Secrets of Jumping

[Scotty]

When jumping you will inevitably go downwind while you are in the air. Keep in mind as you are preparing for your jump your body is going sideways to the wind. When you start to send your kite in the other direction (frm 10-12 o'clock) you will find it yourself in the air but whether you realize it or not, the friction you created between your board and the water to go upwind is gone and you are at the mercy of the wind and kite. If you keep your body in this sideways momentum position, you will find yourself spinning and unable to control the kite. Allow your body to go downwind with the kite, turn your board in that direction with the tail of the board preparing to land first, and be sure that before you land you actually start to point the kite in the direction you are going (not to aggressively). This will allow you to have momentum when you land on the water and not drop like a cannon ball.
Ollie is right with muscle memory, it is only a matter of time/practice.

S.E.N.D. I.T.

Scotty

[MehYam]

Awesome tips, thx. Is there any secret to jumping when you're going in the goofy direction? I've managed small, sorta controllable liftoffs going regular, but the other direction feels really uncomfortable.

[dewey]

Awesome tips, thx. Is there any secret to jumping when you're going in the goofy direction? I've managed small, sorta controllable liftoffs going regular, but the other direction feels really uncomfortable.

I could send it like crazy on my strong tack, but on my weak side I jump like a retard.

[northgrl]

Gahd Brenan.
come on.
like every one else says...SEND IT.
just go for it.

[windhorny]

I was trying to explain this to my gf as she is really close to getting it. The range your flying the kite is anywhere from (going right) 1,2 to 12,1. But one of the tricks is to not power the kite up to soon. You want to pull thebar in about half way or justenough to bring it back quickly but not powered up. Then as the kite is flying back to 12 pull the bar in. It is a timing game morethan anything else. Edging, releasing, hitting a nice swell, throwing the kite back and pulling in at the right time are the keys.

Another tip is when you get going higher, if you grab your board or tuck yourself into a ball you will stabilize yourself.


I would try finding an uncrowded tack and try 3-5 consecutive attempts. Try and see if you can get a little air one after the other instead of going for one big jump. Build some speed, send it to 12, pull in, bring your kite back down, land, pick up speed....and so on.

Hope that helps.

[jono]

I want to suggest that you don't SENDIT when learning to jump ;). I did a combo of practicing sending it and popping off the water without sending it and I found I ended up jumping WAY BETTER when I stopped sending it and started learning to pop it better. When I was trying to send the kite, I was sometimes jumping super high, sometimes barely at all. This lead to huge crashes, flying the kite way too far back, etc.

Pop: Get the kite at 45 degrees off the water, ride fairly fast, carve upwind hard, edge hard and ollie off the water -- but don't move the kite. I've been doing this a lot and my jumps are way more controlled now. You can really bust pretty big (board grabs, 5-7' off chop with no kite sending, you all know).

Pop is a fundamental skill for all jumping -- better to practice it and learn skill than using the raw, uncontrolled power of the kite to launch you uncontrolled into the air and inevitably back into the water.

When I was learning to SENDIT, I found I did way better if I turned the kite back and *acted like nothing changed* until it was just about to hit the apex and then did the POP. Before learning this timing, I would sendit back, and start edging really hard. This lead to no speed when the kite hit the apex. To compensate, I actually tried to make sure I sendit without edging until the last second, then edge, pop, etc. Exaggerating this process (by totally ignoring the kite going backward) fixed things right away.

Another key thing is that you shouldn't really make some rule about when the fly the kite back forward for landing -- it all depends on your height, hang time, etc. Better to just learn you will need forward speed and send it back forward when you need forward power. If you come in super hot and hard, you are sending it forward too soon or too fast. You will pay for it and learn what it means to get spanked by the kite (it's the water that spanks you, but you get the picture). I swore I broke all the blood vessels in my gluteus maximus a couple times landing.

Get the "Progression" set of DVDs (or just beginner first), it's totally worth the price. Beginner DVD has body drag, etc. but it also talks about jumping and is still worth it I figure.

[KiteRider]

hmm pretty good advice. heh need to improve my jumping skills. :-)

[MehYam]

Awesome tips, thx. Is there any secret to jumping when you're going in the goofy direction? I've managed small, sorta controllable liftoffs going regular, but the other direction feels really uncomfortable.

So it's one year after that post and I STILL jump like a gimp going the "wrong" way. What'sup??! For some reason the notion of pop going towards the shore at 3rd is completely unintuitive. Is it just because I'm not facing the waves? That don't slow down Sonny...

[jono]

I know people who skate, snow board, surf, etc. and only go one side well. I'm left handed (writing) and I bat (baseball) right handed. I skateboard regular, snowboard regular, etc. I'm not even sure which side I was better with when I started kiting (I was a bit stronger on one side, but it evened out fast). You might try changing some things up (use the mouse for the computer with the right hand, not left). Whenever you do something that has to do with "handedness" try doing it with the weak side as strong. Read magazines from back to front (I have to do this all the time ;). I have no idea if this will help, but it seems like it could.

Get an Indo Board and "ride" it weak side forward? http://www.indoboard.com/

[Greg]

legs are key for big air, wake and basic solid riding (up wind skills). I recommend start your jumping with wake (dont turn the kite/ at or below 45) and learn board and power controll technique as well as solid pop and drop board tricks/skill. Feel the power exploid under your board before you just get jurked off the water, THEN mix the two!
And always, Have Fun!!,
L.M.G.