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Strapless Progression
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Post new topic   Reply to topic    Northwest Kiteboarding -> Gorge / Portland / Oregon Coast
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Nevo




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PostSat Aug 19, 17 4:53 pm    Strapless Progression Reply with quote

I'm looking to keep progressing strapless towards ocean/waveriding sometime near the end of this season. I'm based out of Portland.

1. I assume swell riding is the best thing I can do to continue developing in this direction. Can anyone recommend some good swell spots to go and ride?

2. Can any strapless waveriders recommend other skills to develop before hitting waves?

3. Also wondering if there is a common spot where strapless riders go? Strapless freestyle isn't within my reach yet but I'd like to see it so the seeds are planted.

Thanks!

Loneski

Since 18 Dec 2010
103 Posts
Washington
Stoked



PostSat Aug 19, 17 6:53 pm    Jibe Reply with quote

Being able to turn quickly and accelerate has saved me so many times. Miss timing your wave or trying to get out when a big set comes in you really want to have that down. Falling on a missed jibe can ruin your day.

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OG

Since 07 Jun 2011
532 Posts

Addicted



PostSun Aug 20, 17 7:47 am     Reply with quote

keep riding strapless, mohreps == mohbeddah.....no shit

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wylieflyote

Since 30 Jun 2006
1634 Posts
Puget Sound & Wa. Coast
XTreme Poster



PostSun Aug 20, 17 8:02 am     Reply with quote

Turns out I maybe should have practiced my strapless a few more years. Now that I'm foiling, I'm running into some roadblocks with foot-switches.
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Kip Wylie

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ldhr

Since 21 Jul 2009
1470 Posts
Hood River
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PostSun Aug 20, 17 9:19 am     Reply with quote

riding swell/waves is the easy part.
launching and getting outside the impact zone is the hard part.
staying upwind is a priority.

if you are goofy footed - you're in luck as this will be your strong side heading out.
if you are regular stance - get really good at riding toeside - this is the best way to get outside and you'll be able to do quick u-turns and head back towards shore if there's breaking waves stopping your progress.

practice in the gorge - launch at the event site and kite upwind to the red buoy at the top of wells island. practice your jibes as you go upwind.
ride the swell back to the bottom of wells. rinse and repeat.

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Matt V

Since 26 Oct 2014
462 Posts
Summer- OR Coast, Winter - My van near good snow
Explosive Diarrhea



PostSun Aug 20, 17 9:52 am     Reply with quote

Sounds like the consensus is to ride the board.

I will dissent with - learn to jump it, attempt some back rolls (if you can already do them strapped), see if you can initiate a kick flip.

Even if you are no where near completing these techniques, their failure will prepare you for what will happen in the waves strapless. How do you even start a kick flip? Thinking about the board, foot placement, pressure, pop........will make you pretty sure of your footing even if you chicken out on actually attempting the kick flip. And there will be lots of unsure footings and misplaced feet at inopportune times in the waves. The waves will bounce you around much more than swell. Sometimes you will be landing your feet on the deck of the board, even though you never really intended, or even thought you jumped. And as noted before, you must be quicker in waves compared to swell. A good way to get quick is to try some things where you do not have the muscle memory to recover from their failure automatically.

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unbob

Since 31 Aug 2008
260 Posts
'da Gorge/LaV
Obsessed



PostSun Aug 20, 17 10:17 am     Reply with quote

FYI - Current issue of Kitesurfing Magazine (vol 3 - issue 2 - 'Brazil' on cover) has an 8-page feature on 'Strapless Progression'. Worth reading!
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blancoh2o

Since 15 Mar 2005
1153 Posts
Oregon
Phishy



PostSun Aug 20, 17 10:34 am     Reply with quote

Just watch this a million times, try and over and over again for about a year and you might get it. LOL


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF-RL3l8PNs

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cpc219

Since 12 Jun 2014
291 Posts
The Dalles
Obsessed



PostSun Aug 20, 17 10:39 am    Riding strapless Reply with quote

The best thing is just more time on the board in any and all conditions. Even riding flat water and getting your jibes and foot switches helps. Next time it's hammering out east at Rufus or A town come out and ride some river swell.

