Learn to Kite

KITES METHOD BOOK 4

LEARN TO KITE

by John J. Holzhall Photo: Mike Minichiello

Chapter 1

Warm Up

In this chapter, riders should learn the basic Physics behind Kite Power in Section 1. Then in Section 2, riders should learn wind clock, wind direction, entries, exits, ride area, kite power, parking, edging and tacking. Riders should repeat the KITEs Method Warm Up at least 5 times.

Section 1

It’s not About the Kite!

Q. So why isn’t it about the Kite?

A. Because riders won’t get hurt by the kite, but a kite attached to full length lines has killed more than a few people.

Q. Why should new riders attach the bar directly to the kite?

A. Great Kiteboarders Park their kites and Edge, new riders must learn how to Park their kites before using mid length and long lines.

Q. Why don’t more schools use the Kites Method?

A. Old Dogs don’t do new tricks

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How to Use this Book

The Method is as easy as 1-2-3

If you are new to kite boarding and or water, check the Glossary sections on Bar, Lines, Rigging and Exiting before trying these exercises. In reality riders must become great Watermen in order to become great kiters. Traditionally we tried to

1. KITEs Warm Up 2. Upwind Board Drag 3. Method Adjustable Line Lengths

explain Wind and Water at the beginning of the Method Books, but Wind and Water are the two most powerful forces on Earth, so the Glossaries became huge. In reality, much about Wind and Water can and should be learned while

1.KITEs Warm Up

doing the KITEs Warm Up and the Upwind Board Drag on 5 meter lines.

Glossaries start on page 85. Kiteboarding is a Pass/Fail sport in which we ride wind and water, the two most powerful forces on Earth. In this sport there are no Referees, no Whistles and no Tap Outs. Riders need technique and experience to enjoy kiteboarding. The Method Warm Up and Upwind Board Drag will help riders gain technique and experience needed in a fun safe way.

Use the Method Gear to do the KITEs Warm Up. Learn the wing as well as wind direction, wind strength, launches and exits in a fun safe way! Good Kiters ‘Park’ their kites and ‘Edge’. Bad Kiters oversteer their kites! KITEs Method and Gear help new riders learn how to “Park” and “Edge” This is what every good kiteboarder does!

I have spent years designing, testing and developing the correct gear for kiteboarding. We have taken much of the difficulty and danger out of the sport.

By using Method Gear and Techniques, kiteboarding can be as simple as 1-2-3. {If you don’t have Method Gear, this book explains how you can pimp your gear.} To purchase Method Gear or train with the author visit us at the

Methodlodge.com

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Mistakes will happen, they can be a valuable part of the process on these

Certainly, we will go over these concepts more in the following chapters,

line lengths as we attach the bar directly to the kite {bar-kite}.

but some people only read a few pages so here it is, when new riders learn

Again, riders need to either “pimp their gear” or purchase the KITEs

to Park their Kites and Edge, they will unlock all the Secrets of Kiteboarding.

Pictured below, the rider is parking the kite and edging the board. Notice the

Multiple Line Lengths to have this option of attaching the bar directly

riders around her, they are also doing the same, the only difference is she is

to the kite {bar - kite}.

laying on her board and the other riders are standing on their boards.

2. KITEs Upwind Board Drag (UBD) Done correctly, the Upwind Board Drag (UBD) will help riders travel upwind immediately! In addition, it will help unlock the secrets to expert kite handling. Use the Method ALL Bar. Start with the kite connected directly to the bar, once comfortable, add 5 meter lines and repeat the process. Learn

Interactive 1.1 Park and Edge

to Park the Kite and Edge the board across the direction of the wind!

Up Wind

The direction from which the wind is coming.

Cross Wind

Back and forth across the wind.

Down Wind

Away from the direction of where the wind is coming.

Wind directions

Parking

Edging 4

3. Method ALL Bar As riders progress, lines can be attached together to form lengths of 5m, Longer lines pull harder for a longer time. Attach the bar directly to the kite bridles

10m, 15m, 20m and 25 meters. These are the only line lengths riders will

when teaching or learning the UBD, Self Launches and Self Exits. Riders will

ever need. Without Adjustable Line Lengths, kiteboarding will be a very

learn more, be safer and learn faster! To purchase the KITEs A.L.L. visit us

difficult and dangerous sport to learn. Again beware, most instructors don’t

at http://methodlodge.com/kite/equipment.

yet understand the physics behind “kite power”. Email us to become Method Certified or a KITEs Method Coach. If you would like to train with the author of this book at the Method Lodge, Kite Beach, Dominican Republic contact us at methodlodge@gmail.com If you would like to cut your lines to make Multiple Line Lengths

Gallery 1.1 Bar to Kite

Attach the Bar Directly to the Kite when learning

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Most Kite Brands produce 25 meter lines...that’s it so riders either buy KITEs

Method Universal Knot Gallery

Method Lines from us at the or we can help you cut your lines or “pimp your bar”.

Cutting Lines: {Gallery on the next page} Method Universal Knot. This is the knot you want to make at the end of every line. To do this...

Step #1.Remove lines from bar Step #2 Hook lines on a nail Step #3 Cut to desired length

Loop and Knot: Step #4 Stick the end of the line between thumb and fore finger...then wrap the line over the fingers to the first line between your wrist and hand.

Step#5 Tie an over hand knot Step #6 Tie a figure 8 knot at the end of the loop Step #7 Repeat the process on the other lines

Make sure your lines are the same length.

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Review 1.1 Kite Power

Review 1.2 Learning to kite

The biggest thing you can do to adjust Kite Power is?

A. Decrease Line Length.

B. Decrease Kite Size.

The KITEs Warm Up is used for:

A. Teaching Entry Level riders.

B. Checking out new Launches.

C. Decrease bar Length.

C. Learning about the Kite, Wind and Water.

D. Adjust Bridle Fittings.

D. All of the above.

Check Answer

Check Answer

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Review 1.3 Training

Review 1.4 Gear

To train with the Author, John J. Holzhall on Kite Beach, Cabarete, Dominican Republic

A. Look for him on Maui B. Google search kiteboarding C. email methodlodge@gmail.com D. ask your local kite shop

Check Answer

To “pimp” your gear

A. ask your local Rep. B. search online C. contact us at methodlodge@gmail.com D. ask a surfer

Check Answer

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Section 2

KITEs Method Warm Up

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Steering {bar-kite} Riders need to understand that their harness is the main Hand. The harness holds all the load and the rider’s hands simply steer and trim the kite. There are three types of steering in the KITEs Method, they

Gallery 1.2 The Harness is the main Hand

are: Core Steering; Using only the harness and body angle to steer the kite.

Positive Steering; Pushing the bar with one hand to steer the kite.

Negative Steering; Pulling with one hand to steer the kite.

In kiteboarding, steering is extremely sensitive. In essence, we use positive grip pressure, no grip pressure or negative grip pressure to steer kites. For the remainder of the book, we will go over how and when to use these steering techniques.

Core Steering is like starting at zero. It’s the only way entry level riders can truly quantify hand pressure as it relates to steering. Entry level riders shouldn’t grab the bar to steer the kite. They should let go of the bar, square up to the kite and then add slight hand pressure before letting go again. When steering is approached this way, riders can begin to quantify how a small push or pull on the bar will effect the path of the kite. The biggest surprise in kiteboarding is how little

The Harness is the Riders Main Hand...DON’T FORGET IT!

pressure is required to steer the kite.

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Gallery 1.3 Steering Exercises

The Warm Up should be done at the beginning of every session. It’s easy to do, fun, and incredibly informative.

Most “kite mares” happen on launches or exits because unsure riders launched kites on full length lines prior to finding out about wind strength, direction and launch areas. By using the KITEs Warm Up, riders give their mind and muscles a chance to sync with what the wind, water and wing have to offer.

Counter Balance the Power in the Kite with the Body Wieght

The goal of this exercise is to become comfortable with the positions on the wind clock, as well as the wind strength, direction, launches and exits. Mistakes are going to happen; they are part of the process. This exercise allows riders to begin to discover and unlock the Secrets of Kiteboarding in a fun, safe way. The KITEs Warm Up works with almost every kind of kite and on every kind of surface. In fact, there is no safer way to try new sports like snow kiting or kite boating.

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In kiteboarding, we counterbalance the force in the kite with the harness and our body weight. We steer by adjusting the angle of our body first, and then we use our hands to additional influence steering. The true discipline in kiteboarding is to simply park the kite at a particular heading and then counter balance it’s power with the body (core).

Interactive 1.2 Steering

Trimming

Pull left

Riders need to learn what effect pulling in, left and right has on the bar now...don’t try to learn on full length lines. Pull left now and see how fast the kite moves to the left. Trim or Pull in on the bar and feel the kite open up to more wind. Notice in the picture above, the rider pulls left to make the kite go left as she pulls the bar in slightly to add power.

Clock Positions Riders locate the times on the clock by putting their backs to the wind and placing arms outstretched. In this position, they will be pointing cross wind or at the sides of the wind window (3&9). There are seven positions on the wind clock. They are contained in two power zones (which mirror each other) and an apex position. There are three headings in each power zone. (again, they mirror each other) The apex separates the power zones and there is a “back door” from one power zone to the other accessed via the advanced “power loop” or “kite Gallery 1.4 Wind Direction and Clock loop”.

The 3 & 9 o’clock headings offer riders more pulling than lifting power.

In the KITEs Method, these are the often the default positions, 3 & 9 are where riders learn how to square up to the kite’s Center of Energy and walk their kites on the water.

Up Wind

The direction from which the wind is coming.

Cross Wind

Back and forth across the wind.

Down Wind

Away from the direction of where the wind is coming.

Wind directions

Wind Directions

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Above or higher than 3 & 9 are the power hours of 2 & 10. This is where advanced riders park their kites when cruising. 2 and 10 are about 30 to 60 degrees off the water. The overwhelming majority of riding happens at 2 and 10. 1 & 11 are the high sides of the power zones. They create more lift tan pull. 12 o’clock is the apex of the wind window. The industry calls 12 o’clock the “neutral position”. 12 o’clock became known as neutral position because the kite has the most vertical pull at this position and riders have the most leverage when being pulled straight up as opposed to left or right.

Gallery 1.5 Positions on the Wind Clock

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For accuracy and to avoid confusion call 12 o’clock the apex or zenith.

The faster a kite moves, the more power it will have. Remember that the discipline in kiting is to Park the kite.

It is not good enough to simply understand the wind clock. Knowledge of the different positions has to become second nature, so go over the clock again.

1

2

10

11

In the KITEs Method we call it the apex because 12 o’clock is located at the apex and we also identify a steering technique as “Neutral or Core Steering”. This is done by hooking into the harness and steering the kite with the angle of the body first, then input from the hands. We’ll go over this steering technique in detail later in the book.

9

3 LIFT

9 and 3 o'clock position More PULL than LIFT PULL

Pull vs. Lift 9 and 3 o'clock

The sides of the Wind Window

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Kiters Park their Kites and Edge across the direction of the wind! We Park the Kite at 2or10 and we edge the board slightly upwind of the perpendicular line which goes through 9 and 3 in the image below. This is called your ‘tack line’ or

Kiting is actually very simple when riders understand that all we do is get pulled across the direction of the wind. Kiters simply set an edge against the power in their kites...that’s it, so come on, let’s make ‘Parking and!

Edging’ second nature!

‘Upwind Tack’. This is the direction we want to travel. This is the direction we want to learn. This is the direction which we have to make intuative! It usually takes new riders time before they can pick up or find the appropriate tack, rest assured every good ride finds it quickly!

Gallery 1.7 Park and Edge

Gallery 1.6 Direction of travel

Up Wind

The direction from which the wind is coming.

Cross Wind

Back and forth across the wind.

Down Wind

Away from the direction of where the wind is coming.

Wind directio

Notice the kite is Parked in the Power hour and the Rider is steering with one hand

Kiters Park their Kites and Edge their boards Cross Wind

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The Harness Bar is your First Hand

Counter Balance

We start every kite lesson with hands off the Kite Bar. The harness holds the ‘load’ in Kiteboarding and Snow Kiting. It is a concept that every great kiter knows, yet is lost in the kiting industry. This is one of the most important concepts and in fact most ‘kitemares’ happen because riders did not let go of the bar! All kiters really do is square their body weight against the center of the kite’s pull. It is simple, use your body to counter balance the kite’s pull. The hands are used for steering only.

Kites pull vertically, horizontally or a combination of both. The Faster they move, the more they pull. Your Job is to Park the Kite at 3 and 9, then let go, relax and breath. These headings (3 and 9) offer the most horizontal pull. As kites move up from these positions, they will pull more vertically. Slight movements mean a lot! We will start the Warm Up at 3 or 9 with the kite touching the sand or snow. Kiting is simple when Riders understand that all they need to do is square their Center of Gravity up to the kite’s Center of Energy. We use the hands for light steering input...that’s it. Notice in the photo below, the rider is Parking the Kite at 9 or the side of the Window. Her hands are not on the Bar! This can be done with little or no instruction. Have fun and learn how to find the “Center of Energy” in the Kite and Counter Balance it with your body weight. Notice in the gallery below that the rider begins out of balance with the kite before finding the sweet balance spot.

I tell riders to let go of the bar at least 100 times in a 3-day course, REACHING GRABBING and PULLING is very INTUITIVE and is a habit which absolutely must be broken to enjoy safe kiting! So the first thing we learn to do is start with the Hands off the Bar.

Gallery 1.8 Counter Balance the Kite

This is a very simple concept but again, very non-intuitive. This is why we spend most of the first lesson with the kite at the sides of the wind window and hands off the bar like pictured above. The rider then has a chance to Square up as one weight and Counter Balance the power in the kite.

Let go of the bar and counter balance the power with body weight

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Steering {bar-kite}

Take time to quantify the movements now, don’t rush past this point of the

Pull Left and the kite will go Left, Pull Right and the kite will go Right. Use one hand and try to ‘Park’ the Kite in the Power Hour (10 or 2). Notice in the gallery to the right, Sierra is pulling with the left hand to make the kite go from 3 to 2.

Notice that the ‘Black Side’ of the bar points towards the kite as she pulls the Red side of the bar. Most riders pull in way to much, this will cause the kite to

flying must be intuitive. Same for the board. So get good at steering now

stall and fall backwards. If the kite falls backwards it is because the rider pulled

Gallery 1.9 The Harness is the Main Hand

Method because later, during the Waterstart and Riding levels, the kite and quantify what each steering action means. Notice the rider do a simple transition from one side of the wind window to the other.

in too much.

Pull the Bar in and to the Left to turn the Kite

Pull Left

Point Right Bar

I tell riders to let go of the bar and use their body weight and angle at least a hundred times in a three day course

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Kite Pull

The headings of 1 and 11 provide more lift than pull. In addition, wind is a bit better up high, which is important to note when attempting to fly to

Again, kites pull vertically, horizontally or a combination of both. The Faster

better wind.

they move, the more they pull. In the 1st Lesson, your job is to Park the Kite at 3 and 9. These headings offer the most horizontal pull. As kites move up from these positions, they will pull more vertically. Slight movements mean a lot! we will start the Warm Up at 3 or 9, with hands off the Kite Bar.

Gallery 1.10 Positions on the Wind Clock

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1 2

10

11

9

3 LIFT

9 and 3 o'clock position More PULL than LIFT

Kiters spend the majority of ride time in the power hours of 2 or 10 o’clock.

PULL

The discipline in kiteboarding is to park the kite in the power hour while edging against it. The kite’s reaction to slight bar pressure is so sensitive, it

Pull vs. Lift

can not be put into words. With that said, it is easy to Park a Kite at 3 or 9, simply let go of the bar and Counter Balance the kite.

9 and 3 o'clock

9 and 3 offer more pull than lift

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The 12 o’clock heading has the most vertical pull. Vertical pull is much easier to counter balance than horizontal pull. That is, being pulled straight up is easier to deal with than being pulled to either side. Thus, the apex is where we park the kite when adjusting, organizing or just taking a break.

Riders need to know that the path towards the apex will create lift. Every

Gallery 1.11 Kite Control

jump starts near the power hour and peaks out near the apex.

When a kite settles at the apex, it will be easier to counterbalance. As a kite moves quickly through the apex, it will generate considerable POP. New

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12

1 2

10

riders need to know that what goes up will come down, down wind that is.

3

Good kiters generally ‘mistake upward’. If the kite is in the air the rider is in

9

Most good kiters fly their kites between the power hours and the apex. business.

LIFT

12 o'clock position Overhead neutral position.

PULL

Pull vs. Lift 12 o'clock

Learn to Park the kite at 2-10 and the apex

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Launching {bar-kite} One of the scariest things in kiteboarding is launching new riders in wind on full length lines. Basically everyone on the beach holds their collective breath. It doesn’t have to be like this as long as new riders take time to learn about their kite, how it powers and depowers without using kite lines. The length of the kite lines is what makes kiteboarding so dangerous. Once you take off the lines, it is very difficult to get in trouble. There are a number of ways to launch a kite: 1. Self Launch (Cross Wind)

2. Assisted Launch - Have a more advanced kiter launch your kite 3. Self Launch (Leading Edge Down) - Let the wind fill the kite as it lays face down. Move until the kite turns on it’s side and moves to the side of the wind window.

- Squared your body to the kite.

- The Goal is to Counter Balance your core to the power in the kite. DO NOT PUT YOUR HANDS ON THE BAR! Move your body to find ‘Square’, then bring the kite up.

Gallery 1.12 Self Launch Gallery 1.13 Self Launch Leading Edge Down

The rider is directly upwind of the kite and there is wind in the kite, 1. Self Launch - Set the kite on it’s side, use sand to weight the wing, counter balance, then step back

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Square Up

Counter Balance and Steer

As you square up to the kite, the wind will fill the kite and a Center of Energy (C of E ) will form. Once this happens, kneel down and square the body (core) with the kite’s C of E. In the picture below, the rider is not yet Squared to the Power in the kite. She will move a bit to the left to be Squared to the Kite.

Watch to make sure that the body is squared to the kite. It takes a sharp eye to notice that shoulders, hips and knees all need to be squared to the force in the kite. Look at the rider in the picture below, she is squared up, counter balancing as well as steering the kite from 9 to 10 and up. Take time to quantify the steering movements now. When riders pull left, the kite will go left, but how fast? This depends on how hard and much the riders pull. Test yourself, can you park the kite in the power hours for 10 seconds, what i’m asking is can riders park the kite at 2 for 10 seconds? this is the test?

Gallery 1.14 1st Square up to the Power Interactive 1.3 Square up and Steer

Steering

Once Squared Up look for the natural motion of the kite

counter balance

The more riders relax and breathe, the easier it will be for them to square up to the kite’s C of E. It is important to release all of the body’s tension now.

Riders should feel if they are out of balance with the kite. When square, riders will feel the balance.

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Turning the Kite Start by holding the kite at the 3 o’clock heading. Then square up to the 2 o’clock heading by first looking at it, then square the shoulders, hips and knees to the heading. The kite will follow. Continue through the apex then hold the kite at the 9 o’clock position.

Again, lead with the head, then the body and the kite will follow. With that said, I’ve never seen anyone do this exercise correctly the first time. I have always had to physically square their hips and legs to the target heading.

Once riders realize that its ok to follow the pull, the exercise becomes fun and easy.

At first, movements may feel similar to those of the tin man after only a few drops of oil. The goal is for this pattern to become intuitive. Once comfortable, stand up and repeat this process while moving across the direction of the wind on the beach and then in the water.

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Transitioning and Tacking

Apparent Wind

As riders steer the kite from one side of the wind window to the other, they are Transitioning with the kite. The rider’s direction of travel is his ‘tack’ .

Riders should notice that as they move towards the kite, the kite will lose power,

This is the time riders need to learn how to walk across the direction of the wind {tack}, transition and return without crashing the kite. As riders move, they increase the apparent wind flowing over the kite. The more aggressively riders move across the direction of the wind while the kite is parked, the better the kite will fly (Dynamic Stability). This is constant theme throughout kiting. Again, the skill set is to park the kite in the power hour, move across the direction of the wind for 20 seconds with out crashing the kite, transition and return. Do at least 5 repetitions of this exercise.

the flow of wind through the kite. This is called ‘apparent wind’. As riders move,

Train the muscles now. This is a really fun exercise, and it takes you upwind!

If riders are not traveling upwind, they are getting blown down wind.

as riders move into the wind, the kite will load up because the rider is increasing they increase apparent wind. The more aggressively riders move across the direction of the wind while the kite is parked, the better the kite will fly (Dynamic Stability). This is constant theme throughout kiting. Train the muscles now. This is a really fun exercise, and it takes you upwind! If riders are not traveling upwind, they are getting blown down wind.

Once you are comfortable, get more aggressive. The faster riders move, the more power the kite will have (dynamic stability). Riders can get a good idea of how high they can pinch upwind, as well as what happens when they move off the direction of the wind. This is a great way to quantify the effects of different movements, as well as the effects of edging against the kite and releasing towards it. When this exercise is done correctly, the kite will start to train the

Up Wind

The direction from which the wind is coming.

Cross Wind

Back and forth across the wind.

Down Wind

Away from the direction of where the wind is coming.

Wind directions

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Edging

Water Time

Its time to use the kite like a kiteboarder. To do this, riders should self

It’s time to hit the water with the kite. Leave all body tension behind. Hit the water running then dive into the Superman position (arms extended forward legs extended back). Once in the water, kick. The feet should be working, not stuck on the bottom! It is ok to lay the kite on the side of the wind window, don’t be so concerned with flying the kite on this length line. Be more concerned that you can get pulled out, transition and get pulled back in.

Riders should only go out as far as they care to swim back.

launch, bring the kite to the power hour, while jogging {edging} across the direction of the wind, transition and return. Direct the kite, then follow its pull. Riders should be able to Park their Kites as they Edge up on the beach with out the kite touching the sand. Remember that the kite flying has to become intuitive. Mistakes on this length line {bar-kite} won’t hurt you, in fact riders can learn a lot from mistakes at this level.

Gallery 1.15 Tacking across the wind

Notice that the rider is looking at where she plans to travel as she is launching the kite

This is a good chance to learn about the shore break...if you get hammered by the shore break, it is not a good place to learn. Find out now on short lines.

