How to Self Land Your Kite

[mark van haze]

We have all been there - you are just back from a session and want to land your kite but there is nobody around to help you. Watch our latest instructional on how to self land your kite.

http://youtu.be/EfmTXLZjkxk

[geopeck]

Are you sure you would prefer to run up to the kite while still hooked in? I would teach that you can reduce the kiters risk to zero by immediately unhooking.

I use the method of tugging the upper power line after setting one wingtip on the beach. If you use this method as well you have probably noticed that it sometimes fails dramatically, so I've been simply unhooking and holding the lines at the Y before giving the tug. It cocks the kite into maximum depower and closer to falling LE to the beach.

Bonus if you can make the upper line link to your mini-5th system, then a failed self-landing will clamp down with minimum flopping.

[nicor]

I would only do this technique if I had a high Y kite, like in the video (north Vegas). IMO its a bit too dangerous because the kite isn't truly flagged and can power up again if you don't reach it while your running to the kite (especially in windy/gusty conditions).

This is how I do it. Check out 3:30 of the Video. With a four line kite put the kite in the same position as in the video, but pull in the TOP FRONT LINE. Kite fall leading edge down, and is secure because you have flagged it on a front line. Do not put bar down and run to kite, but rather walk up front line (continue to pull on the front line in order to ensure it remains flagged).

One major reason why I own low Y kites, because I have to self launch and land like 80% of the time!

http://vimeo.com/93699424

[TommyDuotone]

Agree with Nicor. I also prefer/use bars without the high-y just for self landing purposes. I also depower the kite by pulling in the trim line first before landing. However, never see that mentioned in any of the "self-land" instructional vids I've seen. Always thought that was an important first step. No?

[Westozzy]

Love to see this technique done on a real windy day!!

[bnthere]

wow.

(imo) a good example of a big problem with kiteboarding. a really nice video giving a bunch of inexperienced people a bad idea about how to handle kites.

a disclaimer that this is considered a "trick" would be good, as well as some consideration for what can go wrong and how to prepare yourself to deal with it.


just flag it out onto a legit leash system (single centerline preferably) (like responsible people teach new kiters to do in INTRO lessons) not a single student that has been through our school has any doubt about how to land their own kite (without blowing it) its not something for advanced riders, it is the most important part of basic kite handling. more important that knowing how to launch (assisted or solo).

and ya agreed that if your gonna land it a "tricky way" (which is cool) then the top centerline is a way better choice to dump the LE into the wind. this is a video involving gear with a Y style centerline, which is why they are showing what is possible using the steering lines (because the centerlines are impossible to access). crashing and turning it like this doesn't work anywhere near as well as pulling the LE into the wind and dropping the kite lightly with the high centerline like you would do on a V style centerline system.

[edt]

yet another way of landing your kite in light wind

[Johnny Rotten]

This is a risky and overly complicated way to land any kite.

On a 4 line bar grab a boat load of the upper line

5 line (like this one) just release to safety at the edge of the window and grab a handful of 5th line it'll land nose into the wind about 99% of the time. The other 1% it's just flagged on the 5th. and you can walk up the 5th.

I can't see any reason why you'd ever need to land like this. maybe a high Y 4 line kite.

[ronnie]

Another way to self land. It basically comes down to making sure the single front line flag out is the upper front line, fly the kite toward the beach at medium speed, and pop your quick release when the kite is a kite width above the beach.
You should be left with is a kite parked on the beach which is attached to you by the flag out line.

http://www.kiteforum.tv/index.php?optio ... &Itemid=30

[plummet]

Seems an unusual method.