When you head out to the coast maybe choose a more mellow swell day to get comfortable. Know that no matter what you will get munched and you will end up chasing you board back to shore from time to time. That's just the way it goes, trial by error, and you'll be alright. Two big things about riding real waves are:

1. Learn how to hold your breath and be familiar with the power of the ocean.

2. When you do go down in a wave know how to keep your kite in the air and powered so you don't get wrapped.

Biggest thing, same with all things, don't overthink it. Don't be afraid to mess up and look like an idiot. Accept the learning curve, make mistakes, and learn from them. Just do it! You can contact me directly if you have any questions and if I see you on the beach just ask.

Cody

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Last edited by cpc219 on Sun Aug 20, 17 1:10 pm; edited 1 time in total

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ezryder111

Since 24 Dec 2012
131 Posts
SE Portland
Stoked



PostSun Aug 20, 17 11:07 am     Reply with quote

Really appreciate this thread as I have the same exact questions and concerns. Thanks, guys!

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Ho-Toe

Since 30 Apr 2014
231 Posts
pissed-off science guy like Bill Nye
CO2 quantifier & upwelling specialist



PostSun Aug 20, 17 2:17 pm    trolling Reply with quote

Autumn is my least favorite season to body drag in the ocean.

For a good time, google "bobby gumm south beach". Shocked Twisted Evil Shocked Twisted Evil Idea Exclamation

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macgruber

Since 06 Dec 2011
490 Posts
SE PDX volcano
Obsessed



PostSun Aug 20, 17 8:34 pm     Reply with quote

Try fort Stevens first before Manzanita. Lot B can be super smooth. If you aren't goofy, head out toe side so you can quickly carve back in to ride a wave or escape a big one

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Aeolus

Since 20 Apr 2010
354 Posts
Gold Beach, OR
OR-SoCo-Aficionado



PostSun Aug 20, 17 11:14 pm     Reply with quote

Since you'll be chasing your board a lot when you're learning your timing in the salt....tie an old slingshot bar safety bungee to the place where a board leash would normally go. you'll save your board from going to the beach a hand full of times just by being able to grab it by the leash from time to time. It just dangles around and it's relatively short.
When you screw up your timing and get rolled by a wave going out, even the tiniest of one-toe on the board can mean the difference between dragging all the way to the beach and keeping it within a few body lengths. Your recovery times will get lightning quick in the ocean over time.
Get to know an ocean spot very well and consistently hit that place. There's a shit ton going on out there especially when the swell starts picking up some energy. Get some nice northerly summer days under your belt with low energy ocean conditions. Ocean kiting never gets old. You'll be sending some booters before you know it.
Good luck and....

Keep your kite in the air
Keep your kite in the air
Keep your kite in the air
Twisted Evil

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sagebrush

Since 31 Oct 2009
209 Posts
north,van,bc
Stoked



PostTue Aug 22, 17 8:50 pm    strapless Reply with quote

Awesome comments everyone,thx so much for the knowledge,very helpfull!!!

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Matt V

Since 26 Oct 2014
462 Posts
Summer- OR Coast, Winter - My van near good snow
Explosive Diarrhea



PostWed Aug 23, 17 8:29 am     Reply with quote

cpc219 wrote:


1. Learn how to hold your breath and be familiar with the power of the ocean.

Cody


Good point, but this needs to be elaborated on. Prone surfing (without a kite) experience, just one day without even getting a wave ride, will give you confidence and eliminate some panic that happens to everyone when they have to survive in the break or when you inevitably get held under by a wave. It will also teach you how to make it back without the kite, should you have to let it go. Even SUP can help you gain confidence in the waves.



macgruber wrote:
Try fort Stevens first before Manzanita. Lot B can be super smooth.


I did it backwards and almost went back to kiting the Gorge. After my first 2 days at Manzanita, I was sitting around with some Canadians asking them why I could not catch waves like they were. One of them pulled me to the side and told me to go up to Ft. Stevens and get a day or so there. I did just that and began to understand kiting waves.

Another thing about Manzo.....Perfectly safe for beginners as they will never make it out past the shorebreak. You can watch the kiter that does not belong there as they just get washed, then get washed again, then crash their kite, try again, then rip their kite in the surf, then have to pack it up while their experienced friends can make it out.

