appreciate a tip on getting a strapless tack

eric · Since 13 Jan 2006 1865 Posts XTreme Poster

0/50 today. can't get the nose through the eye of the wind. Tips appreciated.

Eric

Chooch · Tue Jul 20, 10 8:49 pm

If you ride a thruster take out your rear fin or get a smaller rear fin. It will loosen up the board making the shove it a lot easier. Once you get that dialed you can put the rear fin back in if you like....started riding my 5'9" as a twin fin this spring and really like the loose feel of the board. Had it out on a few 6-8' days on the coast and it still worked great on the waves. Bigger days I would probably keep the thruster fin in for added stability on steep wave faces.

Also be sure to ride into you tack with plenty of speed and really stomp on the tail with your back foot while it begins to pivot around. If you ride in really slow the board has a tendancy to sit deeper in the water and requires a lot more input from your back foot to begin the shuv it. I'll keep an eye out for ya on the beach and see if I can notice what your doing wrong.

eric · Since 13 Jan 2006 1865 Posts XTreme Poster

Thx Chooch! I was not shoving my rear foot at all. Instead, I was trying to pull the board through with my front like a carving 360 on a windsurfer--duh! Will give it a go again with emphasis on rear shove.

As an aside, in today's wind my board got flipped twice--hard. One of those hit me on the head. I was really glad I had a lid on, as it still hurt even with the helmet.

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4911 Posts Portland Unstrapped

its even easier if you take all your fins off Laughing

Kyle · Since 28 Jun 2007 54 Posts Squamish, Canada

bring your kite up and over smoothly and slowly. You need to keep tension in the lines so you can hang off it during the tack.

make sure to slow down before you try it or you'll fly past the board and pendulum under your kite.

then yup. push the back foot to both tension the lines & start the board around. It does help to sweep the nose around with the front foot, but this isn't the main part.

keep the kite straight up and don't let it float back in the new direction until you've finished the tack or you will sink. Then dive it hard to get going.

hope that helps.

tstansbury · Since 06 Jun 2006 649 Posts Rowena and P.C Addicted

I was working on them the other day and then relized I was doing a different tack on the OR side vs the WA side. On one side I was turning my body with the board and ending up with my lines crossed and would have to spin my bar on the way out. On the other side I was just spining the board and my lines would not be crossed. In the end I started working on just the second one and was getting it. Does anyone know if their is a different names for the two and which is considered easier.

Hein · Since 08 Mar 2005 1314 Posts Possessed

Chooch · Wed Jul 21, 10 8:13 am

It sounds like the first one might be a duck tack? Did it look like this?

Link

The secone is just called a tack.

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4911 Posts Portland Unstrapped

scuze me while I whip it out...

Kyle · Since 28 Jun 2007 54 Posts Squamish, Canada

tstansbury · Since 06 Jun 2006 649 Posts Rowena and P.C Addicted

yeah that vid is one of them. The other way without the bar spin was going better. I also realized that right when I was going to spin the board I need to pull some weight onto the bar to get me streight over the board and not off the upwind rail.

tstansbury · Since 06 Jun 2006 649 Posts Rowena and P.C Addicted

anyone doing both of them which is easier duck or regular tack ? any reason to do one over the other?

Chooch · Wed Jul 21, 10 11:25 am

Regular tack is a lot easier IMHO. I land about 75% of my tacks and have only ridden away from a few duck tacks.

cosmodog · Since 06 Oct 2005 204 Posts Stoked

I agree, regular is easier although I started with the duck tack. IMO, the key to the duck tack is kite timing and force, you have to wait longer than you think before initiating the tack and you need enough pull on the kite to unweight you and pull you on the new tack. I have only tried a handful of regular tack (made about 1/2), but it seemed that the back foot push and front foot pull is the trick?

eric · Since 13 Jan 2006 1865 Posts XTreme Poster

Well, this Union boy got one this morning, which is one more than I have made over the last year, so I am modestly pleased. Also, Chooch, I removed the rear fin and LOVE IT for general riding! It's a skateboard!

I wil keep fighting the good fight. I have more determination than raw skill.
Eric

Chooch · Wed Jul 21, 10 4:24 pm

Hell yeah! Twin fins are a ton of fun....glad it help ya out!

Sella · Sat Jul 24, 10 5:30 am

Based on Gorge wind today Jetty Island might be a good call for learning...

http://www.nwkite.com/forums/t-18552.html

Damien Leroy will be putting on a tack and jib clinic and the Cabrinha team will have demos as well.

This weekend is the last race for the C.NW.R.Series. Lots of prizes and cash to give out to the Series competitors. Come up and enjoy one of the worlds best kiteboarding beach launches at Jetty Island. The forecast is looking good!