Should I turn the board around ?

[Chinny]

Conditions were just right for this newbie on Sunday, and I spent a good part of the afternoon trundling (not wizzing) back and forth on the board. I'm really starting to enjoy this now, I am managing to get back up wind to where I started from.

Thing is, I always have my ankles facing the wind. ie going right I have my right foot forwards, and going left, my left foot is forward.

Should I be turning the board at the end of the run and twisting my body around instead ? It just feels so unnatural when I try to do it and I keep thinking the kite will whip behind me and throw me onto my back.

Would this be easier if I tried on a bar instead of handles?

[kite geek]

Do you mean so you go toeside? Meaning that your toes are pointing towards the wind when you are going along? At the end of a run, see if you can switch by either hopping or you can carve, which is just going along and lean real hard in the other direction.

 

 

James

[Cyprino]

It's perfectly normal to have your ankles facing the wind, as you put it! That's the basic riding stance.

 

When you twist round so your toes face the wind, that's called riding "toeside", which is a more advanced technique. It does feel bloody awkward to start with, but it's something you get used to (something i'm in the process of doing, lol)

 

If you're using a bar and you're hooked in, like a depower, it's easier because you can lean away from the kite and use one hand to balance a bit while leaving the other one on the bar. That stops you getting yanked off backwards!

 

The normal thing to do at the end of a run is to slow down until you stop, then simply dive the kite the other way to start going back where you came from.

One way is to (carefully) use the kite as a brake - slowly move it back beyond the zenith. And I mean carefully! Do it fast and you'll go into the air

The other way is to lean back and throw your feet forwards. If you lean enough, your back foot will skid out, the front will soon follow. You'll then slide to a stop, and look damn cool Once you've stopped, just dive the kite the other way and start again!

 

Hope that sort of helps

[plummet]

yep yourtalking about Heel side. its most common to ride heelside most of the time. when you get better you can try toe side..... i personally don't like toeside and stick to heelside for most of my riding.

 

yourl find in one direction going heelside will feel good and the other not so good. this is because you have a good side and a badside.

 

now cyprino talked about stopping slowly then sliding to stop.

 

the next phaze after that is to do a downloop and yourl slide in it a nice big arc and blast back in the opposite direction....Nice! don't attempt this untill you confident with normal sliding.

[LeonR]

I was also wondering the best way to tackle this.

 

Because I snowboard with a regular stance I will either be heel or toe side, but regardless I will always be moving towards my left foot (front leg).

 

I've not tried a landboard yet, but I can imagine it being a little tricky, am I right in thinking that I would stand with my back to the wind and launch the kite to the zenith, get on the board, then position the kite to the left of the wind window, lean back a bit and kinda ride to the left ... when you want to come back again, this is where im confused? Do you position the kite on the right side of the window and then simply ride goofy? or do you turn the board to toe edge keeping your normal leading leg infront? (this would mean the kite is behind you and you would need to hold the handle outwards alot?).

 

As I say i've never tried, but I have been thinking about it.

[crabman]

I was also wondering the best way to tackle this.

 

Because I snowboard with a regular stance I will either be heel or toe side, but regardless I will always be moving towards my left foot (front leg).

 

I've not tried a landboard yet, but I can imagine it being a little tricky, am I right in thinking that I would stand with my back to the wind and launch the kite to the zenith, get on the board, then position the kite to the left of the wind window, lean back a bit and kinda ride to the left ... when you want to come back again, this is where im confused? Do you position the kite on the right side of the window and then simply ride goofy? or do you turn the board to toe edge keeping your normal leading leg infront? (this would mean the kite is behind you and you would need to hold the handle outwards alot?).

 

As I say i've never tried, but I have been thinking about it.

 

As stated above you'd normally just ride back in the opposite direction heelside, so in your case that would be goofy. Toeside with a kite is a different ballgame alltogether as you have to assume a rather awkward position with the kite being behind you.

I've just started taking my first small steps towards toeside being confident with both directions heelside.

[Coolboarder]

 

Because I snowboard with a regular stance I will either be heel or toe side, but regardless I will always be moving towards my left foot (front leg).

 

 

Ive got exactly the same issues dude. Im just learning to land board and not so comfy coming back along in goofy. But thats how the majority of land boarders do it. We just have to get used to it as we do riding switch when snowboarding.

 

 

Rob.

[KaptainKremmen]

Riding goofy with a kite is quite natural and not much like riding a board down a hill. The stance might look similar but it certainly doesn't feel like it.

 

If you want to start riding toeside etc the left/right preference becomes more noticeable (it starts to feel like carving.)

 

@ LeonR do you slide, sideways on, to stop on the snowboard. Landboarding feels a bit like that but with a bit of left or right thrown in

[LeonR]

Ah ok, so the wheels slide easily? Is it possible to have the equivelant to 'catching an edge' ?

 

I guess I will have to give it a go!

 

Just need to borrow one! Maybe I could pratice on my old skateboard, haha

[KaptainKremmen]

Ah ok, so the wheels slide easily? Is it possible to have the equivelant to 'catching an edge' ?

 

I guess I will have to give it a go!

 

Just need to borrow one! Maybe I could pratice on my old skateboard, haha

 

Yes. When people first start to landboard they go out (quite rightly) in light winds. You can't lean against the kite and the wheels run true. This makes for lots of wobbles and the Goofy side of things feels worse. Once you have some pull in the kite and can commit your weight to it, the board starts to lose traction. At this point you start to steer by 'scissoring' your feet as well as pointing your toes a bit. (this could of course just be the technique required to ride my rattly old MBS )

Catching edges really depends on how grotty the surface is. It generally doesn't happen on anything flattish.

 

If you have kite control and can snowboard I would suggest trying in a decent amount of wind and get used to sliding early on.

Edited September 1, 2009 by KaptainKremmen
Talking nonsense :)

[gordonvanman]

Try not to go out in gusty conditions when you first start (not like this afternoon when we skived off!) as a constant pull in either direction helps you to get the hang of it.

Try on some short grass like a playing field and avoid beaches as they can have soft sand patches which are not good for learning, just good to fetch you off (L.O.L.)

Just keep trying and always wear safety gear.

Regards Gord

[The Geoff]

Just keep reciting in your head "There is no goofy".

 

 

Seriously, the whole left/right footed thing is a bit of a myth, there are studies showing that "right footed" footballers can get their left footed skills up to the same level with just a weeks worth of practice. If you kite like there's no goofy then 90% of the clumsiness just disappears.

[The Geoff]

Just keep reciting in your head "There is no goofy".

 

 

Seriously, the whole left/right footed thing is a bit of a myth, there are studies showing that "right footed" footballers can get their left footed skills up to the same level with just a weeks worth of practice. If you kite like there's no goofy then 90% of the clumsiness just disappears.

[mkratty]

i land boarded before snow boarded . i found that i set my snowboard to a equal stance and that was it . i could ride every way possible . my instructor was impressed anyway..

[plummet]

yeah i don't have a problem kiting natural/goofy when kiting. leaning back and the power of the kite stablizes things out.....

infact i'm goofy on a skateboard but have done my fastest speed to date (36mph)natural stance...

 

after a while you forget about which way is right and wrong.