Power Kite Forum - Learning to jump/kite handling

Learning to jump/kite handling

lamrith - 27-10-2011 at 02:37 PM

So far I have been flying all static. I have been scudding a bit as power and ground conditions allow. I am looking to get an ATB and start working with motion, but for now am on foot.

I have been whatching videos as much as possible but they all show just the rider for the most part, not rider and kite interaction.

What I want to find is a good tutorial and/or video that has kite and rider so I can see positioning and timing to start learning to jump and float back down safely.

I would be using my 8m pepper, on wither handles or bar&harness. I want to be on harness long term for atb, but realise it may be best to start jumping on handles at first..

Let me know what you have..

indigo_wolf - 27-10-2011 at 03:15 PM

Note: All caveats/disclaimers (you'll go blind, your face will get stuck like that, you'll put your eye out with that thing, it'll stunt your growth, he/she will only break your heart, etc) as set forth by furry counsel apply.

ATB,
Sam

John Holgate - 27-10-2011 at 03:47 PM

Listen to the snap of this guy's knee at 46 seconds....

Now, I only do small jumps myself so I certainly don't claim to be an authority on this but I would say this: As soon as you leave the ground, you are at the mercy of the pull of the kite - make sure you know were it's suppose to be. ie: close to or heading back to being directly over your head. You don't want any sideways pull, cos as the guy in the video demonstrates, knees and ankles are not all that tough.

Good ankle support. Clean wind. And if you can, a nice soft sand dune underneath you!!!

This is about as safe as I've seen it done: Luke is using a bit of ridge lift on a sand dune....Anti Gravity

Take it slow, small steps. I've seen a few threads were people have claimed to have nailed pendulum jumps after only a few months of flying....I don't like this at all. Wind is always different. Just because you get really good with the kite, doesn't mean that you control the wind. The most experienced kiters that I know - and I'm talking 20 year flyers and people with literally tens of thousands of km's in the buggy still get injured and break bones. And you won't have to look far on this forum to find some of their stories.

I'm sorry if this sounds a bit 'doomsayer' !!! It IS a lot of fun. But the risks go up quite a bit and if you understand and respect that, you'll be safer for it.

lamrith - 27-10-2011 at 04:06 PM

I had seen that one before. Makes a bit moar sense now.

Seems once you are up in the air you redirect the kite opposite the direction your body is traveling in essence? so you are a bit of a pendulum that keeps the kite loaded? Do you redirect multiple times depending on your height and hangtime?

Txshooter38 - 27-10-2011 at 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by lamrith
I had seen that one before. Makes a bit moar sense now.

Seems once you are up in the air you redirect the kite opposite the direction your body is traveling in essence? so you are a bit of a pendulum that keeps the kite loaded? Do you redirect multiple times depending on your height and hangtime?

However much you have to to keep the kite above you. I have been playing with jumping for about a year now and am still unwilling to try anything more than a few feet.

It is a scary ride when you get picked up further than you wanted and you run out of talent to get yourself down.

John Holgate - 27-10-2011 at 04:26 PM

Most of the time, I tend to throw the kite from the right side of the window to the left (pretty high up in the window - if it's too low and it yanks you, you end up doing a superman!) Meanwhile, I'll run in a slight arc in the opposite direction. As soon as it lifts me, I'll redirect it back over my head so it will theoretically let me straight down. I don't go far up, so I only ever need to redirect it once, but depending on kite and height, you would redirect as often as necessary to keep it above you.

I keep it pretty high - I might start off with it at say 45 degrees or so, but as it crosses the window, I'll be pushing it towards the top of the window. It will normally get enough power to lift once it's gone a bit past 12 o'clock, then I send it back overhead. Just remember, unless you're on wheels, you want it pretty much overhead when you're coming down.

Hard to see in videos, but you can get an idea by watching people's hands....

But like I say, I don't do this a lot, just for a bit of fun now and then, so if better kiters tell you different, trust them, not me!!

edit: Lol, just read the above post. Running out of talent!! - yeah, I know that feeling....

Txshooter38 - 27-10-2011 at 04:35 PM

This is a good example of having a Ohhh S#$% flight. He almost ran out of talent!!!

http://youtu.be/m9o5wgkL5yw

Bladerunner - 27-10-2011 at 04:50 PM

That how not to kitesurf reminds me of one of my 1st times out.