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De-powering {bar-kite}

Again, this is an exercise designed for this length lines {bar-kite}, once riders add lines they should review the Self Exit Glossary. This exercise helps riders get more familiar with their kite. To de-power simply grab the

Pictured below, the rider simply reaches up above the trim Strap and pulls

trim strap and pull it in, then reach up and grab the bridle and pull on it.

the Kite’s leading edge down. If you have “pimped” your gear using

Riders should then get hold of the leading edge of the kite as quickly as

Method gear can do this. Again using long lines makes things much more

possible. Once riders have the leading edge of the kite, they have control.

difficult. Riders need to practice exactly how, when and where they will finish. We go over the “kite part” of the Self Exit on the next pages and the “bar part” in detail in the Glossary section, but riders are so close to the kite now that they should learn how to handle the kite now.

In the gallery to the right, the rider got to the kite’s leading edge quickly and directed it down to the sand to completely de-power it. The better understanding a rider has of his gear, the safer the sport will be. Unfortunately most riders can not handle their kites on their own. Don’t be one of those riders!

Gallery 1.16 Solo Depower

Notice the rider reach up, grab the power strap to kill the kite

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Self Exit {bar-kite}

Again, to get the kite into Self Rescue position while in the water, 1. Turn the kite upside down 2. Put the elbow on the Leading Edge 3. Grab the Bridle 4. Work down the leading edge until you reach the end of the kite.

5. Steer the kite back to the beach by holding the bridle lines.

The self-rescue is a common end to many sessions. Once we add lines to the bar, the degree of difficulty increases, so learn how to manipulate the kite now.

In order to self-rescue: 1. Put an elbow on top of center of the kite’s leading edge.

2. Keeping the elbow on top of the kite, grab the bridle line of one wing tip and work towards the other wing tip.

3. With bridle lines in hand, look towards the shore, direct the kite in, relax and follow the pull.

Riders should not wait until they are in a pressure situation to learn this technique, simple grab your kite and learn how to get from the leading edge to the bridles.

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KITEs Warm Up Review {bar-kite} Riders should launch, tack across wind, enter the water, get pulled, transition and return to the beach with the kite flying. {5 x repetition}

Don’t worry at all about flying the kite, let it ‘Walk on the Water’ {pictured below}. Concentrate on kicking, most importantly, relax. The goal of this exercise is to get pulled out across the direction of the wind. The biggest mistake in kiteboarding is oversteering...good kiter’s park their kites and edge with very little input on the bar. When in doubt, let go of the bar.

Once moving it will be much easier to bring the kite up. If you can not bring the kite up and over, reach up and grab the control line, pull it to bring the kite back to the land side power hour. As the rider moves, the kite will want to fly...bring it up and fly back into shore, then try to go back out.

Hit the water running and feel free to let go of the bar as you lay down in the water. Remember that your Main Hand (Harness) has the bar and the load of the kite. It is the rider’s job to lay down like Superman and except the kite’s pull.

In the classes that I give, only 1 in 100 students lay down, relax and except the kite’s pull. Every good kiter does, but it is very non-intuitive to allow something to pull. Once past the shore break lay down, let go of the bar and get pulled!

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Again, once out, transition and return to the shore. Remember that we did

Kiters get upwind because they Edge against a powered kite. Not going to

dozens of transitions on the beach so focus and execute. When

happen at this point because we don’t have the board or “edge”, so exit the

transitioning, remember to lead with the head and follow with the shoulders

water with the kite in the air, park and edge {walk} upwind back to your

and hips. Riders should kick to propel themselves towards where they want

starting point. Repeat this exercise 5 times!

to go. This is the test. If riders cannot transition and return, there is a problem. Generally the problem is that riders are over steering the kite back to the waterside power zone. DON’T...it is ok to let the kite sit on the beach side of the wind window. Don’t worry about flying the kite, let it sit on the side of the wind window and focus on squaring up to the power in the kite.

As soon as riders can return, they have successfully completed the pattern all riders run. This is, riders go out, transition and return.

This simple exercise is in many ways is the base of all kiteboarding. Riders should take time now to become comfortable with their wing. This is the best time to practice parking and edging, if this does not work out, grab the bridle lines and work your way up to the leading edge, swim in with the kite.

This is the time and the way to learn about entry and exit areas also, mistakes will happen, no problem on this line length, but on full length lines, the same mistake may be painful. Practice getting pulled out, transition and get pulled back in. Park the kite on the water at 3 and 9. It should be obvious that places with big shore break or near shore waves are not suitable for this exercise.

A lot has to be learned to become a kiter. As riders practice the KITEs Warm Up, they will learn about their Wing, the Water, wind as well as entry areas and exit areas.

Spend time warming up to wind strength, wind direction, water conditions, launches and exits now. It will pay off big time later.

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Exercises 1. Kneel down and hold the kite at the side of the wind window, then counter balance your Center of Gravity with the kite’s Center of Energy.

2. After you square up to the kite’s Center of Energy, relax and breathe, close your eyes as you relax your head and shoulders towards the kite.

TEST Review 1.5 KITEs Warm Up

When new riders arrive at the beach they should?

3. Lead with the head and shoulders, follow with the hips and knees as you fly the kite to each side of the window.

4. Attempt to park the kite at each position, breathe and relax towards the pull.

5. Once comfortable flying the positions on the kite clock, stand up, park the kite in the power hour, then move across the direction of the wind while

A. ask other riders what size they should use.

keeping the kite parked.

B. ask how windy it is.

6. Continue by transitioning and then moving across the direction of the

C. ask if other riders were powered.

wind with speed.

7. Get aggressive with the transitions and moving across the direction of

D. Warm up to check wind strength and direction.

the wind with more speed.

8. Edge (pressure against the kite by moving further upwind) then bring the kite from the power hour up towards the apex. Feel for an increase in lift .

9. With good power in the kite, hit the water running. Kick hard and follow

Check Answer

the pull.

10. Transition and return to the beach, once on shore, depower the kite and put it in the down position above the high water mark.

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Review 1.6 Wind Strength

Riders should Warm Up

Review 1.7 Warm Up

Riders should Warm Up to learn

A. Once they are good.

A. wind strength and direction.

B. before every session

B. entry and exit areas

C. until they are comfortable

C. launch angles and clock positions

D. B and C

D. all of the above

Check Answer

Check Answer

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Review 1.8 Wind strength

Injuries often happen to new riders who

Review 1.9 Center of Energy

Square C of G to C of E means

A. misjudge wind strength and direction

A. square your body to the force in the kite

B. misjudge launch and exits

B. walk towards the kite

C. self launch

C. water start

D. A and B

D. transition

Check Answer

Check Answer

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Chapter 2

UpWind Board Drag {UBD}

Riders should learn the UBD using 5meter lines. To pass this level riders need to return to the point they launched from. Repeat this exercise at least 5 times.

Upwind Board Drag a Quick Look Use the board to edge against the power in the kite and cut across the direction of the wind. This can be done with far less power than is required to waterstart or ride. All the techniques in this book will help make kiteboarding a safer sport, but the Upwind Board Drag on 5 meter lines is probably the biggest evolution the sport will ever see! Virtually everyone can do this safely. In the process, riders will learn about the wind, wing, steering, entry, ride and exit areas. There is no greater tool in kiteboarding than the Upwind Board Drag! Notice in the photo below, the riders is edging

Once comfortable traveling out, transition and return. Use Core Steering as the kite passes through the apex of the window. This will free your hands and allow you to switch your board. Once you make the switch, look at where you want to go...lead with your head, the kite will follow. Without a doubt, over steering is the biggest issue at this level. It is always better to simply bring the kite over to the land side power hour and to let go than oversteer.

The more riders use Core Steering, the better they’ll become. Practice the UBD for 3-9 hours in as many sessions or until comfortable. To pass this level, riders need to launch, go out, transition and return upwind.

her board as her harness holds the load of the kite.

Notice the red lines on the chart below, they indicate the direction good riders travel. Again, the rider is hooked to the kite so once the kite is at the side of the wind window, don’t worry about it...focus on pointing the board across the direction of the wind!

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Let Go

Mistakes will happen, the most common are: 1. Over steering

People resist pull, kiteboarders go with the pull while setting an edge. The difference is huge - the difference is kiteboarding! The UBD gives people a way to learn how to go with the pull. Remember that your main hand or harness is holding the load of the kite, so let go of the bar once past the shore break and focus on organizing your board so it is pointing across the direction of the wind. Once moving, steer the kite up to the power hour. When coaching all the problems I see are from over steering. LET GO!

Gallery 2.1 Upwind Board Drag

2. Fighting the pull New riders always over steer the kite. Core steering will help combat over steering. Relaxing the body while dolphin kicking is the key to avoiding being a drag on the kite. The UBD is a fantastic way to get comfortable with kite steering as well as a prelude to what needs to happen after the water start. Riders can learn everything by mastering this skill set! Again, it is not difficult to set the kite on the side of the wind window, get pulled out, transition and set the kite on the land side power zone. Just let go!

Gallery 2.2 Positions of the Kite on the Wind Clock

12

1 2

10

11

9

3 LIFT

9 and 3 o'clock position More PULL than LIFT PULL

Pull vs. Lift 9 and 3 o'clock

Notice the rider edges as her harness or 1st hand is holding the kite

Riders should go out to the 3 o’clock position, transition and return to 9

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Steering

Interactive 2.1 Positive Steering

Again, there are three types of steering in the KITEs Method, they are: Core Steering; Using only the harness and body angle to steer the kite.

Positive Steering; Pushing the bar with one hand to steer the kite.

Negative Steering; Pulling with one hand to steer the kite.

In kiteboarding, steering is extremely sensitive. In essence, we use positive grip pressure, no grip pressure or negative grip pressure to steer kites. For the remainder of the book, we will go over how and when to use these steering techniques.

Core Steering is like starting at zero or resetting. It’s the only way entry level riders can truly quantify hand pressure as it relates to steering. Entry level riders shouldn’t grab the bar to steer the kite. They should let go of the bar, square up to the kite and then add slight hand pressure before letting go again. When steering is approached this way, riders can begin to quantify how a small push or pull on the bar will effect the path of the kite.

The biggest surprise in kiteboarding is how little pressure is required to steer the kite and that there is a 2 second delay when steering. So the kite generally moves 2 seconds after the rider pressures the bar.

Positive Steering

Positive Steering is a super technique at all levels of kiteboarding, and crucial to the Upwind Board Drag (UBD). Notice in the picture on the next page how Sierra pushes with her left hand to make the kite go and stay on the right side of the wind window. It takes discipline to keep the kite from

Movement to increase

returning to 11 o’clock. If she does not push with the left hand as she

stability

moves to the right, the kite will surely crash to the left.

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Negative Steering is intuitive, second nature, and a terrible habit in kiteboarding. We all reach, grab and pull. This action is a part of

Steering is extremely sensitive in kiteboarding. So much so that it is almost

kiteboarding, but often it is the root of serious problems. Panic pulls and

a bad joke. Entry level riders over steer their kites. The more physical the

simply too much grip pressure have caused considerable damage and loss

rider, the longer it takes to break this habit. A combination of core and

of life.

positive steering is the best way to break this habit. Again, the UBD does wonders to train riders on proper steering. Everyone oversteers when

Again, steering is a tough thing to quantify. Most riders do a forward loop

learning to kite, the sooner riders realize that their harness is doing all the

with the movement similar to that used to open and close a desk drawer.

work, the better off they will be...when in doubt, just let go!

Notice in the picture below, the rider uses a slight left hand pull on the right side of the bar to bring the kite from the left to the right. In the next picture, the rider’s kite is at the apex as he applies slight pressure with the right hand to bring the kite back into the power zone.

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Steering Exercises (using 5 meter lines)

Gallery 2.3 UBD

Attempting to water start the first hour of kiteboarding is the absolute worst thing any rider can do for his career. It will ingrain negative steering and ‘panic pulls’ which are the most difficult habits to break for the rest of riding.

The goal of this exercise is to hold the kite at 9 and 3, 9 and 3 are the default positions at this level. With proper wind, it is easy to park at the sides of the wind window. Spend time with the kite at the side of the wind window, then park it in the power hour using one hand and combination of Positive and Core Steering.

Focus on setting the board on edge and pointing cross wind

Most of the force in the kite comes from the speed traveled. The true discipline is to move the kite slowly or not at all. Keep the kite on the waterside power zone. Do not allow the kite to travel through the apex.

Using a mix of core and negative steering, riders should slowly bring the Once comfortable flying the kite in the power hour, walk cross wind while controlling the kite on the water side power zone, transition, and control the kite on the land side power zone. As the kite sits on the water side power zone, riders should apply slight negative steering to bring the kite slowly up to the power hour. Again, apply a bit of negative steering followed by core steering. Repeat the process until the kite reaches the power hour. Guard against over steering the kite through the apex.

kite from the power hour up to the apex of the wind window. Depending on the wind, riders may apply two seconds of negative steering followed by two seconds of core steering. By repeating this process, riders will get an excellent feel for steering.

For some reason very few new riders are able to keep their boards pointed across the direction of the wind. A good general rule is, if the board is difficult to handle, the rider is not setting it correctly.

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Once the transition is complete, use positive steering to fly the kite towards the land side power hour. Again, the reason we do this exercise is to become comfortable with the patter we fly as kiteboarders. Do not allow the kite to drift back to the water side power zone.

As the kite approaches the apex, riders should let it settle by letting go

As riders bring their kites down to the land side of the wind window, they have successfully flown every position on the clock. The next step is to become more comfortable transitioning from one power hour to the other while moving across the wind.

of the bar (core steering).

With hands free, the transition is easy, simply pass the board from one

Doing this exercise is important, but doing it with style is the goal. If the rider is on a big beach with steady wind, the can do this exercise on the water line first, then head into the water, this is a way to get comfortable.

hand to the other. Most riders apply way too much hand pressure way too often. The death grip on the bar is just not a part of kiteboarding.

Unfortunately, we tense up the most when we are the most uncomfortable.

1

3

9

12

2

10

11

LIFT

12 o'clock position Overhead neutral position.

Use positive steering to fly the kite to the land side power zone, move cross wind, transition and then fly the kite on the water side power zone. Kick it up a notch by jogging cross wind. Do this exercise until it’s second nature.

Gallery 2.4 Get pulled out, then in Apex, top or Zenith

Back door ground plane Edge of window

Parts of the Wind Window Bird's eye view

Get pulled out, transition and get pulled in.

PULL

Pull vs. Lift 12 o'clock

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Launching Generally, riders lay their kites on top of the center lines when setting up like in the first picture below, red side left, blue side right. When using 5 meter lines less, or when kites lay in wind shadows, it is common to lay the bar and lines out behind the kite. The bar will be upside down with red left and blue right as illustrated in the second picture. Most bars and lines are color coded, blue left, red right. If this is the case, the riders left hand always goes on the red side of the bar and right hand on the blue side of the bar.

For more on setting up the kite check out the Rigging Glossary on page...

In the picture above, the rider is holding her ground, the launcher is positive that she is squared up to her wing. All he has to do is disappear behind the kite. All she has to do is gently fly it up to the power hour. New riders should kneel down because it is very intuitive to move towards the kite at this level. So kneel down and allow the launcher to hold your kite at the side of the wind window.

Good riders can launch each other as easy as opening a door, because they know their bro; 1. Will hold his ground 2. Attached lines correctly 3. Will be cross wind 4. Will fly the kite out of their hands Riders also know that their kite bro will: Many times, all the kiters are riding and there is no one left on the beach to give a launch. So riders either Self Launch or they end up asking some random guy to handle their kite. This is where the problems start... Before riders ask for a launch, they should make sure that their launcher knows how to hold the kite and where the kite is going to fly.

1. launch the kite across the direction of the wind 2. allow the wind to fill the kite 3. not let go of the kite prior to getting a signal from the rider 4. disappear behind the kite after launching 5. put the kite down if things don’t look correct

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Self Launch The self-launch is a misunderstood launch. Riders can be kiting for years and still not be comfortable depending on their technique, line length, the

Keys to the self-launch (on 5 meter lines) Once riders attach the kite lines, they should check to make sure that:

type of wind and beach from which they are launching. Using the KITEs Method, the self-launch is actually very easy. By starting closer to the kite,

1. The control lines straddle the kite and the center

riders become more comfortable and knowledgeable and can graduate to

lines are clearly under the kite.

longer lines more easily.

Gallery 2.5 Self Launch

2. The board is next to the bar and that no dogs, sticks, or small children are in or around the kite lines.

To set the kite in launch position, riders should pick the kite up and walk towards the bar, keeping the kite lines from tensioning. Then, they should turn the wing tips up and place the kite on its leading edge facing the water. Riders should move their hands down the leading edge until they come to the bottom strut (the smallest strut on the kite).

Fold the bottom wing tip over, exposing the stitching on the outside of the strut.

As the rider holds the wing tip to the leading edge, place enough sand on the outside of the wing tip to keep the kite from moving. The more sand that is on the kite, the less likely the kite will launch. Place the lines on top of the sand. Riders then move back to the bar before, hook in, attach the safety line and then step back to begin the launching process.

Weight the kite with sand and lay the lines on top of the sand

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Keys to the Self Launch 1. Lay the lines on top of the sand, don’t let them hook on the wing tip.

2. Step back gently and watch for the kite to form a Center of Energy.

3. Don’t touch the bar until the lines fully tension and the sand is removed.

Riders should keep one eye on the kite while they move quickly to the bar.

If the bar is moving, the kite is pulling it. As soon as you touch the bar you are steering the kite! Leave the bar on the sand, kneel down and attach the safety system then hook the trim loop into the harness hook. If all is cool, it’s time to launch. Tensioning the top of the kite (negative steering) gives the kite shape. This begins to produce the pull needed to remove the sand from the wing tip.

Riders should consider how airplanes take off. Planes don’t go straight up, pilots slowly throttle up and the plane gathers speed as it approaches take off. If riders pull and don’t release, it’s effectively like pilots trying to take off by going straight up. Good kiters and pilots don’t do that, rather, it is a give and take. Riders need to use a combination of Core and Negative steering. They shouldn’t attempt to launch in one or two moves, but rather feel the kite and work it up slowly. The Self Launch is actually a very controlled launch. Take time to perfect it now on 5 meter lines.

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Common Launching Problems When self-launching, riders should not worry about pulling the sand off the

Allow the kite to free itself from the sand, and as the sand comes off and the kite is pointed at an upward angle, move across the direction of the wind while steering the kite up.

kite. Collect power in the kite by stepping back. Once the wind in the kite pulls, square up to it. To dump power, the rider need only move towards the kite.

Riders can control the action. There is no need to rush or panic. The self launch should be a slow controlled series of adjustments. If riders feel that the kite is pulling too much, they need simply step towards it to spill wind.

While sand holds down the kite and all the lines have tension, riders have one last chance to do a Final Pre Launch Check. This can be done by pulling the entire power strap towards the wind. Riders should then clearly see red and blue lines connected to the kite, but not crossed with other lines. Remember, the red line attaches to the red side of the kite, blue line to blue side of the kite. If there are any crosses in the lines, riders should simply come out of the harness and let go of the bar as they move to the kite.

Once riders are certain that the lines are ok, they should step back a bit to power up, step forward to depower. Additionally, they can manipulate their kites by pulling in with the high side hand. This will power the kite up.

Don’t over pull. Use an even mix of Negative and Core steering while slowly stepping back and don’t get greedy.

If the rider unintentionally steers the kite higher than the power hour, she has over steered and should bring the kite back to the water. If she can’t, she should let go of the bar, the kite will fall to the water side of the wind window.

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Upwind Board Drag

(UBD)

Riders need to keep the kite in the power zone in which they launched.

A tack is the direction of movement intended to achieve maximum benefit

There is no advantage to excessive kite movement. They should be aware

from the wind. Planing is moving over the top of the water rather than

that the faster a kite moves, the more power it has. If riders bring their kites

through the water. It used to be that going down wind when learning to kite

up radically, they will generate lifting power and will most likely get lifted.

Remember that an experienced kiteboarder brings his kite from the power hour to the apex of the wind window in order to boost big air. If riders bring their kites up radically from three o’clock to twelve o’clock while self launching, they will go up! Many times riders say they “got lofted.” Actually, it is rider error that caused them to become air born.

At this point, riders should be able to set up, warm up, self launch, self-exit, and navigate from one power zone to the other. Once comfortable with these exercises, it’s time to kick it up a notch and try the Upwind Board Drag (UBD).

was standard. Everyone had to go through it. We all wasted a lot of time and energy and scared the hell out of every thing in our path.

The Upwind Board Drag has changed the whole process. Now, entry level riders can turn what was wasted time into time learning how to fly the kite as they use the board to edge upwind. By using this technique, entry level riders can pinch almost as high as advanced riders. In the process, they go upwind long before they ever try a waterstart.

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The only way riders can take the chaos out of kiteboarding is to get kite control

The UBD starts with the self launch and ends with the self exit. What

while edging. The best way to get great kite handling skills is to spend time in the

happens in between is the base of all kiteboarding. Kiteboarders simply

water flying the power hours, transitioning and returning. If you’re going down

launch, fly the kite to the waterside power hour, go out, transition and

wind, you are either oversteering the kite or you do not have the board positioned

return.

across the direction of the wind. If you’re going upwind, you are passing this level!

The UBD allows riders to fly the kite and edge the board like a kiteboarder.

Upon launching the kite, follow the power, then look and move upwind. The faster riders move, the more stable their kites will fly. Over tension or lack of movement will cause the kite to act nervous. Kiteboarders move cross wind with their kites!

+)4%3 METHOD Gallery 2.6 Wind Direction and Tacking WWW KITEBOARDCENTER COM /N 3HORE

7HEN THE WIND IS BLOWING gONTOg THE SHORE OR LAND

3IDE 3HORE

7HEN THE WIND IS BLOWING PARALLEL TO THE SHORE UP OR DOWN THE BEACH

3EA ,AND

/FF 3HORE

7HEN THE WIND IS BLOWING gAWAYg FROM THE SHORE OR OUT TO SEA

Side On shore wind is the best for kiting.

7IND DIRECTIONS

New riders are reluctant to GO with the kite. Don’t be. Bring the kite gently up to the power hour and lay forward. Keep the kite between the power hour and the Whatever happens between the launch and exit is a session. Multiple runs make up a session. When riders spend time practicing the UBD, they also log hours setting up and exiting. Most riders struggle when trying to set up their gear. Even though it is a simple process for upwind riders, it is absolutely confusing for entrylevel riders. Mistakes are going to happen, riders get confused, tired, and frustrated.

surface of the water, then set the board on edge.

Most riders fly the kite well, but fail to point the board ACROSS the direction of the wind. People get cautious around water, but this is not the time to hesitate. Riders should aggressively dive into the water and then kick hard. Believe it or not, kicking will really help power the kite. Remember, the faster riders move, the more stable their kites will fly. There is no place for tension in the UBD.

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Hit the water running, then start kicking.

