Hold an edge

[Mr Jo Macdonald]

Hi Mabu,
If things start looking rough, I unhook, the kite will be fully powered up but I can let it go to the leash if it looks like I'm in for a bad fall, or hook back in again if things are ok.
Obviously you can't do this if you're using a shackle.
Jo

[Mabu]

wauw Jo, if I would do that I'd have to drop the kite way too many times in these gusty conditions over here. if you put the kite above your head you don't have to do anything but wait untill the wind settles a bit and continue kiting. besides I don't like to drop the kite & swim close to the lines (although I do always carry a knife).

[BLOWN AWAY]

I have another idea in regards to something like a windsurfer in your way.... why go around him when you can boost OVER him...

I've definately experienced the sideways wipeout thing when windsurfing. It's usually when you land a jump wrong... however with kitesurfing the fins don't play as bigger role and I've never spun out in the same manner.

BLOWN AWAY

[Hernan]

In really overpowered situations I try to fly the kite not too low but forward.
Keeping the kite low is very good to go upwind in powered conditions but a little scary when overpowered.
Kite at 50 degrees at the edge, put all your weight at the kite and keep speed under control.
When you ride overpowered the fun side is jumping, so keep the kite high at the edge is a good starting point for jumping too.
If you lost your edge is easier to stop riding towards the kite with the kite high that low.

[BLOWN AWAY]

Speed control is the ultimate in handling overpowered conditions...

kite is forward, apparant wind effect minimial.... with the kite high in the window your in prime jumping setup.

Having a slow board also helps..... and a fast kite....

BLOWN AWAY

[murdoc]

IMHO that depends on the kitesize, too.
an overpowered 16m kite's a problem when whiping out with the kite 2m above the water.
a 10m kite's too, but in another way.

i mostly hold the 16m about 50-60 degrees and fire it up when i'm near to loosing my edge.
then i float it out, land softly and carefully and keep on riding or come to a full stop because i messed up the landing.

with a 16m no problem if you have a lot of space downwind cause in these conditions you fly long and far, but not too high.

a 10m kite in the same conditions would boost you so high ... you'll need balls the size of coconuts to perform a halfway outta control-rescue bigair

[Guest]

Being relatively new to the sport, I have had (to be honest, still have sometimes) problems with overpowered situation, including violent/washing machine style wipeouts. The funny thing is you don't realy need to be that much overpowered windwise with regards to you kite size - it was happening to me also in quite barable wind conditions: my board was just going faster and faster, me overtaking the kite which was pushed more and more into the powerzone, .... )

First of all, the normal beginner-type of reaction was to bring the kite to the zenith - it helped (but not always!) to avoid wipeout, but at the HUGE price of 30 or even more precious height meters.

"I must be doing something wrong", so I asked experienced guys on kiteforum.com. "Keep the kite low and edge hard" was the answer. With all the respect guys, this solution NEVER helped me to avoid the wipeout - the kite just did not want to go furher in the window and I was loosing the edge to beeing thrown board-sideways as well. (Don't get me wrong: I still belive you guys this helps, but it just did not help me).

Lately, I am using the following technique: when I feel the "wipeout ending story begins", I sloooooowwwwllllyyy bring the kite towards the zenith, but not completly: I usually stop it at around eleven/one'o clock so it still keeps me going forward. While in the proces of bringing the kite above me it naturally wants to lift me up... BUT, for me this is a perfect oportunity to lean extremly backwards and dig my edges into the water - usually this will blast me upwind (take the word "blast" relatively to my greenhorness and very quicky kill my speed - sometimes so quickly I would need to dive the kite again and relase on my edge a little bit not to fall backwards.

For all the beginners out there: try this as well, since I am wipeing out now less frequently than I used to while keeping the kite low.

(As somebody on this forum already suggested, I ride quite a big board too (184cm) - I am in a process of buying a sgorter one and I will post my experience in wipeingout with shorter board).

Damjan

[Mr Jo Macdonald]

Re: "you don't realy need to be that much overpowered windwise with regards to you kite size"
Too true because when you're nicely powered up if you blast off downwind you build up so much apparent wind you'll have twice as much in your kite as when you started and be getting dragged downwind massivly overpowered.

I saw a mate of mine doing this last night, he was diving the kite down into the power zone and blasting downwind.

Diving the kite down fast is fine if you're underpoweed but if you're powered up it puts the kite in the middle of the power zone, gives you a hell of a lot of immediate power and speed downwind and starts the funride.
When you're powered up just nudge the kite down into the window and follow it. Don't sine it unless you have to.
If you can't start and need more power just adjust the power stroke next try.
Watch more experienced riders when powered up they just nudge the kite down into the window, sometimes it never even gets below 50° then they fly the kite straight, and they start slow.
You're right about the big board too. A big board ain't fun in powered up conditions.

[jpont2000]

Hi,

I think I found another solution this weekend. Wind was abount 20kn and I was sailing a 16 toro. I found that the edging technique is very efficient but you tend to find yourself too far upwind. So I just did a quick turn in the opposite direction heading straight downwind and keeping my kite in the opposite wind edge. This way I was actually going toeside downwind. With the apparent wind practically null I was fully in control.

Ok this would probably not work in 35kn with a 12sqm kite. But I found that goind downwind is often a problem when the wind picks up too strong.

djo

[Guest]

"I think I found another solution this weekend. Wind was abount 20kn and I was sailing a 16 toro. I found that the edging technique is very efficient but you tend to find yourself too far upwind."

Dude, the only reason you'd find yourself to far upwind is if you wern't boosting enough big airs to take you back down wind!!!

Remember boosting big is the best way for downwind travel on a kite!