10 Things I Learned in 2005

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6548 Posts Couve / Hood Site Lackey

Thought this might be a good time to disclose some of the things I came across this year that really helped me out... everyone post what you learned!

- Trimming your bar to ride well unhooked can help a lot even if you don't ride unhooked much (or at all.)

- Less throw on your bar helps toe side riding, and helps prevent fatigue in the back and arms.

- You can shorten your bar throw way shorter than you'd think you would need and still keep control of your kite in gusty wind, but you will want to ride powered with the bar pulled all the way in (see first tip.)

- Keeping track of where your kite jumps the best in terms of sheeting, really helps hangtime and height.

- Front rolls are so much easier when you pull on your front hand hard right after leaving the water.

- Easiest way to loop the kite is to send it to neutral from pretty high in the window, then pull hard on the side of the bar right as you leave the water. It will loop fastest if its in the middle of the window when you pull the bar.

- Hard landings are easy if you pull your legs up.

- Raley's are much easier if you haul downwind right before.

- Lightwind boards rule! Glide, Skim, Plywood... you really don't need a monster kite with one of these in your quiver.

- Flat (or bow) kites have incredible depower and safety benefits.

Okay one more:

- Kiting with your friends beats the hell out of kiting alone any day... Thumb's Up

colby · Since 23 Apr 2005 613 Posts Celebrity Photographer

If you had this site up last year, I could have put 3 dozen lessons up...something like,

don't go kitboarding at rooster rock on your own in the winter when you really don't know how to kiteboard...you might lose your brand new board and end up swimming to the freeway.

As for this year, it has been pure fun! Well worth all the adventures of last year. A few lessons learned this year:

Phil has this down!...the board can make all the difference in what size kite you use, and also concentrating on being more efficient in your stance and how you use the kite. Dropping the 16M+ size kites from the quiver can be a realized goal with a little more practice!

If you find yourself in the water, underpowered and getting back up on the board, it's better to head straight down wind to get your kite speed up, then trying to sine the kite like a madman and hold onto every inch of ground you are hoping to keep.

As for the sport in general, I've learned quite a bit from many of the great people you end up meeting off the water.....such a dynamic group who all seem to get how privileged we are to live and do this sport in the NW. I just hope the winter kiting crew continues to grow a bit....it's too easy to go into hibernation mode in the dreary winter months and pack on the pounds!

Wind Slither · Since 04 Mar 2005 2573 Posts The 503 METAL

I learned I was stuck back a year, I thought it was 2005? Crap, now I'm really behind! I don't care what anyone says...I love my 20M!

tonski · Since 11 Jun 2005 332 Posts NW Portland Obsessed

PKH - Isn't it still 2005, or are you talkin about learning in the future?! Wink

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6548 Posts Couve / Hood Site Lackey

oh yeah hehe.... 2005-6 uh, must have been looking at too much 2006 gear I got confused!

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6548 Posts Couve / Hood Site Lackey

Hey Jimbo PM'd me and wanted to know about what I meant by "trimming your bar for unhooking."

Trimming your bar so you can ride well unhooked means coming unhooked does not completely oversheet your kite. This is a combination of shorter front lines, not having too much throw on the bar, and usually having your trim strap pulled in a bit.

If you pull your bar all the way back and the kite oversheets and starts to stall, then your front lines are too long. Either depower a bit through the strap, or attach your front lines to the closest to the kite knot and rears furthest from the kite.

When you have things properly setup, your kite should not completely oversheet when you unhook or pull the bar back all the way (though it might flare a bit, this is okay.) With this setup coming unhooked accidentally is not nearly as big of a deal, because your kite will not be totally overpowering. You should be able to muscle your way back into your hook.

Just something I noticed. Thumb's Up

Ryan · Since 14 Jul 2005 536 Posts Oregon Addicted

Another way to be sure your kite doesnt over sheet (if your using a SS bar) is to move the bottom ball stopper to limit the about of out sheeting. this is what i have done. it takes a little getting used to because when your really juiced you have to stomp the kite rather than sheeting way out. I find that this works well because if you sheet out to much you cant steer the kite...so finding a ballance is key.

Hein · Since 08 Mar 2005 1313 Posts Possessed

Here's another way to deal with issues like
when to sheet in,
when to sheet out,
how much to sheet
and..
where to set the stopper balls:

Eliminate the sheeting altogether.

Hey PK,
Maybe this will be new for 2006....
A bar with no sheeting so you can
ride with 100% power all the time.

100% power - now that's my style of
riding!

-Hein

pjc · Since 06 Mar 2005 649 Posts Addicted

Back to the original topic.....

The main thing I learned this year is -- don't buy new kite technology *unless* it comes with a no questions asked money back guarantee.

Very Happy

Hein · Since 08 Mar 2005 1313 Posts Possessed

Could'nt help poking some fun at Phillip about
all that sheet.

I learned that a small kite and a bigger board with
a wide stance is more fun and safer than a big kite
with a small board. Short lines help too, ~18 m
seems magical to me for my 7 and 9.

-Hein

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6548 Posts Couve / Hood Site Lackey

Hein -
I have been thinking about it... do you have any demoable pulley's you could bring down to SPI with you?

pjc -
Yup I agree with you on that... Item #12 on my list: beware new and unproven technologies (luckily this one had the guarantee!)