Notice in the picture that there is a considerable amount of white water behind the rider because she is kicking.

She also uses positive steering to control the kite, while using the board as a planing surface and flotation.

Parking and Edging Once the kite is parked and board is set, riders should add in some Core Steering. This will increase comfort and control while giving them an idea of how sensitive kite control is. It also gives the muscles a break. The reality in kiteboarding is that we simply go with the kite. The harness is our main hand, it’s attached to the kite. Go with the kite while using the board to edge upwind. This technique does wonders to train the mind and muscles on exactly what has to happen in the next levels of riding. Notice that the

Parking and Edging

kite is in the power hour and the board is set on edge.

Park the Kite and Edge the Board

Notice in the picture above how high the rider’s head is off the water. She is planing. As importantly, she is in a position where she can learn from the kite, wind and water. She is parking her kite and edging her board across the direction of the wind!

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Once riders are edging upwind, transitioning and edging upwind on the process becomes sustainable for everyone on the water and on the beach.

Imagine, instructors don’t have to run down the beach, jump in a boat, or pray that their students know how to exit on their own. Entry level riders can stay out in the water, learning their kite until they want to come in.

Finally, instructors can get off of their certifications and get on the water and ride with their students!

The next time you see an entry level rider tea bagging and bringing fear to everyone within 5 miles, help him out, bring his kite down to the side of the window, set his board on edge, help him travel upwind, transition and

Board Recovery and Relaunching Kiteboarders will lose their boards. Once comfortable with the upwind board drag, getting back to the board is easy. Simply extend one arm and tack across the direction of the wind. The wind will push the board down wind faster than the rider Rider, as long as the rider does not bring the kite through the apex more than one time. Long tacks across the wind with slow transitions are the way to meet back up with their boards.

When using Flatter Arch Bars, simply push away on the bar to depower.

Riders can also pull in on the power strap.

repeat the process on the other side. Once you set a rider on the upwind

The purpose of the upwind board drag is to give riders the skills needed to

path, you begin to make the sport much safer and more fun for everyone.

keep the kite in the air and more importantly, to park it at a heading on the kite clock. In the process, the kite may crash.

Pit Falls

Relaunching is as simple as letting go of the bar, pointing the board at the kite and allowing the kite to fill with wind and turn on it’s side. Most riders crashed the kite because they reached, grabbed and pulled. Just let go,

Generally, new kiters get preoccupied with steering the kite. Remember that

kites are designed to relaunch as long as riders move towards the kite.

you are attached to the kite via the harness. Focus on pointing the board

Relaunching

across the direction of the wind or 35 degrees upwind of the kite. The kite will walk on the side of the wind window by itself so focus on the board! More times then not, new riders edge out easily, transition and then over fly their kites losing the kite to the waterside of the wind window. If they would simply let go of the bar after transitioning, their kites would bring them in nicely.

After a downwind crash, the kite will be leading edge down with the inside of the kite facing the rider. Today’s kites have millions of dollars of design in them.

They want to relaunch, riders simply need to let go of the bar and point the board at the kite. If riders tension against the kite, it will not react, when riders release towards the kite it will generally work itself to side of the wind window.

It is then that it is ready to launch. Don’t rush the process, feel free to pull one line as long as you are sure of what you are attempting to do.

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More times than not, riders don’t get back to their boards because they flew their kites through the apex quickly and often after losing their boards. For sure this will lead to separation. The goal is to only go through the apex one time, and do it slowly. With that said most riders rip their kites through the apex repeatedly after losing their boards. The photo below explains the LIFT, POP and PULL associated with repeated trips through the apex.

Just to review, to pass this level, riders are expected to: 1. Set up their kites and Self Launch.

2. Move across the direction of the wind, enter the water.

3. Edge the board while parking the kite.

4. Transition and return.

Gallery 2.7 Kite Power

When riders return to the point they left from, they are passing this level. If riders are not returning to the point they left from, more times than not it is

PULL

LIFT

PULL

because they are over steering the kite and their tack was wrong.

LIFT

12

1 2

10

11

9

3 Rising kite creates LIFT

The speed at which a kite goes through the apex is a big power factor

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Review Exercises 13. Kick it up a notch by jogging cross wind while the kite is in the power 1. Self launch, then kneel down and hold the kite at the 3 o’clock position.

hour, transition and return.

2. Using core steering, hold the kite at the 3 o’ clock position for 8 seconds.

14. While on the beach, practice setting the board cross wind.

3. Transition form 3 to 9 by first looking, then following with the shoulders, hips

15. With the kite is in self launch position, pull the center lines towards the

and knees.

direction of travel to verify that the lines are attached correctly.

4. Stay kneeling while hold the kite at the 9 o’clock position for an 8 count.

16. Self-launch, upwind board drag out, transition and return.

5. Repeat the above steps 5 times.

6. While kneeling, steer then park the kite in each heading.

17. Repeat step 16, doing 15 tacks upwind at the start of every kiteboarding day.

7. While kneeling, use positive steering to move the kite from 3 to 9.

8. Continue kneeling, then use positive steering to bring the kite from 9 to 3.

9. Stand up, grab hold of the board, park the kite in the water side power hour,then walk slightly upwind.

10. Slowly bring the kite up to the apex, then apply core steering while passing the board from one hand to another.

11. Complete the transition and continue to the land side power hour.

12. Repeat steps 6-11 ten times

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Review 2.1 Core Steering

Core steeling requires

A. squaring up to the kite’s C of E. B. letting go with both hands C. relaxing towards the power D. all of the above

Check Answer

Review 2.2 UBD

If you don’t go upwind when trying the upwind board drag you are

A. at the mercy of the wind.

B. going to get blown down wind C. not understanding how to edge the board D. All of the above

Check Answer

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Review 2.3 Upwind Board Drag

When upwind board dragging, riders need to set the board

Review 2.4 Upwind Board Drag

If you don’t go up wind when trying the upwind board drag you are

A. like kiteboarders do when riding.

A. failing the KITEs Method.

B. a float.

B. probably not setting the board correctly

C. slightly upwind

C. probably to active with the kite

D. all of the above

D. all of the above

Check Answer

Check Answer

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Review 2.5 Harness

Review 2.6 Park and Edge

The Harness is the rider’s

All good riders

A. main hand

A. Park the board

B. safety jacket

B. edge the kite

C. life jacket

C. park the kite and edge the board

D. left hand

D. tea bag

Check Answer

Check Answer

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Chapter 3

Waterstart

Riders should be able to put the board on their feet and fly the power hours as well as getting pulled up at 2 and 10 with out crashing the kite.

Athletic Stance

The importance of a strong athletic stance should not be overlooked.

Essentially, kiteboarding is a grace sport where the athlete counterbalances body weight with the power in the kite. This is especially true in advanced

The athletic stance is common to snow boarders, kiteboarders, wake

levels of kiteboarding. At any given time, riders have to be able to direct the

boarders, surfers, sumo wrestlers, skaters, linebackers, boxers, and most

board down wind while keeping its tip up. Notice in the photos how the

other athletes. Before riders can capture their personal style, they must find

riders uses her legs and stomach strength to drive the tip of the board

their athletic stance. The athletic stance has to be in place before the

down wind.

waterstart. Once riders find their athletic stance, counterbalancing the power in the kite will be much easier.

Riders can practice this exercise anywhere by putting their hands on their thighs and do a deep knee bend. Try to touch the bottom of the body to the

To do this, center the shoulders over the hips and balls of the feet.

heels. Straighten the back and slowly stand. Once up, crunch the stomach, allow body weight to settle over the balls of the feet. Fully relax and begin to discover your athletic stance. Once comfortable, get aggressive. All expert kiteboarders are adept at directing the board off the direction of the wind in a blink of an eye.

Riders can practice this exercise anywhere by putting their hands on their thighs and do a deep knee bend. Try to touch the bottom of the body to the heels. Straighten the back and slowly stand. Once up, crunch the stomach, allow body weight to settle over the balls of the feet. Fully relax and begin to discover your athletic stance. Once comfortable, get aggressive. All expert kiteboarders are adept at directing the board off the direction of the wind in a blink of an eye.

Before waterstarting, take time to wake up the muscles of the lower body. It

Once comfortable, jump and move the nose of the board from cross wind

is easy and fun to do and without a doubt, riders will need to know how to

to down wind while maintaining balance. The more riders expand on this

crunch the stomach and move the nose of the board down wind.

simple drill, the easier it will be for them to capture their athletic stance while kiteboarding.

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Riders need to use the bottom of the body to counter balance the pull from

Again, notice in the Gallery below how the rider maintains her low center of

the kite. If the hips come over the center line of the board, the rider has lost

gravity to counter balance the kite. Notice how she keeps her arms

all advantage. Notice in the Gallery below how the rider maintains her low

extended knees bent and weight over the centerline of the board. This is a

center of gravity, always able to counter balance the kite.

standard side stance.

Gallery 3.1 Athletic Stance

Bend the knees, bounce on the balls of the feet

Gallery 3.2 Athletic Stance

Release the shoulders over the knees

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It’s finally time to link it together. With bar in hands and board on feet, have a

Riders have to be 2 seconds ahead of the action, kind of like driving on ice.

friend or Method Coach pressure the lines, try to push the bar towards the

If riders are not ahead of the action they are too late! The upwind board

Coach, relax and breathe. Try to roll the head and shoulders over the center

drag helps riders understand exactly what has to happen after the

line of the bar. Notice in the pictures below, the rider has virtually no arm

waterstart. Riders need to Park the Kite and Edge the board upwind. The

pressure, her technique is technically perfect.

more riders upwind board drag the easier waterstarting and riding away will be.

Kite handling needs to be second nature for successful waterstarting and riding away. Riders need to be able to fly their kites while focusing on other things, such as the waterstart.

Once up, speed follows. It’s important for riders to be able to spill board speed. The butt check is the easiest way to do this. Riders should drop down to the water to check their speed. The board is a super planing surface. Unfortunately, its so loose and fast that few entry level riders can handle the speed. The best strategy is to start and stop, each time advancing a bit further.

This drill helps riders come up slowly and sit back down slowly. Any mistakes or hard landings here will be amplified once on the water.

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Safe Buffer Zone Creating a safe buffer zone immediately upon launching is paramount to

Gallery 3.3 Waterstart

safe kiteboarding. Before the advent of the UBD, it was not possible for new riders to get upwind. Using the UBD, riders should do 10 tacks. Done correctly, this should bring riders considerably upwind of where they launched. Riders can then stay away from the beach when considering the waterstart.

Kite beaches internationally are swarming with new riders. Unfortunately, most of them are on advanced line lengths. Riders must be comfortable with the concept of creating a safe buffer zone. When using advanced line lengths, there is no room for bad technique or mistakes in basic handling knowledge. When a kite launches the rider must create a safe operating zone or immediately depower the kite to avoid disaster.

Once a rider has mastered the techniques needed to create the buffer zone, maintaining it is simple. The rider should not allow the kite to travel to the side of the wind window that takes him back to the beach until he is prepared to go back to the beach. Problems occur because riders become preoccupied with organizing their boards. Once they’re up, they fall

Try to roll the head and shoulders over the head and the knees

backwards, unintentionally steering the kite to the undesired side of the wind window. This type of crash generally produces radical results. When falling, the rider should always go towards the kite, recover and UBD back into position to try another waterstart.

Never underestimate the value of a safe buffer zone. Very few riders get seriously injured on the water. Almost all injuries happen on land. get out and stay out, until you are ready to come in!

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Control Positions

Go Position

A rider is in the control position when he has the board at his side while keeping

The more outstretched the rider’s arms are, the easier it will be to keep the

the kite in the apex of the wind window. Riders need to remain a single weight

board on the correct path. A bent arm brings the board too close to the

balanced with the kite in order to be successful with the next levels of organizing

rider’s body, preventing him from getting his feet onto the windward rail.

and getting up on the board. As the rider tucks his head to his knees, he will

Once the board is in front of him, on edge, it’s time to place the feet on the

counterbalance the kite. The more counterbalance the rider has with the kite’s

windward rail. There is a tremendous amount of room for personal style

power, the easier the process of organizing the board will be.

when organizing the board. The more water (UBD) time a rider gets, the

Consider that by doing the UBD, we passed the board in front many time. Passing the board should be second nature. To bring the board into control position Grip the center handle and move the board to your left foot with an extended arm.

easier this becomes. Great riders complete this process while airborne. This technique is not difficult, it just happens fast. When the rider wishes to get into the go position, he needs to continue pressuring the windward rail of the board equally with his feet. The windward rail must stay in the water as the leeward rail remains out of the water.

Go Position

The board then acts as a brake or stop between the rider and downwind movement. Once the board is in place, focus on keeping the kite in the

The rider is in the “go” position when he is flying the kite with the board in front of him with his feet sinking the windward rail of the board. The path from the control position to the go position is a short one, but a very definite one. The rider must keep the board on edge (windward rail in the water, leeward rail out) when moving the board from

apex, then find the foot straps with the feet. At no point in this process should the board get flat on the water or should the kite move radically out of the apex. Once the rider’s feet are in place, there is ample time to consider the waterstart as long as the rider keeps his body and board squared to the kite and the trim loop directly centered to his body.

the control position to the go position. Consider that boards have rails and fins, and that the rider is moving downwind. The key for the rider is to move the board in front of him as he keeps the board on its edge (windward rail down in the water, leeward rail out of the water). This helps to keep the fins from catching in the water, resulting in the board flipping. Again, riders need to pressure the board as they sink the rail and move the board into position.

One hand on the bar, one foot comes up to the footstrap and then the other foot slides into position.

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Let go of the bar!

As the kites move left and right of the apex, riders will get pulled off

Riders need great power to waterstart, with great power comes great

position. In order to reset the edge of the board, the rider needs to push the

responsibility. In the Gallery below the rider over steers the kite through the

bar towards his feet while crunching his stomach and pulling his knees to

apex twice. Remember, the rider is connected to the kite via the harness,

his chest. If he cannot regain control of the kite or board during this

when in doubt, let go of the bar, oversteering is a killer.

process, the rider should return to the control position.

balance. As riders get pulled off balance, the board will move out of

Again, the gallery to the left shows a rider oversteering his kite. The rider

Gallery 3.4 Over steering needs to stop

would have been much better off to simply let go of the bar. Notice in the last photo how the rider still has his right hand on the bar. He flew the kite 10-3 in a heart beat. When in doubt, LET GO OF THE BAR! If not you will become a human tea bag.

Flying the Power Hours in Go Once firmly in the go position, it is time to put one and one together. That is, flying the kite in the power hour with the board on your feet. The more you practice this the easier the waterstart will become. This is because you will get used to flying the kite in the power hour while your feet are in the straps.

Try to roll the head and shoulders over the knees. Releasing unwanted muscle tension. This will help stretch the rider’s arms out. In strong wind, The rider should move the kite from the power hour to the apex and back all while pointing the board at the kite. Remember, if the board is not pointed at the kite, the rider will not get up and ride. Again, work the kite from the Notice the kite come up quickly

power hour to the apex and back while pointing the board at the kite.

Repeating this process will create good waterstart technique.

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Power Stroke

All new riders over steer their kites, the faster a kite moves the more

The power stroke is used to generate the power required to pull the rider

board...it is simple!

power it will have. Move the kite to get power then Park it and Edge the

from the water onto the board. An example of a power stroke is moving the kite from 10 to 2 on the Wind Clock.

When analyzing kite power, the rider must always consider the kite’s size, wind speed, line length, speed of the stroke, repetition and the area on the kite clock that the stroke covers. So how much is enough? It all depends

Gallery 3.5 Waterstart

on the person and the above variables. When estimating the distance of the stroke required to get up, riders must allow for the kite’s turning time.

As a kite dives, it takes time to recover. Think of an airplane, the harder it dives, the longer it will take for it to bank and turn.

In light wind, the rider should set his kite to the opposite power hour, point the board down wind , then move from one power hour to the other.

In strong wind the rider can simply set his kite in the power hour, point the board at the kite, move the kite up and then back to the power hour to get up. There are a lot of variables involved. In our programs, we generally put riders out under powered to force them to use good technique. Remember, with great power comes great responsibility.

Notice in the Gallery to the right, the rider is heading in the direction of 2, he brings his kite to the apex to put on his board, then to 11 for power, then from 11 - 2 to get up and ride. Once up he needs to park his kite and edge his board.

Riders should bring the board around as they bring the kite up.

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Great Power

Key points when Waterstarting

With Great power comes Great responsibility. Entry level riders can not waterstart

1. A rising kite creates lifting power.

10 meter lines because of poor technique. Great riders can waterstart on 5 and 10 meter lines because they have expert technique. The longer entry level riders

2. The further downwind a board is pointing, the less resistance there will

attempt to waterstart on short line lengths, the better their technique will become.

be.

With Great Technique comes Great Responsibility.

3. The further upwind a rider’s board point, the more resistance there will

There are two types of waterstarts: 1. Super powered In strong winds, riders need only work their kites inside the power hour to get up.

As they bring their kites from the bottom of the power hour up, they will experience lift. They simply need to relax and follow the pull. Remember that a lifting kite creates lifting power.

2. Powered When riders aren’t in strong winds, they need to power stroke their kites.

Once in the go position, riders should set their kites to the opposite power zone.

As the kite settles, the rider needs to reset the board’s rail so that it is squared against the power in the kite. At this point, the kite is set for power and the rider’s board should be pointed downwind. This is the position of least resistance to accept the power the rider is generating when power stroking.

be.

4. The deeper in the opposite power zone a kite is set, the easier it will be for the rider to properly position the board downwind.

5. The more shallow a rider sets the kite in the opposite power zone, the further upwind the board will point.

6. A faster moving kite will have more power.

7. A slower moving kite will have less power.

8. The more area a kite travels, the more power it will have.

9. The more riders direct their bar over the center line of the board, the easier it will be to ride away.

When considering the waterstart, riders should experiment to find the amount of power they want. Riders who set their kites deep in the opposite

Riders need to focus on direction. As riders look and lean to where they want to

power zone and their boards downwind will have little problem getting up.

go, the waterstart becomes more predictable and riding away becomes a reality.

This is the preferred technique in lighter winds. In windy conditions, simply

In magnetic sports (speed sports where participants go to where they look),

work the kite inside the power zone and be ready to park it in the power

operators must focus on where they plan to go to have any success. Beginner

hour once up.

and intermediate riders need to go downwind first, then consider going upwind.

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Staying Up

Bar Position

In kiteboarding, the difference between getting up and staying up is huge. Getting

Upon waterstarting, the rider must naturally pressure the bar down. The kite

up in kiteboarding is easy. In fact many riders err into their first water start. They

has tremendous lifting potential. If the rider does not pressure the bar

started with full length lines and had little idea of why or how the kite was

down, the lift will stretch the rider’s arms and bar above his head. Notice in

powering. If their board was pointed off the wind as the kite was passing through

the photo below, the rider is pushing the bar out to trim the kite as he

the power zone, they got up. Staying up, on the other hand, was difficult because

pushes the bar down all while keeping the center line centered to his body.

of the speed at which it happens and the lack of any control over the kite.

For a kiteboarder to consistently ride after waterstarting he must: 1. Park his kite in the power hour.

2.Trim the kite by pushing the bar towards the kite..

3. Counterbalance that power with body weight.

4. Maintain athletic stance.

5. Continue to keep the nose of the board off the wind.

6. Pressure the bar down towards the center line of the board.

7. Keep the bar centered in front the center line of the body.

Using the KITEs Method, riders gain valuable technique as they upwind board drag prior to waterstarting. During this process, they should become comfortable with the lift and pull generated by the kite as well as how the power changes in different wind and sea conditions. The rider also trains his muscles on how to fly the kite in the power hour while he focuses on where he wants to go. By programming muscles now, the next level of riding will be much easier.

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Dangerously Close When a rider gets going but can’t push the power out, a high-speed crash

Depending on how the rider falls when he crashes, speed may actually

usually happens. Riders get a look at the power that apparent wind

increase. If a rider falls backwards, he will be sent flying upward, and then

produces as the rider’s board speed increases considerably.

will plunge back into the water as the tea-bagging process continues.

Kiteboarders must learn to fall towards the direction of the power hour they

Apparent wind is a big factor in most sailing sports, but in kiteboarding it is

were flying!

a dominant factor. The rider learns quickly to push the bar out and edge against the power of the kite or he gets tea-bagged downwind.

There comes a point in every rider’s kite life in which he stops fighting the power and goes with it. Sounds simple, but human nature is to pull against

Riders must control the power in their kites by edging the board upwind

power. The more powerful the human, the worse the habit. All expert

and trimming the kite by pushing the bar out. As the rider applies heel

kiteboarders release towards the power.

pressure, he will edge upwind. He should continue to push out or spill speed by applying more heel pressure. This is necessary to prevent a

By attempting the water start with the KITEs ALL Lines , riders will still

dangerous tea-bagging situation from occurring. If the rider cannot spill the

make mistakes, but the results of the mistakes will be diminished. Going

power he has generated, he will continue at mach speed until crashing.

out underpowered allows riders time to master the techniques needed to

This is a painful situation to say the least.

advance. This is the way to approach kiteboarding.

Kiteboards are fast, efficient and extremely loose. As riders get board speed, they need to be able to push out the power quickly, efficiently, and consistently in order to begin to travel upwind. Until a rider develops the techniques required to slow board speed by edging upwind and pushing out on the bar, he will remain dangerously close to becoming a kiteboarder.

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Notice in the Gallery below how the rider brings his kite up slowly from the

Board Recovery

power hour to get up as he points his board at the kite. Once up he parks the kite and edges the board upwind as he trims the kite by pushing the bar

The traditional entry to kiteboarding was absolute chaos; riders entered the

towards the kite. This will decrease the angle of attack and allow less wind

sport with full length lines (full power) and a bungee leg leash. The set up

in the kite.

for a waterstart was tense, the ride was short, tea-bagging was constant and the exit was a nightmare. With the KITEs Method, riders learn the wing first and incrementally move away. By following the Method, riders will be able to stop using the dangerous leg leash, understand how to manage kite power much better, and learn how to edge across the direction of the wind

Gallery 3.6 Getting up and Riding

with their bodies, and/or boards. Kiteboarders will lose their boards. Once comfortable with the upwind board drag, getting back to the board is easy.

Again, the speed of the stroke and the area traveled are the important factors when trying to get back to the board. The more a rider’s kite travels through the apex the farther away from his board he will get. When riders lose their boards, they should only travel through the apex one time.

The question is, how? The answer is slow and steady. Riders should plan on body dragging for at least 15 seconds before doing a slow transition. This will allow the wind

PULL

LIFT

PULL

LIFT

to push the board into pick up 11

1 2 3

9

10

position.

