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Wake-Style Tips for a Beginner

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GnarShredd
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Wake-Style Tips for a Beginner

Postby GnarShredd » Thu Dec 17, 2009 3:59 pm

After years of putting it off due to the expense I've finally taken the plunge in to learning how to kite. I haven't had a lot of water-time yet but I can ride a board consistantly and do basic powered turns, as well as ride slghtly upwind (at least stay in the same spot and not get dragged downwind).
I just want to make sure after I get the basics down that I'm learning the right techniques and everything for getting more in to wake-style as I progress. I have quite a bit of cable wakeboard experience (can do baisc line-loading tricks). Any tips are welcomed.

I just got myself a 12M Switchblade kite and as far as boards go, right now I have a Spleene Door59 kiteboard (pretty huge, at least for what I'm used to in wakeboards) and a couple of continuous rocker wakeboards (a 141 and a 144).

Thanks!
Last edited by GnarShredd on Fri Dec 18, 2009 12:10 am, edited 1 time in total.

Richie RIch
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Re: Tips for a Beginner

Postby Richie RIch » Thu Dec 17, 2009 5:32 pm

As far as going upwind goes, I discovered that the following really helped me progress.

You are often told to edge hard with your back foot and transfer some weight to it. No matter how hard I edged, I couldn't go upwind easily. Everything I read just told me to edge hard.

What I found is that there are 2 directions in which you want to apply pressure to the board. You do want to push the edge of the board into the water. However, what also made a big difference to me was that you also want to push the back of the board along the same plane as the water; surface; ie away from you.

The first downward pressure keeps the board in the water, (prevents it skimming out from under you), and helps to resist the pull of the kite, whilst the second pressure pivots the board so that the front of the board gets nudged upwind and the rear of the board downwind. Overall, the board gets pointed upwind.

It was such a small thing to do, but made all the difference to my upwind progress. Once I understood what I was trying to achieve, I was then able to lock into the kite and push hard with my rear foot/leg during really powered up sessions and edge very hard.

The downside to this is that you realise how much you can resist the kite with your rear leg and your legs really feel it after a good session!

I hope this helps with your upwind kiting - once you can go upwind easily with better technique and less effort, you get more time to try the new stuff you want to learn

Richie

vbnhatty
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Re: Wake-Style Tips for a Beginner

Postby vbnhatty » Fri Dec 18, 2009 4:46 pm

Get a wakestyle specific kiteboard it will go upwind better than you wakeboards. You want little less rocker. Riding boots will might help since you are already used to it.

Chooch
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Re: Wake-Style Tips for a Beginner

Postby Chooch » Fri Dec 18, 2009 6:54 pm

Check out k i t e s c o o p . com Its a community of wakestyle only riders that will be able to help you better.

.....You have a good wakestyle kite but the board won't work well for wakestyle. Here are some boards that are good for wakestyle:

LF Influince
LF Concept
Cabrinha Custom
SS Reflex
SS Response
SS Darkside

All the above boards have inserts to work with boots.

Dr_Rosen
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Re: Wake-Style Tips for a Beginner

Postby Dr_Rosen » Fri Dec 18, 2009 7:51 pm

Why is a SB or any SLE a good wakestyle kite? I mean yes it is slow turning, but it doesn't get the slacked lines after pop

Chooch
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Re: Wake-Style Tips for a Beginner

Postby Chooch » Fri Dec 18, 2009 10:01 pm

Its true that SLE kites are harder to slack than C kites. I was just saying that its a good kite to use for wakestyle compared to some other sle kites that tend to back stall when unhooked. SLE kites can get slacked lines though.

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Starsky
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Re: Wake-Style Tips for a Beginner

Postby Starsky » Sat Dec 19, 2009 4:39 am

Dre seems to do all right with a SB.

You need a different board.

GnarShredd
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Re: Wake-Style Tips for a Beginner

Postby GnarShredd » Wed Dec 23, 2009 4:54 pm

Yeah, a new deck is definitely my next purchase. Should have mentioned that earlier. The board I have I got as a gift from someone who picked it up really cheap so I'm using it unti I can afford something better.

I was thinking about picking up a new SS Reflex wakeboard this year anyway for the cable but if it will work well doubling as my kiteboard, that's perfect. Anyone see a problem with a beginner my size (200lbs) making a 141 work on a kite?

Beyond equipment, any general riding tips to get me moving in the right direction?

Chooch
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Re: Wake-Style Tips for a Beginner

Postby Chooch » Wed Dec 23, 2009 7:05 pm

GnarShredd wrote:Yeah, a new deck is definitely my next purchase. Should have mentioned that earlier. The board I have I got as a gift from someone who picked it up really cheap so I'm using it unti I can afford something better.

I was thinking about picking up a new SS Reflex wakeboard this year anyway for the cable but if it will work well doubling as my kiteboard, that's perfect. Anyone see a problem with a beginner my size (200lbs) making a 141 work on a kite?

Beyond equipment, any general riding tips to get me moving in the right direction?
The Reflex is a perfect board for you.....141 is about as small as you want to go for 200 lbs

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russky
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Re: Wake-Style Tips for a Beginner

Postby russky » Thu Dec 24, 2009 2:11 am

Once you get a good board: start learning load and pop on the hook, should take you only a few days considering your cable experience. Then start unhooking and doing raleys unhooked! :thumb:

PS. And tips on how to survive learning raleys on cable? :lol: Learned to jump on reverse cable, but too scared to try it in a regular park after a few nasty crashes.


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