How to progress in kiteboarding
1. Set a goal
We’re big fans of getting out on the water for some aimless fun, but if you really want to push your kiteboarding to the next level you’re going to have to set some goals. This doesn’t have to be a big formal thing - just pick out a couple of tricks you want to learn and keep them in the back of your mind.
2. Do your homework
After setting some goals, you’ll need to figure out how to achieve them. You might be able to land some of the easier tricks on your own with some trial and error, but for more advanced techniques you might want to consider booking in some lessons.
3. Pick the right conditions
To safely practise the trick, you’ll need to wait for the right conditions. Look for consistent wind speeds and try to stick near the shore where you can easily relaunch if your kite crashes. We generally recommend going into new tricks slightly underpowered - that way, if something goes wrong, you’ll be able to recover with minimal drama. Using a bigger kite in lower winds helps to slow things down, offers more time to react and maintain control.
4. Get comfortable with failing
You’re probably not going to land your new trick the first time. Or the second time. Or the third time. That’s cool - failing is all part of the process. Commit to the trick, don’t overthink it and have fun along the way. Sooner or later, it’ll all click into the place and you’ll have a sweet new trick up your sleeve.
Not sure where to start? Fast track your progress with specialist learning equipment and expert instructors at our awesome kiteboarding school.
Best tricks to practise for beginners and intermediates
For the record, there’s no such thing as an official trick progression list. The tricks you learn, and the order you learn them in, depends entirely on your style, your strengths and what you want to get out of kiteboarding. This is a creative sport and the way you express yourself on the water is entirely up to you.
With that being said, developing a solid foundation will make it easier to do more advanced tricks further down the track. Here are a few tricks that are perfect for beginner and intermediate level kiteboarders.
Toeside riding
Fly your kite at around 10 to 11 o’clock.
Cruise crosswind and put slightly more weight on the back foot than normal.
Steering with your rear hand, turn your upper body to face upwind.
Bring in your front foot and start shifting more weight onto it. Once the weight is evenly distributed, the board will skid.
Keep bringing in your front foot while extending your rear foot.
Once you’ve changed stance, lean your chest toward the water and press through your toes to edge your toeside rail and maintain speed.
Getting air
Lean back and push into the heel edge of your board while turning the kite up towards 12 o’clock.
When the kite’s overhead, keep increasing your edge until it feels like the kite’s pulling you off the water.
Pull in the bar to jump into the air. Don’t let the bar out while you’re in the air.
Point the board downwind when you land and redirect the kite to its original pre-jump position.
Land with your back foot down first and your knees bent.
Tail grab
Steer the kite up to 12 o’clock while pushing into the heel edge of your board.
When the kite’s overhead, pull in the bar to jump.
When you’re in the air, hold the kite at 12 o’clock with your front hand.
Grab the tail with your back hand.
As you land, steer the kite forwards and bend your knees.
Backroll
Steer the kite up to 12 o’clock.
Ride about 90 degrees upwind as you takeoff, which will provide plenty of rotation.
When the kite’s overhead, pull in the bar to jump into the air. You only need a tiny jump for a basic back roll.
Follow the rotation of the board with your body to complete the roll.
Lead your body rotation with your head. Your body will follow.
Aim to spot your landing on the water.
As you land, steer the kite forwards and bend your knees.
Downloop turn
Swap your leading foot and keep edging with your heels to quickly turn downwind.
Turn the bar aggressively by pulling down hard with your front hand and pushing up with your back hand.
Ride downwind as the kite powers up and keep steering hard until the kite climbs and power eases.
Once the loop is complete, let go of the bar to untangle the lines.
Grab the bar and keep on riding.
Elevate your kiteboarding game
Keen to level up your kiteboarding game? Check out our awesome range of kiteboarding gear or give us a buzz on 027 245 7540 to learn more about our kiteboarding school.