Another killer weekend at the coast?

blowhard · Since 26 Dec 2005 2025 Posts Windward

All the old timers on the south coast wear Hotline Ultra Hot Combis',,
so do I, and am very happy with the wear and comfort ,they are 5/4 with hoods and will keep you very warm

Sailut · Since 31 May 2005 72 Posts Utah

Great thread...

Just wish it had been a couple of weeks ago.
Just got home (utah) after 2 weekends of Jetty downwinders.
(and mid week at Rufus/Wall)
I don't get to practice the waves here,
so anything I can read, helps.

I met a few more NWkiters this year.
Great karma going on out there.
(even the Troll is a likable guy!!)

The closest thing we get to waves,
is snowkiting in the mountains.
Hope to see some of you guys here this winter.
Give me a shout (PM me)
I'll tell you where we are going on any given day....

-Marty Cool

blowhard · Since 26 Dec 2005 2025 Posts Windward

Glad to hear it ,good to see the mother of which you were spawned ,and pay her homage.
We are already making snow kite plans and hope to do some fun road trips this winter to your sea of snow.
Where do you catch the waves of white?

Sailut · Since 31 May 2005 72 Posts Utah

Mocean · Since 21 Sep 2005 343 Posts Newport Obsessed

That's insane

scottnorby · Tue Aug 22, 06 5:26 pm

Just to add a couple of things about riding strapless on surfboards.
I personally believe it is the best way to ride waves, though it has it's difficult moments.........in the end it is so worth it.

Going out over white water is very similar to carving up a face of whitewater while surfing. Just go up at an angle and initiate a turn DOWNwind ...straight downwind.....the initiated turn makes the fins grip in the whitewater.....

When you start...you can start with a surfboard facing the other direction.
The feeling of getting up and pivoting on the tail fins becomes very natural after a few attempts. The board naturally spins around to toeside.

When riding the waves get used to down looping your kite.....either to the right so it comes around to front and pulls you downwind on the face.......or more importantly downturn on the bottom of the wave as you make your bottom turn to carve back up the face.

This can be also be huge when you are approaching a lip that you are about to carve and it looks like you need to make a section down the wave's line. Downturn at the top and send the kite toward the beach and straight across the power in front of you. It whips you down the line and goes straight out the window to the left of you so you can ride down the line with the whipped power.

The big advantage to downturning is that the kite stays LOW and does not lift you up off the board (since you don't have straps) A downturn won't really produce any substantial power as it spins to change it's direction.......this allows you to make your bottom or top turn naturally as a surfboard should....on the fins.....and rail........and not just being whipped around by the kite.

The kite is for 'whipping' into the wave in kitesurfing......in my humble opinion.
When you ride with a small board you need to ride your kite lit at all times to stay in control.
But if you get used to the kite being 'turned off' as you utilize the float in your surfboard down the line....and then turn it on by putting it in the right place when you need it....you are actually surfing on the waves.

scottnorby · Tue Aug 22, 06 5:42 pm

www.surfingwithkites.com is on to something.

Good video on the site.
True surfstyle.

Hein · Since 08 Mar 2005 1313 Posts Possessed

and one more thing...

UNHOOK

gabe · Since 16 May 2005 475 Posts Obsessed

Hein, how do you redirect the kite when unhooked, using one hand? It seems hard to keep it moving straight, redirect it, then stop it turning, all with one hand. People do it (felix in that video does it every wave) I just don’t understand. Chicken loop is nice because it’s self centering, and gentle on my weak arms.

Even with his goofy, backsided stance Hein was doing by far the most legitimate wave riding I have personally seen all summer on the coast, with the exception of Sky and crew, so it definitely works for him.

gabe · Since 16 May 2005 475 Posts Obsessed

Pretty much agree on downloops, how there is no power during the pivot, and then the surge all comes later. Because of this, I think downloops are the all around preferred method for skimboards, because you need to move your front foot across the board and need a second with minimal power to do this. The downloop gives you this chance, and then you hang on as it sweeps across the window.

However, downlooping on a top turn (front side) seems weird to me because you would need to use your back hand right? It is better to have your back hand free. How do you do it?

Also, I know what you’re talking about with sweeping the kite to the shore side of the window as you go down the line with pure inertia and wave power—but I find this is usually a temporary treat because you will slacken the lines quickly as you outrun the kite. I usually can do this for a bit, but then need to retension the lines and get the kite flying again. The lower the kite, the more this happens. Also, this is more true the more onshore the wind is, because the kite is almost behind you. Don’t you have this problem?

