Learning to fly a trainer kite is an important first step in learning how to kiteboard. By spending time with a trainer kite, you will learn about the wind window and will learn kite flying skills that will be very important when you take your first kiteboarding lesson.

The first step of learning to kiteboard is to take a lesson from a qualified kiteboarding instructor. During your fist lesson, you will learn the basics of how to properly and safely fly a kiteboarding kite. You will also learn about safety, wind awareness, site selection, and weather.

Kiteboarding is not a sport that you should learn on your own. Always learn to kiteboard with a professional kiteboarding instructor.

The self rescue is a skill that every kiteboarder needs to know and should practice at least a few times. Regardless of your skill level, you will eventually need to perform a self rescue. This video is not meant to replace professional kiteboarding instruction. We strongly recommend that every person interested in kiteboarding start by taking a lesson.

With your kite down in the water, the first thing you need to do is get to your kite. Every kiteboarding manufacturer’s safety system is slightly different, so the correct technique will vary from brand to brand. In general, the safest way to get to your kite is to activate your safety system and then pull yourself hand over hand up one single line until you reach the kite. Never wrap the line around your hand and be careful to avoid kicking your feet around loose lines as you swim.

Once at the kite, maneuver it into a position where you are holding the middle of the leading edge as you would on land. Fold the kite so the wing tips are touching and grab both wingtips. If your kite has an especially rigid leading edge, you may want to let a little air out of the kite to make it easier to fold. You can lay on the bottom wing tip and hold the bridle line for the upper wingtip. Hold the kite open and the wind will pull you back in towards the beach.

This video is not meant to replace professional kiteboarding instruction. We strongly suggest that everyone interested in kiteboarding start by taking a lesson.

Once you’re up and riding, the first thing you need to learn is how to change directions. There are many different ways to change directions, but the simplest way is to basically come to a stop and then ride away in the new direction. This is a transition that even experience kiteboarders use often as it allows you to change directions while losing little or no distance downwind.

While riding along with good speed, start by edging upwind to slow down. At the same time, slowly bring your kite to the top of the window. You want to time your movements so that your kite reaches the top of the window at the same moment that you lose all forward speed. Keep your knees bent through the entire transition.

With your kite overhead, most of your weight will be supported by the kite, making it easier to shift your weight to prepare for riding in the new direction. Slowly shift your weight to your front foot, which will become your back foot, while turning your head and shoulders to face your new direction of travel. Before you sink into the water, dive your kite in the new direction of travel and ride away.

This video is not meant to replace professional kiteboarding instruction. We strongly suggest that everyone who is interested in learning to kiteboard start by taking a lesson.

Body dragging is a necessary step that everyone must go through when learning how to kiteboard. The purpose of body dragging is to become comfortable in the water while flying the kite before adding the complications of a board.

Walk into at least knee deep water and relax in the water with your legs behind you. While body dragging, you want to practice control over the kite and your direction of travel. You don’t want to just be aimlessly flying your kite in the sky. Start with gentle vertical power strokes and slowly work up to more aggressive power strokes as you gain confidence.

You also need to practice body dragging upwind, as this is a very important skill to have in the water. This is a skill you will use every time you fall off your board. Fly your kite gently along the edge of the window and turn your body to be perpendicular to your kite and extend your lead arm in front of you.

Only when your kite skills have progressed to the point where you can easily do this are you ready to try getting up on the board.

Rider: Mike Sysavat/Airborne Kiteboarding

This video is not meant to replace professional kiteboarding instruction. We strongly suggest that everyone interested in kiteboarding start by taking a lesson.

Once you have your kite flying skills dialed in, you’re ready to try getting up on the board. Many new kiteboarders make the mistake of trying the board too soon. Remember, if you’re having trouble flying the kite without a board, adding the board is going to make things much more difficult. Before you think about trying to get up on a board, you need to be able to easily fly your kite with one hand.

Once you are ready, grab your board and walk into at least knee deep water. Throughout this process, focus your attention on flying the kite first and the board second. If there are small waves, walk out or body drag past them.

With your kite high in the window, sit back in the water and hold your board downwind. Push your hips up towards the surface of the water, bend your knees, and begin by placing one foot in a foot strap. Once one foot is in, bring the other foot up and place it in its strap. With both feet in the straps, make sure your board is perpendicular to your kite’s pull and bend your knees.

