Hello friends of LAKAWA!
I recently took lessons with Mike K. and have now transitioned from windsurfing to the KITE! I was out the other day trying to jump, and am finding myself unsure of my technique. I know that I need to edge going into the jump, and then turn the kite from a 2 or 3 o'clock in the wind window to a 10 in the window. After that, what can I do with the kite to help ensure a save and soft landing? Thanks for the help here guys!
Matt
Take me to CLASS! Jumping 101
Moderator: MK
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tom_latcham
- Posts: 242
- Joined: Wed May 14, 2008 3:52 pm
Re: Take me to CLASS! Jumping 101
Hi Matt:
If you are going to learn to jump over the ice. The 1st thing you want to do is check your health insurance plan. Ice is a very unforgiving surface to crash on. Not sure I would want to learn with the current conditions. If you don’t want to wait for the water season progress very carefully. In the summer I will sometimes send the kite past 12 into the back side of the window then pull the trigger. This is not a good idea in the winter. You can get more air but if the wind suddenly lulls it is hard to get the kite to come back and you can come down like a ton of bricks not good in the winter. The main mistake I made when learning to jump was choking the kite too early when sending it. In other words I was pulling the bar in while sending it. This would take all the power out of the kite and it would depower at 12 giving no jump. Latter I learned to pull in with my back hand to turn the kite then stop turning and let the kite fly straight back the opposite direction of travel. Be light on the bar I sometimes even let out a bit after the turn. It is a feel and timing thing. As it approaches 12 you yank the bar all the way in. You should also have a good edge and be leaning hard into the edge to load the lines. To prevent over steering the kite I like to have my hands near the rope going through the center of the bar. As you approach the top of the jump pull forward with your front hand to turn the kite back the direction of travel and glide under the kite. It is important to watch your direction of travel as you come down so your skis are pointing the direction you are moving. If you look at the kite too much your body will follow your head and you will land sideways. So glance at the kite with quick eye movements but keep the head and eyes focused on direction of your travel and spot the landing. If you don’t redirect the kite in time. You have no lateral bar pressure to use to control your direction of your body and skis in the air (dangle). If you bring it down and forward to fast or soon you will land hard and fast. On a small jump you can redirect as soon as you take off. On higher jumps you have to wait tell you aproach the peak or the kite can go too low causing a powered punishing landing This can also be bad on the ice. Do not send the kite past 12 over the ice unless you know what you are doing. A lot of little timing things are all happening at the same time so steady wind is the key for learning. I also find it is best to learn on a big kite they don’t let you down as hard if the wind drops suddenly. Are you the guy with the t3 11 on black lake.
Be Careful:
Tom
If you are going to learn to jump over the ice. The 1st thing you want to do is check your health insurance plan. Ice is a very unforgiving surface to crash on. Not sure I would want to learn with the current conditions. If you don’t want to wait for the water season progress very carefully. In the summer I will sometimes send the kite past 12 into the back side of the window then pull the trigger. This is not a good idea in the winter. You can get more air but if the wind suddenly lulls it is hard to get the kite to come back and you can come down like a ton of bricks not good in the winter. The main mistake I made when learning to jump was choking the kite too early when sending it. In other words I was pulling the bar in while sending it. This would take all the power out of the kite and it would depower at 12 giving no jump. Latter I learned to pull in with my back hand to turn the kite then stop turning and let the kite fly straight back the opposite direction of travel. Be light on the bar I sometimes even let out a bit after the turn. It is a feel and timing thing. As it approaches 12 you yank the bar all the way in. You should also have a good edge and be leaning hard into the edge to load the lines. To prevent over steering the kite I like to have my hands near the rope going through the center of the bar. As you approach the top of the jump pull forward with your front hand to turn the kite back the direction of travel and glide under the kite. It is important to watch your direction of travel as you come down so your skis are pointing the direction you are moving. If you look at the kite too much your body will follow your head and you will land sideways. So glance at the kite with quick eye movements but keep the head and eyes focused on direction of your travel and spot the landing. If you don’t redirect the kite in time. You have no lateral bar pressure to use to control your direction of your body and skis in the air (dangle). If you bring it down and forward to fast or soon you will land hard and fast. On a small jump you can redirect as soon as you take off. On higher jumps you have to wait tell you aproach the peak or the kite can go too low causing a powered punishing landing This can also be bad on the ice. Do not send the kite past 12 over the ice unless you know what you are doing. A lot of little timing things are all happening at the same time so steady wind is the key for learning. I also find it is best to learn on a big kite they don’t let you down as hard if the wind drops suddenly. Are you the guy with the t3 11 on black lake.