12

Always square the board and body to the kite

Rising kite creates LIFT Decending creates PULL

Kite flight tracker (boost)

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When Coaching I always see and hear the same thing...”I keep losing my board” I ask, “how many times did your kite go through the apex?” the

Review Exercises

answer is always “I don’t know, but a lot...” It is simple, when riders lose their boards, they should only go through the apex one time slowly!

More than once and riders will lose their boards. Riders have to understand where there kite is and why to be a good kiter.

Gallery 3.7 Board Recovery

1. With board on your feet, Park the kite in the power hour as you try to point the end of the board at the kite.

2. Repeat #1 10 times at each power hour and the Apex.

3. Practice getting up and sitting back down instead of getting up and riding off into a NASCAR crash.

4. Repeat step three 10 times.

5. Once up focus on pushing the bar out to reduce board speed.

Relax and push the bar out when you lose the board

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Review Questions

Review 3.1 Waterstart

Review 3.2 Board

As riders look and lean to where they want to go

For a kiteboarder to consistently ride after waterstarting, he must

A. the waterstart becomes more predictable.

A. continue to fly his kite in the power zone.

B. riding away becomes a reality.

B. maintain proper power in the kite.

C. good things will happen

C. continue to keep the nose of the board off the wind.

D. all of the above

D. all of the above

Check Answer

Check Answer

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Review 3.3 Athletic Stance

A strong athletic stance

A. is essential to kiteboarding.

Review 3.4 Board

At any given time riders

A. have to be able to direct the board down wind while keeping its tip up.

B. is often over looked C. is common in side stance board sports D. all of the above

Check Answer

B. need to be able to loop C. need to spin D. need more power

Check Answer

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Review 3.5 Board Speed

The ‘butt check’ is used to

Review 3.6 Board Position

6. Riders need to know how to move the nose of the board

A. check out betties

A. down wind.

B. check speed.

B. with the lower body.

C. exit

C. quickly

D. power up

Check Answer

D. all of the above.

Check Answer

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Review 3.8 Wind

Review 3.7 Wind

In strong winds, riders need

In lighter winds riders

A. to boost

A. need to use the power stroke.

B. to only work their kites inside the power hour to get up.

B. may need to use multiple power strokes

C. to stay on the beach

C. need to take advantage of stroke, speed, and area trav-

D. go out with full length lines

D. all of the above

Check Answer

eled.

Check Answer

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Chapter 4

RIDING

The goal in this chapter is to help riders ride while keeping the kite out of the water as well as control speed and navigate.

Telegraphed Intent

the upwind rider drops his kite as others are trying to pass, he is ‘closing the door’.

Signs and kite positions are used to communicate intent.

To avoid collisions, we need to telegraph intent. Telegraphing intent allows Kites are beginning to dominate many beaches. As our favorite kiteboarding

other riders to know your path and steer around potential trouble zones. We

beaches get more crowded, it is increasingly more important to know how

use signs and kite positions to communicate intent. By simply pointing a

to “ride in the pack” and to avoid collisions. Kites behave differently from

hand up, Riders are signaling that they will fly over you. By pointing a hand

the other watercrafts. Riders must make allowances for this. Some in the

down, Riders are signaling that they will go under your kite.

kiteboarding community have borrowed “right of way” rules from other water sports, while developing new concepts to suit the unique

Every level of kiteboarder can telegraph the path he wants to travel. When

characteristics of kiteboarding. Kiteboarders operate in a three-dimensional

in doubt, a beginner should park his kite.

environment, including altitudes of up to 30 to 60 feet (some have been reported to go higher). In this sense, kiteboarding might be similar in some ways to paragliding.

Kiters don’t need a bigger ocean

A kiteboarder’s predictability varies widely depending on the experience

When I hear riders complain about an Ocean spot being crowded I know

level of the rider and the wind conditions.

that the riders are choking the launch and exits. Kite Beach Dominican

In the future, entry level riders will be upwind board-dragging on considerably shorter lines than advanced riders. Advanced riders should not only notice these riders but also keep upwind of them.

Republic, my home spot, is a classic example. Schools take new riders upwind of the pack, then they run the new riders right through the pack.

Once down wind of the pack of course they pull the rider out and walk back up wind with the kite in the air. I don’t think that there is a more in inefficient

Intermediate kiteboarders may look like they are in control, but may shoot

way than this. Once the new riders learn to ride of course they continue the

downwind suddenly in a gust if they loose their edge or get overpowered.

process. The point of the story isthat it is important to manage your ride area. riders should also be checking for new spots and avoid riding all the

Experienced kiteboarders can ride close to each other, rescue each other’s

way into the beach to turn. Oceans are massive...enjoy!

kites, and even tow in another kiteboarder. They ride with precision. The Golden Rule when riding close is “STAY HIGH”, that is the Upwind rider keeps his kite high giving other riders the option to pass close enough to ‘“Low Five” . If the Upwind rider brings his kite down as other riders are passing, the other riders have little option other than tuning. Basically, when

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Kite language It is very difficult to avoid a Rider who is upwind of you and flying their kite from 2- 10 and 10-2. If the Upwind Rider simply parks his kite at the apex, it

Butt Check When riders drop the bottom of their body to the water, they are doing a butt check. If the butt stays in the water, it becomes a controlled crash.

is very easy to navigate around him. Remember, Upwind riders should

In kiteboarding, as in snowboarding, it is more important to be able to

always ‘Stay High”, this will keep the ‘door’ open for down wind riders to

reduce board speed and stop than it is to be able go. A butt check is a

pass with out problems.

technique every rider must master. To control a crash, riders need to push

The discipline in kiteboarding is to Park the Kite and Edge the Board. Once riders can do this, it is very easy to ride near them.

the bar out and over the center line of the board as they lift their boards towards the bar. Riders’ speed will radically decrease as they touch the water. Again, riders need to counter balance the power in their kite with the

Riders follow their kites. This is why it is easy for a first day kiteboarder to

bottom of their bodies. Notice in the Gallery below how the rider uses the

communicate his intent while powered.

bottom of here body to counter balance the load in the kite.

1. The rider who parks his kite at the apex is indicating willingness to yield.

Gallery 4.1 Counter Balance

2. The rider who parks his kite in the power zone is indicating his desired course and unwillingness to yield.

3. A rising kite signals that the rider is yielding and going downwind.

4. A kite parked low in the power zone indicates a rider’s desire to go upwind.

Board language 1. Pinching the nose of the board upwind indicates to the oncoming rider that he should go downwind.

2. A rider who turns his board sharply off the wind is indicating willingness to yield.

The harness holds all the kite’s load, use the body to counter balance

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Core Steering (while riding)

Gallery 4.2 Angle of Attack AOA

A good kiteboarding base, strategy, lots of water time, and quality gear are essential in becoming an upwind rider. Adding core steering does wonders to help riders master the concept of counterbalancing power. As a rider gets more comfortable riding a powered kite parked in the power hour, he can begin counterbalancing the power with body weight. To do this, a rider should release grip pressure and use core steering. If the wind is light, the rider needs to move the kite through the apex, but in strong winds, riders need to control their speed.

Once riders are up there is much less friction. Kite boards are fast and loose. Kiteboarders need to be able to set an edge and park the kite.

To do this, riders need to push the bar away to trim or depower the kite.

When I ride with clients who just learned to waterstart, i’m always asking them to push the bar away to trim the kite. The gallery to the right show what happens to the Angle of Attack as a rider pushes the bar away.

Humans have the tendency to reach, grab and pull with our upper body strength, as opposed to using leverage and total body weight. The more available arm strength a rider has, the greater this tendency. The kite’s reaction to the double-pull-in is seldom effective. Often a double-pull- in increases both power and speed of the kite at the most inappropriate time.

At every level, the double-pull-in is without a doubt the biggest technique problem in kiteboarding! The sooner the rider masters core steering, the easier kiteboarding will become. Notice in the Gallery to the right, as the bar

As the bar is pushed up or towards the red arrow, the kite’s angle of attack (AOA) decreases

comes closer to the Trim Loop, the kite opens up more, as the bar moves towards the kite, the kite’s Angle of Attack decreases.

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Let Go I have logged over 20,000 instructional hours and I can tell you that reaching grabbing and pulling are the biggest problems in kiteboarding.

Most new kiters have no concept that the harness holds all the load from the kite and good riders use their hands to steer the kite slightly. Notice in the picture below and the Gallery to the right how little input the rider has

Gallery 4.3 Use the Harness

on the bar. He is simply counterbalancing the kite with his body weight as he steers the kite and adjusts the angle of attack by pushing the bar out when he wants less power and pulling the bar in when he wants more power. When in ‘doubt’ new riders will panic pull. In a 3 day course I will tell a client to let go of the bar 500 times or more. Don’t reach grab and pull!

Notice the harness is holding all the kite’s load or power

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One Weight One Edge When a rider becomes more comfortable counterbalancing the kite’s power with

Gallery 4.4 Park and Edge

his body weight, he will find it much easier to edge correctly against that power.

Once comfortable in this stance, the rider will be able to increase heel pressure to drive the board more upwind as well as increase toe pressure to turn the board off the wind while the kite is parked in the power hour.

As the rider pressures the board upwind while parking the kite in the power hour, the process of going upwind will be much simpler. Getting upwind at this level is not about how far upwind a rider is traveling when planing. It is how much ground he loses downwind after making an error.

When the rider is one weight edging his board against the powered kite, he is less likely to lose control of the board, kite, or their respective speeds. Should he lose control, he simply parks the kite, pushes the bar up and lowers his body weight to the water. This will decreases his speed and downwind progress. The rider needs to be able to keep the board in front of him. Then, he has effectively pushed the power out of the board using its edge and his own body weight.

It is important to waterstart and go downwind. Once powered, quickly square up to the power and slowly push the power out with the edge of the board. Generally, as the rider pushes out the power, he will travel more upwind, negating the distance he went downwind to get the power. If the rider can complete this process without losing balance, he has laid the groundwork for upwind riding.

Kiter’s simply park the kite and edge. The question is can you do it?

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Loaded

Go Slow

When you’re moving, the kite is moving, even if the kite is parked. The faster you move, the more the kite loads up with power. As the kite loads, the rider can edge further upwind to go slower. If the rider moves the kite up during this process, he will generate additional lifting power. Moving the kite down will produce pulling power. The key is to not move the kite at all when it’s lloaded.

This is the time to open the hands on the bar, move them closer to the center and push the bar down towards the center line of the board. By pushing down on the bar and edging harder upwind, the rider will spill board speed as the kite flies closer to the true direction of the wind.

Going slow and edging off a powered kite are the essential elements to consistent riding. Riders should remember the days of learning to waterstart.

Most waterstarts were unsuccessful because the board was pointed too far upwind and the kite was not moving fast enough. This bit of knowledge will prove useful when attempting to go slow.

If a rider radically pushes his edge or fin against a parked kite, he will kill his board speed. During this process, the rider must resist flying the kite up towards the apex. This way, he will have a good chance of pushing the power out of the board, resulting in deceleration.

Gallery 4.5 Push the bar and lines down

Understanding how to push out the power in the board without increasing the lift in the kite is important when trying to control board speed. There are two parts to a good jump, 1. Edge the board upwind. 2. Bring the kite up.

If riders simply push or edge upwind, they may spill power because kiters do not ride straight into the wind for more than a moment with out loosing power.

When i’m coaching this level, I first teach riders to push the board out.

Once they can do it we work on bringing the kite up to the apex while edging upwind. This action will result in a vertical jump with a soft landing If the rider finds himself doing battle with the power in the kite during this process, he should consider core steering and the controlled crash. The more the rider fights the power in the kite, the harsher the crash will be.

Don’t let the bar ride up towards the kite by using slight hand pressure

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Upwind Riding In kiteboarding, anyone can get up and go. The difference between getting

Once the rider is in position to hold his ground, he should look further

up and getting upwind is a defining quality in kiteboarding. If a rider cannot

upwind and continue to pressure the bar down towards his feet. As a rider

ride upwind, he is not yet a kiteboarder. Once a rider is staying upwind he

pressures the bar towards his feet, he is increasing the amount of balance

can ride back and forth as long as wind and technique remain steady.

and leverage he has against the kite. Pressuring the kite bar down and slightly away from the direction traveled will effectively move the kite further

Again, when attempting to get upwind, going really fast is not crucial. In

upwind in the window.

fact, going upwind with a lot of speed requires advanced techniques.

It is important to manage the power generated. To do this, move the hands To ride upwind, the rider should: 1. Generate power in the kite.

2. Accept that power by going downwind.

closer to the center of the bar. This will decrease the steering leverage, making for an apparently slower moving kite. Riders have to understand that with upwind riding, micro movements translate to big power. When the kite is loaded, riders have to park it in the power hour or below. If they pull in on the bar or move their kites up, they will experience significant power

3. Slowly edge against a loaded kite parked in the power hour.

increase.

4. Push the bar over the center line of the board with open hands.

5. Once powered, move the hands closer to the center of the bar.

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Controlled Hops To control board speed, riders need to be able to do small hops and jumps.

Over-steering is always the problem. Letting go of the bar is almost always the answer! Set it, then let go!

Jumping can be easy when riders use the set hand/land hand technique. The set hand steers the kite up. The land hand steers the kite down. Start with the kite in the power hour, use negative steering (set hand) to bring the kite up towards the apex. As the kite rises, release the set hand, the land hand will steer the kite back into the power zone. Remember that there is a 2 second delay, so before the kite hits the apex the rider should already be steering the kite back down with the land

Gallery 4.6 Controlled Hop

had. Natural grip pressure in the land hand should do the job. The important thing is to let go of the set hand.

The angle of the board is equally important.The further upwind the rider sets his board, the more vertical the jump will be. It takes experience to pressure the board upwind while sending the kite. Most often, entry level riders point their boards too far down wind which results in a low, fast jump as opposed to a slow vertical jump. Do a 100 small jumps using Set Hand Land Hand technique and you will have fun and land all your moves smooth.

Expert kiting is about visualizing, testing and more visualizing. Slight grip pressure will steer the kite; no grip pressure will allow the kite to park. Again, slight grip pressure will direct the kite. This simple set hand/land hand exercise is the base of most expert moves.

Again, kites on full length lines have tremendous power; most boards are designed with effective edge to counter this power. Today’s boards are designed to be ridden on the edge between the rider’s heels.

First, edge the board up wind

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To hop, do the following: Riders use the controlled hop to spill board speed. It is an excellent power adjustment technique to employ when the rider expects to return to the area from which he launched. Again, we push the edge upwind as we bring

1. Pressure the bar down 2. Drive the board upwind

the kite up. Once the kite starts to go up, let go of the set hand

3. Pull slightly with the set hand

The truth is, all riders get wound (extremely powered) when kiteboarding.

4. As the kite rises, release the set hand

After experiencing the sensation enough times, the rider will grow tired of utilizing the controlled crash. The controlled crash is hard on the body and mocked from the beach. It is best to use the controlled hop to limit speed and power. When riders ‘stick’ the landing, they will reduce their speed.

5. Direct the board’s tip off the wind Remember that slight hand pressure controls the kite. If riders don’t let go of the set hand, the kite will not come back into the power zone, it will stall at the apex and the rider will drop butt first into the water. If riders don’t

Gallery 4.7 Set it and forget it

point their boards far enough up wind, they will go into a low fast jump.

PULL

LIFT

PULL

LIFT

12

1

2

3

9

10

11

Again, make sure to take the set hand off Rising kite creates LIFT Decending creates PULL

Kite flight tracker (boost)

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Setting the kite

Speed

When approaching the controlled hop, break it down. Focus on the kite control

When considering the controlled hop, going slowly upwind is suggested. A

first, then add the board. Find an open water area free of obstacles to practice.

comfortable speed is desirable, but full speed is way too fast. Riders

Without the board, you should kick to propel yourself upwind, pressure the bar

should be able to decrease their speed by edging further upwind. As a rider

down as you pull in with your set hand. This will bring the kite up, generating lift.

edges upwind, he decreases his board speed while increasing the load

Before riders approach the apex, they should release their set hand. The kite will

against the kite. When evaluating the hop, check the position of the land

naturally come down towards the power hour due to land hand grip pressure..

hand when initiating a hop and the position of the set hand after landing.

This exercise provide opportunities for riders to familiarize themselves with the

Most missed jumps are caused by rider panic, resulting in a simultaneous

path the kite takes for hops, jumps, spins, and loops. Riders can get aggressive

double arm pull in on or before the apex of the jump. The double pull-in will

with this exercise. It is important to train the mind and muscles now! The more

cause a non-jump or, more commonly, will force the rider out of the sky like

training, the easier jumps, hops, boosts, and loops will be.

a rock.

Setting the edge

Upon completion of any attempted hop, jump, or loop, the rider always has the opportunity for self-analysis by simply looking at his hand and body

In any jump, the rider essentially pressures against an ascending kite. The more

position to determine what went right or wrong and why. Riders will either

aggressively riders set or pressure against a loaded kite, the greater their boost

land butt first, hard on the board, or soft with the tip of the board pointed

potential. Setting, or pushing an edge, rail, or fin is the same in jumping as it is in

off the wind. Any time riders pull in, they will land butt first or hard. Once

getting upwind. The rider needs only to edge upwind to initiate the hop. Edge upwind and use set hand pressure to fly the kite towards the apex. This will

riders go with the pull, they will be able to land softly.

generate lifting power, carrying him off the water. As the kite rises, the rider will

Mastering the controlled hop is fun and easy, as well as an important part

get lifted off the water.

of upwind riding. It is a crucial step towards boosting, transitions, and

The Landing As the rider leaves the water, he releases the set hand, allowing land hand pressure to steer the kite back into the power zone. As the rider gets bigger hops, he should attempt to land the tail of the board first, with the nose of the board pointing downwind. Become comfortable demonstrating small

spinning.

In kiteboarding, getting up is not very difficult. Getting upwind requires technique. Jumping is easy, but landing jumps softly is more challenging. A rider should take time to thoroughly understand the dynamics of the controlled hop before advancing to larger jumps.

hops first. As you become more proficient, personal style will develop.

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Additional strategies for upwind riding

Maxing Sessions

If there isn’t enough wind it is really hard to stay upwind, use the upwind

If new riders don’t get the most out of their trips to the beach, they will

board-drag! You can get upwind in much less wind than it takes to ride.

gravitate to other activities. Often a rider finds it is not windy enough to

Often riders have to go through bad wind to get to better wind, so use

ride. It’s an unfortunate part of wind sports.

the upwind board-drag to get into better wind. Riders in light wind areas battle to stay upwind on 20 meter kites. When underpowered on your biggest kite don’t hesitate to break out a surfboard. Its flotation, fin and surface area will make it easier to plane quickly and will increase the kite’s power.

As advanced riders, we chase wind. Sometimes we find more wind than we bargained for. When it’s blasting windy, it’s important for the rider to use strategy and out think the conditions. Upwind/Surf line lengths (15m) are fun and much more controllable than full length lines. If a rider walks away from windy conditions he is cheating himself out of a chance to learn, as

This is a strategic equipment choice big guys need to implement in light

well as missing out on some really fun riding. Yes, always err on the side of

winds. Paddle Boards and Surfboards simply increase range in kites.

caution, but understanding the secrets of line lengths will help you make

Below the rider powers a Paddle Board using just the kite. He is

the most of your ride time.

demonstrating the range in both the kite and the Paddle Board.

Method Lines 15m- Advanced riders chase strong wind. When they find it they should have this length for fun safe riding. This is also a good length for upwind riders to use when attempting to control board and kite speed. 15m lines are a great length to enjoy windy surf. The kite’s reaction time is fast on this length. They give enough length to power loop but still are short enough to keep the rider close to the wave face.

20m -This is a great length for surf and strong winds. This length helps the rider stay close to the wave face, makes strong winds manageable, and is a super length for those attempting to ride upwind.

25m - Super for moderate to light winds. Remember that when you add or subtract 5meters of line you are finding the true range in your kite. This will is a more fun way to ride as well as saving you a lot of time and money.

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Review Exercises

1. While riding, use both hands to pressure the center of the bar towards the back foot.

2. Use the set hand / land hand technique 20 times on each side of the wind clock.

3. Repeat step two, upon landing pressure the bar over the center line of the board.

Review Questions

Review 4.1 Steering

The more available arm strength a rider has

4. Count how many times you landed with the bar in the correct position.

5. Practice using core steering for 3 seconds every time your get over powered.

A. the easier kiteboarding will be.

B. the harder kiteboarding will be.

C. the greater the tendency to pull against power.

D. B and C

Check Answer

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Review 4.2 Steering

Review 4.3 Steering

1. Core steering does wonders to help riders

A. handle pass.

B. master the concept of counter balancing power.

C. park their kites.

D. all of the above

Check Answer

Riders should take time to get comfortable with core steering while

A. keeping their hands an inch or so away from the bar.

B. always being ready to steer.

C. in the harness D. all of the above.

Check Answer

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Review 4.4 Bar Control

When riders put their hands on the bar,

Review 4.5 Bar

Riders should pressure the bar

A. they should grab and pull.

A. down.

B. they should place open palms nearer the center of the

B. over the board’s center line.

bar.

C. they should hold with an underhanded grip.

D. they should panic

Check Answer

C. towards their toes to the bar.

D. all of the above.

Check Answer

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Review 4.7 Jumping

Review 4.6 Bar

On average in a 3 day course the Author of this book will ask his client to let go of the bar

A. a 1000 times B. twice C. 500 times D. a million times

Check Answer

Small controlled hops are a good way to

A. pick up speed B. check speed C. get hurt D. test the wind

Check Answer

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Chapter 5

Boosting and beyond...

Jumping, Looping, Grabs, Transitions and the Handle Pass made easy.

Boosting When a rider pressures against a rising kite, he will boost. Boosting is to kiteboarding what carving is to snowboarding. When approached with a solid base, the rider will feel more comfortable in the air than on the water.

On one hand kiting is so simple, a rising kite creates lift, a descending kite creates pulling power. The problems always come from oversteering the kite. The amount of steering required to boost is very little, surprisingly little.

I use a similar movement to open a desk drawer and boost. The ability to Park a kite is what separates average kiters from good kiters. Boosting is simple, notice the image to the left, as the kite approaches the apex, the

Given the right situation, kiteboarding is not a very difficult sport. Boosting is easy.

rider will experience LIFT, as the kite goes through the apex, the rider will

In fact, most kiteboarders mistake their way into their first jumps. They simply get

experience POP. Kiters simply manage LIFT, POP and PULL!

wound, edge hard and mistakenly move their kites up to the apex. That’s all it takes! Landing big air, on the other hand, requires more technique and timing.

