Backroll transition to toeside?

[Osprey1]

Can anyone give tips on how to do the backroll to toeside transition? I try it but cant keep my foil in the water when carving upwind

[cglazier]

A backroll to toeside transition is just a tack without switching your feet. In fact it is a good practise move to master before trying a full tack. I have seen hydrofoil kite racers tack by doing a backroll to toeside and then switching their feet afterwards. You can practice this with just a kite surfboard.. if you can't do it on a surfboard then you certainly can't do it on a hydrfoil.

Be sure to depower your kite completely when going into this move. Watch the tacking instructional videos for more help.

CG

[Peter_Frank]

I think it is a tack (transition) to toeside, and not a backroll transition to toeside, as the last is understood as an aerial tack with liftoff board or foil

You can not keep it up foiling you write, when carving upwind ?

Can you do a 360 or a roll (duck) tack ?
I assume not...

For me, the toeside transition is extremely difficult, because of my "non-flexible" body

But keeping it on its foil when carving upwind or in 360's is only a matter of practice, do it 50-100 times and you will notice how you are suddenly able to do things that seemed impossible

Two things has helped me a lot - look over your shoulder first, to initiate a sharp turn - but dont keep it there, look down at the nose of the board so you can keep it over the water and not too high either, in 360s
Whereas in tack you need to look up and forward and upwind in the second half, to get your body to "do the right thing" so to speak

Strapped or strapless ?

Strapped you can whip the hydrofoil around, and you can also recover imbalances much easier, so would try that first.
Otherwise it is just about trying over and over...
Some can do it almost right away, others like me have to try over and over to get the idea in muscle memory

There is a big difference between a 360 and a tack (does not matter if toeside or not), and that is the board should be canted "upwind" just at top of and after the tack - whereas in a 360 you lean back a bit all the way so it is canted downwind when halfway around, quite opposite to a tack.
This is why you have to focus with your eyes on two different spots, halfway around.

This difference is important to have your mind set on to IMO, as this is what I find difficult when tacking strapless.

Dont know if above can help ?

Peter

[windmaker]

For sure when tacking the board has to be canted upwind after it's nose passes through the wind on the new tack or it is the end, especially if you are strapless...

[davesails7]

For sure when tacking the board has to be canted upwind after it's nose passes through the wind on the new tack or it is the end, especially if you are strapless...

I disagree. You can see from this awesome picture of Peter Muller tacking, that the board has gone through head to wind before he switches his feet, and it's canted downwind on the new tack until after he puts weight on the new front footstrap.



When I was learning the tack, I put too much thought into controlling the cant of the board (heelside to toeside). Now it just seems like the board angles to the new direction on it's own once I put my new front foot in the strap.

[cglazier]

Agreed.
I just concentrate on staying above the board and the board angle seems to take care of itself.

CG

(not sure who this rider is)

[windmaker]

For sure when tacking the board has to be canted upwind after it's nose passes through the wind on the new tack or it is the end, especially if you are strapless...

I disagree. You can see from this awesome picture of Peter Muller tacking, that the board has gone through head to wind before he switches his feet, and it's canted downwind on the new tack until after he puts weight on the new front footstrap.



When I was learning the tack, I put too much thought into controlling the cant of the board (heelside to toeside). Now it just seems like the board angles to the new direction on it's own once I put my new front foot in the strap.

I only ride strapless. Strapless riders ride with the feet placed over the centerline of the board so I guess foot straps (which are usually offset) help in applying leverage, you can also pull on them. Part of the reason why most tricks are harder strapless.

Would love to see a similar sequence done strapless and compare!

[Peter_Frank]

Windmaker is right, strapless you can not have it canted wrong and save it using the strap, that was what I meant with "Imbalances"
Would also add, that with bigger and more powered kites it seems easier - you got more "time" to correct, as you don't have your weight on the hydrofoil nearly as much

PF

[Peter_Frank]

Found some older footage that shows this.

Of course if you overshoot, that is "almost" make a 360 (at least more than half), going a lot downwind and then heads up - you can keep the board flat and not windward canted (see 1:38).

But if you want to make a clean tack to toeside you have to change hydrofoil to windward cant, see in the video at 1:47



PF

[davesails7]

That makes sense. I've never tried strapless. It seems like the 3 strap setup makes it much easier to make it through the tack.