Suggested Progression List 2008

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6549 Posts Couve / Hood Honored Founder

Those who can't do, teach! My friends have already started accusing me of becoming very "coach" like since my injury, I might as well embrace it.

I have here a recommended progression track for beginner-intermediate kiters looking to work on their flare out on the water. Please feel free to add your own comments and alternate progression tracks... The list ends where my skills stop, so ya ballers out there feel free to add your own more advanced stuff.

Oh yeah and if you see a guy limping around the beach in a knee brace, feel free to ask him how to do some of this stuff... It might just make his day! Very Happy

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Basics:

Body drag upwind, no board leash
Ride upwind
Learn to ride well underpowered, be efficient
Learn to ride toeside

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Turning:

Heel to toe-side carve
Toe-side to heel carve
Big spray
Turn on a wave, hit the lip
Down loop turns (turn the kite by looping it)

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Learning Boosts:

Small jumps, send kite back hard, don't sweat the landings at first
Medium jumps, work on smooth landings
Air transitions (land on opposite tack)
Stronger wind, big jumps

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Rolls:

Back rolls, kite high
Front rolls, kite high
Back rolls, kite low
Front rolls, kite low
Roll + air transition

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Unhooked:

Raley, kite above 45 (pull hard on front hand when in the air)
Raley, kite at or below 45
Unhooked backroll
Unhooked frontroll (fully extended = sbend)

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Strapless:

Surfboard jibe
Skimboard shuv-it transition
Ride in the waves
Chop hop / ollie

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Kite loops:

Downloop air transition (good with front roll)
Underpowered 11m+ kite backroll kiteloop
Unhooked backroll kiteloop
20m lines kiteloop
Powered 7m hooked in kiteloop

Stuff I'd like to work on but can't:

Surface Pass (360)
Raley to Blind
More powered unhooked moves (more extension)
Unhooked grabs
Unhooked carves
Kung-fu
More advanced surfboard jibes

Kataku2k3 · Since 14 Aug 2005 3754 Posts PDX-LA Videographer

Just get your NEW camera already... Wink

forrest · Mon May 05, 08 10:52 am

That's a good list phil, I like it!

Rico · Since 13 Mar 2005 1219 Posts Vancouver Photographer

Please try to be nice to this guy as he heckles you from the beach. Phil please teach me your backroll kite loop I will even pay you in beer. Laughing

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6549 Posts Couve / Hood Honored Founder

Yeah I will heckle you and perhaps throw beer cans at you. Sorry its just my condition. Very Happy

Oh I forgot to add to the list, slider tricks... everybody who's already got the basic unhooking stuff down should try to hit the slider this year. I think Joby and Forrest are having some type of slider camp so that should help.

The kicker has also been kicked down to a smaller size so ya'all can work on flat 3's while I heckle and fart in your direction.

Rico - I can't teach you anything, if anything I will try to be holding you guys back this year so that you don't progress too far without me. Wink

genek · Since 21 Jul 2006 2165 Posts East Po KGB

The best way to hold people back is to keep offering them beer at the sandbar. That way even if you land a new trick you probably won't remember it the next day.

trevorsmith · Since 25 Apr 2005 501 Posts PDX Addicted

kyle.vh · Since 11 Jul 2007 713 Posts city of angels Addicted

I am an 'intermediate kiter looking to work on their flare out on the water'. Thanks for the list, I was just kinda thinking about what would be good to work on. I have a lot of work to do turning and jumping. I can do both, but neither particularly well. I am often nervous to practice either with other kiters around, cause I feel like I'm in the way. I was able to practice turning a lot on Sunday when I was out by myself in Nehalem Bay. But I think I'm going to wait til the water warms up a bit more before jumping again, since dragging in the cold water sucks, and I will definitely end up dragging.
Man, the wind was punchy in the bay. Actually the gustiest wind I've ever been in. But it was really smooth with lots of cool coves and sandbars and shallows to check out.