Skills

Here is a list of kitesurfing skills I have practised, in rough chronological order.
  • Kite figure 8s on the beach
  • Body dragging
  • Board on, lying on back, flying kite, keeping board in front
  • Water start with kite power dive
  • Up and going, regulate kite power, edge board, walk back up beach
  • Up and going, upwind, out and back to same spot
  • Body dragging upwind
  • Jumping off waves, keeping power on
  • Self rescue, wind in lines after reefing in one outside line, secure kite, float in
  • Upwind turns, keeping power in kite and body out of water
  • Heel turn jibe
  • Downwind tour
  • Self landing kite
  • Self launching kite
  • Jumping; edge board, send kite, bar down, land, fly kite down
  • Downloop turn; fly kite down to generate more power through turn
  • Carving and edging board around swell, heelside and toeside
  • Toeside riding
  • Carve turn from heelside to toeside
  • Kiteloop in lighter wind to generate more power, combining with a turn
  • Directional board riding, with footstraps
  • Kitesurfing in big surf; wave riding with "parked" kite
  • Unhooking on the beach (light wind) and re-hooking
  • Riding unhooked
Currently working on:
  • Riding toeside, right foot forward
  • Back roll
  • Directional jibe
  • Jump transition to turn
Future progressions:
  • Board grabs during jump
  • Duck tack
  • Kiteloop during jump
  • Rotation while jumping

3 comments:

Mark Bourne said...

Mate - from the above, you should be a natural on snow :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Peter. Kazan here.
What do you recommend to avoid going right being a natural as opposed to a goofy footer?
For some reason (and I think I need to simply hold my back foot - back!), when ever I try and water start to my right (goofy), my back foot (left foot) wants to switch and become my front foot (turning from goofy stance to natural stance, as that is my "natural" position). This means I end up with the kite powered over my left shoulder and almost behind my back!
At Cairns last week, I went to the cable ski park and tried to ride goofy foot, but it was virtually impossible. I always wanted to ride natural stance and was very relaxed and comfortable. As soon as I tried to start at the ski park on my goofy position, I lose it.
Any tips on this or ways to practice goofy foot?
Much appreciated.

Peter Campbell said...

Kazan,

It is really just practice. Its normal for one direction (goofy) to be much more difficult to learn than the direction where you have natural stance.

There are three options:

1. Keep practicing both directions - eventually you will get your "goofy stance" direction sorted.

2. Ride toe-side in what would be your "goofy stance" direction so that you maintain natural stance. However, riding toeside is a 2nd level skill so this is likely to be harder than it sounds.

3. Practice both stances on a skateboard - this will help you get the feel for turning and board control in your goofy stance.