When considering boosting, a rider should focus on landing tail-first

There are those kiteboarders who have tea-bagged their way directly out of the

downwind to reduce hard impact and certain injury.

sport, launching huge air only to repeatedly land testicle-first or so hard that they leave the water shorter and with rickety knees.

The keys to boosting are:

The easiest way to land big air is to do a thousand small jumps. The only

1. Load the kite.

difference between big air and a small jump is how hard the rider sets the kite.

2. Edge hard upwind.

3. Push the bar down.

4. Bring the kite up with the set hand.

5. Roll the shoulders forward.

6. Release the set hand.

7. Breathe.

8. Tuck.

9. Center the bar.

10. Land tail-first.

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Boosting Load it Generate board speed and then park the kite in the power hour.

Edge Hard

The Release Once airborne, the rider should release his set hand. Grip pressure alone in the land hand should steer the kite back into the power hour. If not, don’t hesitate to give a push with the set hand or put the set hand on the land hand side of

Drive the board upwind! This will set your board for the jump. Generally, a weaker set results in a low and fast jump. The deeper or more upwind the rider drives, the more vertical he’ll boost.

the bar.

Leverage

Once comfortable boosting, there is ample room for personal style. Often when

Increase leverage against the kite by pushing the bar down. This helps the

a rider is in the air, he feels quite natural. A rider less comfortable in the air

rider avoid being pulled in half. A rider whose bar is higher than his head

Breathe

should focus on breathing, or at least start by taking one breath, while

will have little or no success when boosting.

identifying a landing spot. Remember, flight is graceful; seldom will you ever

Set it

and better tricks, the ability to relax and breathe is often the key to soft

Create lift in the kite by pulling in with the set hand and pushing the equal

landings. Tension equals hard landings

amount with the land hand. The result will be lift. As the rider is in the air, he is either counterbalancing the kite’s power using the harness and his body weight, or he is holding the bar. Riders who are in the harness may simply take the set hand off the bar, allowing the natural tension in the land hand to steer the kite gently back into the power zone. Riders who do not let go of the set hand will not land softly.

The Roll If you’re not going forward, where are you going? The natural tendency is to move away from the pull during a jump. The rider should make sure that he is rolling his shoulders over the center line of the board!

see a bird in flight that doesn’t look comfortable. As a rider advances to bigger

The Tuck In kiteboarding, there is unlimited room for personal style at these levels. By crunching the stomach and bringing the knees to the chest, riders can counterbalance the power in the kite as one unit. If a rider does not tuck, he will probably get pulled into two centers of gravity, one above his harness and one below. Landing the jump from this position will be much more challenging. Big boosts require excellent counterbalance and ultra-sensitive steering. If a rider looses his counterbalance midair, his new balance points will become the dominant factor in steering the kite. This change of steering often results in a “snobberknocker” landing. All joking aside, riders who consistently miss their landings are probably headed for rehab.

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Center the Bar The bar has a center; the rider’s body has a center line. When boosting, it is important for the rider to match the center of the bar to the center line of his body. If the bar isn’t centered, the rider will get thrown off balance. When the rider sets the kite for power, he may pull the bar off center on the set

Gallery 5.1 Boosting

hand side. At some point during the jump, the bar has to be moved back to center. If not, the rider will lose his balance and crash land.

Landing tail first As the rider approaches the landing, he should tuck his back foot and direct the front foot downwind. This combination will provide a softer, more controlled landing.

Use the Wind Remember that to boost, riders need to first edge their board into the wind, once airborne, effectively the board is another wing. Most good riders show the bottom of the board to the wind. We get additional lift by facing the bottom of the board to the wind. Before we land, we turn the board down wind for a tail first, down wind landing.

Fight the Power Don’t...go with the power when jumping. The natural tendency is to resist pull, this will result in a crash landing. Go with the power for a soft landing.

Edge upwind, then set the kite 1 of 11

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Grabs

Method Grab

Once riders master the set hand / land hand technique, grabs and board-

The Method Grab involves grabbing the front of the board with the land

offs should become simple. Land hand pressure will bring the kite along the

hand. This grab starts the same as most jumps, the big difference is that

path it needs to travel while the set hand is free to grab the board.

the set hand controls the moves. The set hand brings the kite up and then

The bigger the boost, the more time riders will have to take the board off and put it back on.

riders need to push or apply positive steering to bring their kites back into the power hour.

The upwind board drag requires positive steering as does the Method Grab.

This is the point when we see who mastered the early exercises and who skated through them.

Unless riders have trained themselves to do so, pushing with the set hand is not natural. Most likely, riders grip pressure will bring the kite to the opposite power hour. Fortunately, the Method Grab can be landed on either Body position is important to consider when doing board-offs. Riders

side. Ultimately, the Method Grab is a good move when wanting to

should try to kick their legs either towards their land hand, or allow them to

transition from one power hour to another. Riders boost, square up to the

trail. Remember back to the core steering exercises, every time the body

power hour, grab the board, then transition and square to the other power

angle changes, the kite will react.

hour. This transition is best followed with a kite loop.

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Toe Side There’s no side like toe side! When riders face the wind, they are riding toe side. There are lots of ways to get to toe side. The easiest of which is to

The most important component to riding toe side is ability to push out power with the back foot. Use the back foot to control board speed. Focus on controlling the board with the back foot and the kite with the body (core). Again, it is important to go slowly when learning to go toe side.

simply pressure the back foot while using the front foot to point the tip of

Once comfortable, look upwind and try to square the shoulders and hips to

the board at the kite. At first, riders should simply try to ride down wind. By

the wind. Use the toes on the back foot for advanced edging. The further

doing this, riders will have less board speed then when edging against the

upwind you look, the steadier you’ll go! Again, work on squaring to the

kite. Feel free to switch from toe to heel side. Only time will bring comfort.

wind with the shoulders, hips and feet. Manage the kite with the body’s core and the lead hand. Many riders turn too sharply through the turn, resulting in slogging or a slow exit. Going towards the kite will make for a smoother turn.

As riders become more comfortable, they should start to kick it up a notch. One of the most impressive moves is the lay down turn or jibe. To do this, initiate the turn by moving the kite first. Riders need to go with the pull. They need to lean into the turn. Most riders miss this move because they leaned away from the turn.

So lean over the front foot strap and towards the kite. Follow the kite and start to lay your body down! Continue to push with the hand on the bar. As riders complete the turn, they should look upwind and continue to control the board with the back foot and the kite with the hand on the bar.

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Transitions A transition is an aerial maneuver resulting in a turn.

In this sequence, the rider is changing directions and landing toe side.

Consider for a moment the kite’s reaction if the rider does not release the set hand — the kite will continue through the apex of the wind window and into the opposite power zone. With basic technique, the rider can follow. In

When considering a transition, think through the bar movement required.

this example, he has initiated the jump going one way, transitioned, and

Simple jumps require the rider to edge against the kite and then pull in with

landed it going the other way. The set hand became the land hand.

the set hand. As riders leave the water, they need to let go with the set hand. The pressure in the land hand will bring the kite back into the power

Keys to completing transitions:

hour. All riders have to do then is land down wind.

1. Look to where you want to go.

Pictured below, the rider does just that while turning his body to toe side at

2. The kite will follow the set hand.

the apex of the jump. As the rider turns to toe side, his core will direct the kite back into the power hour.

3. Rotate the core.

Set it - Let it go - Flip to Toe - Land tail first down wind.

4. Flip the board.

5. Keep the bar centered.

6. Ride away down wind.

7. Land toe side.

8. Start small and review required bar movements before and after the transition.

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Kite Loop

Friction kills the power loop! In theory, power looping while air born is technically easier than power looping while in the water. In practice, power looping while in the air can be scary.

A power loop or kite loop is defined as the kite looping in a descending path through the back door of the wind window.

It is all about commitment. Pictured, Dimitri power loops while looping.

Notice that there is little or no tension in his body. He is simply rotating as

Traditionally, riders considered the power loop a major error. Generally the

he loops his kite. It sounds easy, but humans naturally carry a lot of

rider’s kite power looped because he let go of the bar with one hand while

tension in their arms and core. This tension will kill the move and provide a

out of the harness. He mistakenly pointed one end of the bar directly at the

jolting experience. When power looping, go with the pull and continue

kite, causing the kite to power loop. Results of an unintentional power loop

riding down wind after the loop.

are scary.

Times have changed! Riders have much more water time now and power looping is a prerequisite for advanced riders to do while they are looping (the rider loops as his kite power loops). Power loops are also basic to advanced wave riding and a needed tool for moves like transitions.

When power looping, commitment is everything! Make sure the board is pointed directly downwind. Pull with one hand and push with the other.

Don’t deviate or hesitate. As the kite travels the power loop path it will produce pulling power.

Accept this power by going downwind, and all will be well. The path of the power loop creates pulling power as it travels from one power hour, through the back door of the wind window, to the other power hour. Go with it or get stretched!

Rider Dimitri Maramenides Photo Bill Mielcke

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Spinning By the time riders get to the point of considering spinning and looping, they should be proficient in Set Hand Land Hand techniques. Reaching Grabbing and Pulling simply can not happen safely at this level. This technique can serve as a great aid when considering spinning and looping.

As long as riders look to where they want to go and release their set hand, they will go that way. If riders don’t release their set hand, they will get slammed back to the direction of the set hand. Again, as long as riders release their set hands and lead with their heads, all will be well. If the kite crashes to the Land Hand side of the wind window, the rider simply pulled too hard.

Practice Spin The practice spin is simple; it can be approached without the board.

Gallery 5.2 Spinning

Once in the water, while clearly outside the buffer zone, the rider parks the kite in the apex. Next, he moves the kite towards the preferred power hour.

The kite will then pull the rider. The rider should then pull in with his set hand and begin to look over his set shoulder in the direction he wishes to spin. The rider should release the set hand and continue to look at where he wants to go. The rider should spin towards the power in the kite because of the tension in his land hand. If the land hand is not doing the job, release the set hand and place it on the same side of the bar as the land hand.

The rider should look to where he wants to go, and his body will follow.

Once comfortable doing the warm up spin, try a small spin while on the board.

To do this, slow your board speed by edging upwind, set the kite, then roll the head and shoulders over the front foot strap.

Edge Upwind against a rising kite

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Pictured, the rider is spotting his landing while getting style points for a tail

Table Top

grab. As he rotates, he is focused on his landing. To land softly, he needs to come in tail first as he directs the control bar over the center line of his

The set hand / land hand technique is the

board. Notice in the second picture that the control bar is slightly out of

base to most tricks. Once riders release

place. He has time to direct the bar and his shoulders over the center line

the set hand, the land hand will bring the

for a soft landing.

kite to where it needs to be. The bigger the boost, the more tricks riders can do on the float. To do a table top, turn your back to the kite, square your body to the water.

Dead Man To execute a dead man, riders should swap board and head positions.

Height is an important component when doing the dead man.

Boost high, release the set hand, and kick the board up to the lines as you look back towards the water. Taking the hands off the So when spinning, always release the set hand, look for the landing and

bar is a strange sensation but obviously it is

direct the bar down and over the center line of the board.

an important part of this move. Once the hands are off the bar, look back towards the water as you arch your back. Make sure that the land hand comes back to the bar first. If you are splash landing, it is generally because the set hand is pulling on the bar. If this is happening, bring the set hand to the same side of the bar after release.

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Jump Start

Back Loop

The jump start begins on the beach, happens in the air and ends up on the

A spin is different from a loop. During a loop, the board travels higher

water. Once you have mastered the KITEs Method steering techniques, the

than the riders head. The spin generally happens fast, while a good loop

jump start is easy. Start by setting the kite, then push with the set hand, roll

happens slowly. Obviously, spins are prerequisites for looping.

the shoulders forward, let the legs trail. At the apex, put the board on, then land down wind.

Start the back loop by rolling your head to the tail of the board as you move the nose of the board directly toward the kite lines. Try to come

Start to finish, this move is controlled by the set hand and the angle of the

close to hitting the kite lines with the board. Your board and shoulders will

body. So those are the basic moves, now let’s kick it up a notch.

change positions. At this point, release the bar pressure and look upside down towards the water. As you see the water, bring the land hand back to the bar. The more vertically you spin, the slower the rotation; the less vertically you spin, the faster your rotation.

Rider Dimitri Maramenides Photo Bill Mielcke

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S spin to Blind

Handle Pass

Photographer Steeve Fons caught professional rider Dimitri Maramenides

The handle pass is one of the easiest tricks to learn for those who have

doing a S spin to Blind with a Handle pass. Dimitri took some time out to

multiple line lengths. Just attach the bar directly to the kite and start

explain the move.

“passing” the bar behind your back. Riders can learn a Handle Pass right

1. Keep the kite steady by putting your hands together on the bar.

2. Once you pop into the wind, pull a little with your back hand.

on the beach when using super short lines. The Handle Pass is very easy until you try in strong winds on full length lines. Take your time on different length lines to learn the moves and timing before trying this move fully powered. Below the rider shows the skill and grace behind the move.

3. Start rotating.

4. Immediately throw your body forward so there is no tension in the lines.

5. While you are in the air spinning spot your landing.

6. Pass the bar.

7. Land blind and continue riding down wind.

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Review Exercise

Review Questions

1. Use set set hand/land hand technique to do a rail grab.

2. For every hard landing, repeat step one 3 times.

3. Using 16 (+ or -) meter lines, power loop while riding.

4. Transition.

Review 5.1 Set Hand

The set hand is

5. Once comfortable repeat steps one through four.

A. the hand that brings the kite up B. the land hand C. the hand used for grabs D. A and C

Check Answer

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Review 5.2 Jumping

Review 5.3 Jumping

Landing big air requires

Riders should focus on landing

A. technique and timing.

A. hard.

B. good winds.

B. tail first to reduce hard impact.

C. gear.

C. nose first.

D. all of the above.

D. blind

Check Answer

Check Answer

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Review 5.4 Boosting

Review 5.5 Power Loop

The keys to boosting are

A power loop or kite loop is

A. load the kite.

A. too dangerous to try.

B. edge hard upwind.

B. a back loop.

C. bringing the kite up with the set hand.

C. a kite looping in a descending path through the back

D. all of the above.

D. a good way to launch

Check Answer

door of the wind window.

Check Answer

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Review 5.6 Handle Pass

The Handle Pass is

Review 5.7 Looping

When looping always

A. the easiest trick to learn

A. look to where you want to go

B. easy to learn on the beach

B. panic pull

C. easy on short lines

C. let go of the land hand

D. all of the above

D. all of the above

Check Answer

Check Answer

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Review 5.9 Grabs

Review 5.8 Toe Side

When learning to go toe side

Grabs are easy if riders

A. learn to jump

A. pull hard

B. look at the board

B. over steer

C. point the board at the kite

C. let go of the set hand

D. point the kite at the board

D. panic pull

Check Answer

Check Answer

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Chapter 6

Rigging Glossary

Most problems happen on the Launch or Exit.

Riders should take time to understand their gear by rigging wind or no wind.

Pumping it Up

Attaching Lines

No matter what river, ocean, lake, or snowfield the rider ventures to, he should put his back to the wind while holding one wing tip. Allow the wind to blow the kite downwind. Place the board on the upwind wing tip and pump the interior struts. The “stop” should activate as the pump is removed. If not, leave the pump in and squeeze off the stem, then remove the pump. There is no substitute for firmness!

As the wing takes shape, the rider should hold the leading edge and put his back to the wind. The wind will hit the rider and then the kite. The wing tips will point cross wind, this is the direction new riders attempt to travel. As

It does not matter if you are attaching lines together, to the kite or to the

the kite inflates, riders will begin to get an idea of wind direction and

bar, generally lines attach via a Larks Head Knot. Method ALL Lines also

strength.

attach to one another via the Larks Head knot the same knot used to attach lines to the kite and bar. Pictured above is an ALL Line, simply invert the line on itself to form a loop, then tighten the loop down on the knot.

Below, the rider is using the Method Universal Knot. Put the thumb and forefinger through the loop and invert it, this will make a lark’s head knot.

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Angle of Attack Control lines attach to the outside or trailing edge of the kite, center lines

Obviously, Multiple Line Lengths (MLL) are the easiest way to adjust for

attach to the bridles on the inside of the kite.

strong winds, but Multiple Attachment Points are the next simplest way. The

Attach the lines to the kite without disturbing the bar if you can. When attaching the bar directly to the kite start from behind the kite. Once

further away from the trailing edge riders attach their control lines, the less angle of attach the kite will have.

attached, pull the lark’s head knot tight. Pick up the Control line, look for

By decreasing the angle of attach, riders are effectively decreasing power in

‘Clear Line of Sight’ from the bar to the kite’s bridle. Make sure that there

the kite.

are no lines are crossing this line. Again, attach the Control lines first, then attach the Center Lines. Mistakes will happen, this is why we are not using 25 meter lines.

When riders attach their lines closer to the kite’s leading edge, they will decrease the Angle of Attack. The left side of the image shows a kite with the least angle of attack, the right side of the image shows a kite with the most angle of attack. More angle of attack will allow more wind into the kite, a slower moving kite with power. Less angle of attack allows less wind through the kite. Have fun with settings, they do provide riders the ability to make small changes in the Angle of Attack.

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The Bar

Trim or Depower Strap Without a doubt, the depower strap is the most under used piece of equipment in kiteboarding. Few entry level riders pull in on it to depower.

Even less hook into it when extremely over powered. The depower strap is not designed with this in mind, so riders reconfigure it so that when they’re extremely over powered, they can hook into it. Every rider will get extremely over powered at some point, those who have the training to reach up and pull or hook into their depower strap will experience considerable decrease in the kite’s AOA, allowing them to comfortably get back to their board or kill the power in their kites.

Most good riders ‘trim’ their kite by reaching up and pulling on the depower or trim strap.

Travel The amount the bar moves along the trim loop line is the travel. This line is adjustable via a bowline knot at the base of the trim strap. The length of the line determines how much depower riders will have. We call it ‘thow’. The length of the line should be just past the riders finger tips. More advanced riders generally have less ‘throw’. Good riders constantly move their bars along the trim line to increase power or decrease power. As the bar moves closer to the kite, the rider is decreasing the Kite’s Angle of Attack and decreasing power. As the rider pulls in on the bar, the rider should expect more power or a stalling kite, depending on the wind.

This line is generally adjustable via a larks head knot.

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KITEs Adjustable Line Lengths (ALL)

Method ALL Kite

In reality, this sport is all about the length and speed of the stroke. When

The ALL Kite comes with three sets of lines, 15 meter lines and two sets of 5

riders learn the kite first and then add additional line, they end up with a

meter lines. It is simple, 5’s + 5’s plus 15’s create a combination of 6 kites:

much deeper understanding of stroke as it relates to kite power. Riders also learn how to handle their gear and how to attach lines correctly and

1 = bar directly to kite - great for pre-waterstart teaching

verify. This may sound simple, and it is through repetition. Conversely, to

2 = kite on 5‘s great for giving new riders a “taste” of the power and

think that someone can read a book or take one lesson and then go out

learning how to Park and edge in a fun safe way.

and rig up their kite on full length lines is just risky...it happens, but often it does not end well. It takes time, repetition and constant discovery to become a good kiteboarder.

Unfortunately, this concept is lost on many in our industry. It is standard to sell kites with 24-28 meter lines (full length lines). These lines are the

3 = kite on 10’s (5‘s plus 5’s) Super for teaching kite control and waterstarts 4 = Kite on 15‘s great for riding and upwind riding and especially good for wave riding in strong winds 5 = kite on 20’s (15’s+5’s) Super for strong wind or powered riding.

equivalent in height of a ten story building. As a result, every kite is set up for maximum power! This is absolutely, positively the biggest mistake in

6 = kite on 25‘s Great for light winds, competitions or extreme air!

kiteboarding, yet manufacturers and instructors continue to sell and teach on these line lengths.

Riders who closely follow the KITEs Method can constantly reevaluate themselves. As they self-launch, self-exit, and Upwind Board-drag on their own, they are learning and earning the right to use longer lines. Remember that line length is a strategic choice that affects the rest of your riding.

“When in doubt, check it out” on the KITEs Method adjustable line

lengths. Don’t go to the beach without them!

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Kite Power

A “stroke” brings the kite from one power hour to the other. Multiple strokes radically increase pull. Parking the kite is the true discipline in kiteboarding.

When estimating what we’ll call “kite power,” riders should consider the size of the kite, the length of the line, the speed of the stroke, and the area traveled.

Kites don’t actually produce power, but for simplicity and conformity, we’ll call the kite’s pull “power.”

Riders usually discover the hard way that oversteering causes the kite to pull harder for longer. Oversteering is the norm, parking the kite takes experience and technique.

Speed of Stroke

The strength of the wind is a constant for all riders, the variables include:

In boxing they say speed kills. In kiteboarding, the same is true. Imagine - Size of the kite - Length of the line

punching a bag at different speeds using the same punch, just at different speeds. Another dirty little secret in kiteboarding is that in good winds, expert riders don’t move their kites much. When they do move them, they

- Area traveled

do it slowly unless doing a jump or trick.

- Speed of stroke

All riders should understand the chaos involved when entry level riders

When riders show up at the beach and ask other riders “What size kite were you on?” The answer is 25% of the equation. The speed, length of line and area traveled make up the rest of the equation. For now, let’s talk about area traveled and speed. These crucial power factors are often overlooked.

attempt to learn on full length lines. They are going to make steering mistakes and those mistakes will cause the kite to move quickly over a big area resulting in tea bagging. Tea bagging is a life changing experience unique to kiting.

Area traveled Expert riders move their kites very little as opposed to entry level riders who mistakenly move their kites a lot. Simply moving the kite from the power hour through the apex will produce considerable lift unless the lines are short and the kite is small. As a kite travels through the apex, riders should expect extra POP. However, the extra POP that occurs when a kite travels through the apex multiple times separates kiting from all other sports. The result is repeated POP and down wind movement.

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Walking Lines Kiteboarding can be a simple sport. In fact, all kiteboarders repeat the same

When walking the lines, riders should exercise patience. At no time should

basic pattern. We rig up, launch, go out, transition and return. That’s it! So

line tension move the bar. Twists happen! When twists in the lines get too

rather than waiting for a windy day to walk and connect the lines, let’s get

close to the body, simply stop walking and work the twists away from the

down to business now.

body by stroking the twists with the thumb and fingers. Again, do not use

Most bars and lines come attached together in a set. Start by laying out the lines. Make sure 4 lines flake off the bar. Once the lines are off the bar, step

the fingers to separate lines! Continue to walk the lines until their end, then drop the centerlines and spread the control lines wide.

over the bar and between the Control lines. The Center lines will be between the rider’s legs and the control lines will be outside of the legs.