Ft. Stevens is dangerous for beginners as they can make it out easily and go out too far. But those beginners, if they stay a safe swim from the beach, will learn how to ride the waves with a kite, and be able to ride at more advanced spots after just a few good days at Ft. Stevens.

And Ft. Stevens = good waves
Manzanita???? Well, lets just say one of the locals calls a good portion of the beach at Manzanita "the Bermuda rectangle of waves". They disappear and reappear for no apparent reason, unless the wave's goal is to get you looking at the surface of the water from below.

Aeolus wrote:
Since you'll be chasing your board a lot when you're learning your timing in the salt....tie an old slingshot bar safety bungee to the place where a board leash would normally go.
Twisted Evil


Leashes present a danger to the rider that is often unnessesary. I have recently changed my opinion from "never use a leash" to "never use a leash unless you are in special circumstances". It is your choice to attach the board to you, and you will face the consequences. If you choose to wear a leash -

1. The board can snap back to you an hit you so WEAR A HELMET and impact vest!
2. The board, especially surfboards with lots of float, can pop up out of the water and go through your lines. This can cause an out of control loop. You NEED A QUICK RELEASE ON ANY SURF LEASH WHEN YOU HAVE A KITE! And if the board is underwater while you are being dragged by the kite, an an ankle leash is like a "concrete pair of shoes". Find a better place to attach the leash than where you do in prone surfing (ankle). I will let others chime in on this one.
3. Being leashed to the board reduces your ability to handle the kite on land and especially around beach goers. This is because it ties up one hand, and you will not want to drop your board as you get lofted on land as you will likely land on the board wen coming down. Connect to the board once safely in the water.

My advice is to never use a leash as it is not worth the risk, unless you are in an area that requires you to use one. There is nowhere on the north coast of Oregon, friendly to beginner through intermediate, that requires a kiter to use a leash.

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Nevo




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PostSat Sep 02, 17 10:53 pm    Thanks/Update Reply with quote

Thanks for the tips everyone. I've tried a lot of what was said and will mention a few of the results I've already had:

Gybe speed: I took the time to consider my actual gybe speed since I'm regular footed. Going either way the fastest I can gybe is to simply jump and 180 my body instead of stepping forward and then back. If someone has a faster method let me know.

More time strapless: I basically can't stand to ride my twintip anymore anyways so this is pretty easy. I'm on the board from 7m conditions to 15m conditions and am feeling good.

Aerials: Progressing nicely but yet to try the recommended kickflip. I've tried a few pop shuvit transitions, handstand 360's, 180's, and the biggest thing I'm walking away with is a greater understanding of how in sync my riding and flying have to be. It doesn't seem anything like the twintip where I can muscle through movements.

A second note on aerials that I'll add is this: I've found that when surfing swells very aggressively (constant heel - toe - heel - toe transitions), if I add in small jumps and immediately return to hard carving upon landing I learn a lot. The reason is that just as Matt V recommended in learning to jump, you end up landing with poor foot positioning from time to time. Add in forcing myself to carve away aggressively upon landing has given me the opportunity to learn how the board can and will perform when I'm out of foot position but still have to ride. In the ocean I can see it effectively buying me time to restabilize in a more opportune location.

Lastly I'll mention that I've gotten to know my board better by trying the things listed by others. I'm on a 5'2" Angry Swallow and I had been purely riding it as a thruster without much thought beyond that. Now, I've tried riding it with 1, 2, 3, fin setups and will admit that each seems to clearly ride differently and add to my overall comfort on the board. Next step will simply be trying some better fins than the stock ones (which I hear are crap).

Thanks again for the beta from everyone! I'm excited to head out to Shipwreck soonish for an intro and have a few weeks booked in Tulum this fall. Any additional comments/thoughts/suggestions are welcome!

Scriffler

Since 03 Jul 2005
581 Posts
LYLE
Addicted



PostSat Sep 02, 17 11:16 pm     Reply with quote

I used to be scared of wearing a leash in the surf until I started riding a spot where I can't afford to lose my board. I use a really long leash, like 7 or 8 feet and it is pretty hard to get whipped by your board. The trick is to depower your kite as soon as you fall. This should minimize any whipping by your board. Also get a quick release one just in
Case you need to punch out.



https://surfmorexm.com/collections/leashes/products/xm-power-clip-surfboard-leash

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