Riding Overpowered-kiting

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Tighe
Posts: 5274
Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2002 10:06 pm
Location: Here, Now

Riding Overpowered-kiting

Post by Tighe »

Quoted from Kiteforum:

Source: http://www.realkiteboarding.com/
Author: Trip Forman


Ever wonder how the top riders in your area carry so much kite ? Sometimes two to three sizes bigger than you even though they’re the same size and riding comparable boards. Riding overpowered is a skill you can develop through practice and eventually will lead you to use larger and larger kites. This leads to one thing.... HUGE Airtime !
The popularity of four line kites seems to have overshadowed the mechanics of how a kite works within the wind window. “4- liners” simply “sheet-out” when hit with a gust. But what happens when you’re totally “sheeted out” ? Or what if you ride four line fixed or two line and can’t sheet out ? Most 4 line riders keep their kite high and sheet in or out depending on the wind. When the kite is high it lifts you up, regardless of the sheeting position. This makes it harder to hold an edge. Keeping the kite low and forward in the window (in line with the downwind side of the nose of your board) will make riding overpowered MUCH easier. This position makes it easier to set the rail deep because, given the right body position, the kite can help you hold an edge rather than lift you away.

Kite movement when overpowered should be subtle and slow, with slighter angles (no verticle dives !). These movements slow the speed of the wing, which will result in less power. These turns can begin as soon as your first turn that brings you up on to the board. A gradual diagonal turn (vs. a vertical one) will produce alot less power and position the kite further forward in the window (where you want it) once you’re standing.

In extreme conditions, start with a gradual dive, position the kite forward and low, and keep your board speed to a minimum. This will keep the kite at the edge of the window, almost in the position where you’d land it, and minimize the power. If your boardspeed increases, you’ll begin to “outrun” the kite, putting it in the more powerful portion of the window. This is a familiar situation where you just keep going faster and faster until you explode. Before it gets this bad, stomp on your back foot (practically popping a wheelie) to check your board speed. This will drive the kite forward again.

One myth that surrounds riding overpowered is that heavier riders have an advantage. Although this is true in EXTREME conditions, what matters more the other 99% of the time is using the correct techniques. For example, “Can a heavier snowboarder carve better than a light one ?” The one who’ll carve the better turn is the one who opposes gravity with the best angulation of their body. This example is very close to what’s going on when you’re kiteboarding. Keeping the kite low and forward, and setting your edge deep in the water is the smart way to ride when OP’d versus just weighing more.

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BLOWN AWAY
Joined: Aug 12, 2002
Posts: 924
From: Auckland, NZ Posted: 2002-12-18 10:59   
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Wow ... once again a day of learning ....

I find speed real important in managing being maxxed out...

anyone else got any advice on handling that powa ?

BLOWN AWAY
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EdDy_DiFfUsIvItY
Joined: Oct 16, 2002
Posts: 336
From: UK Posted: 2002-12-18 11:54   
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Hi Blon, I'm a light weight rider and often had trouble in op conditions till i learned , as tobias Said, to keep the wing low and forward.

A point to add is that when the wing is low, it is easier to depower it to the edge of the window and thus control your speed and power.

I you over sheet and lose the power, its easy to steer her back and into the zone again, but keep it nice and slow.

Also your riding position on the board is crucial, if your weight distribution is too heavy on the back, you kill the power when the wing is near the edge of the window low down, so these 2 techniques combined should help you hold the edge in op'd conditions.

Dont know if I added anything use full there, you can decide that.

ron.
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bennyh
Joined: Oct 24, 2002
Posts: 13 Posted: 2002-12-18 13:00   
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I've been learning to ride a directional recently and found it's actually easier to hold down than the TT becase of the grip and the way you can drive the board up wind off the fins - like setting up a jump.

In really strong gusty winds the kite and rider oscillate in opposite directions as the rider drives up wind to stall the speed and bring the kite forward in the window, the low board speed then allows the kite to move back in the window and thus power up again.

I find riding in these conditions not so much fun because of the constant battle and that it's scary handling a well powered kite on the land - you have to launch carefully and get out there as soon as you can. The jumps are big but you must learn to stay in control as the consequences are higher.

