Secrets of Jumping

[Greg]

As far are pop'n toward the shore at third, makes total sence to me. The swell is short and tight going out and smooth going in (back side is better for loading up)

[lieutenantglorp]

I can jump ok on the port tack (regular stance), but on the starboard tack (switch) I often end up getting my body spun around the wrong way in the air immediately after takeoff. Is this a sign of not enought board speed? Am I edging hard too early?

[adamrod]

it's a sign that as you lift off, you're carving. thus causing you to spin. just...don't do that.

honestly, you really shouldn't be talking about Regular or Switch stance. In kiting, it's all the same. If you're riding heelside, it's starboard or port. you should be pretty ambidextrous on your heelside. Of course, we're always slightly better on one side or the other, but I'm a far better jumper going switch, so go figure.

the reason you're having trouble jumping switch is that you don't have enough practice. Go out, and only jump switch the entire session. I guarantee you won't have this problem by the end of the day.


or, you know the saying "when life hands you lemons, make lemonade"? if you find yourself spun around the wrong way, tuck in your legs, complete the 360 and land. I know it sounds tough, but like I said, practice it for a day and you'll think it's a joke.

the problem is that when most people practice a trick, they try it 3 times in a session and then give up. you have to try it over and over and over and over. watch the pros practice. All those sweet kiteloop handlepasses they do? they practice those things constantly. like every 5 minutes. and screw up 90% of them. THAT'S how you improve.

[vdeub]

Don't send the kite back forward too fast either.

I did not had real problems to go airborn, but the landing timing is another story. too late, and i am stalling the kite and falling like a rock - hutch - , too soon, and i ve got the feeling of beeing drag forward "extremly" fast and my landing speed looks too big to really manage it. I understand the 1,2 or 12,1 concept, but is there any height or angle for the kite on the water level for a proper landing ? to jump i am keeping the kite really high, around 60deg if that makes sense. I ve got the feeling that at landing my kite is really low on the water, maybe 20 deg or something ... any advice ?

[4winds]

One more tip I don't think was mentioned.....don't send your kite from too low or you will go more horizontal than vertical. until you really get the hang of it, try slowly bringing your kite to about 10 or 11 o'clock before sending it hard. that will help get you vertical.

[adamT]

Maybe this was already covered(didn't read through everything very carefully...), but

"don't fear the front hand"...

By cranking the kite back into position with your front hand you will land and not sink..
If you try a grab try it with the back hand keeping your front hand on the bar near the middle so you don't over turn the kite.

[average_male]

looking back at this post, seems that the people back in 06' didn't feel that removing the board-leash was a very good secret, as it wasn't mentioned..

so another secret is, get good at body dragging up-wind to get your board cause you will not be jumping with a board leash...

Receive It! or put postage on it before you Send It.

[jbirdmarin]

Not a technical tip, but when I first learned, I thought there was something wrong in that if felt like being yanked "backwards" when launching. No one warned me about that, because when learning, most of the effort is trying to control foward movement. So rather than embrace the power of the kite, I figured it was wrong.

Anyway, once I embraced that mindset of being pulled backward out of the water (instead of "jumping" like you do off the back of waves), I got the hang of it.

Helmet or not, never jump with a board leash.

[vdeub]

don't send your kite from too low or you will go more horizontal than vertical

Is it true for the landing too ? what is the good angle/height i should park the kite when landing ?

[friggin old guy]

The kite, if you send it back, will be over your head or a little off to the side but still up over you when you lift off (unless you send the kite from too low, in which case you'll get yanked downwind in the air until you end up underneath it). So......don't worry too much about angle/height for the landing, just send it back forward to keep good tension on the lines as you come down, otherwise you kerplunk and then will feel ashamed. You'll be kerplunking for awhile anyway so just get used to it.

I disagree with Jono......just figure out which is your strong side, hunker down and send it from kind of high in the window as you're going along....it's not hard to do really. Getting control while you're in the air takes some time. Just be careful about yanking the bar too much when you're in the air or you could be hurtin'.

Everybody has a strong and weak side, and sometimes winds and currents just will end up favoring jumps on either port or starboard. I'm still stronger on port jumps but can get 'em both ways.

I windsurfed for about 20 years before starting to kite, and my favorite thing was always jumping....but jumping with a kite is WAY more fun, way more exciting and yet much much easier on your bod in general, unless you yank the bar and do an unscheduled kite loop in the middle of your 20 ft jump......in which case you will have the snot beat out of you and possible internal injuries.

The only thing I can say about it is WHEEEEEEEEEEE!