Kitesurfing basics - the active rider

Are you an active rider or a passive rider?
Unfortunately, not many talks about this online - nor in real-life lessons. So many kiters are stuck in the passive kiter zone for years, if not forever. I try my best to teach all my students as early as possible to be active, so I do it to you, too!

This is not a light wind technique. This is a way to maximise the power you can have. I am often on a 1-2 size smaller kite than the others around me, being able to jump higher than them, and you can do it too!

If you have no idea what I am talking about, this video will bring some value to you. I teach you basic kite principles that you will be able to apply on your road to becoming a better kiter!
This is the foundation of many things, and for jumping too. If you struggle to jump higher, or you cant brake your 5-10 m - the video will address the reason for that!

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[OneLaunchKiteboarding]

Great piece of work!!!! keep going mate !

[eliassmith]

thats exactly what i always tell my students
love seeing my students being the only ones riding when all others have too little power while we are out there having fun

[iz]

As a very begginer, I already implement both riding styles. My rides are divided to power time (jumps, long stretches of upwind at high speed, edging hard) and relaxed riding g to ease of the stress from the muscles and lower heart rate.

[sheltontian]

make sense. I will try it next time when I am on the water. Thanks for the tip.

[yaseral-saffar]

The best advice I got was to turn my hips towards where I wanted to go (while still leaning backwards). I think that put more weight on my back foot and led to more power.

[valeriygerken]

Thank you for touching on small details that matters 🤗

If possible, could you maybe make one more video about another small detail - which is typically not highlighted enough ( I watched at least 50+ different kitesurfing tutorial videos and haven't seen enough attention to it ).
You mentioned it briefly in this video, but I think the detail deserves its own video.

I wasted nearly 8 hours in 3 consecutive days in water when I was trying to learn how to go upwind. (I had nice kite control + snowboarding / wakeboarding experience)
And the mistake I was making - was to lean (sit) lower and push more on to the back feet way too early - so before I've got enough speed I was killing the power in kite and I was slowly stopping and sinking.

And at some point I got tired from trying to learn going upwind and decided to simply have a bit of fun in last hours.
So I went a bit downwind, which obviously gave me a bit more speed / power and then after 200 meters I decided to slow down.
But this time instead of breaking I actually started to go upwind. 😁

And during all of those wasted 8 hours the only thing I was missing was a bit more speed to catch the balance between kite drag and resistance provided by the board. 🤦

Update:
Actually found your upwind tutorial. You seem to touch it there. 😁

[toppersurfer]

Very interesting. I will think about that in my next session!

[stokakrishna]

as always LIKE at the start of the movie

[maciejnowaczyk]

This is very interresting. Could you give me some tips regarding edging and reaching. When I am well powered I go upwind like crazy!!! I want to get more speed instead of going upwind.

[nicolasboudet]

Thank you! I’ll definitely try!
Last session the wind was very light and the current was strong in the same direction of the wind. I tried my best but unfortunately I lost ground at each way…😵‍💫
May be with your advises I would succeeded to move upwind…🤗

[MrMrmidnight]

Seen you at Stintino last week but was to afraid to ask you some questions… I really like your videos👍🏻 see you on the water🤙🏻

[leapnlarry]

Ive been kiting since 2003, and i had never heard these terms in kiting, i think everyone starts there session in active and at he end of the session they are getting passive, just getting tired. One way to tell if you are active if you are going upwind bettter than the other riders. Larry

[nx]

More spray ⚡ More power. Attack Attack

[IJzzo]

I think I learned to do that over the time. You find out what makes you going faster when the wind is not so strong if you keep trying and trying. The trouble starts for me when wind is too light and I can not do this anymore.

[nessimlarafa]

Have you considered the weight difference perhaps he is heavier than you ?

[freddydad]

Passive riders always struggle in stronger winds. Their edge control is not strong enough to be able to handle gusts, i kite with a couple of guys, always on too small kite and always look super stiff and uncomfortable.

[kiteaust]

I've been teaching Kitesurfing for 30 years. One of the first instructors on the planet.. it's hard to teach Kitesurfing with just one type of kite and it's so boring