I had an experience when the wind picked up considerably and I was so overpowered I literally could not body drag back upwind to get my board. The resistance of my body in the water was too little, I got my self to shore, safety-lined the kite and fortunately someone on a smaller kite found my board.

To any new kiters - don't ever fly the kite above your head whilst on land. Always control it at the edge of the wind window near the ground - it hurts less to get gusted here.
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sq225917
Joined: Nov 05, 2002
Posts: 328 Posted: 2002-12-18 13:00   
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death runs.

if you are bouncing through chop its totally impossible to dig a rail in, and if you start on a death run, you've had it.

you only really have two options if it is like this.

1. before you faceplant and die, point that sucka upwards and jump all the forward speed out of th kite. this takes pure balls of steel the first couple of times but it is the most effective way of killing kite speed.

2. is to point your board behind the kite, massively downwind and slowly ride towards the trailing edge of the kite, this slackens the lines, pushes the kite to the very edge of the wind, and then you can start slowly rising the kite to loose the rest of that pull.

they both work for me.
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EdDy_DiFfUsIvItY
Joined: Oct 16, 2002
Posts: 336
From: UK Posted: 2002-12-18 14:11   
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SQ - elaborate on death run for any begginers ?
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sq225917
Joined: Nov 05, 2002
Posts: 328 Posted: 2002-12-18 14:52   
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a death run occurs when you loose traction under your feet or your weight gets too far over the front of you feet, you find yourself overpowered, under finned and loosing traction as your kite keeps accelerating.

this situation occurs between having your board pointed so high the kite stalls, and having your board pointed behind the kite.

eventually you will run underneath the kite in this situation but in most cases you'll be on your face long before that happens.

' a death run'
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BigSmelly
Joined: Sep 12, 2002
Posts: 261
From: Israel Posted: 2002-12-18 15:07   
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Death run! OK, I can accept that. Sounds a bit harsh though.

Feels like someone dropped a brick on the accelerator and you can't get it off

Jumping out, is what I do, used to end in a big splash, but recently I learned to keep the kite above my head, and started coming down well. Never tried pointing straigh downwind, behind the kite, sounds like it will work - good tip.
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unHooked
Joined: Dec 08, 2002
Posts: 13
From: NW Florida Gulf Coast Posted: 2002-12-18 15:15   
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DownWind's a good technique.

when learning to jibe a directional i always lost power on the D/W part of the turn, now this can be used to advantage.

of course when near obstacles anticipate possible gust and overpower situation.
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footloose
Joined: Dec 18, 2002
Posts: 5 Posted: 2002-12-18 15:20   
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Another idea is to lean away from the kite at the same time drop your head and leading shoulder.

Let go with your front hand, reach out & dig your hand into the water. You should also sheet in, as this will drive the kite to the front of the window = less power pulling you over your edge.

If you're doing it right you will pivot up wind round your hand, with practice you can virtually stop dead.

Scary at first but works every time!
[ This Message was edited by: footloose on 2002-12-18 15:21 ]
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unHooked
Joined: Dec 08, 2002
Posts: 13
From: NW Florida Gulf Coast Posted: 2002-12-18 15:32   
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Yah! that's good too, (i think you mean sheet out, depower? (for LEI throttle at least)

i have to do the hand pivot thing when controling gusts on a 8ft directional. You can be streched out, hand palm down and actually planing on the hand.

did you see that in Arciholics vid?
the guy was toe side and planing with both hands, awesome........
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gaffer
Joined: Aug 07, 2002
Posts: 61 Posted: 2002-12-18 15:33   
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its the apparent wind that causes the death run, there are many ways to reduce the apparent wind, all involve using the board speed to subtract from the actual wind speed.

The usual method of heading upwind is often not an option with lots of speed and chop, so as already pointed out you got to go downwind instead, easiest is the high kite drag your arse through the water, pretty safe if you dont mind the odd enema, a bit more risky is the kite high downwind run (make sure you got plenty of room) you'll be riding with the board flat so if you got small fins it could get slidey and if you bury the nose get ready for a nasty face plant. If you got balls of steel and good kite control a long fast jump can achieve the same.

At the end of the day if you cant stand still on the beach with the kite at the edge then you need a smaller kite.
_________________
distance is your friend
Tighe
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