Why make It hard and learn to kitesurf in the chop

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Why make It hard and learn to kitesurf in the chop

> 10 years ago

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RK

102 posts

WA, 102 posts

6 Nov 2008 11:21pm

Flat or choppy water it makes no difference get out there and learn the hard way, (I mean that in a positive way). I learnt at Lancelin may years ago on a aero 2 C kite with next to no depower in 25kn + winds. People seem to get court up in all the hype of kite design and conditions, use common sense and learn to kite in conditions that will be the same as your local area.

Lostinlondon your dead right about the reef at lano I have many scares and a knee less wetty to prove it.

lostinlondon

VIC

1159 posts

lostinlondon

VIC, 1159 posts

7 Nov 2008 2:24am

RK said...

Flat or choppy water it makes no difference get out there and learn the hard way, (I mean that in a positive way). I learnt at Lancelin may years ago on a aero 2 C kite with next to no depower in 25kn + winds. People seem to get court up in all the hype of kite design and conditions, use common sense and learn to kite in conditions that will be the same as your local area.

Lostinlondon your dead right about the reef at lano I have many scares and a knee less wetty to prove it.

That's true, you have to get out there and "just do it" but idea conditions give you the confidence to push yourself harder. A good case in point for me is that 2 days days snowboarding in France on fresh powder did more for my progression than the 2 weeks of boarding at Thredbo and NZ skifields ever did. I guess when you can reduce the number of things you have to worry about, you can concentrate on individual aspects of your riding and improve them.

I think also a lot of people expect to improve without doing heaps of practice. There is no substitute for time on the water and no amount of flat water in the world will make you better if you are only getting out there every second Saturday!

MikeN

368 posts

MikeN

WA, 368 posts

7 Nov 2008 11:25am

I think a lot of people are misinterpreting what Ioz meant by "choppy" .

Trying to get through a shore break and then kite through a channel with a down wind current only to end up in 2-3ft wind waves hitting a very straight bank , followed by a messy ocean that has 4-5ft lumps rearing up without reason or warning is what Ioz is talking about . This is what is happening at Scarbs a fair bit and the point that was being made was , it is probably easier to sort out the basics before trying to deal with even more variables .

Unfortunately as the guys at woodies have pointed out , some people won't listen to anybody . Fortunately for us we don't have to spend much time rescuing anybody as they usually wash up on the shore before they get too far .
So this is not a case of trying to scare people away .

Ozzie was just trying to offer some advice to those who are interested .

We are suppose to be out there having a good time , it just seems that some are only having a hard time .

getfunky

4485 posts

getfunky

WA, 4485 posts

7 Nov 2008 12:08pm

lotofwind said...

I learnt in the ocean.
For the first 12 months had never been in flat water.Now if I do go somewhere with flat water I get bored in about half of rideing,waves are sooo much more fun to boost off and play around in.

You said it Burt! Flat water is soooo boring (for me).

Having said that I wished I had speant at least 1/2 my 1st season in less choppy stuff as I'm sure it would have hastened the initial learning curve. BTW I chose to ride in rougher waters cause there was far, far, more space (and safety) to do so. By the time I got confident enough to kite in busy flat spots it was all a bit "Yaaawwwnn... where is the challenge and boost ramps??"

harry potter

VIC

2777 posts

harry potter

VIC, 2777 posts

7 Nov 2008 3:49pm

so it seems more and more people are enjoying getting away from the butter flat and hitting the waves and ramps.

are we all getting bored with the flat ?

could this be the begining of the wakestyle demise in favour of extreme free riding ?

I HOPE SO.

I, for one.. are tired of watching kite videos ( most of them are the same ) which basically show some 60kg kids spinning around and around and around jumping 10ft off the water and spinning like a top they do the same things over and over and over again

... and its like " oh wait ...... rewind that, did he spin 2 times or 3 ? " so boring.
( i know it takes a lot of skill and practice and I have respect for those who are doing it however it is just so boring to watch )

If i wanted videos full of this $hiite i would be buying WAKEBOARDING VIDEOS.

GIVE ME 3OKNOTS AN 8M OR 7M KITE AND A BEACH FULL OF 3-4 FT RAMPS ANYDAY OVER THE FLAT CRAP.............

pS; does anyone know of any recent videos ( within the last 18months ) THAT THEY WOULD RECOMMEND which focus on this style of riding

cwamit

1194 posts

cwamit

WA, 1194 posts

7 Nov 2008 7:28pm

harry potter said...

snip

pS; does anyone know of any recent videos ( within the last 18months ) THAT THEY WOULD RECOMMEND which focus on this style of riding

try "the kite movie lines", thats ok, some wave riding, a little bit of wake style.. its a bit too sepo for my tastes but ok to watch, i like ben wilsons unknown road more.. chilled and relaxed with good tones but its focus is on waveriding.

MikeN

368 posts

MikeN

WA, 368 posts

7 Nov 2008 10:04pm

Have a look at what Corey is doing in this clip , sounds like its what you are into .

stabber

NSW

1114 posts

stabber

NSW, 1114 posts

8 Nov 2008 1:30pm

winge winge friggin winge....

go and learn ballet...they have flat floors....

