Don't Kite Stagnant! Keep the Progression Going!

[CdoG]

mE TOO
MAKE N IT BACK TO WHERE I STARTED....
WITH MY STUfF

[sloughslut]

With out walking or swimin

[BayAreaKite]

Yeah Charlie, no walkin' or swimmin'...haha

[baypirate]

Hehe, Joe, funny how vintage year is pretty good predictor on one's "progression" - that's why us newcomers we'll NEVER catch up with these guys whose avatars says "joined: 2004". Just celebrated my 2nd kiting birthday in Aug.... I guess (hope?) I made the "intermediate progression" cut this year:

- big backrolls; grabs and double rotations still a bit inconsistent
- basic kiteloops (non-radical kind...); with a backroll; in an air transition
- taking backhand off on jumps, board twist, grab
- air transition on surfboard
- finished the Classic Bay Challenge
- improved my downwind racing (still suck overall, falling too much)
- still lame(-ish): some frontrolls, some board tacking, basic unhooked, strapless

Oh, and did one Kite/Swim/Walk triathlon, coming back without kite/bar (but with 2 boards...). One the flip side, I likely broke the 100 Crissy sessions mark without CG rescue (maybe it'll FINALLY get my "Crissy local" wings (or duck feet?); tough grading over there ...)

2011 Wish List:

- far more time in the waves
- unhooked stuff: railey, S-Bend, KLs, F-16
- more radical loops
- "migrating" the 2010 stuff to my weak side (one landing knee/ankle now getting a lot of mileage...)
- actually PRACTICING on the race board (other than on race day...)
- dependably tacking the board (i.e. in Crissy chop)
- making the time limit for the UN Challenge (i.e. 30' behind Chip...)
- giving Sonny a break by getting better at fetching tumbling kites

[baypirate]

Aerial transitions - I have tried this one a LOT and don't really feel like I'm getting that close... any tips?
Downloop aerial transition - heard this might be easier than the above

I really like aerial transitions, and I think they're great to learn as they require aggressive kite flying. In the beginning, think about it as "a lame jump with an awesome landing". Shave off speed, bring kite up, pop just a little, then redirect the kite HARD to the other side, all the way down to water surface; turn your board downwind to help plane away easier. Idea is that in the beginning you don't want too much momentum in your "coming" direction that you need to arrest, nor do you want too much height that you need to land from with speed. Have somebody at 3rd watch you and give you feedback.

As for downlooping the air transition, I guess it's easier just because you don't pull with your NEW back hand to get the kite back up from water surface ONCE you're planing away in the new direction (this is where you may stall when learning), but rather keep the OLD back hand pulled in throughout, the kite will go down towards water and then back up by downlooping (just don't forget about twisting hips/board downwind!). I'm not convinced this would easy learning, trick w/ air transition is not stalling the landing, and that's precisely when the second half of the downloop actually pulls you the wrong way.

next year? who knows, never figured out how to duck tack???

What is that?

[maxsteamer]

I think I got the record on this one ?? made friends with 13 new kiters by making sure they new they could call me 24-7 if they could not find a buddy to kite with .. To Funny!!! I feel like a super star and I can't even do a back-loop.. best season of my life though as most of these kiters are now teaching me a thing or two like I'm never to old to try something new.. NICE!!!

[rvv]

Still working on getting out and riding upwind ...must be my stagnant stance...or my oakland shorts around my thighs?? Nice work to all whom pro- guess!

[ledhead1191]

KL313
flat 3, in chop and off kicker
backroll megaloop
improved unhooked waveriding and bottom turns
and one huge sicknasty boardoff! haha

good thread ramsey

[ramsey]

Can't wait to see the boardoff!!! with boots!

[motorcyclemark]

Progression IS fun!
2nd full year:
-back rolls (small and more recently larger sent ones - SO much fun when they're floaty with slow rotation), some with grabs
-gybes in both directions on surfboard strapped and strapless
-long stalefish (and other) grabs on sent jumps
-short tail slides (wheelies?) on twintip
-upwind on skimboard strapless (of course!) and finless
-almost tacking strapless on surfboard (having trouble getting that last jump around and landing on board - just need more practice time!)

to work on:
-front rolls
-tacks on surfboard strapless and strapped
-tacks and shuvits on skimboard
-kiteloops
-backloop transitions - maybe with kiteloop (almost did that by mistake!)
-try some strapless airs
-maybe try a little unhooked riding

see you out there!!