Riders should hold all 4 lines between the thumb and forefingers of both hands. Again, the rider’s body is separating the lines, not the hands. The hands act as ‘feeders’, the legs separate the lines. Again, the center lines between the legs, the red control line to the left and blue control line to the right. In every one of my classes, riders don’t get this and I repeat over and over that the HANDS feed the lines, the BODY separates the lines.

It is easy to check that the lines are connected correctly without launching the kite. The Red control line connects from the red side of the bar to trailing edge of the kite (red side).

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Chapter 7

Safety Systems

This is the most important skill set in kite boarding.

In kite boarding there are no Tap Outs, Referees, or Time Outs. Riders have to know how to depower their kites before the pressure situation gets radical!

Safety Systems

5th Line System

Manufacturers have made fantastic developments in safety systems.

The 1st/5th line safety system has become increasingly popular as riders

However, these advancements are worthless until the rider trains his mind

can depower their kites in a much narrower corridor than with the traditional

and muscles to anticipate situations and take appropriate action to

asymmetric depower system (ADS). This system is also much easier on the

depower the kite. This teaching system is all about training the rider’s mind

kite. Rather than opening up and bending in the middle, the kite falls leading

and muscles to do just that. If a rider can maintain composure and take the

edge forward into the downed position.

appropriate action, he will make kiteboarding considerably safer. If he doesn’t, no safety system will save him!

The speed at which bad things happen is too fast for slow reaction, hesitation, or bad technique. The rider has to be able to anticipate, move quickly towards the power, and take the appropriate action to survive in this sport.

There are two general type of depower systems: Asymmetric depower system or 5th line system Asymmetric Depower Once riders activated their AD systems, the race is on. They have to get to the kite’s leading edge to neutralize what is often a very active kite. In this system riders effectively have one short line and three lines with no tension.

No matter which system riders use, they should know it well. Killing or depowering a kite is very easy after riders practice it. If riders don’t practice depowering or killing the kite, they will not be able to do it in a real time pressure situation. It is easy to kill the kite and self exit...here we go..

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ABC’s of depowering The following is an outline of six techniques (ABCs) to depower the kite.

Before riders launch their kites, they need to have a solid understanding of the ABCs as they relate to their gear.

Riders need to decide exactly how, when and where they are going to depower the kite before they are in a pressure situation. Pressure situations will happen, and riders will either be trained or get sprained.

1) Assisted Landing

4) Climb (advanced only)

Bring the kite down to the water and walk it to your kite bro. Kites will walk

Climb up one line to depower the kite. As the rider climbs up one line he will

on the water as long as the rider continues to move with the kite.

2) Bar Release

depower the kite. This is a Pass/Fail technique. Of all the Pass/Fail techniques in my teaching system, this is the one that is most often failed. It is easy as long as the rider stays upwind of the kite and board as he quickly climbs up one line.

Often, riders get tangled in their line with devastating results. We will go over this

Come out of the harness and let go of the bar. This sounds simple, but most kiteboarding fatalities happen because the rider got into a pressure situation and then thought of depowering. When it doubt, come out of the harness and let go of the bar.

3) Custom Release There are many different types of safety systems. Some riders manufacture their own. No matter what system you have, make sure that you can activate your custom release. Intuitively, humans move away from power in

technique in greater detail in the Self-Exit section.

5) Cut If you don’t have a kite knife you will never be able to cut the lines. Most riders will never have to cut their lines, but if lines wrap around you and the kite powers, there is little choice but to cut’em! Riders should therefore always carry a kite.

Below, Pele the dog demonstrates the cutting technique.

6) Ditch It

pressure situations. This can be a deadly mistake in kiteboarding. The rider

When your life is in danger, and you have exhausted all other choices, you should

needs to train himself to go towards the power as he is activating his

ditch your kite. You may save your life but be aware that you will endanger others.

custom release.

There is a difference between ditching your kite when your life is in danger and chucking it because you missed a move and didn’t want to hang on. No one has ever been killed by a ditched kite. Ditching your kite is a last resort!

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Most kiters realize that they have a Custom release, but they never spent any time using it or learning it. Look, news riders do not need wind to get to know their Custom Release! Take time to understand how it works and when we use it. Don’t wait for a pressure situation to start to understand the Custom Release and the Self Exit.

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Self Exit Riders should get comfortable with their gear before they get into the heat,

The race is on! If the rider gets to the kite before it gets to the beach he

weather and action. Just to be clear, we are not advocating flying the kite in

wins the race. There is no advantage in being an anchor against the kite

your back yard. Rather, simply become familiar moving up one line from the

when climbing up one line. The rider should propel himself toward the kite

board to the kite.

while consciously keeping upwind of the bar, board and kite. Given the opportunity, the kite and board will drift downwind.

Kill it Again, the rider must avoid the lines by propelling himself slightly upwind.

1. While the rider remains outside his buffer zone, he should bring the kite to the apex and activate his custom release to depower the kite. Immediately the kite

Once the rider reaches his kite he should exit the water, or if away from the

should depower.

shore, self rescue. This is a pass/fail technique. If you can’t do it, you fail!

2. Upon depowering the kite, the rider should attach his kite leash (safety) to his board and climb up it until reaching the center of the leading edge.

3. Climb up the safety line until reaching the kite. This sounds easy, but many riders fail to take the wind, current, and their proximity to the lines into account.

Most of those who fail the self exit do so because they never allowed the board and lines to drift down wind, rather, they got wrapped in the lines. Avoid getting tangled in the lines by moving upwind of the bar and board while climbing up the safety line.

Once riders get to the beach, they need to focus on one thing, that is getting every thing above the high water mark. Often times riders will self exit correctly, but they fail to get the bar out of the shore break. By the time they get to it, it’s tangled in the lines.

Remember, the board is attached to the safety line. As the rider walks with the kite, the bar and board will follow. Once everything is above the high water mark, put the kite into the down position.

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Chapter 8

Wind, Water and Kite Beach Dominican Republic

Trades, Lows, Fronts Maps and more!

Understanding the water Wind and Water are the two most powerful things on this planet. With that said, they are very simple ‘forces’. A strong wind from the North East is just

Riders need time to acclimate to the new surroundings as well as take in the water, beach, effects of heat and surrounding terrain.

KITEs Method Warm Up

that. Wind generally comes from one direction and Water will show signs of

One out of a thousand people who read this book will email me and tell me

what is happening above and below the surface.

that the KITEs Warm Up does not work in big shore break.

Watermen just need a quick look at the Horizon to determine what is

I always reply the same

happening. With just one look, they see movement on the water, breaking waves, current (waves moving back out to sea) as well as clouds and the effects from clouds.

Often, the seasoned waterman sits motionless at the ocean’s edge studying the elements as the city guy abruptly approaches and asks “what are you looking at?” The waterman, maintaining concentration, briefly replies “just

“...of course it does” and they tell me “no, I tried and got pounded by the surf.”

I reply “exactly, you got your first lesson on Shore Break, a place where you don’t want to try to learn to kite!”

checking it out.” The city guy gives a look for a New York minute at the guy,

They always tell me that I should write it in the book. What riders need to

and the water. Perhaps he acknowledges the sky before leaving with the

understand is that they need to educate themselves on Where, What and

impression that watermen are slow, somewhat dense, and probably lazy.

How they plan to ride the wind and water. The KITEs Method Warm Up will

There might be some truth to that, but more often the reality is that the

help them learn in a fun safe way, but there is no way someone can read a

advanced waterman is seeing much more then sun, sky, and water.

book that covers everything they need to know about wind and water. New

Often the advanced kiteboarder is settled into the moment and working to identify the waves, wind, and ocean currents. I look at the Ocean every

riders need to swim and walk the areas they plan on kiting as well as checking their spots during different wind conditions.

morning. In a snap shot I see the waves coming in, I see the water leaving

Most of all new riders should use the Warm Up to learn about ride areas,

out of the channel the effects of wind or lack of wind and what is happening

entries and exits. Here are some things to look out for.

in the sky.

When riders travel to different parts of the world to kiteboard, walking, swimming, and jogging the extended ride area should accompany this process.

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What’s in the Water?

Piers

River mouths The area where land water flows to the ocean. The flow of rich nutrients

Manmade structures extending perpendicularly from the shore. Often piers are home to a fishing culture far older than that of surfing and kiteboarding.

Live bait, fishing weights, big “J” hooks and a seemingly endless supply of Budweiser combined with hot sun and generally poor fishing make piers places kiteboarders need not venture.

provide a breeding ground for marine life, which often is referred to as the

Waves

shark’s buffet line. Often dry river mouths are overlooked, but they offer as

Area of breaking water

many serious considerations as those free flowing. Life after the industrial revolution poses serious health threats to riders being tea bagged near any

Swell

Cliffs

Wind waves that have moved out of their “fetch” or wind generation area.

These waves exhibit a regular and longer period than wind waves that have not moved out of their fetch area.

Land rising suddenly from the seashore. Cliffs not only alter wind, they

Seals

tributary. River mouths may often be considered high-risk areas.

produce additional wind phenomena.

Jetties Rock out croppings extending in a perpendicular direction from shore.

Often lining the entrance of harbor mouths.

Harbors Safe moorings for boats and ships. Generally, on the leeward sides of islands, and inside tributaries.

Generally found in cold deep water. Seals are the staple diet of Great White Sharks. Again, there is mixed debate as to weather it is better to ride around areas with seals as opposed to areas where seals used to be.

Coral heads A cauliflower shaped head of living organisms and rock. These mushroom outcroppings often surprise a rider who is under the impression that he is in fairly deep water. Collisions generally result in open wounds teeming with newly deposited microorganisms. Coral cuts require experienced medical attention.

Shipping lanes

Sand Bars

The highways of the sea, traveled by all boats some as large as cities. Many

Areas of sand that comes close to the surface of the water. Sand bars are places advanced riders are known to frequent.

of today’s larger boats may require three miles in order to come to a stop.

Buoys generally mark lanes.

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Kite Beach, Dominican Republic So what makes for good kiting? The author of this book settled on Kite Beach, Dominican Republic. He has developed the Method Lodge, a small Kite-SUP-Surf Camp.

Kite beach is 18 degrees North of the Equator. This puts it in the direct path

Q. What is the windiest time?

A. Summer, June, July and August. January and February have the most storms resulting in the least number of days of wind.

Q. Is Kite Beach the same as Cabarete?

of the Trade Winds.

A. No they are different towns and much different wind.

Trade winds are generally solar driven which means that later in the day is

The town of Kite Beach is next to (West) of Cabarete. Although they are side

better riding and more times then not, the wind cranks after 4pm.

by side, they are very different.

This leaves riders plenty of time to catch some morning surf or re-cooperate

1. Cabarete Bay is a natural wind shadow, a great place to dine and drink

after a night of reggaeton (Latin Reggae/Hip Hop).

on the beach because it faces North West.

Generally the day's heat rises and cool trade winds fill in providing side on-

2. Trade Winds come from the North East, so when you are in Cabarete you

shore winds of 20 knots. These same trade winds push water onto a well

basically have your back to the wind, the land, trees and buildings offer

defined outer reef, providing riders with chest to head high waves, flat water

shelter.

inside and rolling blue water swells on the outside.

When the trade winds fill in, there is no shortage of good riding!

Q. Why is there no wind?

A. Fronts or tropical lows disrupt the High Pressure. When this happens, the chance of good wind decreases. With that said...don't give up on wind at Kite Beach...be available from 3pm-7pm these 4 hours usually rock!

Q. How many days of wind are there on Kite Beach, Cabarete.

A. 200 strong trade wind days. 65 ride-able light trade or days. 50 North West or Clearing wind Days. 50 no wind days.

3. Wind shadows are just that, places the wind does not reach.

4. Wind shadows are not generally where wind sports take place Kite Beach/ Punta Goleta 1. Kite beach is a North East facing beach/point (Punta Goleta) 2. Kite Beach bears the full brunt of the trade winds 3. Kite Beach is a "shelf" downwind of a "point", Punta Goleta. Punta or Point is just that, a point that receives a lot of weather.

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Understanding Wind A kite at the apex of the wind window is often 30 meters or 110 feet in the air. That is the height of a ten story building! Riders should not consider that they are holding a powered kite; rather, they should imagine that they are holding a hook into the atmosphere. The rider is the anchor to that hook.

Good Wind

Tropics Twenty-knot trade winds, head high surf, and seventy-degree temperatures make for great riding experiences! Trade winds are easterly-blowing winds that are found on either side of the equator and blow northeasterly in the northern hemisphere and southeasterly in the southern hemisphere. Trades occur when classic high pressure dominates the area.

The warm water and tropical trade winds provide endless riding north and

Side-shore winds in the form of clearing winds, trade winds, sea breezes, or

south of the doldrums to 23 degrees off the equator. When trades or sea

any number of other wind combinations of a constant fifteen, twenty, or

breezes kick in, so does great riding. Advancing low-pressure systems

twenty- five knots in strength is the preferred wind riders like to see upon

change wind as well as produce surf.

arrival at the beach. Obviously, winds change, but often enough the expert rider can capture a window of weather that provides constant wind strength to ride. Expert riders live a life of weather predictions in order to capture window after window of perfect weather in which to ride.

A snowboarder rides when there is snow. No snow, no ride. A kiter rides wind, no wind, no ride. The more time the rider has to spend, the more opportunity for the rider to capture perfect windows of weather.

Expert riders have professional gear and weather knowledge. They run the Simple Plan at a swift pace allowing them to steal sessions almost daily.

The big investment entry level riders make when learning to kiteboard is the time to train and learn how to determine the dynamics of our atmosphere as they relate to good riding! When considering where to ride, I look first to the tropical areas, then to the subtropical areas, and then to the temperate (cold) areas.

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Below is the “big map” of the Caribbean and North Atlantic. In the photo

Sub-tropics

below, a Low Pressure System moved off the East Coast of the United States. This low blocked or pushed the Bermuda High Pressure System out

The area between the temperate zones and the tropical zones. Generally an

of the area. The result was no wind for Kite Beach and strong ‘clearing

area from 23-35 degrees off the equator. Outside the tropics I look to the

winds‘ for North America’s East Coast. As the Low Pressure System clears

subtropics for strong sea breezes or the strong clearing winds caused by

the area, swell rolled onto the shores of the Bahamas, Dominican Republic

the passage of cold fronts. The sub-tropical areas are those that experience

and the North facing shores of the other Caribbean Islands.

tropical conditions at some point during the year.

Sea Breezes

Interactive 8.1 North Atlantic Map

Coastal breezes that blow from sea to land. They are caused by warm air rising over land and being replaced by cooler air from over the sea. Sea breezes can make for great learning and fun riding as long as they are not blowing directly onshore. Riders need to understand that onshore sea breezes may spell disaster for the under-trained rider because of the difficulty of getting off the beach. Again, the UBD in the KITEs Method makes onshore winds easier for coaches and riders. Once again, riding and civilization are best separated by at least two kite lengths. The more side-

Low Pressure System

shore the sea breeze the more better!

Clearing winds In the northern hemisphere, winds ahead of the front will generally be

Kite Beach

southerly and shift to northerly with frontal passage. The northerly clearing winds are often powerful winds that provide great ride potential!

Mountain winds Mountain regions display many different weather patterns. One example is the valley wind, which originates on south-facing slopes (north-facing in the southern hemisphere). When the slopes and the neighboring air are heated, 119

the density of the air decreases, and the air ascends towards the top

A kiteboarder’s understanding of the atmosphere should be a constantly

following the surface of the slope. At night, the wind direction is reversed,

evolving one. Listening to a weather report or rigging “what that other guy

and turns into a down slope wind. If the valley floor is sloped, the air may

did” does not adequately inform him for the day’s kiteboarding. The rider

move down or up the valley as a canyon wind. Winds flowing down the

should use information available in addition to absorbing the information the

leeward sides of mountains can be quite powerful. Examples include the

sky and water are giving him. Riders should take a slow approach, build

Foehn in the Alps in Europe, the Chinook in the Rocky Mountains, and the

their weather experience daily and embrace the unexpected. Challenge the

Zonda in the Andes. Examples of other local wind systems are the Mistral

words and the numbers of the reports, i.e. “There is a 20% chance of rain

flowing down the Rhone valley into the Mediterranean Sea and the

today.” What does that mean? Does it mean that there is an 80% chance it

Siroccos, a southerly wind blowing from the Sahara into the Mediterranean

won’t rain on you today? Surprisingly enough, it means that there is a 100%

Sea.

chance that it will rain in 20% of the coverage area. Interpretation is key in kiteboarding!

Watch everything when analyzing weather: trees, blowing sand, movement

Temperate

on the horizon, and my favorite weather sources.

Temperate areas extend above 35 degrees from the equator to the polar

A big advancement in safe riding is having access to real time weather

regions. In these areas there are four distinct seasons. The majority of the

services like ikitesurf.com. They provide high quality, reliable short range

northern hemisphere’s population resides in these areas. In temperate

forecasts and real time data in the Western Hemisphere.

areas, sea breezes happen in hot summer and clearing winds occur in the spring, fall and winter. These types of winds provide very different wind

Kiteboarders chase wind. Be safer and save time by having access to an

conditions. Often, good riding can be had in the summer extending to the

iKitesurf.com sensor at your beach. It will help you catch the onset of the

late fall. In the winter, it is time to strap on the snowboard and explore the

first sea breeze, or see exactly when the pressure gradient tightens ahead

frozen world of kiteboarding or pack up and head for the tropics! The

of a front and the winds start to crank.

temperate zones have historically been excluded as good ride areas where water sports were concerned. Clearing winds aren’t consistent enough for windsurfing, and sea breezes junk up the surf and are of little use for windsurfing. Kiteboarding should change that because a simple sea breeze can make for some really fun riding; add waves and the rider is styling!

Amazingly, ikitesurf.com offers bar graphs like these as downloads to your phone. Technology has changed things a lot. Mainly, these type services end up being huge time savers. They also help new riders get up to speed quickly.

120

Extra tropical low A low-pressure center that refers to a migratory frontal cyclone of middle and higher latitudes. Tropical cyclones occasionally evolve into extra tropical lows losing tropical characteristics and become associated with frontal discontinuity. The term “NEW” may be used in lieu of a forecast track position of a high or low pressure center when the center is expected to form by a specific time. For example, a surface analysis may depict a 24hour position of a new low pressure center with an “X” at the 24-hour Heat is a crucial element to wind, riders can study these bar graphs as they

position followed by the term “NEW”, the date and time in UTC which

relate to the day’s heat and learn a tremendous amount about weather

indicates the low is expected to form by 24 hours.

predictions.

Rapidly intensifying The better riders can predict the wind, the more sessions they’ll catch.

Indicates an expected rapid intensification of a cyclone with surface

Missing a window of weather is costly as well as disappointing.

pressure expected to fall by at least 24mb within 24 hours.

Key Weather Terms and Symbols

Squall A sudden wind increase characterized by a duration of minutes and

Low pressure

followed by a sudden decrease in winds.

An area of low pressure is identified by counterclockwise circulation in the

Complex gale/storm

northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere. Also, defined as a cyclone. Low pressure with a number such as 99 means 999 millibars (mb) and with 03 means1003 millibars.

High pressure

An area in which gale/storm-force winds are forecast or are occurring, but in which more than one center is generating these winds.

Tropical cyclone A non-frontal, warm-core, low-pressure system of synoptic scale,

An area of higher pressure is identified by a clockwise circulation in the

developing over tropical or subtropical waters with definite organized

northern hemisphere and a counterclockwise circulation in the southern

convection (thunderstorms) and a well-defined surface wind circulation.

hemisphere. Also, defined as an anticyclone. High pressure with a number such as 25 means 1025 mb.

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Tropical depression

Ridge

A tropical cyclone with one or more closed isobars and a one minute

An elongated area of relatively high pressure that is typically associated with

maximum sustained surface wind of less than 34 knots (39 mph).

an anticyclone wind shift.

Tropical storm

Stationary front

A tropical cyclone with closed isobars and a one-minute maximum sustained surface wind of 34 knots (39 mph) to 63 knots (73 mph).

Typhoon

A front that has not moved appreciably from its previously analyzed position.

Trough An elongated area of relatively low pressure that is typically associated with

Same as a hurricane with exception of geographical area. A tropical cyclone

a cyclonic wind shift.

with closed contours, a strong and very pronounced circulation, and one minute maximum sustained surface winds of 64 knots (74 mph) or greater. A

Warm front

system is defined as a typhoon over the North Pacific west of the dateline.

The leading edge of a relatively warmer surface air mass which separates

FRONTS Front genesis

two distinctly different air masses. The gradients of temperature and moisture are maximized in the frontal zone. Ahead of a typical warm front in the northern hemisphere, winds are from the southeast, and behind the front winds will shift to the southwest.

The formation of a front occurs when two adjacent air masses with different densities and temperatures meet and strengthen the discontinuity between the air masses. It occurs most frequently over continental land areas, such as the Eastern US, when the air mass moves out over the ocean.

Cold front The leading edge of a relatively colder air mass that separates two air masses in which the gradients of temperature and moisture are maximized.

In the northern hemisphere, winds ahead of the front will be southwest and shift to the northwest with frontal passage.

Source: www.noaa.gov 122

Special Thanks to: Riders #1 KITEs Warm Up and Upwind Board Drag - Sierra Dancer Rider #2 Upwind Board Drag, Board Positions - Tonisha Photographers: Lee Guthrie http://leeguthriephotography.com Photos of Board Handling, Riding and Boosting Illustrations: Dave Misconish dave@misconish.com Video Intro: Robert Novoselic http://www.facebook.com/robert.novoselic.5? ref=ts&fref=ts Copyright KITEs Method 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means with out permission from the Author, John J. Holzhall and the KITEs Method.

methodlodge.com

123

Adjustable Travel A stopper knob above the control bar which limits the distance the bar can travel.

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Advisory Official information issued by tropical cyclone warning centers describing all tropical cyclone watches and warnings in effect along with details concerning tropical cyclone locations, intensity and movement, and precautions that should be taken. Advisories are also issued to describe: (a) tropical cyclones prior to issuance of watches and warnings and (b) subtropical cyclones.

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Ahi (HI) Yellow fin tuna

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Air The mixture of gases that make up the earth’s atmosphere.

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Air launch A kite flying from the kite launcher’s hand into the air.

