Upwind technique

[matth]

Position in the Window - We can control where the kite is located in the window by controlling how much we sheet the kite in/out, and we can also control how much resistance the board has! If we are trying to go upwind, we want to fight the kite as little as possible, therefore we want the kite as far forward in the window as possible for the wind conditions. If you think about the physics of it, a kite in the middle of the window (straight downwind of you) pulls you the hardest downwind. A kite at the edge of the window (almost ahead of you) pulls you less downwind. In order to move the kite forward in the window, we want to do two things: sheet the kite bar in, and put pressure on our back foot, adding more drag/resistance to the board. So as you edge upwind, stomp on the back of the board and pull the bar in and this will help you angle upwind better. Remember, in lighter winds, you can stomp as hard or sheet in as much as the kite won't have enough power at the forward edge of the window!


The above paragraph I copied from my local forum. The author talks about the importance for the kite to be as forward as possible in the wind window to make going upwind easier , which I completly agree with. But then advises to sheet the bar in to accomplish this, which seems like a contradiction to me. In light wind yes that may make sense because the kite does not have enough power at the edge , so you need to pull it into the power zone more. In powered up conditions my focus with the kite is to fly off the front lines as much as possible keeping the kite moving more forward into the wind , which makes going upwind a breeze.

[edt]

. But then advises to sheet the bar in to accomplish this, which seems like a contradiction to me

exactly. everyone knows to go upwind letting the bar out a little bit helps the kite move up to the edge of the window so it pulls you upwind better. That paragraph sounds sort of like it's from 2002 or something, when the 4 line kites had just been invented. With one of those kites one way to force it out of deep in the power zone up higher in the wind window is to stomp with your back foot and pull the bar in, the kite will jump forward, the same way that you get massive pop on some of these c style kites. Modern kites that won't do anything except pull you downwind, you want to let the bar out a little bit, let the kite breath. So yeah, it's just like you think matth.

[knotwindy]

Seems like to go upwind you need the kite at the edge of the window with POWER so the bar goes wherever it needs to get the power right.
same thing, different words.