Sorry, duplicate post I put in the ATB forum, but that one doesn't seem very active so reposting here

Hi all, I've done quite a few lessons on water with LEI kites. Waterstarting fine.

Now I'm getting going on land. I have a Kheo Flyer (I wanted something long, low and stable for my first board). It's heavy but not too bad.

I've been playing around with a 3m Twister on handles and have been OK cruising at about 45 degrees downwind. I have a couple of arcs but they feel too big to get starting on a board. And I have a broken thumb from trying to get used to the Synergy static. Scared to get it out in 15mph so I had it out in slower winds, probably not enough, and it kept dropping, then into the power and powering up and dragging me hard. 

I now have a Flysurfer Peak 6m, and I am much more comfortable with it in my 10mph winds.

The first thing I struggled with was getting used to being pulled by the harness rather than from my arms with handles. I guess I'll get used to that.

But my real struggle and what I wanted to ask you guys about was getting moving. I've watched Carl's vids and I know the theory...kite up to zenith, take slightly the opposite way to the direction of travel, then dive it in the direction of travel. Board at about 45 degrees. Exactly the same as the waterstart when I was in the ocean.

However on my landboard, with my kite at zenith I really feel like it's almost behind me, and it puts me off balance on the board even before I start.

Once moving I found I was able to lean back and turn upwind a little. I even found myself holding ground and even went a good way upwind on a couple of runs.

Here's the tracks, up and down the same bit of ground!



So I'm stoked about my progress since I got a depower kite and a harness, but really really shaky at the start.

I did read a post from somebody saying rather than starting with the kite at zenith, start it high at the edge of the window on the side of the direction of travel, and then dive it back towards the power. This is very different from the waterstart I learnt, and I was unclear as to how to get the kite turned back around to go in the direction of travel.

What do you guys do? Any tips from the experts!?

Depending on the winds and how the kite is trimmed it may fly behind or over you as you step on the board as the extra slack you add when you step up and onto the board allows the kite to move a bit further into the window until you redirect it. However you get it there, I'd recommend you get the kite to 12 or slightly behind 12 (11 or 1 depending upon direction of travel), point you board downwind as you've been doing and start scooting the board as you drive the kite down into the window and then redirect it back to 12 and back down and keep sine waving the kite until you get going then lean back, carve a bit upwind and keep the kite in the power zone or keep moving it to sustain power. Breaking traction on grass can be tough but the technique is the same as water. It is way easier to board powered as that allows you to lean back and keep speed. As you get comfortable in the harness and holding more power things will get a lot easier for you.

Thanks B-Roc! When you say start scooting the board do you mean give it a couple of pushes with my foot like a skateboard? Once I was moving I was fine sining the kite and I even managed to lean back, park the kite and go upwind, it's just getting going that was starting to frustrate me. I guess there's no easy way and everyone had to go through this pain!

scoot it with your feet in the bindings or jump / hop a bit. Sometimes you need to help it get rolling if you aren't comfortable diving it into the power zone aggressively.

Ah OK I'm with you, thanks for the tips!

Another great way to start and not feel all twisted up is to point your board damn near straight downwind (or maybe 10 degrees to one side) and then downloop to the opposite side. It's a pretty serious power surge, but it tapers off pretty quickly and you just carve upwind a bit while the kite is finishing its loop. Typically, if you don't panic, it's a great, natural feeling and you never feel all twisted up like you do when your power stroke wasn't steep enough (or your board was pointed too far downwind)

Also, for kites that fly super forward in the window, you gotta be about 60 deg instead of 45 deg away from the wind line. Once a kite passes the line that your board makes lengthwise, your balance goes all screwey, so play around with that starting angle.

Thats rad that you're riding at all. Also, you might wanna check your trucks. Just a half turn or two of the nut on over tight trucks can make a TON of difference. Your tracks look pretty straight . I kept falling over when I first got my board until I realized I wasn't able to turn fast enough. Loosened it up a bit and haven't had a problem since.

Thanks Proletariat! The downwind + downloop option sounds like I might struggle on the "not panic" bit! So when you say downloop in the opposite direction, if I'm travelling to the right would I take the kite near to the zenith and then loop it to the left (anti clockwise)? I might give it a try in light wind.

" All twisted up " is exactly how I've been feeling.

My trucks are VERY stiff. I deliberately picked up a big stable board as my first ride. It's a Kheo Flyer with channel trucks. And it only turns in a really wide arc. It has nylon/rubber blocks inside the springs. I guess I need softer ones to give me more turnability?

On a side note I just returned from a skiing trip to Norway and I took my Peak. Wow. Just wow. Could not believe how much easier it was on snow. I was blastingaround and riding upwind no problem at all! Hopefully the "feel" I got from riding on skiis will help on the board!