BayAreaKiteboarding.com

I was flying my parafoil kite at Waddell this Saturday. While I was totally overpowered, and not super comfortable with it I can see how one could shred some waves using this kind of kites. But I haven't seen anybody doing it.

Do you guys know anybody doing non-racy/non-foily stuff on parafoil kites? Like hardcore wave riding, or freestyle, or maybe some flat surfboard tricks?

I'm looking for some inspiration :P

I haven't flown one as of yet, but I hear they are slower to turn, so I don't see somebody riding waves using that. Now, for old school board off tricks, the big hang time could be fun. but again, not as easy to relaunch as regular inflated kite I suppose...

i use to use a parafoils as my main kites. https://flysurfer.com/project/speed5/ great for old school and big hang time. havent seen many people on the waves though.

I've seen Adam Koch riding waves on his small foil kite better than anyone else at Waddell. You can make up with the slow turning by using a smaller kite, and still get equivalent power to the larger LEIs. I think he was on a 6m foil while I was riding an 8 or 10m at Waddell. I fly ozone foils on snow, not water, but don't find them at all limiting.

What happened to the Peter Lynn guys? was a few back in the day.

le noun: Yes, they are usually slower to turn. But when deeper in the wind window and with the lines are loaded they will spin around as fast as a wave kite. And yeah, you can fly a 6 when people fly 10s.

Not to dis Adam Koch's skills, but if he was shredding waves better than anyone at Waddell when you saw him on the foil kite it was for one of the following reasons:

1) It wasn't very windy
2) There were no good waves
3) All the good wave riders were at a different spot that you don't know about.
4) Someone slipped something in your drink
5) You had one bong hit too many
6) It was a Saturday or Sunday afternoon (aka, "Kook Hour")

While I find it entertaining to watch him and he is clearly having fun, it is also possible and fun for really skilled kiters to ride Waddell on inflatable children's toys. But it doesn't mean they are shredding.

My buddies and I have foil kites but most of our activities are riding/jumping with not too many tricks.

Learning tricks on a foil would be a bit pointless given relaunches if you blow a trick would be more challenging than an LEI.

Wave riding a foil kite os fine in light to moderate conditions but if you drop the foil in surf, with bridle lines and all, the surf could do some real damage to the kite. In gusty/strong conditions, I will fly LEI's.

Learning to fly foil kites quickly teaches you not to drop the kite so irrespective of if and how you fall, you instinctively are still flying the kite so as not to drop it even if you are underwater. 4/5 relaunches on my foil kites are successful - Its the 1/5 swim homes I try to avoid. That being said, I would rather fly a foil kite on a light wind day (10kts or less) given easier to keep a foil kite in the sky and relaunch if it does drop.

7) bulldog was not there to show you how he is the best kiter on the coast and no one is as cool as him.

Now that's some funny shit