MikeN

368 posts

MikeN

WA, 368 posts

8 Nov 2008 1:01pm

Thats rich coming from a guy that struggles to pump up his own kite

YoMoFo

NSW

240 posts

YoMoFo

NSW, 240 posts

8 Nov 2008 3:03pm

harry potter said...

are we all getting bored with the flat ?

could this be the begining of the wakestyle demise in favour of extreme free riding ?

I HOPE SO.

Yeah prob not gunna happen Potter. LEN10 made a comment the other day that he will be heading down the path of wakestyle. Building kite parks as Dre has been. Hadlow has also spent alot of time in boots lately (Not backless bindings). So 2 of the most "current" influential riders in the world have converted to the darkside.

As for the movie lines..... I wasn't impresses at all. Only a hand full of riders can make kitesurfing look functional. And there were maybe 3 of em.

But at the end of the day "RIDE HOW YOU WANT TO RIDE!" Who gives a flying f@#k on what others think as long as you come off the water with a smile.

Spacemonkey!

2288 posts

Spacemonkey!

SA, 2288 posts

8 Nov 2008 2:56pm

MikeN said...

Thats rich coming from a guy that struggles to pump up his own kite

Epic call

stamp

QLD

2797 posts

stamp

QLD, 2797 posts

8 Nov 2008 2:30pm

harry potter said...

GIVE ME 3OKNOTS AN 8M OR 7M KITE AND A BEACH FULL OF 3-4 FT RAMPS ANYDAY OVER THE FLAT CRAP.............

pS; does anyone know of any recent videos ( within the last 18months ) THAT THEY WOULD RECOMMEND which focus on this style of riding

just go to any beach where the wind is blowing and you can see every gumby and his dog doing big boosts off chop. that kind of riding is not promoted in videos because it doesn't show progression, its riding that anybody can do.

its like asking for a skate video that shows guys doing tic tacs or a motocross vid showing riders cruising along a track and riding through some puddles

lostinlondon

VIC

1159 posts

lostinlondon

VIC, 1159 posts

8 Nov 2008 10:54pm

just go to any beach where the wind is blowing and you can see every gumby and his dog doing big boosts off chop

So? Who cares? Call me Gumby then!

Charl dv

2485 posts

Charl dv

WA, 2485 posts

8 Nov 2008 8:57pm

lostinlondon... your gumby

haha u called for it im sorry

lotofwind

NSW

6451 posts

lotofwind

NSW, 6451 posts

8 Nov 2008 11:07pm

There are gumbys...and gumbys with style that make it look good

but Im just a gumby

Jimmyz

NSW

446 posts

Jimmyz

NSW, 446 posts

8 Nov 2008 11:14pm

I learned in HEAVY chop with head high waves at times... alone for most of it

(OMFGWTFBBQ FLAME SUIT ON), in what was considered to be the 'wrong' (as it was rather gusty) wind direction for the area. 3 or 4 months after starting out I went into flat water for the first time with a mate.

I found I developed board skills a fair bit in the chop whereas my initial sessions in flat water saw me become a LOT more confident with my kite and that is how I initially learned to boost and back roll etc, obviously with less going on around you its easier to concentrate on the fundamentals.

Must say learning new stuff on flat water is definitely easier HOWEVER I do find riding in the ocean with nice big waves far more exhilarating.

just go to any beach where the wind is blowing and you can see every gumby and his dog doing big boosts off chop

Yeah, but lets see who can boost the HIGHEST

.

Funny that I actually see why these 'gumbys' do what they do... like sure doing a triple backrollmobegrabraileyextremedudebackflip looks spectacular, but I reckon that nothing could be more fun than ripping it across the face of a monster wave or even better boosting off it

.

Massive waves, to go faster and higher... that is what I want

TurtleHunter

1675 posts

TurtleHunter

WA, 1675 posts

8 Nov 2008 9:15pm

Love the chop, spray in your face and dodgy landings. You guy's at Pinnarroo are sooooo lucky.
You even have cold water. Sounds a perfect spot for learning to me.

lostinlondon

VIC

1159 posts

lostinlondon

VIC, 1159 posts

8 Nov 2008 11:20pm

Charl dv said...

lostinlondon... your gumby

haha u called for it im sorry

Yeah, but Gumby is more famous than you'll ever be and loved by everybody so I can deal with that...

theDoctor

NSW

5786 posts

theDoctor

NSW, 5786 posts

8 Nov 2008 11:36pm

he also had a special little red horsey friend he liked to give a pokey

Danger Mouse

592 posts

Danger Mouse

WA, 592 posts

8 Nov 2008 10:14pm

Spacemonkey! said...

poor relative said...

I agree
All newbs should go to woodies flat

Whilst I know you are joking and trolling, I thought I would share a story.

