Tips for Beginning Kiters

[Kenny]

I hope these tips will help speed your progression and make you a better kiter.

1. Pump the leadinf edge of your kite until it is hard. A saggy leading edge will make the kite less responsive and more difficult to relaunch. In very gusty wind it can lead to nasty inversions and bowties.
2. When sining the kite up and down to obtain more power during a lull, you don't have to turn the kite so that it is barely above the water durung the downstroke. Keep the kite 15 feet above the water on the downstroke and avoid the possibility of cathing the tip of your kite on the water. Most of the power is higher up above the surface of the water anyway.
3. When another rider is passing behind you and you are riding in front lower your kite so that it is closer to the water. The natural tendancy is to fly your kite to zenith. This makes it much more difficult for someone to pas you. When you are upwind of another kiter and are passing fly your kite high in the window.
4. It is true that the best kiters can make just about any piece of equipment work. Lou Wainman is known for riding om McDonald's lunch trays. However, for the rest of us good equipment makes a big difference between a great session and a difficult one. So don't just buy a kite on e-bay without doing some research first. You can post on this forum, "I am thinking about buying X kite and we will tell you if it is a good choice for this area and if it is not we will give you some alternatives.
5. Take a lesson - kiteboarding can be practiced safely, but it can kill you if you don't follow the rules. The pimary object of a lesson is to teach you how to safely do the sport withot injuring yourself or others.

Have fun on the water and hopefuuly soon the snow.

[Jacob Buzianis]

These tips are very important to follow. What Kenny is telling you is going to save your live. Never be shy or scared to ask for tips from someone here. The Utah windriders have more knowledge about the wind conidition and which equipment should be safe in Utah. If their someone you know that won't give you tips or help you launch your kite, you let me know or post the name of the person. I will give that kiter a look like this

Let's keep kiteboarding and snowkiting fun and safe

[Kenny]

I wrote that post on my Blackberry. I can't believe all of the spelling errors.

Jake, I appreciate the support. I am surprised that some of the beginners don't ask more questions on the forum. When I see the same mistake occurring over and over again, I try to point it out. I would like to see more activity on this forum. It helps me get through the non-wind days reading the postings.

Kenny

[bordy]

I can't thank the local UT kiters enough for all the help and Kindness while learning to kite this summer!!!!!

I had my first kitemare at DC yesterday, getting drag acrossed the rocky shore line after my 18 lofted me about 5 feet off the deck then folded up, fell from the sky and "powered" up right in the middle of the window jerkiing me 20 or so feet befor the ground made enough fridtion with my face and arms to stop the kite then fell to the water next to me I then tried to relaunch only to have the 5th line wrap around the bar and my hand. I some how got my hand out and hit the quick release after getting dragged some more. A trip to the clinic and some x-ray show no broken bones in my hand but some major swelling and discomfort. first I landed on it then it got wrapped in the lines... I should be back out on the water soon.

Point being I made a mistake flying the kite over head while on land in a gusty location(fully depowered). If I would have been safe and had the kite over the water I would have just gotted dragged a bit and not lofted or ripped from where I was standing.

Many Local UT kiters have warned me about this happening... I wish I would have listen better...

Thanks to Dave B. for showing up just as I was getting lofted.. He was a big help getting my gear back together!

I learned some thing however so it was still a great day of kiting!!! Plus I had a great session before the Kitemare....

Billy

[MikE mAy]

bill- sorry to hear about your kitemare. I have to thank the utah crew too. you have all helped me out soo much over the summer. i've still a lot to learn, but guys like jake, kenny, marty, jon, and mark have helped my learning curve so much. I look back to bill and my days at jordanelle and laugh at how much quicker we learned once we hooked up with you...

thanks!

[Jacob Buzianis]

Damn Man! I'm glad your are okay.

Kitemare is good thing but not to look forward to. It will give you an idea what just happen and from now on you will know what to expect. After what just happen to you Billy, you will start to become more understanding what just happen. Ever time I get a kitemare I start understand more and be more cautious from there on.

Here some tips coming in and out of the beach.

Going out before you launch your kite:

Look upwind and watch for the wind line and surrending weather system

If the wind line look like there billions of white caps coming or a dark cloud coming, don't go out. Wait for it to pass first

after you launch, get to the water asap

board drag out at least 200 feet where it safe to get in your board and ride out


Coming back in to the beach:

Look upwind and watch for the wind line and surrending weather system before coming close to the beach shore. Be at least 200 feet away from beach before coming in and to check upwind and surrending

If the wind line look like there billions of white caps coming, don't go in yet. be prepare to pull your safety to disconnect yourself from the kite.

Wait for the wind line to pass first

after you touchdown to the beach, get the kite down asap


Pulling your line to relaunch or to get your kite to self resurce back to shore:

Don't pull your lines and drop them in front of you.

Don't wrap your lines around yourself. Like wraping your finger, hands, or arm around the lines.

Just pick with your fingers or pull with your hand. NEVER WRAP AROUND THEM

Throw your lines out to your left or right as far as possible. It will reduce the chances of being wrap around and lines tangling if kite take off.


ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD OR SUGGEST

Tell Dave B. to ROCK ON for helping you out.

[lesvierra]

Kenny made a comment not to long ago. Even experience riders are not immune from kite mares, after having a small epic himself.

After a handfull of self launches, I found it easy to be come complacent and over confident. I find myself launching in more questionable places. Its good to hear about kitemares (glad to hear your ok bill) just to keep the prospect in the back of my mind.

Unfortunately like Jake said, there are so many things that can happen to you, and sometimes you have to experience it for yourself to know not to ever do that again. Thats the scary part, so much yet to learn for me anyways.

[Marty Lowe]

ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD OR SUGGEST

one word.....

Helmet

-Marty

[Dave Birkbeck]

I'm glad to hear that your thumb isn't broken. That was a pretty scary close call. When I saw your kite starting to fall out of the sky I knew that something bad was about to happen. As soon as it hit power you got launched...superman style.

Seeing this happen reminded me how quickly things can go wrong in this sport. Let's all be safe out there.

Keep it Low & Go!

Birkbeck

[Kenny]

Billy,

I am glad that you are okay! I consider a kitemare a good wakeup call. I had one this summer and in my book that is one too many. I learned from my kitemare to make sure that the kite bridles are straight before launching and that no fixed objects or persons are within 200 feet downwind of where you are launching.

ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD OR SUGGEST

My suggestion is to drop your kite in the water at DC, Sulphur, Grantsville or any location with nasty, gusty, swirly wind. It is better to have a wet kite than to get dragged or lofted onto shore. I also think that drift launching is the way to go at those locations as well. Anyone not familiar with the drift launch?

Kenny

[lesvierra]

I'd like to hear the drift launch. I think you said something about it awhile back, sounded too sketchy or complicated, just couldnt picture it, safely.

[Ralph Morrison]

+1

I didn't really grasp it the first time either.