Question from a Newbie

Tommy · Mon Apr 13, 09 4:01 pm **Question from a Newbie**

Newbie might be overstating it a bit actually, "prospective newbie" is perhaps more accurate... Anyway, this is a bit long-winded, but bear with me. I'd appreciate any opinions from those of you who've been doing this for a while.

About five years ago, I got it into my fool head that I wanted to give kiteboarding a try. So I borrowed a B2 and a B3 from a friend of mine and played around with them a bit. Not long after, my financial circumstances became such that I had to put the kiteboarding thing on the back burner, but not before making that classic beginner mistake: Buying gear before learning the fundamentals, the gear in question being a kite, specifically a two line 8.5 M2 Wipika, with bar, probably circa late 90s. In my defense, I at least got a good deal on it... I never flew the thing (If I'd even tried, I probably wouldn't be sitting here typing this), but it's been sitting in my basement ever since.

Fast forward five years... I've decided this is the year to make another go at kiteboarding, and got myself a B3 of my own about a month ago. I've been out with it five or six times now, and I'm starting to get the hang of it. I'm at the point where I'm comfortable with keeping it in the neutral zone and doing some figure 8s across the wind window, as well as a few meek power strokes here and there. Basically, the idea is to spend as much time as I can learning the fundamentals of kite theory before taking my first lesson up in HR. I'm a little older and (arguably) wiser than I was five years ago, and I'm determined to take a very conservative and measured approach to this. So what I want to know is this:

Is there any sense at all in taking out the 8.5 Wipika on light wind days (<10 knots) when it's difficult to fly the B3? I saw a guy at Broughton Beach a couple weeks ago flying a snow-kiting style foil kite that appeared to be about the same size as my Wipika (maybe a bit larger, actually), with the bridles attached directly to his bar, and it occured to me that this might be a good progression once I get a bit more experience with the B3. Another thought I had was, rather than rigging the Wipika directly to the bar, setting it up with some shorter lines, perhaps 10 M or so (its current lines are about 25 M)? Am I inviting disaster here, or could this actually do me some good?

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated...

Nak · Mon Apr 13, 09 4:10 pm

My advice would be to skip the Wipika. You're not going to learn anything you couldn't learn with the B3. If the wind is so light your B3 won't fly, it's probably to flukey to reliably keep the Wipika in the air anyway. Training kites are small for a reason...

And seriously, don't even consider trying to ride with the wipika.

Tommy · Mon Apr 13, 09 4:19 pm

"And seriously, don't even consider trying to ride with the wipika"...

This much I've gathered. Assuming I manage to get to the point where I've taken some lessons and am finally venturing out with my own set-up, it'll be with post-2006 gear for sure (used, of course). It'd be a shame to never get any use out of the Wipika at all, but we make our mistakes and learn from them, I suppose. Thanks for the advice, Nak!

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4911 Posts Portland Unstrapped

late ninties Wipika - hang on to that - might be worth something to the Kiting Hall of fame in Cooperstown

Tommy · Mon Apr 13, 09 4:40 pm

That's kinda what I'm thinking at this point. It's bright orange! Can you even imagine? Very Happy

Hein · Since 08 Mar 2005 1314 Posts Possessed

what happened to your face?

Tommy · Mon Apr 13, 09 6:50 pm

Uh... What do you mean? Wink

It's a photo from an Amy Sedaris/Stephen Colbert/Paul Dinello project called Wigfield. Funny stuff...

Sella · Tue Apr 14, 09 9:26 am

Gman is correct and your Wipi is worth nothing so hang onto it. The wrist leash safety and 30 inch bar was cutting edge. Shocked

Once you improve you might actually enjoy the steady pull of a 2-line kite in the right wind....for possible landboarding or snowkiting....but keep flying your B3 until you can close your eye's and put it anywhere in the window by touch, regardless of wind speed.

I have a 2-line 11M Wipi that was converted to a 4-line by rolling up the tips, zip tie and then burn a hole with your spliff to secure the pigtail etc. Seriously old school ghetto that was the new way to go when Naish came out with the 4-line kite bar. If you can believe it the idea to convert was actually from an old old kite mag. I DO NOT recommend you do this to yours! I've have heard the new Wainman delta kites are styled after the old 2-line Wipi's so who knows...maybe you're a trend setter.

Go for a 2006+ SLE from any brand. Still pennies on the dollar for overall experience and fun factor as you progress. Good luck and be safe.

pdxmonkeyboy · Tue Apr 14, 09 10:01 am

hide the wipika lest you send off serious kook alarms. (like people avoiding you like the plague). once you can actually shred pretty well...like in 2011. Then you can pull out the wipika and play the "I was there when it all started card".

Sol-flyer · Tue Apr 14, 09 10:03 am

yo tommy, welcome to the forums.

I think your taking the right approach. The b3 is a great kite that you will used through your entire progression. I still have a wasp trainer that pulls like no other trainer kite out there. Great for checking new area's for wind shadows or just playing around with buggy's & dirtboards.

I would start practicing a few flying techniques if you have'nt already,....

1) Fly with one hand on the center of the bar- This you will do a lot during kiteboarding.

2) Fly "blind"- try taking your shoes off and on while flying the kite with one hand. This will take your focus off the kite and you will begin to feel the kite on instinct.

3) mock water start- Sit on your ass and let the kite pull you to your feet. This is the same feeling as when your in the water. Also take it a step further running against the wind with the kite parked at 45 deg. Imagine that your up and riding.

Doing these things fluently will really bring your skills up for when you take a lesson. This way you can skip the initial ground lessons and be ready for the water a lot faster. And always post up any questions you have on this forum, We all love to help out and give pointers.

-sol

Tommy · Tue Apr 14, 09 2:54 pm

Great stuff... Thanks, folks! Being able to fly the kite w/o having to look at it is definitely a goal I'm working toward. Not quite there yet, but I'm getting the feel for it, if slowly. Guess I'll stash the Wipi back in the basement...

pdxmonkeyboy · Tue Apr 14, 09 3:12 pm

if you have a skateboard, come skate kite with us. The fishing season should be ending soon and the parking lot will empty out again.

Tommy · Tue Apr 14, 09 3:49 pm

Man, I shoulda pro-dealed that Arbor longboard when I worked at REI...