A password will be e-mailed to you.

By Julian Hosp/julianhosp.com

When you look at different kitesurfers on the water, some are jumping 30 feet high while others struggle to get just a few feet above the water, even if both riders are on the same gear.

It’s important that you know how to steer the kite when you jump, but popping off the water correctly plays an even bigger role in jumping properly.

Without proper pop, you’ll struggle to advance any further than the most basic moves. Learn to pop without relying on the kite to jump and you’ll have a much stronger foundation as you move forward!

1. Start with good speed, but not too fast, as too much speed makes popping more difficult.

2. Keep your kite stable at 11 o’clock.

3. Look for a small wave or piece of chop to take off on.

4. Edge hard and right before you take off, edge even more against the wind, almost stopping your forward motion.

5. Pull up your front leg while pushing your back foot down.

6. Pull your knees up as you leave the water.

7. Spot your landing and land with your board aimed slightly downwind.

Tips:

  • Before you pop off the water, let yourself travel downwind for a bit. This takes some tension off your lines and allows you to get more snap out of your pop.
  • When you edge upwind to initiate the pop, you have to do it as quickly as you can.
  • Keep a compact position in the air and flex your muscles to make it easier to control your body in the air.
  • I see many people go upwind too much before popping and wait too long before they leave the water. This is the biggest mistake people make!

Judging your Pop

  • The better your pop, the higher and bigger your spray will be. Of course, this also depends on your weight, but in general this is very true about your pop.
  • You should be able to feel the snap caused by the tension of the lines of the kite as you take off. In the air, you should also feel the line tension go away quickly. If you don’t feel this slack, your pop is not good.
  • During your pop, you should see and feel the kite shoot forward. If it shoots so far forward that you lose power, you are edging too hard before you take off. If the kite does not shoot forward, you aren’t edging hard enough to get any pop!