Dive the kite into the power zone and let the kite do the work of pulling you out of the water. Keep your knees bent and don’t pull in with your arms. Once the board is on top of the water, you can straighten your legs, shift your weight to your back foot, and ride away.

Rider: Mike Sysavat/Airborne Kiteboarding

The back roll is one of the most basic kiteboarding moves and is usually the first move that kiteboarders learn after learning basic jumps.

Start by riding with good speed while holding your kite around 60 degrees above the water. For the back roll, there is no need to move your kite during the move, so keep your hand centered on the bar. Bear downwind a little to pick up speed and then progressively edge upwind.

As your board leaves the water, throw your board up and away while tucking your chin to your lead shoulder. As you come all the way around, spot your landing and extend your legs to absorb the impact.

Once you have the basic back roll dialed in, you can start adding a little bit of style into it.

If you want to increase your balancing ability and your feel for the board as well as add some style and skill to your repertoire you can try riding blind.

Click for a larger image.

1. To make your pop into blind easier, fly your kite high.

2. As you leave the water, bring your center of gravity well back and initiate the rotation movement from the center of your body.

3. Now take your back hand off the bar and try to bring it behind your back while pushing your board around with your front leg. While you don’t actually want to bring your arm behind your back, this movement will help you bring your body around. Also, support the rotation by pushing your back leg behind you.

4. The landing is undoubtedly the most difficult part of the move. Prepare for it by looking back (not into the riding direction) and by bringing your weight over your new back leg.

5. As you land, try to flatten your board and head slightly downwind by centering your body weight on the back leg and then immediately put pressure on your toeside edge to keep tension in the lines and to be able to ride away with speed.

So, you’ve find yourself landing some pretty cool moves on the water and you think you’re ready to try some handle passes? My best advice is to build a solid foundation first.

Depending on what you want to do, you can start with a blind judge, 313, flat 3, or a mobe. I personally learned the back mobe first, but it will vary from rider to rider. The biggest things are knowing how to pass the bar (underhand), being comfortable in the air, and being comfortable with rotations.

Photo Bryan Elkus

For any move involving a handle pass, work up to it and make sure you have the more basic versions of the move dialed. For the back mobe, you can start with a back to wrapped.

For the 313, you should first tackle the raley to wrapped. I like to do a lot of visualization off the water and when I’m on the water it’s all or nothing.

• Work up to it. A strong foundation can support a tall building.
• When learning a handle pass move, give it five 100% tries per session. Keep this up and it won’t be long until you’re riding away from some of the hardest moves in kiting.
• Get those hips moving, they power your rotations.
• If you’re getting worked, try to take it a step back and focus on simpler moves. If you’re working on the back mobe, go back to the roll to revert. For the blind judge, step back and go for a few raley to blinds.
• Switch tricks can sometimes feel more natural. Don’t forget to try both ways.
• Don’t forget to look where you want to go. It will help you finish rotations.
• Practicing on a hanging bar can help begin the muscle memory foundation.
• Try to watch other people do the tricks, either in person or on video, and get your head around the rotation before you go on the water.

The S-Bend is a combination of the raley and an unhooked front roll. For you to be able to call it an S-Bend, the board has to be above your head during the rotation.

For a lot of riders, the 313 is the second handlepass they learn after the blind judge, but it actually took me quite a long time to get the 313 stable and well executed, so now I really love doing it every session!

Click for Larger Image. Photo Jacqueline d'Entremont

If you want to learn the 313, first you need to be able to do basic unhooked jumps and be able to land blind or wrapped with a surface pass. The higher you keep your kite, the more difficult it will be to pass the bar, but the crashes will hurt a lot less.

1. Enter the move with speed and unhook. For your first attempts, try to keep the kite between 10 and 11 o’clock to make the handlepass easier to complete.

2. Go for good pop off the water and throw out a nice raley.

3. Make sure you kick your back leg out during the raley!

4. To initiate the rotation to pass the handle, kick your back leg forward while looking over your front shoulder.

5. Keep the bar close to your back hip, pass the bar, and spot your landing.

6. Stomp the landing and ride away.

Tips:

• Throw your back leg back during the raley so you can kick it forward to initiate the rotation.
• Don’t keep your kite too high, as this will make the pass really difficult.