Jumping tips

LAKAWA Knowledge Base - What are your secrets to wind and water success? Share what you've learned that may assist others.

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Ric
Posts: 71
Joined: Mon Jan 16, 2006 9:44 am

Jumping tips

Post by Ric »

Hi you all riders:
Iwas at M.Lacs on Saturday and it was awesome to see hundreds of kites up in the air. Great event. Hats off to Jason and crew.
As a new rider, what are some tips you can tell me to get some "air" time. I have seen amazing air time this past saturday. Of cousre I would start small but, I;d love to hear what works besto for you.
Thanks and I appreciate your time.
Ric
Tighe
Posts: 5274
Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2002 10:06 pm
Location: Here, Now

Post by Tighe »

It was a great day of wind.

Here's my two cents worth.

Make sure you are powered up. If you're not ending hard, or you are riding with the kite down in the window, then you just won't have enough to jump.

Bare off the wind a bit and get some speed.

Raise the kite to about the 2:00 position, higher if lit up, lower if slightly underpowered.

Turn the kite to send it over your back shoulder. Turn and restraighten, else it will do a big loop up and over the window.

As the kite disappears from view, lean or crank upwind to add power. Timing is important on this one.

Spring into the wind, not downwind. Upwind builds power in the kite, downwind kills power in the kite.

As soon as you are airborn, redirect the kite with a short pull on the front end of the bar. Again, just redirect, don't continue to pull too long or the kite will loop over head. If anything redirect and keep pressure on that front hand, to keep the kite coming down slightly in front of you. As you approach your landing, pull hard on the front hand and dive the kite to land powered up. Land heading downwind and then carve across the wind.

If you're using a four line kite, send the kite slightly sheeted out so it can race to the top of the window and as you crank upwind, pull in to increase the lift, once redirected overhead sheet out to keep the kite flying through the air fast and maximizing your glide down. Obviously it matters where in the kites range you have it adjusted. I've been flying in really light winds where pulling in on the way up, just stops the kite cause it flares so much. But if you're in the middle of the range you'll be fine.

Timing is everything.
Tighe
Eric P
Posts: 544
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2004 8:17 pm
Location: St. Louis Park, MN

Post by Eric P »

I agree with Tight, it was a great day of flying, as was today. I'm so sore, I can hardly type. The turning of the kite part is easy to get down. The hardest part is knowing when to really lead up the kite (turning hard up wind) and then leting it go and poping off the surface. If you really want to get high, you really need to load and pop. The pop should happen right before you get ripped off the surface. A good pop doubles the height of a jump.

I learnded this weekend that the kite should be sent a little lower if it is bigger. A bigger kite takes longer to get turned around during a jump, and where that kite starts dictates where it will be for you in the air. Also the harder you turn the kite in the inital send dictates how high you go.

Like Tight said, make sure your powered, then start with the kite a little higher, get the feal for the direction of pull on the lines when you send it, then just start droping it lower and sending it harder. And don't forget to get that thing back under you as you coming down, otherweis you'll be relanching your kite alot. If you kite falls out of the sky after a jump, you'r not getting it back under yourself.

Jumping is the greatest fealling in the world, just take it slow the first couple times you try it. Timing is everything, including knowing when to push it. Good luck.
Eric
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