Andres Larin's blog

Jumping

WARNING: Jumping can be dangerous. Only jump when you have a clear safety zone 50m downwind and 30m upwind. Never jump in shallow water.

Once you learn your basic skills, you can try your first small jump. You may need to "unlearn" some of the reflexes you have developed while learning the basics. For example, you will be automatically sheeting the bar out to counter excess power in the kite. To jump, you need to sheet in to generate the power to get you airborne.

Your first jump - 1 to 3 meters

Unhooked riding

Caution: Riding unhooked is an advanced skill for experienced kiters.

Riding unhooked unleashes the real power of the kite - and removes your depower, which can be scary. The technique is used for both wave riding and jumping tricks.

Learning to handle the kite unhooked, on the beach:

Upwind body dragging

Upwind body dragging should be regarded as an essential skill. Many beginners are worried about losing their board while learning. Some use a board leash to connect it to them - this is very dangerous and should be avoided. You can retrieve your board when you lose it by body dragging back upwind.

Once you have learnt upwind body dragging you don't need to worry about losing your board. You can recover it even if you have a big crash and get hoiked downwind it. The technique is similar to kitesurfing wind, expect you use your body and one arm as the keel.

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