New snowkite video : October (Ob)sessions

Djoubs · Since 05 Nov 2011 7 Posts Wyoming Kook

Big Horns Snowkite road trip October 2011.
Will Taggart & Pascal Joubert riding & flying at Bald Mountain Wyoming.
Music : Stick Figure - Vibes Alive

http://vimeo.com/31649144

Enjoy !

dpow · Since 13 May 2011 83 Posts Seattle, WA

how is he flying down facing forwards. some how spinning the kite around so its opposite of normal?? looks sick alot like speed flying.

buttersmoothcarver · Since 08 Oct 2008 246 Posts Stoked

Yes! Pascal got it down, probably because he is multi skilled PG and Speedflying pilot and he practice, practice, practice.

Jerome Josserand and Rob Whittal are the masters of forward flying, JJ will rotate the bar 180 degrees and fly down large euro mtns. As you know when the bar is rotated 180, you pull left the kite will go right, feels very weird and you don't want to be second guessing yourself at 60'. It takes a lot practice with baby steps progression. Majority of kiters glide backwards, seeing the ground drop away and knowing your flight path are important, wind direction and slope aspect as well. IMO, learning to kite loop out of a glide is one of the most important skills. If your too high too fast a KL will slow it all down and cushin the landing. Ok blah,blah blah, pray for snow!

dpow · Since 13 May 2011 83 Posts Seattle, WA

that's amazing. Do you basically just start going down hill and power up the kite to start gliding? thanks for the info it looks SO fun.

luke · Since 06 Jul 2005 399 Posts Obsessed

If you rotate yourself 180 degrees (now facing forward when gliding) and at the same time keep the bar in the normal orientation to the kite (not rotating it 180 degrees); then when you pull left the kite will go left relative to you.

Wind Slither · Since 04 Mar 2005 2620 Posts The 503 METAL

waynepjh · Since 27 Jul 2008 212 Posts jackson wy Stoked

When Pascal flys he does not spin the bar. Its just like what luke said. You dont need to kiteloop to land. When i'm tired i just spin around right before landing and move the kite to the side of the window when touching down, very soft and easy on the body. You can take off like an airplane move down the hill into the wind reach enough ground speed kite overhead pull in the bar and shazam your flying. But its not recomended!
My style of flying is more sideways than backwards but I wish I learned facing forward so ground skimming would be easier.

dpow · Since 13 May 2011 83 Posts Seattle, WA

That all makes sense. How do you come down?

knewschool · Since 23 Dec 2010 61 Posts Wyoming

I glide backwards, to me it's how I was already flying as a waterkiter. You just have to understand the lift causing you to glide. Then you'll understand how and why you come down.

Most the places we glide have ridge lift, and once you fly out away from the hill you'll come down because you've left the lift on the ridge and traveled out to the flats. It takes alot of wind going up a very steep slope to make you stay up, however it's very possible. We look for a gradual, but steep slope with wind blowing uphill. It's the most important set up. If the wind is between 15 and 25ish then we're able to use large (13m) kites which is ideal. Larger kites simply are better for gliding because that wind range is usually more stable for flying. Also, the larger kites have a better glide ratio and a slower gliding speed which is far easier to work with.

In most of our gliding situations it's more difficult to stay up and requires a certain flight plan to clear a distance. We often take off in just the right places and anticipate our travel to land where we want. When you jump on the water you go up until you start to drift down wind. Ridge lift acts similar to the lift at the first part of the jump but instead of drifting down wind you'll penetrate out. That's the main difference. When you penetrate out you fly into the wind and in a sense are surfing the wind wave.

Once you're at your landing it's important to slow down. Since I fly backwards I need to land going forward or some variation of it. Pascal can land with High ground speed because he's ready to land facing forward. Good for skimming. I have to pump my kite agressively back and fourth to stop penetrating into the wind and go down wind. If I loop it without slowing down it's too powerful to be safe(it's never safe). Pumping the kite agressively slows me down so my loop or down dive aren't so powerful.

Sorry too many words! - Will

lewmt · Since 04 Aug 2010 182 Posts MT Stoked

Not too many words at all. After watching you it makes perfect sense - not sure how you could have described it in less.

How were the Bigs after Sunday's session?

dpow · Since 13 May 2011 83 Posts Seattle, WA

Thanks for that great description! I'm not sure if I'm ready to try it yet but I love knowing how it works.

Heading to he bighorns for the 3 day weekend perhaps I'll see a few of you there.