Well, unlike the west coast, we DID have wind this weekend. Managed to score a hall pass for today.

Phantom 15 (of course), a little underpowered.....could have used maybe 5-8 km/h more? Followed a friend out to this "dude, you gota come check this out" ridge in the lake.....nothing amazing - maybe ranging from 2 feet tall to three and a half feet tall.....but the thing was about 50 yards long and freakishly perpendicular to the wind

Anyhow, I got my first boosted jump off this bad boy and loved every failed timing attempt leading up to the "AWW YEAH.....YOU GOT IT!" tug and flight. No idea how high and the GoPro helmet mount does NO justice but I'll sleep tonight with a smile from one ear to the other.

Finished the day just as the wind came up so I chucked myself around trying to remember the finer points of the load & pop world and then took a few speed runs to log into the GPS. I'm curious as to where my comfort zone is so I want to start keeping track. Only 39.4km/h today. We'll see where this goes.

(Cheated and took the skis out.....feel a little guilty about that.......I just needed a therapy session after staring at the wind all day Saturday)

Nice looking forward to the vid ...!
... what are using for GPS?

:karate:

:Ange09:
YAHOO !!!!!. Now that timing thing is clicking you are on your way !!!!!
:Ange09:

You guys have any recommendations on first jumps with arcs regarding timing and kite position? I've been out on the snow with a newly acquired 16 V2 and would like to get to know how to jump with it.

Hey Bruce are you on skis or snowboard? Slightly different techniques between the two - are you getting ready for the Elmhurst show?

Speed and power will add to the boost but for now you can start smaller until you get the rhythm down.
On skis I find that I don't want the kite too low and when I'm traveling along and have the bar out and feel power I know that's when I will get a good a good jump. Don't be tentative about cranking the bar to send the kite the other direction as fast as possible - get the kite to turn quick and send it back and then up and it should lift you without question and pull in on the bar for the boost. While gaining the confidence you can ease up just a bit on your edging to turn a couple degrees toward the kite as you redirect that way you will be facing forward a bit more as you come off the ground.
With a snowboard it's very much the same as on water, edge just a bit harder when you have the pressure on the bar. Just lean back and edge a degree harder upwind for a second so you get a nice release when you send the kite.
Most people are tentative when redirecting the kite - crank that bar 90 degrees.
Start with small bunny hops and work your way up but on a day with steadier winds if you get the timing down it will all come together quicker.
If you keep directly overhead it will be a pop and float or you can work the kite a little if you want to increase distance and speed in the air and direct the kite forward as you come in to land to have some forward speed again.
PS-sorry K. for jacking your discussion
(and typing Bob instead of Bruce - I was responding to Bob on a work email, better check I didn't call him Bruce)

Hi Mark, thanks for the info, I'll give it a shot when we get some snow again. I'm usually on skiis until the snow gets deeper or heavy. This rain has put an end to it all for now...sigh.
And yes, sorry for the hijack, should have asked in the tips category.
Bruce

Pressure ridges on the lakes can be wild to say the least. I have seen them over twenty feet high and jagged and brutal looking as possible. You have to watch the ice coming into them also can become very crystalline in nature, highly abrasive and possibility of breaking through. We had wind here to but not enough to make it worth while so spent yesterday working on the Sabre.
The worst thing about getting air is now thats all you'll want to do.lol