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Air mass A large body of air that has similar temperature and moisture characteristics.

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Air speed Speed of air flowing over the kite.

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Akamai (HI) Smart, in a clever way.

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Anabatic Wind flowing up an incline, such as up a hillside; upslope wind.

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Anemometer An instrument used to measure wind speed.

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Angle of attack (AOA) Relative angle of kite to air flow.

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Angular momentum The energy of motion of a spinning body or mass of air or water.

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Angular speed This speed describes how long the kite needs to describe an angle in the wind window.

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Angular velocity The rate at which a spinning body rotates.

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Anticyclone A body of air in which the atmospheric pressure is higher than the pressure in the surrounding air; a high or high pressure area. Describes the movement of air around a high pressure; and rotation about the local vertical opposite the earth’s rotation.

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Apex The Top of the wind window. Also called 12 o’clock.

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Chapter 1 - It’s not about the Kite!

Apparent air speed

When kite is moving through the air from high point to low point increasing the speed of the kite.

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Apparent wind In kiting, apparent wind is the actual flow of air acting upon a kite.

Example, You are sitting on a bicycle on a day when there is no wind, the wind speed is zero. As you you will feel a breeze on the bicycle due to the fact that you are moving through the air. This is the apparent wind. On the windless day, the apparent wind will always be directly in front and equal in speed to the speed of the bicycle.

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Chapter 1 - It’s not about the Kite!

Arctic air A mass of very cold, dry air that usually originates over the Arctic Ocean north of Canada and Alaska.

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Arctic high A very cold high pressure that originates over the Arctic Ocean.

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ASOS The Automated Surface Observation System.This system observes sky condition, weather, temperature, dew point, wind direction and speed, pressure and precipitation.

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Aspect ratio

Measurement of the wingspan divided by the width of the wing.

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Asymmetric board Board designed with two different rails. The difference of design is intended to help to tack better or dig in the rail better when overpowered.

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Atmosphere The mass of air surrounding the earth and bound to it more or less permanently by the earth’s gravitational attraction.

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B Back loop To jump and turn 360 degrees against the direction of travel, during which the board is higher than the rider’s head.

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Back door The area below the apex where a kite travels during a power loop. On the wind clock this area is between ten o’clock and two o’clock opposite apex.

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Back loop To jump and turn 360 degrees against the direction of travel, during which the board is higher than the rider’s head.

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Back-side See toe side.

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Backwards launch See reverse launch.

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Bail out To abort a wave or jump.

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Balanced aspect ratio A middle ground between high and low aspect ratios.

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Bar 1. The control device used in kiteboarding. 2. An obstacle formed at the shallow entrance at the mouth of a river or bay that empties into the ocean. 3. A spot where alcoholics hang out.

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Barometer An instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure.

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Beach troll Drug addicts who live in the bush near the beach.

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Beaufort Scale A scale that indicates the wind speed using the effect wind has on certain familiar objects.

Generally used in Europe. Virtually unused among kiteboarders in the US. Beaufort Scale 0 Calm Sea like a mirror, smoke rises vertically 1 Light air Ripples with appearance of scales are formed but without foam crests. Wind direction shown by smoke drift but not by wind vanes 1 to 3.

2 Light breeze Small wavelets, still short but more pronounced. Crests have a glassy appearance and do not break Wind felt on face; leaves rustle; ordinary vane moved by wind 4 to 6.

3 Gentle breeze Large wavelets. Crests begin to break. Foam of glassy appearance. Perhaps scattered white horses, leaves and small twigs in constant motion. Wind extends light flags 7 to 10.

4 Moderate breeze Small waves becoming longer; fairly frequent white horses, raises dust and loose paper; small branches are moved 11 to 16.

5 Fresh breeze Moderate waves, taking more pronounced long form; many white horses are formed.

Chance of some spray, small trees in leaf begin to sway. Crested wavelets form on inland waters 17 to 21.

6 Strong breeze Large waves begin to form; white foam-crests are more extensive everywhere. Probably some spray, large branches in motion; whistling heard in telephone wires, umbrellas used with difficulty 22 to 27.

7 Near gale Sea heaps up and white foam from breaking waves begin to be blown in, streaks along the direction of the wind, whole trees in motion; inconvenience felt when walking against wind 28 to 33.

8 Gale Moderately high waves of greater length; edges of crests begin to break into spindrift.

Breaks twigs off trees; generally impedes progress 34 to 40. The foam is blown in wellmarked streaks along the direction of the wind.

9 Severe gale High waves. Dense streaks of foam along the direction of the wind crests. Waves begin to topple, tumble and roll over. Spray may affect visibility. Slight structural damage occurs (chimney pots and slates removed) 41 to 47.

10 Storm Very high waves with long overhanging crest. Resulting foam in great patches is blown in dense streaks along the direction of the wind. Whole surface takes on a white appearance.

Tumbling of sea becomes heavy and shock-like. Visibility affected. Seldom experienced inland. Trees uprooted; considerable structural damage occurs 48 to 55.

Copyright Scout Notebook - 2001

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Beef (HI) To throw blows, to fight.

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Betty An anachronism used to describe an active beach girl; Beach’en, Electric, Titillating, Tan, Yumster.

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Bindings Wakeboard/snowboard style boots, that attaches the rider’s feet to the board.

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Bitchin’ Really good.

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Blind To ride with your back to the kite.

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Board recoil Over-tensioning of the leg leash resulting in board-body contact.

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Board speed Speed of the board through the water.

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Body roll The act of full body spinning to untwist kite lines.

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Body-drag Being pulled trough the water by a traction kite without a board.

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Bone Yard A reef which either shows or is just below the surface of the water. Often causing riders to crash and make a skin and bone deposit on the reef.

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Booties Footwear that functions on the water as well as on the reef and beach. Generally made of neoprene.

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Bowline knot An adjustable knot used in kiteboarding to attach the trim line to the power strap.

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Bra (Hi) A ride buddy

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Bridle The internal lines of the kite, which attach the kite lines to the kite.

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Bridle fitting A line extending from the bridle that connects the kite lines to the bridles or kite.

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Bro (Ca) A ride buddy.

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Broken clouds Opaque clouds that cover 6/10ths to 9/10ths of the sky.

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Buffer zone An area or distance maintained between a rider and an obstacle. Generally two times the length of the kite lines.

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Burly Big and ugly, usually used to describe conditions or women

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Burn (Fl) To smoke herb, pot or pakalolo

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Bury To put sand or other weight on top of a kite sufficient to keep the kite from moving.

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Cabo-Verde Islands Volcanic islands west of Senegal. Good for kiteboarding.

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Calm The absence of apparent motion in the air.

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Carbon A strong, lightweight material used to make boards. Also, a chemical found in coal and in all living things.

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Ceiling The height of the lowest layer of broken and overcast clouds.

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Celsius A temperature scale in which zero is the freezing point of water and one hundred is the boiling point.

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Center Line Slide A technique used to move from the board to the kite and from the kite back to the board while in the water. Created by John Holzhall as a technique to launch from a wind shadow

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Center Lines The lines that start at the top of the trim strap and go to the leading edge of the kite. Also called “Front” or “Center Lines”.

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Chapter 6 - Rigging Glossary

Center of Energy The Power in the Kite or the Center of the Pull in the Kite

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Chapter 1 - It’s not about the Kite!

Center of Gravity The center of the riders body weight or body weight

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Chapter 1 - It’s not about the Kite!

CG Center of Gravity. The lowest point of body weight

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Channel bottom Edges on the bottom of the board other than the rails.

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Chicken loop An old school term to describe the Trim Loop. The center harness loop on a four-line bar.

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Chinook A strong downslope wind that causes the air to warm rapidly as a result of compressive heating. Called a Foehn wind in Europe.

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Chuck To discard, throw away, abandon.

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Chucking To toss a new rider into the water on full length lines.

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Clear The appearance of the sky when it is without clouds, or clouds cover less than 1/10th of thc sky.

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Climatology The scientific study of climate.

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Cloud Condensation Nuclei Small particles in the air on which water vapor condenses and forms cloud droplets

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Cloudy The state of the sky when clouds cover 7/10ths or more of the sky.

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Coastal flooding The submersion of land areas along the ocean coast and other inland waters caused by sea water over and above normal tidal action.

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Coastal waters Includes the area from a line approximating the mean high water along the mainland or island as far out as sixty nautical miles including the bays, harbors and sounds.

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Coho wind Name for the cold easterly winds that blows through the Columbia River Gorge during the winter months. Local interest groups created the name in 1996/1997.

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Cold front The leading edge of a cold air mass as it moves toward warmer air; its movement is characterized by a drop in temperature and humidity after the front passes.

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Cold low A low pressure system with cold air mass from near the surface to all vertical levels (also called a cold core low).

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Combined seas The interaction of wind waves and swell; the combined seas height is equal to the square root of the sum of the squares of the wind waves and swell.

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Condensation The occurrence of vapor transforming into a liquid.

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Conduction The transfer of heat between bodies that are in contact.

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Control lines The outside lines which connect to the trailing edge of the kite.

Also called the ‘back’ or ‘steering’ lines.

Gear 1

Hooked into trim loop

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Chapter 6 - Rigging Glossary

Control position Board in hand at side.

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Controlled crash The act of tucking the knees to the chest and dropping the bottom of the body to the water to slow speed.

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Controlled hop A small jump used to control both board and kite speed.

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Convection The transfer of heat by movement within a gas or liquid.

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Core The body, the center of gravity of a persons body

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Core Steering Using the body weight to counter balance the power in the kite. Riders use the harness or “main hand” to counter balance the load in the kite. The harness is attached to the torso or core of the rider. Great riders use their core and the harness as their MAIN HAND. Great Riders do not use hand pressure to hold the load of the kite.

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Chapter 1 - It’s not about the Kite!

Corona A disk of light surrounding the sun or moon. This is a result of the diffraction of light by small water droplets.

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Crackin’ A wave breaking with attitude.

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Critters Any living organism with a defense system.

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Cross wind 90 degrees to the wind.

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Cruising Light casual action, mellow.

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Custom release The quick release or custom release which attaches the trim line to the trim strap. This release is important to kill the power in the kite.

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Chapter 7 - Safety Systems

Cyclone A body of air in which the pressure is lower than that of the surrounding air; a low or low pressure area.

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Da Kine (Hi) The good thing, a brand name. Can be used to mean anything.

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Dacron/Mylar Lightweight, strong material found in the struts of marine traction kites.

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Dangerously close A kiteboarder who can get power in but can’t edge it out.

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Dead man To jump upside down while letting go of the bar.

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Default The secondary area for the kite or person to exit safely when primary area is no longer an option.

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Depowering system System that allows riders to depower their kites partially and or completely.

A power strap is an example of a partial depower system, a fifth line completely depowers a kite.

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Depression A region of low atmospheric pressure that is usually accompanied by low clouds and precipitation.

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Dew Point The temperature to which a certain amount of air must be cooled in order for saturation to occur (a cloud or fog to form); the drier the air the lower the dew point.

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Dialed (Fl) The way you want, usually used to refer to conditions or gear.

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Directional A board that has a distinct nose and tail.

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Disturbance A disruption of the atmosphere. Usually refers to a low pressure area, cool air and inclement weather.

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Divergence Refers to the spreading out of winds.

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Doldrums The regions on either side of the equator where air pressure is low and winds are light.

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Dolphin kick The full-body aqua man kick used to propel yourself through the water.

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Dolphin mode When being pulled under water, relaxing and giving a dolphin kick towards the power.

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Doppler Radar Radar that determines the intensity of rainfall and velocities of water and air particles; the National Weather Service uses a type of Doppler Radar called the WSR-88D, or NEXRAD; velocities of detected targets are determined by Doppler shift in frequency.

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Double head nod The act of nodding the head yes twice to indicate a kite launch.

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Double-pull-in To pull in on the kite bar with both hands. The #1 technique problem in kiteboarding.

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Down burst A vertical or nearly vertical downward burst of strong winds at ground level. Usually associated with a thunderstorm.

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Downwind The side of the observer away from the wind. Also to travel away from the wind.

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Drop in To take off on someone else’s wave.

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Drop zone The area underneath the kite.

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Dude (Ca) An over used term used to refer to a person, friend or ride partner.

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Dust Devil A rapidly rotating column of air carrying dust, leaves and other lightweight material; dust devils usually develop during hot, sunny days over dry and dusty or sandy areas.

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Dust storm An area where high surface winds have picked up loose dust,

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Dynamic Stability Moving on a board or bike makes balancing much easier. As riders move, their movement will bring more stability.

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Chapter 1 - It’s not about the Kite!

Ebb Current The movement of a tidal current away from the coast or down an estuary.

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Ebb Current The movement of a tidal current away from the coast or down an estuary.

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Edge 1. The side of a board or kite. 2. The act of setting the side of the board against the power in the kite

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Edging The act of setting the side of the board against the power in the kite

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Chapter 1 - It’s not about the Kite!

El Nino A great warming of the equatorial waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean; El Nino events occur every three to seven years and are related to shifts in global weather patterns.

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Epoxy A two-part chemical used to glass boards.

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Eps/pvc Foam sandwich.

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Equal hand pressure To push with one hand as you pull the same amount with the other hand (EHP).

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Extended outlook A basic forecast of general weather conditions three to five days in the future.

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FAA The Federal Aviation Administration.

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Face plant To crash face first.

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Fahrenheit The standard scale used to measure temperature in the United States. On this scale, the freezing point of water is thirty-two degrees and the boiling point is two hundred and twelve degrees.

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Fair Describes weather in which there is less than 4/10ths of opaque cloud cover and no precipitation; there are no extreme visibility, wind or temperature conditions.

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Fall off To go downwind because of light winds.

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Fall wind A strong, cold, down slope wind.

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Fathom The common unit used to measure depth in the ocean; it is equivalent to six feet.

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Fetch The area in which waves are formed by a wind with an approximately constant speed and direction.

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Figure eight knot

Used on control lines. Secure and can be undone.

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Final check With tensioned lines, the kite launcher allows the kiteboarder to check lines, bridles, and bladders for symmetry.

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Flagged A kite opens up when kite lines become asymmetric.

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Flash Austin The first guy to ride upwind on a kiteboard.

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Flat To land a jump under the kite and directly on top of the board.

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Flat Area The measurement of the total surface area of the kite when it is spread out flat on the ground.

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Flatter Arch Kite Kites which have less of the traditional C shape and more of a flatter shape, ie ( .

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Fleshy white thigh syndrome When water forces board shorts up the rider’s leg exposing his pale thigh.

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FLL Full length lines. 25 meter lines.

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Float Used to describe a kite flying upside down.

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Float & fly plan A plan of exactly what is going to happen when your kite is in the air and you are in the water.

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Flower A young attractive beach girl.

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Fluky Inconsistent and unpredictable winds.

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Foehn Wind European term for Chinook Wind. Warm, down slope wind.

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Fog Water that has condensed close to ground level, producing a cloud of very small droplets that reduces visibility to less than one km (three thousand and three hundred feet).

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Foot straps Padded neoprene loops which connect the rider to the board.

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Forward adjustment point The adjustment point on the trailing edge of a kite closest to the leading edge. Used to slow the steering of the kite.

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Free diver A spear fisherman, usually marked by a plastic jug or float.

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Free hand The hand that does not have your wrist leash.

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Frog storm The first bad weather in spring after a warm period.

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Front The boundary or transition zone of two air masses; if cold air advances and replaces warmer air the front is a cold front. If warm air advances and replaces cooler air the front is a warm front.

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Frost The formation of thin ice crystals on the ground or other surfaces; frost develops under conditions similar to those of dew, except that the temperature drops below thirty-two degrees.

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Funnel cloud A funnel-shaped cloud that extends from a cumulus or cumulonimbus cloud; this cloud is related to a rotating column of air that is not in contact with the ground.

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FWTS An acronym meaning fleshy white thigh syndrome.

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Gale warning A warning of one minute sustained surface winds in the range of 34 kt (39 mph or 63 km/hr) to 47 kt (54 mph or 87 km/hr) inclusive, either predicted or occurring and not directly associated with tropical cyclones.

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Geostationary Satellite A satellite positioned over the equator. It revolves around the earth once every twenty-four hours, thus remaining in the same position relative to the earth’s surface.

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Geri (Fl) A senior citizen.

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Goofy foot In board sports, riding naturally with the right foot forward.

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Grab To hold the board during a jump.

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Gradient The time or spatial rate of change of an atmospheric property.

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Greenhouse effect The heating of the earth’s atmosphere caused by imbalances in the atmosphere’s radiation cycle, characterized by so called greenhouse gases such as water vapor and carbon dioxide, that trap the heat from the sun in the atmosphere and inhibit re-radiation of that heat into space from the earth at night.

Theoretically, this results in a gradual warming of the atmosphere.

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Grind 1) To ride your board onto reef & beach. 2) To feed hard, in an urgent way.

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Grinder A really big wave.

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Grommet A young kite surfer or surfer.

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Grunt More pull than lift.

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Gust front The leading edge of a thunderstorm’s downdraft air that is most prominent beneath the rain-free base and the leading edge of a thunderstorm; this gust front may precede the thunderstorm by several minutes and have winds that can easily exceed eighty miles an hour.

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Hail Precipitation in the form of balls of ice. Produced by liquid precipitation freezing and being coated by layers of ice as it is lifted and cooled in strong updrafts of thunderstorms.

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Hale (Hi) A Hawaiian meeting house.

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Halos Rings or arcs that seem to encircle the sun or moon and are the result of the refraction of light through the ice crystals that make up cirrus clouds.

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Hang The amount of time a rider stays in the air.

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Harmattan A hot, dry, and dusty northeasterly or easterly wind that occurs in West Africa north of the equator and is caused by the outflow of air from subtropical high pressure areas.

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Harness The kiters ‘main hand” is a heavy-duty kiteboarding belt with an open “J” hook used to attach the rider to the harness lines. There are two types: seat and waist.

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Harness lines Heavy-duty lines attached to the bar, they allow the rider to balance body weight against the power in the kite without using upper body strength. There are two types of harness lines, fixed and center.

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Heavy surf The result of large waves breaking on or near the shore. Resulting from swells or produced by a distant storm.

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Heckle A barrage of comedic statements highlighting an embarrassing personal fact.

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Hecklelable The act of committing a severe ride error in front of your peers.

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Heel side The standard ride position in kiteboarding. The wind is hitting the rider’s back first and then the kite.

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Hehe nalu (Hi) Wave skipping, surfing or kiteboarding.

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Hero Landing To land the kite leading edge down, unassisted.

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High or High Pressure Area An area of high pressure that is usually characterized by clear skies and fair weather carried by sinking air; winds rotate clockwise around and outward from the center of the high.

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High Wind Sustained wind of 40miles an hour or more

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Hole A spot in the wind that is less windy than the surrounding areas. Often Characterized by glassy water.

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Hooked in The act of being attached to the kite via the harness and harness line or trim loop.

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Hurricane warning A warning that sustained winds 64 kt (74 mph or 119 km/hr) or higher associated with a hurricane are expected in a specified coastal area in 24 hours or less. A hurricane warning can remain in effect when dangerously high water or a combination of dangerously high water and exceptionally high waves continue, even though winds may be less than hurricane force.

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Hurricane watch An announcement for specific coastal areas that hurricane conditions are possible within 36 hours.

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Hygrometer An instrument used to measure humidity.

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Ice Short for an addictive drug call Crystal Methamphetamine

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Ice Head A person addicted to Crystal Meth.

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Impact jacket A lightweight water jacket. Often has some flotation.

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Impact zone The area in which breaking waves exert the most force.

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Inflatable A kite with air filled struts.

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Insane Beyond imagination. A term used to describe intense wind strong enough to blow car keys down the beach, 35knots plus.

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Interlocking knot Used to add one line length to another.

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Inversion An increase in temperature with height; a reverse of the normal cooling with height

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Inverted Turned inside out or upside down.

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Iridescence Brilliant patches of green or pink sometimes seen near the edges of high- or medium-level clouds.

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Isobar The line of equal pressure denoted on surface weather maps.

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Isotherm The line of equal temperature denoted on surface weather maps.

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Jet stream A zone of strong winds concentrated in a narrow band in the upper atmosphere; these winds are often referred to as the “storm track” since the jet stream often steers atmospheric storms.

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Jibe To change direction 180 degrees by turning downwind.

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Juiced To be fully powered.

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Jump start To boost off the beach, put the board on and land riding.

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Kama’aina (Hi) Resident of the State of Hawaii.

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Katabatic wind Wind blowing down an incline, such as down a hillside; down slope wind.

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Keiki (Hi) A child.

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Kiawe (Hi) A thorny tree found around many of Hawaii’s kiteboarding beaches.

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Kick-out Jump technique to get out of the wave over the back of the wave.

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Kicker (Fl) A small bump of wave.

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Killer advice When someone tells a new rider to waterstart their first day on full length lines.

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Kite clock Describes the kite’s position in the wind window. There are seven positions on the kite clock; they are 9,10,11,12,1,2,3 plus the back door.

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Kite loop The movement of the kite through the back door of the wind window.

+)4%3 METHOD WWW KITEBOARDCENTER COM

!PEX TOP OR :ENITH

"ACK DOOR

GROUND PLANE %DGE OF WINDOW

Parts of the Wind Window Bird's eye view

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Chapter 5 - Boosting

Kite mare A tale of an unfortunate kiteboarding incident.

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Kite-bro A person familiar with catching and launching a rider’s kite.

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Kite-ski Package composed of waterskis developed for kiting and a special kite with a control bar.

The control bar is equipped with a disc brake to relaunch the kite.

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Kiteboarder Someone who can launch from one spot, ride, turn around and come back to the same spot.

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KITEs Kiteboarding International Training Evaluation. The modern teaching methodology created

by John Holzhall on Maui and Kite beach Dominican Republic.

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KITEs Method Coach A Certified Instructor who understands the value of Adjustable Line Lengths, Warm Up and the Upwind Board Drag. To become a Method Coach Contact us at methodlodge@gmail.com

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Chapter 1 - Untitled

KITEs Warm Up An entry level technique created by Premiere kite Boarding Coach, John J. Holzhall. This skill set takes the danger out of the sport will allowing new riders to learn from their mistakes in a fun safe way. The KITEs Warm Up is always done on kite lines of 5 meters or less.

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Chapter 1 - Untitled

Knot The unit used to measure wind speed, equal to 1.15 statute miles per hour.

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Kona wind A Southerly wind found in the North Eastern pacific. This wind reaches the Big Island of Hawaii first, which is the Southern most Hawaiian Island, and then travels up the state.

Kona is a city on the Big Island.