Be Careful:
Tom
Last edited by tom_latcham on Wed Jan 27, 2010 4:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Take me to CLASS! Jumping 101
Check out the Knowledge section. There are some good threads there on Jumping as well
Tighe
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steveb
- Posts: 2146
- Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2002 3:31 pm
- Location: sblain@frontiernet.net
Re: Take me to CLASS! Jumping 101
Firstly....elbow,knee,hip,butt pads and helmet. Ok now you can bounce just fine.
Jumping technique varies greatly depending on the type of kite you're using. Tom describes letting the bar out a little, the kite I fly likes back line preassure to turn quickly so I have to sheet in before I send it.
So the first questions what kind of kites are you using?
A good thing to play with at the beginning is using your line tension to get air, it'll improve your technique without huge airs.
Put the kite about 11 or 11.30 , scoot across the lake with nice speed.
For a split second come a little more upright with your body. This takes a little tension off the lines and lets the kite fall a little further back in the window for grunt, almost as soon as you're upright lean away from the kite hard increasing the line tension again and carve hard upwind ,then push off your skis away from the kite, you sort of jump but try to get your body off the snow moving horizontally away from the kite. It's more of a push away from the kite using your legs. As you do this pull your bar in a little. This all happens in a smooth quick action lasting a max of 2 seconds. As your timing improves you'll leave the snow and feel the kite lift you a little. The better you get the bigger your air will be. The nice thing is this is also the same technique for jumps sending the kite, you're just practicing the ski/board and body motion. It'll get you air when you get it right without huge penalties for getting the kite bit wrong.
Jumping technique varies greatly depending on the type of kite you're using. Tom describes letting the bar out a little, the kite I fly likes back line preassure to turn quickly so I have to sheet in before I send it.
So the first questions what kind of kites are you using?
A good thing to play with at the beginning is using your line tension to get air, it'll improve your technique without huge airs.
Put the kite about 11 or 11.30 , scoot across the lake with nice speed.
For a split second come a little more upright with your body. This takes a little tension off the lines and lets the kite fall a little further back in the window for grunt, almost as soon as you're upright lean away from the kite hard increasing the line tension again and carve hard upwind ,then push off your skis away from the kite, you sort of jump but try to get your body off the snow moving horizontally away from the kite. It's more of a push away from the kite using your legs. As you do this pull your bar in a little. This all happens in a smooth quick action lasting a max of 2 seconds. As your timing improves you'll leave the snow and feel the kite lift you a little. The better you get the bigger your air will be. The nice thing is this is also the same technique for jumps sending the kite, you're just practicing the ski/board and body motion. It'll get you air when you get it right without huge penalties for getting the kite bit wrong.
Regional Ozone Team rider
Re: Take me to CLASS! Jumping 101
Yeah take it easy at first but don't think you can't learn in the winter! I may be a little backwords... but most of the stuff I have learned and tried I have done in the winter first. I was jumping on snow before I rode much in the water (let alone going upwind).
But having pads or soft snow helps prevent the brusing!
And for jumping what helped me...
Pull on your back hand (opp of the direction your going), edge, leave ground, immediately pull your front hand to get a soft landing.
Or in terms of o'clocks. Kite at 1. Edge and Send to 11 As soon as you start to leave ground, immediately send back to 1 or 2.
Good Luck!
But having pads or soft snow helps prevent the brusing!
And for jumping what helped me...
Pull on your back hand (opp of the direction your going), edge, leave ground, immediately pull your front hand to get a soft landing.
Or in terms of o'clocks. Kite at 1. Edge and Send to 11 As soon as you start to leave ground, immediately send back to 1 or 2.
Good Luck!