I was working on my water starts in the shallows. The local hot dog was coming in and jumping . I was thinking it was awful shallow and sure as shootin' 3rd time in he jammed his board into the sand and blew his ACL . Tide was coming in and he couldn't stand up. Fortunately some others were kiting up the Bay and I got them to help carry him to shore. Then push the ambulance that got got stuck on the beach. There was a couple of sessions that went bad back then that almost had me turn from the sport. That was one of them.

lamrith - 27-10-2011 at 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Txshooter38

However much you have to to keep the kite above you. I have been playing with jumping for about a year now and am still unwilling to try anything more than a few feet.

It is a scary ride when you get picked up further than you wanted and you run out of talent to get yourself down.

That is exactly wha tI am trying to avoid, running out of talent and being much higher than I wanted..

Txshooter38 - 27-10-2011 at 06:25 PM

Just start slow in good wind and don't get in a hurry to "Go Big!!" I am a bigger guy (200lbs) and have had the crap scared out of me worse with my 5m then my larger kites. Don't be dumb like I was and take a small kite out in big gusty wind...it is a recipe for disaster. Things tend to happen pretty fast in high wind.

Quite frankly I like lighter wind (not as gusty) with a bigger kite. Then you can start slow with your redirects and just work up slowly. The faster you run and the harder you steer the kite back the way you came the bigger you go.

Kamikuza - 27-10-2011 at 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by John Holgate
Listen to the snap of this guy's knee at 46 seconds....

Also notice that he's totally injured and buggered up but he still tries to save the kite :no:

release the safety, that's what it's there for!!!

IMHO and I've said it before ... big depower kite, light winds. Soft sand is good but will still punish you and things can lurk underneath the surface - like railroad nails :o ask me how I know.

When you get the feeling for the kite, try it in more winds or send it faster.

The Landboarding Progression DVD has a nice intro to jumping that should be watched too.

Again IMHO get out on the water ... the punishment is much less severe :yes:

Txshooter38 - 27-10-2011 at 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kamikuza

Quote:

Originally posted by John Holgate
Listen to the snap of this guy's knee at 46 seconds....

Also notice that he's totally injured and buggered up but he still tries to save the kite :no:

All good advise here.....Depowers are really nice to jump with..... :thumbup:

Kamikuza - 27-10-2011 at 07:07 PM

Yup. You can control your height and the severity on the impact on landing better too.

Jaymz - 27-10-2011 at 07:21 PM

When trying to do pendulum jumps I found the running sometimes put me in an akward position to control the kite. And I'm getting up there in age and handles were too much of a workout. I gave up before I got hurt.

When I started flying depower it got easier.
Stay stationary, send the kite from about 2-3:00, load up, redirect, and work on getting the timing right. Soft sand adds safety and confidence for sure ;-) In the grass fields we ride would easily end up with a busted knee or ankle.
I also find sending the kite from the left feels natural, from the right (goofy?) not so much.

This past weekend @ WW I was excited that we (Thanks Nahant Don) finally got the 15m Charger flying proper by added a mod (shortened the internal center strap 2") to help prevent random hand clap and add stability it never had. Kite was flying great in the gusty winds. After a few minutes of static jumping and feeling good doing 2-3 foot jumps I got fooled. I sent it as a gust hit and went alot higher then planned. Heard a few WOOOOO's. Got shaken and was reminded once again to respect the wind.

Here's video showing the kite at times when I was learning (and still learning) to static jump with a 14m Gin Eskimo.

Kamikuza - 27-10-2011 at 07:29 PM

Arcs have done that to me too jaymz - they're a bit less predictable for static jumping IMHO because they can accelerate so quickly and make more power that way ...

4:36 here is a prime example :lol:

AD72 - 27-10-2011 at 08:18 PM

Kami was that a 15 or 19 Syn?

Kamikuza - 27-10-2011 at 08:26 PM

19

dandre - 28-10-2011 at 04:27 AM

yeah def something you learn slowly, internets won't help much.
practice moving the kite from lower edge of the window (8/9 o'clock) to the zenith without killing yourself... and ALOT of brake pressure at first.

Something you learn with handles for sure.

Basically the kite goes from the corner, 90 degrees to the center then straight up to the zenith.
Well... it's more like a graceful inverted arc.. but thats the general idea.

you can play with pendulum jumps but...
such a touchy subject.

I can tell you I've been having to take a break on kites from practicing static every day. the impact on my knees (and I'm a young healthy dood) has just been more recourse than I'm willing to inflict on my body.
Granted I'm super cautious, but I noticed a little soreness and some gimpiness on my hikes.. So I gave the tissue time to settle, grow, and heal and now I feel alot better.

Get depower, and get in motion. It's just alot safer, and I think you'd really like land blades. The impact from getting jerked around without dynamic motion sucks.
I only have like 20 days till I'm back in montana for kite skiing(yaaay pow pow), or I would have invested in a whole bunch of crap.