhead.
- Pull up your knees up to stabilize yourself in the air while gently pulling with your front hand to keep the kite overhead and redirect it to the direction you are traveling.
- Extend your legs as you approach the water and absorb the landing with your knees. As you land, the kite should be on its way down in the direction you are heading so you can ride away with speed.
Tips:
- If you feel like you plummet from the sky and crash onto your butt, you are probably sending the kite too far in the opposite direction. Make sure you bring your kite back overhead so it will let you down softly.
- If you can jump far horizontally, but can only get a foot or two above the water, you are not edging hard enough before you jump. Edge harder and pop your board off the surface of the water as the kite crosses overhead.
- Point your board downwind as you approach the water to avoid skipping out when you land.