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TOO High ... ???

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Flyboy
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Postby Flyboy » Mon Mar 29, 2004 3:58 pm

What's with you Rick - haven't you seen the videos: no-whip is where it's at.

High jumps are like so Old-School. :roll: [/url]

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Postby Tony » Tue Mar 30, 2004 1:37 am

Here's a chance for everyone to get their jumps measured ...
http://www.realkiteboarding.com/index.i ... tem&id=459

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Postby Flyboy » Tue Mar 30, 2004 5:11 am

40 feet? That ain't gonna be high enuff for you Rick. What happens when you unload one of your 65 footers? :-?

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Postby RickI » Sun Mar 06, 2005 3:08 am

Well a year has come and gone. I have yet to repeat the higher jump but have done quite a few into the 40's. The big old but fairly fast Shark board died of old age shortly after this post last year. I have spent much of the year on a 130 cm board which may effect the attack speed leading into the jump. Beyond that, I think riding fast to ramp off of a swell across relatively smooth water (the much more common chop here just slows you down), seems to be a critical part to popping really high jumps. I can't remember the last time there was good wind into the high 20's to low 30's with nice sets of smooth swells here. Also, it seems important to be well powered but not overpowered to where it is hard to edge effectively and release to the jump.

I have heard of stories of guys hitting around 60 ft. over the last year. Looking at some of the images here and in the mags it looks like folks are boosting higher than in past years.

That's my experience, how about everyone else? What have you been experiencing with newer kites and boosting big jumps?

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Postby ryansurf1 » Sun Mar 06, 2005 5:05 am

More consistently high in 2004...

Better kites for me....different boards....

and a better driver....

board speed, controled board speed is key....it was hard at first for me to adjust to a smaller 130 board....used to the wider longer tail to load....

A flat trough before a nicely building swell line will add significant height for me......just able to load a nice carve out...and off the face....

So the best high jump days for me are...NE-E swell and S wind....

Flat water sections work nicley also, but a ramp adds...

I jump consistently high as anybody at the beach...my ego tells me higher

But i think the average high jumps around 30-35 feet, maybe 40?...I don't think i have ever seen anybody at 50?....

Yes, and for me at 180 lb...12 M is best for height...

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Postby BlueSky » Sun Mar 06, 2005 9:35 am

I ride 2004 X4s now and one old 2002 other brand. On the water since 2001. Even if I do not have the timing right with the X4s I seem to jump higher than with my old (also high aspect) 2003, 2002 and 2001 kites with a right timing.

So I think it is easier to jump high with the 2004 X4 compared to the other kites I flew in past years (different brands, no naish)

And as said often before: X4s are so floaty, a dream!

I don't estimate height. It is too difficult.

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Postby kitester » Sun Mar 06, 2005 1:49 pm

Rick,

I think you are right about the improved performance of all the equipment. Last year I got a telephone pole high jump on my 14m Airush Lift. That kite is easy to fly in up to 25 mph wind but, below 15 you would really have to work it to keep on plane. Yesterday I got the chance to fly the 14 Cab. Nitro. It is even more controlable in higher wind. Gusts were only in the 20+ range but the kite was so fast that it was easy to throw 20 footers with very little forward speed. What was really nice about the kite was that in the holes (sub 15) it would still pull with enough force to keep me on a good plane. I am 185 and was on a 145 LW. I think there are a number of things that have changed over the past few years. Kites have a better wind range, top and bottom. Kites develope more straight line and turning speed. Boards are much faster and more efficient and so use less energy from the kite. But there is one factor that should not be overlooked. This sport is still very new and many of us who have been flying for for or five years have simply become better. I remember the day when a 12m kite in 15 mph of wind was scarey and now I take the 16.5 out in 20+. I have flown an 18m AR Lift in 25 and had a good time. As "old timers" we not only got to see first hand the evolution of the equipment but, we are the ones who have spent the most time on the water. Our own personal performance should be included whenever we start to talk about how things have changed and improved..

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Postby Toby » Sun Mar 06, 2005 3:15 pm

20m is extremely high, and for an OK jumper like you describe yourself I don't think it is normal. Still hard to belive, do you have any pictures?

A very important point is also, what kind of wind it is. You can have winds just above the water, and when you feel full power and you get up, you don't glidfe as long and fall down quickly. Or at the surface is no wind, but in 20m height it will be more. So once you jump you fly and the wind might suck you higher.

I heard the wind in South Africa is very strong in the upper regions, so you can boost high and long.

Greets
Toby

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Postby RickI » Sun Mar 06, 2005 7:10 pm

Toby wrote:20m is extremely high, and for an OK jumper like you describe yourself I don't think it is normal. Still hard to belive, do you have any pictures?

A very important point is also, what kind of wind it is. You can have winds just above the water, and when you feel full power and you get up, you don't glidfe as long and fall down quickly. Or at the surface is no wind, but in 20m height it will be more. So once you jump you fly and the wind might suck you higher.

I heard the wind in South Africa is very strong in the upper regions, so you can boost high and long.

Greets
Toby
I agree, it is high. If you pace off that distance from a building wall or even look down to the ground from a 6 story building, the apparent distance difference say from 35 ft. is fairly obvious.

I am not looking for belief or disbelief although the post a year ago was as much from shock after a very short time with a new kite as anything else. I was looking for the experiences of others with newer kites. As I said, I have yet to be able to repeat the jump so it really doesn't matter. As the account indicates from a year ago, there wasn't anyone watching nor a photo. As is often shown here, photos from the surface looking up particularly with wide angle optics can be very deceptive. A photo shot horizontally from a high vantage could be more compelling.

I think you are talking about wind gradient. Something that is present when downwind of vertical surfaces and can sometimes be fairly evident in temperate areas with onshore winds through thermal effects beyond normal surface friction effects. There have been cases of guys rigging up for near surface winds and being overpowered once their kites went well above the surface.

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Postby lavecchi » Mon Mar 07, 2005 2:07 am

New kites have a broader wind range than the old high aspect kites (say north rhino2 or nasih x3) especially at the top end if fitted with a 5th line, even more. Tha's way the jumping is higher because used in stronger winds. I normally ride a Rhino2 14MT up to just above 20knots than it is all over the place, still riding but can't do much. Now I ride a Rhino5 14MT with 5th line up to 25knots and in full control. Jumping high has become easier, never pulled off the edge, just straight up. And I mean a lot up. Last month I was in Caloundra (Australia), river mouth, current rushing out about 4 knots, wind up to 27-28 knots (call it about 30knots in total) on a demo Vegas 5 10MT. I was in full control, pull the bar and boys....I took off....went up and up and when looked down I could see the top of an old nasih 8 mt. I flew higher than the kite in front of me........Obviously that kite was not at midday but call it 15-20 MT high. Great. Perfect landing as well with new kite, all the time.

New kites have made high jumping much easier and consistent


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