I'm a natural-footer.

But I always ride frontside on bearaways.

Lefts or Rights.

It doesn't matter to me.

I like to face the wave.

But for the backside riders, here's a tip to improve your bottom turn and get vert.

See Kelly carving his bottom turn. ^^^

[Imagine he's gripping a kite-bar in his lefthand.]

See how he's reaching back with his righthand.

Really reaching.

Like he's swinging a ten-pin bowling ball back for a strike.

[and imagine he's wearing a harness]

A sliding tow-point on his imaginary harness might be handy too.

Personally, I'd hate a sliding tow-point.

lol.

how to be a better backside waverider? unhook, otherwise you're fighting against the kite the whole time

SugarQube - trust us. Try it.

Look at that photo of KS - if he was hooked in he wouldn't be able to be loading himself up for the bottom turn.

Tune your kite so that when you de-power - just before you unkook - it flies fast with little grunt.

That's how I learnt to do it - I now find unhooking so addictive that I prob do it when I shouldn't! But it feels great so i reckon it is worth a try.

tightlines said...
Thanks for the tips WS, now if you can just teach KS to turn and face the wave more often (a la WS) perhaps he might get somewhere.

lol.
Kelly is no slouch when it comes to switchfoot riding (in the barrel).
There's probably a youtube piece somewhere with Kelly riding Padang Padang frontside.

VB MAN said...

Wavey, you've outdone yourself this time,
Twice you mentioned, Bottom
Twice you mentioned, Backside
Twice you mentioned, Reaching back
And that you prefer to to ride front and Bear
And imagine He's grippin a bar
And imagine He's harnessed
Oh Imagine, Ahhh

What are you trying to suggest, VB ? ^^^

...that my post is vaguely homocentric ??

That's a stretch.



This is homocentric. ^^^

lol.

VB MAN said...
Homocentric is not in my dictionary

That's because I made the word up.

It's just for you, dude.

That picture of you screams HOMOCENTRIC.

lol.

VB MAN said...
I can gather that you are the full, stalker type of guy.

lol.


I don't know why it bothers you so much that I showed your picture ?

It's your pic.

You willingly posted it up.

Only yesterday it appears.

...Along with several other photos of your good self.

I thought you liked looking at yourself ?

Wow this post got tense all of a sudden.

Lets loosen up.

I am not ashamed of homocentricity - if it was biologically possible - i would like to have kids with KS!

Or better yet clone him and I will adopt it!

Very funny psychoanalyis of waveslaves first post LOL

VB MAN said...
I post these pics to inspire people, to try to bring back what kiting was to be all about.
Unlike yourself Slavey. The last time I saw you kite, you were running down the line (well bunny hopping really) with your kite at 12 and then followed it up being dragged into a construction site after trying to self land.
Mmmm, maybe your slide into consite wasn't an accident after all?. Maybe you just want'd a few beefy men to check you out to make sure you were ok
P:S dickhead, that foto's been up for about a week

What getting sick air. I thought it was all about putting up a 6m REO when the boosters are putting up 10s, and riding up and back on a SB smashing huge mushy 1 foot Perth lips doing yet another downwinder. Yeh man that's where it is at! That's the future of kitesurfing man, it must be as most are doing it.

Prawnhead said...
"if you want to rip,..... just lean over "

simon anderson

Did Simon Say that....Awesome.....is it from a interview and on the net ? .....totally true. Gotta get on your backfoot too.

Well, at least Tim found it funny

was the original post imagining that some bald surfer dude was holding a kite bar and its ramifications?

waveslave said...
VB,
Is it ok with you if we can now get back to the original topic ?
Thanks.

Yawn, yeah go on, but I don't see what it's got to do with kiting.
Just imaginings, you used to be much more fun Wavey

marty72 said...
To get back on the topic of wave riding I have to agree with a couple of comments made here about always facing the wave going right and left, leaning into your turns and especially un-hooking. Once you un-hook and let go of the bar with the back hand you can pivot your body a lot more and really project out of your bottom turn. It takes a bit of practice at first but once you get it right the drive and power of the turn is very addictive.

I note your turns are way out front.
Are u being pulled off the face because you are unhooking?

eppo said...
Agree with mask here....for once.

Not at all, if it was the case I would be pulled along the wave and not out the front and not be able to put the rail in as I would be over powered. The trick is to depower the kite before you unhook and use the power of wave and not the kite. Let the kite just drift down wind. Look at Kellys photo and how far he is out on the flats before turning back up and smashing the lip.

stamp said...
how to be a better backside waverider? unhook, otherwise you're fighting against the kite the whole time

When you are hooked-in, you can throw buckets. ^^^