A couple rocked up at Woodies offshore, walked across the dunes and set up mid way down the point. Obviously begginers. I watched them set up and try and launch, it took them about 5 minutes to work out where the side of the window was and trying to launch the kite backwards inside out. Once they eventually figured it out and got the kite in the air I rode over and asked them if they knew what they were doing. They replied I know its offshore but she doesn't like learning in the waves (beach 2 is small to moderate chop especially in 15knots), she is begginer to intermediate she will be ok.

I went out did a few runs watched her try and get on the board, she could barely plane, getting in the way of everyone riding at sub planing speed slowely downwind. I went over to the guy and said, look no offense but she is clearly a beginner she would have a much better time on the other beach with no crowd to deal with and not potentially blowing out to sea ruining her experience. He agreed and called her in, she stood on the beach for about 1 minute, obviously ignored my advice and continued riding. Later on she crashed her kite and too no suprise she couldn't relaunch her kite. So she released it and called Simon to go drag it in for her while she swam in.

During this time her partner was pumping up on the beach and getting ready for his own adventure. He followed suit, marginally better at riding, crashed his kite and proceeded to drift out to sea. Dan went over to take his board to the shore since he was already at his kite ready to swim in. He said just wave your arms if your in trouble you should be able to swim in. By the time Dan was on the way out the guy was waving his arms claiming he was going to release his kite because he couldn't swim in with it. So dan took about 1 hour to slowly drag this guy and his kite in.

To think that one of these people won a kite at kitestock angers me. Selfish people that are blatant liars. Flat water is great for learning but not when it is offshore.

SpaceMonkey,

I couldn't agree more with what you're saying. I've been kiting for 3 years and have only just now gotten comfortable with kiting in offshore conditions. This sort of bull**** really annoys me because these are the people that will get themselves hurt or killed and ruin it for the rest of us.

But props to you guys for not just standing there watching with your mouths open like so many others do. I remember when I was a beginner at woodies on a N-NWer and some new guys was kiting woodies 2. He crashed his kite and couldn't relaunch and was getting dragged out to sea. One guy standing near me said to his mate "serves him right, I wouldn't help him, he's not on a **" (not including the brand for the **** it would start).

D

stamp

QLD

2797 posts

stamp

QLD, 2797 posts

9 Nov 2008 10:18am

lostinlondon said...

just go to any beach where the wind is blowing and you can see every gumby and his dog doing big boosts off chop

So? Who cares? Call me Gumby then!

ride however you want to ride, i don't care. i'm just saying don't expect to see that sort of thing promoted in vids

harry potter

VIC

2777 posts

harry potter

VIC, 2777 posts

9 Nov 2008 2:35pm

stamp said...

Dont know too many gumbys doing this :

or this

So obviously I see things a little differently :
wakestyle could be considered like riding a vert ramp ( always the same terrain with very similar moves ) and

free riding like street skating ( variation in terrain / style and importantly in consequences ) I know which vid i would rather watch and I know which style is more popular now... ramp skating had its heyday in the 80's.

and from what I have seen a lot of the good wakestyle guys actually struggle to get out past a shorebreak that is three feet let alone 8ft+

Keep spinning Stamp

harry potter

VIC

2777 posts

harry potter

VIC, 2777 posts

9 Nov 2008 2:41pm

3 years and I still cannot post properly

stamp

QLD

2797 posts

stamp

QLD, 2797 posts

9 Nov 2008 2:01pm

the first and especially the last of those were extremely average in my opinion. you CAN go to any beach and see people ride like that

the third vid; len10 is awesome to watch and has huge balls, but i would rather see him hit a slider or throw out a powered hoochie glide than bust out a megaloop.

and as for the mavericks one, that was impressive but i never said anything about waveriding- i was reacting to your "30 knots and 3-4 foot ramps" comment.

and you are confused with the skate analogy i think. freeriding is more like rollerblading than anything

TurtleHunter

1675 posts

TurtleHunter

WA, 1675 posts

9 Nov 2008 2:11pm

[b]harry potter said...

Keep spinning Stamp

Can't see that happening for a while.
I reckon all the conditions look like fun and after a month of flat water (not chop) a change is good. The difference is they are vids of average riders not the best in the world. Put Dre,felix and len10 in there with some directionals, maybe a bit of flat water-sliders and you might have a vid that isn't repetitive.

stamp

QLD

2797 posts

stamp

QLD, 2797 posts

9 Nov 2008 6:38pm

TurtleHunter said...

[b]harry potter said...

Keep spinning Stamp

Can't see that happening for a while.

hey scotty, i can't kite for a while, but at least i can still troll

Charl dv

2485 posts

Charl dv

WA, 2485 posts

9 Nov 2008 8:01pm

lostinlondon said...

Charl dv said...

lostinlondon... your gumby

haha u called for it im sorry

Yeah, but Gumby is more famous than you'll ever be and loved by everybody so I can deal with that...

you mean this guy?

GreenPat

QLD

4103 posts

GreenPat

QLD, 4103 posts

10 Nov 2008 5:57pm

Charl dv said...

nooooo def not safety bay!! thats small enough as it is

and the poleys are agro

At the Yacht Club yeah, but around near Penguin Island is great for beginners with plenty of room; over a kilometre of beach to drift downwind beside.

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