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Kook Someone who consistently lets go of his or her kite.

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Land breeze A coastal breeze that blows from land out to sea. It occurs when the sea is warmer then the adjacent land.

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Land hand The hand a rider uses to bring the kite back into the power zone.

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Larks head A reversible connection used in kiteboarding to attach kite lines to bridle fittings.

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Latent heat The heat energy that must be absorbed when a substance changes from solid to liquid and liquid to gas, and which is released when a gas condenses and a liquid solidifies.

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Launch To bring a kite skyward from the earth’s surface.

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Launched A term to describe a rider who rockets from the earth’s surface.

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Lead line The thicker lines that connect the kite lines to the bar.

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Leading Edge The front edge of the kite.

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Chapter 1 - It’s not about the Kite!

Left bar To pull in with the left hand while pushing the same amount with the right hand.

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Leg leash The strap that connects the board to your leg or body.

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Legaignoux (Bruno and Dominique) The two French brothers who designed the first marine wing, the Wipika.

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Lift The aerodynamic or hydrodynamic force that results from the passage of air or water.

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Lightning Any and all forms of visible electrical discharges produced by thunderstorms. Kite lines conduct electricity wet or dry! Riders should not fly when lightning is present.

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Link To add lines together.

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Lit To have plenty of power.

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Loaded Powered up, fully powered.

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Lofting Being involuntarily lifted by the wind. An occurrence when wind rises at a speed faster than the descent rate of the rider.

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Looping Rider spins 360 degrees while the board is at a point higher than his head.

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Loose Quick turning.

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Low or Low Pressure Area Usually characterized by clouds of precipitation caused by rising air; often related to inclement weather such as winds flowing counter-clockwise and into the center of the low.

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Lull A decrease in the wind for a short duration.

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Macro burst A large down burst within a 2.5-mile or larger outflow diameter with damaging winds lasting five to twenty-five minutes.

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Magnetic sport A sport where the body follows the eyes.

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Mahalo (Hi) A Hawaiian word which means thank you.

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Mahu (Hi) A gay man.

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Mana’o (Hi) Spirit.

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Marine traction kite A kite designed for water use. Its structure comes from five interior inflatable struts and one inflatable leading edge chamber.

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MAT Maintain composure, Analyze the situation, Take appropriate action.

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Mermaid position Position of partners hands on kite handler’s shoulders.

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Meteorology The study of phenomena of the atmosphere and all the processes that take place in the atmosphere and their relationships with processes at the surface of the earth.

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Method A proven process.

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Method Gear Generally refers to a kite bar with adjustable line lengths as well as the kite and bar. Line lengths of 5meters plus 5 meters plus 15meters. When used on their own and linked together, these combinations provide riders with lengths of 5m-10m-15m-20m-25m or 5 different combinations.

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Chapter 1 - Untitled

Method Universal Knot Three inch loop with a figure 8 knot at each end.

Allows rider to connect any line to any other connection.

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Chapter 1 - Untitled

Micro climate A local climate that differs from the main climate around it.

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Milibar The scientific unit used in measuring and reporting atmospheric pressure.

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Mo Short for homosexual.

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Monsoon A seasonal change in wind direction bringing dry air or heavy rain.

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Motorcycle throttle movement (MTM) Wrist movement required to get into the harness, similar to a motorcycle throttle.

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MSL Mean sea level.

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Mummy wrap Multiple wraps of kite line around the body.

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Natural stance The ride stance in which the rider feels most comfortable. There are two types of natural stances, goofy (right foot forward) or regular (left foot forward).

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Negative Steering Pulling in with one or both hands

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Chapter 1 - It’s not about the Kite!

Neutral 1. When the kite is at the apex of the wind window. 2. When riders do not have their hands on the bar and are controlling the the kite with their body weight and the harness

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Chapter 1 - It’s not about the Kite!

Neutral bar A bar position which requires arms extended equally.

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Neutral steering Steering while in the harness with no hands on the bar. Also called Core Steering.

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Neutral zone To position the kite directly overhead at the zenith of the wind window.

Also called the apex.

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Nice & windy A wind measurement term used when wind moves water in the shape of defined whitecaps.

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No-go zone The area 25 degrees to either side of the direction of the wind not readily possible to kiteboarding.

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NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; parent agency of the National Weather Service in the Department of Commerce.

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Nose The front of the board.

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Nuclear wind Used to describe smoking windy conditions.

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Ocean culture Customs consistent with ocean living, no worries, no problems.

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Off Shore A general term to describe wind blowing from the land to the water.

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Offshore waters That portion of oceans, gulfs, and seas beyond coastal waters extending to a specified distance from the coastline, to a specified depth contour, or covering an area defined by specific latitude and longitude points.

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Old school Believes in what was. Old-fashioned.

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Ono (Hi) 1. A white fish, delicious, know as Wahoo. 2. The best (Hi)

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Overcast When more than 9/10ths of the sky is covered with clouds.

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Overpowered When a kiteboarder can’t hold an edge against the pull of the kite.

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Ozone A form of oxygen in which the molecule is made of three atoms instead of the usual two. Ozone is a primary component of photochemical smog. A kite company.

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Pad Foam pad on the board made of comfortable and anti-slip material.

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Paddlers Traditional Hawaiian canoers.

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Panic pull A double-arm-pull against a powered kite. A hurdle humans have to overcome to advance in kiteboarding.

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Park Refers to the act of steering the kite to a certain time on the wind clock and leaving it their. example, “the rider is parking his kite at 2”

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Parked A kite hovering in any position on the kite clock. In kiteboarding, advanced riders edge off a parked kite.

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Partly cloudy The appearance of the sky when 3/10ths to 6/10ths of the sky is covered with clouds.

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Pattern The path of a kite.

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Pau (Hi) Finished, done with the task.

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PFD Personnel Flotation Device.

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Pinch To track into the wind. closer than 30 degrees off the wind.

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Pit The bottom of a breaking wave.

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Pitch The angle of the trailing edge of the kite.

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Planing When the board breaks free of the bow wave and rides on top of the water.

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Poach (Fl) To take.

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Ponytail The bridle fitting on a kite.

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Pop Vertical pull

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Port tack Wind direction with the wind from the rider’s left as he faces the water. To ride away from the beach with the left hand forward.

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Positive Steering Pushing with the left or right hand to make the kite go the opposite direction.

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Chapter 1 - It’s not about the Kite!

Power loop A kite looping in a descending path through the “back door” of the wind window and returning to its point of origin.

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Power package The combination of board area + kite area + line length + bar length + wind speed.

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Power strap A strap extending from a four-line bar that allows the rider to manually adjust the kite’s angle of attack.

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Power stroke To move the kite on an ascending and descending path to increase power.

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Power zone The two sides of the wind window, 1 o’clock to 3 o’clock and 11 o’clock to 9 o’clock, used when generating power or traveling across the direction of the wind.

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Precipitation All forms of water that fall from the sky and reach the ground.

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Prelaunch procedures Techniques involved in getting you and your kite ready to launch.

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Pressure A measure of the weight of the air. Usually measured with a barometer in meteorology.

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Projected Area Determined by measuring the kite area, which is presented to the wind while in flight. If you were to take a snapshot of the kite from directly underneath, it the area shown represents the projected area.

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Puffy A term used to describe wind that comes and goes.

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Push out To apply enough foot pressure to push the power out of a board.

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Quick release The mechanism that instantly depowers the kite by releasing one line.

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Quiver A number of kites or boards usually of the same brand but different sizes.

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Radar A method of detecting the distance, size, and movement of objects by the reflection of radio waves.

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Radiosonde A balloon carrying instruments for measuring conditions in the upper atmosphere.

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Rail The edges of a board.

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Rain A type of precipitation that is in the form of water droplets larger than 0.5mm.

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Ram Air A kite that is open at one end and sealed at the other. Rapid Air Movement fills the kite and gives it shape and structure.

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Rashie A lycra rash guard shirt used in the tropics to reduce sun exposure.

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Rat’s nest 30-meter kite lines tangled into a ball.

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Rawinsonde A balloon that is tracked by radar to measure wind speeds and wind directions in the atmosphere.

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Really windy Leaves and bigger objects move across the land. Small ocean waves take shape 15-20 knots.

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Rear adjustment point The adjustment point on the trailing edge of the kite, furthest from the leading edge adjustment point. Used to increase the turning speed of the kite

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Regular foot A ride style where the rider is left foot forward.

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Relative humidity The amount of water vapor in the air as compared to the percent of the amount of water vapor it would take to saturate the air.

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Reverse launch 1) Using bridles on a kite to launch trailing edge first from the water. 2) To launch on the land side and then fly through the apex of the wind window to the waterside.

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Reverse steering The steering technique involved when a kite is leading edge down in the water.

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Reverse taco A kite bending backwards and breaking like a hard shell taco. This usually happens during a launch when an inexperienced rider moves towards his launcher. The kite then breaks over the launchers shoulder.

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Ride To edge off a powered kite for a length of time.

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Rider The term to describe any level of kiteboarder.

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Ridge In the atmosphere, an elongated high-pressure area that lies between two low-pressure areas.

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Right bar To pull in on the kite bar with the right hand while pushing the same amount with the left.

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Rip-stop polyester A lightweight material often characterized by small box like squares. Used in board shorts and kite canopies, known for being light and strong.

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Ripping In side-stance sports, the act of seamless riding.

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Rossby waves Long waves that form in air or water that flows almost parallel to the equator, which results from the effect of the earth’s rotation.

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Rubber A slang term to describe a wetsuit

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Run A part of a session. In kiteboarding, to ride one way.

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Safety plan ABCs of depowering, buffer zones, self-rescue, and the KITEs MLL.

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Sandal bindings An open-toed, heel binding used in kiteboarding

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Scoop (or scoop line) The curvature of the bottom of a board that goes from the nose to the tail. On the nose, it’s called nose rocker and the tail, it’s called lift or tail rocker.

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Sea breeze A coastal breeze that blows from sea to land during daytime in summer. It is caused by warm air rising over land and being replaced by cooler air from over the sea.

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Sea gull A kite that makes a flapping motion while flying.

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Self launch To launch unassisted.

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Session Every thing which happens between the launch and the exit. A series of runs.

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Set 1) To pressure against. 2) a group of waves.

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Set hand The rider’s hand used to initiate a jump.

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Shaka The famous Hawaiian greeting, thumb and pinky finger extended.

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Shape The design of the board.

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Shaped The act of building a board’s core.

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Shine (FL) To blow off. to dis.

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Shore The dry area near the water’s edge.

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Shore pound Heavy waves breaking where the water meets the sand.

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Shore-break The first wave that breaks on the beach. A dangerous wave when it’s big.

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Side Shore Moving parallel to the shore.

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Side shore wind Wind moving parallel to the shore.

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Side stance Refers to foot placement along the center line of the board. Common to surf, kite, skate, snowboarding and wakeboarding

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Chapter 3 - Waterstart

Side-stance Sports in which the rider travels with one foot leading and the other foot trailing. Surfing, kiteboarding, wake boarding, snowboarding are examples.

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Single skin One layer of cloth or fabric.

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Skunked To miss out on the wind or have no wind.

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Slipper Hawaiian for sandal or flip flop, also the name of the KITEs Method boards.

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Slog To go slow.

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Slot machine technique To pull the center strut of a kite to remove sand from the kite.

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SLT Short line technology.

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Small craft advisory A marine advisory issued for sustained winds and/or frequent gusts greater than 20 knots.

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Snake To overtake someone aggressively. To take some thing from some one.

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Snap shackle A re leasable shackle often used to attach the riders center lines to the harness.

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Snobberknocker Hard impact resulting in the snot being knocked out of the rider’s head.

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Space Shuttle A kite launching leading edge pointed up from the deepest point in the wind window.

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Spiel (Fl) The story, the skinny, what real happened.

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Spill To let out power in the kite or board.

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Spinning To turn 360 degrees in the air while riding.

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Spoon position The fitting together of two bodies while tandem kiteboarding.

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Squirrely Wind blowing from all directions at nearly the same time.

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SS Snowboard and skateboard style, a term used to describe a free-ride style, or type of board.

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Stable air Air with little or no tendency to rise that is usually accompanied by clear dry weather.

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Stall Refers to the kite falling from the sky because the Kite’s Angle of Attack is open to a point where the angle of the kite’s leading edge is allowing too much wind into the kite.

Gear 4 Un-Hooked

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Chapter 1 - It’s not about the Kite!

Starboard 1. The right side of the board when looking from back to front. 2. A SUP Brand

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Starboard tack Riding with the right hand forward with the wind at your back

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Statement Provides the public with information concerning the status of existing severe weather conditions; it is used to cancel a watch or warning or delete part of a watch or warning that refers to areas that are no longer being threatened by a certain weather hazard

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Stationary front The boundary between cool and warm air in which neither air mass is advancing.

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Stay (Hi) Hawaiian slang for going or moving.

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Step rail An additional level on the top of the board, intended to give the rider more flotation without increasing the board’s area.

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Stop A ball or piece of plastic that keeps the bar from moving further up the kite lines.

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Storm surge An abnormal rise in sea level accompanying a hurricane or other intense storm, and whose height is the difference between the observed level of the sea surface and the level that would have occurred in the absence of the cyclone. Storm surge is usually estimated by subtracting the normal, or astronomic, high tide from the observed storm tide.

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Storm tide The actual level of seawater resuting from the astronomic tide combined with the storm surge.

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Storm track The path that a low-pressure area follows.

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Storm warning A marine wind warning for winds greater than 48 knots (55 mph).

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Stroke The movement or path of the kite when flying on the wind clock.

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Strut The interior casing that holds a kite bladder.

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Submarining The act or processes of the nose of the board submerging like a submarine.

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Subtropical cyclone A non-frontal low-pressure system that has characteristics of both tropical and extra tropical cyclones. Subtropical cyclones, which can evolve into tropical cyclones, are generally of two types: (1) An upper level cold low with circulation extending to the surface and maximum sustained winds generally occurring at a radius of about 100 miles or more from the pressure center.

(2) A mezoscale cyclone originating in or near a frontolyzing zone of horizontal wind shear, with radius of maximum sustained winds generally less than 30 miles. The entire circulation sometimes encompasses an area initially no more than 100 miles in diameter. These generally short lived, marine cyclones may vary in structure from cold to warm core.

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Subtropical depression A subtropical cyclone in which the maximum sustained surface wind speed (using the U.S. one-minute average) is 33 kt (38 mph or 62 km/hr) or less.

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Subtropical storm A subtropical cyclone in which the maximum sustained surface wind speed (using the U.S. one-minute average) is 34 kt (39 mph or 63 km/hr).

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Superman A layout position similar to the comic hero’s flight. Used in body dragging and advanced aerials. The rider follows the power in the kite while in this position.

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Tack In kiteboarding, a direction of travel.

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Tacking the wind Sailing technique that allows you to go upwind better than 90 degrees from the wind direction. If you travel at less than 90 degrees, you cannot return to your point of origin.

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Tail The rear end of a board.

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Tea Bagging The act of being pulled up and down through the air and water because the rider over steered his kite repeatedly through the apex of the wind window.

PULL

LIFT

PULL

LIFT

12

1 2 3

9

10

11

Rising kite creates LIFT Decending creates PULL

Kite flight tracker (boost)

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Tea-bag To get repeatedly lifted out of the water and dunked.

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Temperature A measure of the warmth or coldness of an object or substance with reference to a standard value.

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Three step rocker Refers to the bottom of a board when the ends are curved more than the middle of the board.

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Throw The amount of trim line between the trim loop and the trim strap. To push water with the edge of the board. The act of a wave pitching forward with attitude.

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Toe side A ride position where the rider is facing the wind (toes pointing into the wind) with his back to the kite.

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Tombstone A board standing vertically while being pulled by the leash.

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Torn up (Fl) To damage, to rip up, or to be extremely drunk

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Tornado A violent, rotating column of air extending from the ground to a thunderstorm.

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Traction kite A kite designed to pull a person or object.

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Trade winds Easterly-blowing winds that are found on either side of the equator and blow northeasterly in the northern hemisphere and southeasterly in the southern hemisphere.

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Trailing edge Back of the kite.

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Trainer kite Generally a small ram air kite used on land to lean how to fly a kite.

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Transition Any aerial move resulting in a turn.

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Travel The amount of distance you can change the kite’s angle of attack.

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Trim The act of decreasing the kite’s angle of attack either through bar movement or by pulling in on the kite’s trim strap.

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Chapter 1 - It’s not about the Kite!

Trim lines The center lines.

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Trim loop The center harness loop or Gear One.

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Trip line A safety line which when activated radically shortens one line while lengthening the other, spilling the power in the kite.

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Troll (Hi) Druggies who hang out at the beach and steal.

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Tropical air An air mass that has a warm temperature and high humidity and develops over tropical or sub-tropical areas.

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Tropical cyclone A warm-core, non-frontal, synoptic-scale cyclone, originating over tropical or subtropical waters, with organized convection and a definite closed cyclonic surface wind circulation.

Once formed, a tropical cyclone is maintained by the extraction of latent heat from the ocean at high temperature and heat export at the low temperatures of the upper troposphere. In this they differ from extra tropical cyclones, which derive their energy from temperature contrasts in the atmosphere (baroclinic effects).

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Tropical depression A tropical cyclone in which the maximum sustained surface wind speed (using the U.S. 1minute average) is 33 kt (38 mph or 62 km/hr) or less.

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Tropical disturbance A discrete tropical weather system of apparently organized convection—generally 100 to 300 nmi in diameter—originating in the tropics or sub tropics, having a non frontal migratory character, and maintaining its identity for 24 hours or more. It may or may not be associated with a detectable perturbation of the wind field.

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Tropical storm A tropical cyclone in which the maximum sustained surface wind speed (using the U.S. 1minute average) ranges from 34 kt (39 mph or 63 km/hr) to 63 kt (73 mph or 118 km/hr).

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Tropical storm watch An announcement, for specific coastal, areas that tropical storm conditions are possible within 36 hours.

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Tropical wave A trough or cyclonic curvature maximum in the trade-wind easterlies. The wave may reach maximum amplitude in the lower middle troposphere.

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Trough An elongated, relatively low-pressure area between two high-pressure areas.

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Truing To make straight, symmetric, or even. Generally refering to kite lines.

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Tune To dial in, to personalize.

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Tweaker People who make extreme problems out of nothing. Some one drugged out.

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Twin tip A board that has an identical nose and tail.

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Twist A cross or X in kite lines.

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Typhoon A hurricane that occurs in eastern Asia.

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Unstable air Air that rises easily and often forms clouds and rain.

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Upwind The side closest to the wind. To travel towards the wind.

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Upwind Board Drag A technique created by John J. Holzhall. Used to teach new riders how to go upwind as well as the steering techniques required to Park the Kite and Edge the board.

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Chapter 1 - Untitled

Upwind riding Traveling closer than 90 degrees off the direction of the wind.

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Valve The stem of the inflatable kite bladder.

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Vectran/Dyneema Type of kite line.

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Virtual kiteboarder Any kiteboarder who has never actually kiteboarded, but posts about it daily.

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Wahine (Hi) Hawaiian for young female.

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Wake board A thin board with little volume and considerable effective edge, generally used when being pulled by a boat.

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Wana Long, black spiny sea-urchin found in most tropical waters.

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Warning Is used when severe weather conditions are occurring, imminent or are expected within the following twelve to twenty-four hours.

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Watch Informs the public that favorable conditions exist for the occurrence of severe weather conditions within twelve to thirty-six hours of the given announcement.

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Water A transparent, odorless, tasteless liquid; composed of hydrogen and oxygen.

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Water launch A kite coming from the water to the air.

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Watermen 1. Some one who lives the Ocean Culture. A master of Kite and Paddle Boarding as well as being comfortable fishing and spearfishing. 2. Traditionally, fishermen who earn their living on boats or the water.

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Chapter 1 - Untitled

Waterspout A column of rapidly spiraling air that develops over warm, usually shallow water, in seas or large lakes.

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Waterstart Start technique lying in the water with feet on the board.

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Weather Synopsis A description of weather patterns affecting a large area.

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Westerly Winds with a western direction occurring between latitudes of 35 degrees and 60 degrees.

The whole regime forms a “vortex” around each of the poles and forms a major element in world climate.

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Wet suit Generally referring to neoprene clothing worn in water. Measured in millimeters

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Wetty (AU) A wet suit.

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White caps Breaking water caused by wind.

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Wicked Strong wind in a nasty way.

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Wind Air in motion relative to the surface of the earth. Produced by an imbalance of pressure, this imbalance is caused by uneven heating by the sun.

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Wind aloft The wind speeds and wind directions at various levels in the atmosphere above the area of surface weather observations, usually above about two thousand feet AGL.

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Wind direction The direction from which the wind is blowing.

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Wind goon A rider who is obsessed by wind, often uses the greeting of “What size were you on? Were you powered? What should I rig?”

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Wind shadow The area downwind of an obstacle with disrupted wind.

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Wind shear The change in wind direction; vertical wind shear is the change in wind speed with height.

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Wind speed Measured speed of the wind from a fixed point.

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Wind wave A wave that is caused by the action of wind on the surface of water.

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Wind window The area in which a kite travels when flying.

+)4%3 METHOD WWW KITEBOARDCENTER COM

!PEX TOP OR :ENITH

"ACK DOOR

GROUND PLANE %DGE OF WINDOW

Parts of the Wind Window Bird's eye view

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Windward With back to the wind, the area upwind.

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Windy Water will move causing scattered small white caps to appear.

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Wipika The first self-relaunch able marine wing.

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Worked To get crushed, pounded, to get hammered.

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Wound Totally powered.

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Wrist leash Connects the bar and kite to your wrist.

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Yaw, pitch, & roll The three axes of a wing or kite.

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Yellow Wind The strong, cold, dry west wind of eastern Asia that blows across the plains during winter and carries a yellow dust from the desert.

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Youg A hot wind during unsettled summer weather in the Mediterranean.

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Zen harness techniques Counterbalancing the power in the kite with your body weight without using your hands.

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Zenith The apex of the wind window, also called 12 o’clock, neutral or the apex.

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Chapter 1 - It’s not about the Kite!

Zigzag lightning Ordinary lightning of a cloud-to-ground discharge that appears to have a single lightning channel.

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Zodiac The position of the sun throughout a year as it appears to move through successive star groups or constellations.

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Zonal wind The wind or wind component along the local parallel of latitude.

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Zone of maximum precipitation The belt of elevation at which the annual precipitation is greatest in a mountain region.

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Zoolander A professional kiteboarder who doesn’t compete. A camera slut. The best job in kiteboarding!

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