Hein · Since 08 Mar 2005 1313 Posts Possessed

Steering the kite unhooked with one hand is pretty
easy if the lines are tuned perfectly. Using a small
kite is also helpful. And you can only really
do it when you are riding off the wind with the kite
barely pulling you. Like when you are on a wave.

I've heard it called Matrix-ing the kite. Very Low but
even line tension and using your arm and board
position to keep the slightest tension. It's actually
quite common to have the lines go totally slack when
you get pitched by the lip. The kite will begin to
fall but by that time you're down in the pit and can
get tension back by carving upwind a smidge.

When I make my goofy backside bottom turn,
I let the bar slide through my hand so I'm holding it
by the end and pointing the bar at the kite. The kite
makes a very tight depowered loop that takes it
downwind as I go down the line. Timing the
loop can give you a little burst of speed so you
can be in the right part of the wave. I generally
do more looping in light winds and can get good
wave rides that way. But my sweetest rides have
been when there is enough wind so you can park
the kite and have it float downwind at the same
speed that you are going down the line. I might
toss a loop in there just to get sinc'd back up with
the kite. This is when steering with one hand is
really nice because it lets your whole body work
the wave while you Matrix the kite.

I think being unhooked and strapless is the closest
we kiters will get to surfing. But anyway you can ride
the wave is sweet. So if you want to give it a try
here are some tips:

What ever kite you would normally use. Grab the next
smaller one. Tune it for unhooked on the beach in light
wind. When you're riding unhooked; Try to hold the bar
with one hand and just use the other one to correct the
kite until you find the right spot. Start by placing your one
hand so the kite has a tendency to steer downwards slightly.
This is much better than it going up/back and pulling you
up by your arm. That will hurt bad if you don't let go.

Works in swell too. Rufus was rolling today.

-Hein

P.S. Gabe, Thanks for the compliment; I'm pretty sure
I saw you get some major rides as well. - and one gnarly
wipe out on a big wave on the outside, just down from the
jetty. It was cool to cross paths a few times along the
way.

bambam · Since 15 Mar 2005 760 Posts Hood River Photographer

No ION Photo thing, no friends visiting from out of town, no NEED to be in the Gorge at all this weekend...

Newport? Do I hear someone whispering Newport in my ear!!! Ya'all can enjoy your onshore Manzi... I'm outta here for a few days of Newport bliss... Psst, there is a sweet six miler downwinder...

Bam

scottnorby · Wed Aug 23, 06 2:40 pm

About the kite flying out the window and going slack as it goes from side to side............no......not a problem.

You just need to cutback and do a roundhouse...bank it off the whitewater behind you.

Or as it sweeps to the left, and you are going down the line, you put your LEFT hand on the RIGHT side of the bar...bury your right hand/arm in the waves face to slow down your speed so you don't outrun the kite.
And in fact the wave is usually moving slower than the wind if you are only riding using the power of the wave.

As you are going down the line pull slowly with your left hand (which is on the RIGHT side of the bar) and the kite slowly raises up and back while you go down the line.

If you get it above you too much then just grab the left side of the bar and peg it so it dives straight down in front of you and sends you down the line again.

On the attached photo you can see I have switched my hand to the left side of the bar and I am about to peg it so that I can come out of this hit and head down the line again.

Fun stuff.

gabe · Since 16 May 2005 475 Posts Obsessed

Awesome, good info. Moving your hand across the bar is interesting—is that how you do top turn downloops? I think a lot of this is feeling comfortable that you won’t drop your kite—then you can be more aggressive. I still have natural paranoia from swell riding where it is really easy to drop the kite b/c you accelerate downhill downwind, but that isn’t the case with sideshore waves really. I do think that as the wind becomes more onshore though, the kite will actually be behind you if you have it on the edge and ride down the line—that seems hard to sustain.

Lots of subtle techniques involved in this that are not obvious when watching people who make it look easy.

gabe · Since 16 May 2005 475 Posts Obsessed

is newport pretty much a sure bet for the weekend? any chance that fog or other weird things would screw it up???

Wind Slither · Since 04 Mar 2005 2575 Posts The 503 METAL

ARGH! I would say it is/was a sure bet. Unfortunately I hestitated for the convenience of the N coast.

Just long enough for work to attack and F up my day!

Mad

Tomorrow and Sat look solid for the N strip. Any Hood to Coasters get in my way they better find a detour.

I'm pissed off and I'm jeeeeeeonnnnnnnssssssinnnnnn! Shocked

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6548 Posts Couve / Hood Site Lackey

I'm headed to Newport tomorrow... 3hr drive, hope there is some wind for me when I get there. Very Happy