Stoked beyond stoked

[ianwallace14]

Nice post jwest21! Feel the same way every time I have a breakthrough session.

Sounds like you are surfing and snowboarding? (Me too!)

Caveat- This is just my opinion, I'm learning too, sounds like I'm one season ahead of you, so take this lightly... and the assumption is that you are super comfortable on a surfboard.

I surf a lot, and I could not ride the twin tips. If you are comfortable on a surfboard, ditch the twintip and ride the directional. Make sure you get straps, I have been riding a strapless board lately and it is very hard. Yardsale! These guys who ride strapless in the waves are heros.

So get a strapped directional cheap, you will destroy it. I found one for $300 at Helm. When I first floated this idea everyone said, but you have to learn to jibe! Well, I didn't learn to jibe, I would just do these huge tacks way out to sea, and then slow down and hold my kite at 12, flip my board around and then head all the way back in. (This was at Waddell, it is scary floating around out there...)

I found that riding on a surfboard was much easier, the way that the board felt and rode was familiar to me, and the fins make riding upwind feel easier. (I think this is just how it feels, I think your body position and kite flying skills are the real drivers.) But just like taking your leading arm of the bar, a surfboard puts your body in the right position.

The second trick for me was to ride a big kite. As soon as I went out powered I was rocking upwind, in fact, when you are lit and keep going faster and faster, the only way to slow is to cut upwind harder. If you don't, you blow up!

Sweet post, made me smile!

[NCKite_Ryder]

N I would just do these huge tacks way out to sea, and then slow down and hold my kite at 12, flip my board around and then head all the way back in. (This was at Waddell, it is scary floating around out there...)

ITS ALL TRUE

[jwest21]

Nice post jwest21! Feel the same way every time I have a breakthrough session.

Sounds like you are surfing and snowboarding? (Me too!)

Caveat- This is just my opinion, I'm learning too, sounds like I'm one season ahead of you, so take this lightly... and the assumption is that you are super comfortable on a surfboard.

I surf a lot, and I could not ride the twin tips. If you are comfortable on a surfboard, ditch the twintip and ride the directional. Make sure you get straps, I have been riding a strapless board lately and it is very hard. Yardsale! These guys who ride strapless in the waves are heros.

So get a strapped directional cheap, you will destroy it. I found one for $300 at Helm. When I first floated this idea everyone said, but you have to learn to jibe! Well, I didn't learn to jibe, I would just do these huge tacks way out to sea, and then slow down and hold my kite at 12, flip my board around and then head all the way back in. (This was at Waddell, it is scary floating around out there...)

I found that riding on a surfboard was much easier, the way that the board felt and rode was familiar to me, and the fins make riding upwind feel easier. (I think this is just how it feels, I think your body position and kite flying skills are the real drivers.) But just like taking your leading arm of the bar, a surfboard puts your body in the right position.

The second trick for me was to ride a big kite. As soon as I went out powered I was rocking upwind, in fact, when you are lit and keep going faster and faster, the only way to slow is to cut upwind harder. If you don't, you blow up!

Sweet post, made me smile!

I know what you mean about being lit. Once I had plenty of confidence in my kite control and self-rescue down, I did a session last week at 3rd where I finally got to use my trim strap for launching. I got out and powered up a little more, and was making incredible progress; I was riding way better port-side too. So much in fact that I came in way later than I should and ended up down in the rocks past lower launch. So much more fun flying my 9 over my 12 too!

I'm hoping next weekend will be good conditions for Bodega Bay. Planning to head up on Saturday around noon or 1 to get a view of any obstacles in low tide before heading out at maybe 3 for a few two-car downwinders with a buddy. I love the wind at 3rd but it's so hard to have so little practice before having to head in for another walk from lower to upper launch.

I'll continue to keep my eye open for a cheap strapped directional. Hope to see you out there.

[behindThePeak]

dude you don't need a directional, just get on that surfboard. it will take you a short time to figure out how to water start then it's all movements you already know:

1. ride your natural stance heel-side then when it's time to turn throw the kite in front of you and follow it around, it feels just like a bottom turn into a front-side wave.

2. ride toe-side until you build speed then try to switch your footing to heal-side. that's the toughest part but if you fail you get to practice your water start and if you make it you'll be stoked. tip: it feels a lot like cross-stepping a longboard in that your moving the board under you more than you're moving yourself over the board.

3. ride out the tack and when it's time to turn switch your stance again to toe-side and immediately swing the kite in front of you. follow it as it pulls you around, it'll feel a lot like a snap off the lip from a front side wave. if you bail just switch the board in the water and you get to practice another water start.

repeat.

surfboards are easier to retrieve as the wind blows them downwind to you faster. they float you long enough to allow you to experiment with powering and depowering your kite which will make you a kite ninja in no time. they have big fins and tons of foam so going upwind is a cinch, this will increase your water time and teach your body upwind form that will transfer right back to the twintip. oh, any you already have one...

ymmv but i remember struggling on my tt when i was a rookie too. it all clicked for me when i bit the bullet and took out my surfboard.

[spvone]

Another victim. Sweet!

Where's the shaka smiley Oliver?

[Aloha]

This year BTP and I are only rocking Alaia's

Join the tribe J

[jwest21]

I was lucky enough to snag a 2008 OR Mako Surf 5'6" in great condition for only $125 today- then, I was lucky enough to be heading to Alameda right when it picked up pretty nice. I was out on my 12m and I instantly new this new directional and I were going to be the best of friends. After a few tacks I was really getting a hang of it and made incredible progress mostly holding my ground and just losing downwind momentum on crashes and switching feet to head back the other direction. I boosted off of so many little waves, like I had been born to do it! Most of my crashes seemed to be from trying to head upwind a bit too much/with bad form and basically pearling. #-o

I quickly started understanding the idea of using the kite to get your feet in the straps. It became way easier to just align my feet to the straps, then water start, and once I was up I would shuffle my feet into place.

I'm absolutely hooked.

[Aloha]

If you are getting the board on without your hands you're totally ready for strapless

Free your board and mind and the rest will follow

[jwest21]

If you are getting the board on without your hands you're totally ready for strapless

Free your board and mind and the rest will follow

Haha, don't worry, I'll be leaving the dark side soon enough. But I want to learn to get my ass upwind before I start losing my board every time I boost over a wave.

[NoContext]

I bought a longboard skateboard and practiced riding it left, and that fixed everything for me on my bad side... Well, almost everything. I still boost like a clown going that way, it feels so awkward still.