As mentioned in another post, I got sorta sorted with the ATB today but had real troubles riding goofy. I'm not sure what it's called but I found it easier to ride facing away from the kite thereby non-goofy. (Is that called blind or toeside or what?......not that it matters).

Anyway, question is - should I try to develop the goofy skill or is back to the kite OK? In all fairness once I get the suspension on the board tuned proper I'll probably have better luck going goofy but do I need to?

Actually, the same issue was true with the wake board this summer (first time trying it). Could only leave the wake toeside - it felt more natural. No, I couldn't get back into the wake once I carved out.....

Any tips on carving on the heel edge while I'm here?

On the wakeboard side which I'm sure has parallels to landboarding, you are making things hard on yourself if you favor one side or the other. You should learn each level of progress with left and right foot forward as well as heelside and toeside. At your level, you should force yourself to get over the wake heelside. Most people are opposite your view, wanting to go over the wake/jump/pull out away from the boat etc. leaning back heelside. On the landboard, you could get by more easily not knowing how to ride toeside but you will be really hampered by not knowing how to ride goofy.

Learn to ride goofy! I prefer riding normal also, but have become nearly equally going goofy (except for jumping)

I tried going goofy today. just about killed myself LOL. I pretty much got the basics of riding normal and jumping that way....but i am tired of stopping and going back riding normal. Slow and steady going goofy really slow lol...a little too slow cause turned to the zenith and almost dipped back into the power zone. just enough to yank me off the board LOL. wind was 16mph but i think if the wind was alot less it would prob slow down the learning curve i think . last thing i wanna do starting goofy from a stand still is dip that sucker into the power zone and having kite behind me.

You know what though? I think it was the fact that the wind was up for me that I had what success that I did. I had my Rage out - flew it at the forward edge of the window (not moving yet), pulled in the brakes slowly and evenly so the kite slipped back slowly into the power and before you knew it I was moving. BUT not very fast and I was forced to work the kite. I put the Rage away and took up the Access. Same deal, parked it at the forward edge, pulled back slow and gentle-like on the bar and before I knew it I was moving.

(Also another affirmation to me that I fly too underpowered a lot of the time. RevPaul explained best though....if we flew proper power and something went wrong there's little room for error where we fly. Not like we have miles of beach to ride things out or sort them out.)

I was really able to lean against the Access because it stayed in relatively constant power. Working the Rage it was my arms being the buffer between me and the amount of pull from the kite and I got no benefit from the fact that I could have leaned against the pull and locked everything down.

Just another 2¢

i am challenged with the whole lingo thing. goofy/regular, i thought was having to do with your dominant footing with reference to power or fall, and toeside or switched is dependent on that with edge use.
the surf board has no designated foot position a dominate foot position in reference to the wave/power really describes it best, as well as slalom water ski where fixed foot has to be selected. where the system is symmetrical except for riders foot positions

like snow boarding parallel to mirror demonstrates your goofy stance in the reflection. no matter your orientation.

a better understanding with forum discussion.

Goofy to my mind had always been from back in the skate boarding days whereby if you were the sort that kicked with your left foot and rode facing left (your right side forward) you were goofy. I was the opposite - I kick with my right and ride with my left foot forward on the board. The term to me now seems to be anything other than what I do - because it feels goofy when I try to do it

goofy - right foot forward
regular - left foot forward
switch - opposite of your dominant stance.
toeside -leaning with the pressure on your toes
heelside - leaning back onto your heels.

I can't speak intelligently about surfing but all the other board sports use this same terminology.

i am both, they both feel about the same, really hadn't thought about that...

i progressed to switched goofy first, (on water). but regular switched on land first.

jumped first regular on land ( balance dominant, speed secondary)

jumped first goofy on water. ( speed dominant, balance very close secondary)

going both ways is needed in kiting not like downhill stuff where the powerflow is always the same(and you can choose), kiting you get to ride back. you could keep the dominant foot in back on a return but you'd be switched.

i have noticed a difference in up wind line my goofy ride is a little steeper than my regular ride. i suspect my learning on tide changes and frequency of the same presenting tide when i ride the most has effected that some, the land board helped even that out for sure.

but lately i've gotten to ride on alot of slack tide and they seem about the same.

great topic - and the best thing! all of it becomes reflexive and you don;t even think about it anymore

I'm quite the opposite! I can ride regular or goofy heelside (I'm goofy by nature), but I'm struggling with toeside riding in either direction. Flying the kite behind my back seems a little odd. I'm sure it will come with time though...
I forced myself to ride switch on my snowboard a lot last year and that definitely helped riding switch on the landboard. I think the earlier you learn it the better. That being said, I'll certainly be working on the toeside thing this winter on the snowboard.

yes riding twisted should be added early or you may never do it. the alien feel passes quickly. that's what may wife told me anyway.

an incentive is really hot down loop turns, that are just cool to do.

Quote:

Originally posted by dgkid78 I tried going goofy today. just about killed myself LOL. I pretty much got the basics of riding normal and jumping that way....but i am tired of stopping and going back riding normal. Slow and steady going goofy really slow lol...a little too slow cause turned to the zenith and almost dipped back into the power zone. just enough to yank me off the board LOL. wind was 16mph but i think if the wind was alot less it would prob slow down the learning curve i think . last thing i wanna do starting goofy from a stand still is dip that sucker into the power zone and having kite behind me.

Ya my bad on this one i think i confused people including myself lol. I REALLY MEAN toeside in the other post. i have no issue with goofy except getting more comfortable jumping goofy. :D

I ride in small parks all the time. I wouldn't say I ride super " powered" But I like to put up as Big a kite as possible when on ATB. I find having something big to lean against is so much better + so much closer to the feel of a boat ! With a smaller kite and too little power, when you want to lean hard on the bar / handles to bring yourself back into balance the support is just not there.

Try a bigger kite and smaller line set if space is the issue ?

Goofy , No problem. Toeside, not so much ! :ticking:

Quote:

Originally posted by macboy (Also another affirmation to me that I fly too underpowered a lot of the time. RevPaul explained best though....if we flew proper power and something went wrong there's little room for error where we fly. Not like we have miles of beach to ride things out or sort them out.)