Second season snowkiting and I'm wondering if anyone could enlighten me on how to tack without getting wrapped up in lines.
Basically I only ever gybe, to keep my lines out of my face and keep my speed. But as all sailors know, this makes it hard to stay upwind...
The only way to tack I know is to bring the kite up to apex and walk my skis around. But then obviously you lose all speed (like tacking a boat I guess) and this is no fun.
I guess jump turns would work too but I am not into lifting yet at all.

Is there a good way to do upwind carved turns?

@rec- not sure i know the difference between a gybe and a tack but just make your turns downwind carving turns and match the ski turns with the flying of the kite, then as you gain your line again start working upwind, just realize that in order to gain upwind you need to have speed and enough wind. staying up wind or gaining up wind requires a stronger breeze

I don't know anyone that does a tack kite skiing or snowboarding. Overall you can go upwind fairly easily in the winter and when you can ski such a high angle upwind doing a jibe at the end of the run loosing some ground on the turn is no big deal and a far more exciting way to throw the kite and carve that turn.
The only time you really loose ground winter kiting is underpowered and in many conditions it doesn't take much to get moving in the winter (unless deeper and wet snow) so loosing ground is usually extremely light wind - like when you gotta keep flying the kite or it'll fall out of the sky if it stops.
I think with a little more experience you'll soon realize this will be a non issue for you as soon as you get a season or two under your belt the learning curve is fast.

I struggle to get downwind on a snowboard...

One way to stay upwind during a turn - as you rightly guessed - is to get airborne. This does not have to be very extreme though - you can do it with only a few inches of air. look up backloop transitions and jump transitions. They are both easier on snow than on water because you need no momentum on landing.

The other is to just do a sliding turn if you are on a board.

Normal downwind carves are the way to go on skis (gybes if you must)

Changing direction while kiting is called a transition. Not sure why people feel the need to pretend they are on a sail boat - particularly on land

Yeah, that's what I do is just make a carved downwind turn that is greater than 180 and point my line back upwind. My issues come in shifting gusty wind when being able to make a little more upwind would be handy. I've seen guys tack buggies in videos but it works because you are seated below the lines. A tack is just when you turn upwind instead of downwind and obviously doesn't work well standing up.

As for nautical terms - i'm also a sailor. is kiting not a form of sailing? Even on a ice/land yacht it's still sailing... :P But if tacks are impossible/uncommon them one term (transition) makes sense.

hopefully this will help or at least add to knowledge base.

two differential points here: front and back (like boat) OR Twin Tip(two fronts ends)

a boat has a front and a back(like skis or surf board) so sail terms are applicable

tack - the FRONT of the boat CROSSES into the wind (a windward turn)
gybe - the FRONT of the boat turns down wind(leeward turn)

a TT/snowboard/ATB has TWO FRONT ENDS(so to speak) ...so skateboard terms apply here.

a "basic" tack on TT can be a sliding transitions also called a fakey "just going the other direction" which is without the slide.
a gybe can be the same manner as the boat version where you fall off the windward drive to lee and turn... prolly like you already do ..just carry speed and aggressive upwind drive needs to be apllied. carrying speed and kite action generally is challenging.

now the tricky parts .

bare in mind down wind requires MORE kite action to keep things tidy

the TT(snowboard ) have hopping 180s and carve, for downwind runs and a sliding fakey as well.

aerial tack which is a backroll transition (270) or frontroll(540) works for skis or TT

surf board has a few variations because of the strapless element hence the "ducS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K- tack..the nose of the board STILL crosses the face of the wind!

forgot the basic air transition which is actually an aerial gybe ...the jumps starts in your forward direction and you land in new direction..applies to TT or SKIs.

and boat usually don't have a vertical vector but it happens (sam may follow with something cool here)

yes kiting is sailing, actually its sailing by tethered aviation in terms of what is actually going on...but always say kiting

Super powered downwind turns as you come around to your new direction of travel are one of the things I enjoy most about snow kiting (skis).

Hello

Thanks for all the info guys, back loop transitions are what I was looking for! Videos helped understand a bit of air lets you rotate around the lines instead of the other way around (ducking the lines)
I got the blades to get away from the "sliding fakie" transitions on my board, they feel pretty lame! I love cranking the gybes but neat to have an option to turn the other way if you know what I mean.

Quote: Originally posted by lives2fly

I struggle to get downwind on a snowboard... One way to stay upwind during a turn - as you rightly guessed - is to get airborne. This does not have to be very extreme though - you can do it with only a few inches of air.

Just remember, anytime you are airborne, you are heading downwind!

EW is correct of course but if you only turn with minimal height your upwind momentum from laoding for the pop will cancel out some of the drift. you will lose less ground than a regular carving turn but more than a sliding turn. if you send it big you will lose a load of ground.

Rectifier - also look at downloop transitions. the buggy guys use these a lot & i have just started using them on the water. Using a slow(ish) kiteloop to power your carve makes it alot tighter and faster. It seems intimidating at first but you are pointing downwind as the kite is at max power so its nothing like the huge pull you expect!

If your sliding turns on the board feel a bit lame try sending the kite back a little earlier and kick the board all the way around (as if sliding to toeside) this will give them a bit more style when you dial in the timing.