Foot Hook advise

[Bille]

I just got over a rather Brutal case of covid-19, last week it nearly
took me out.Blood coming from all orifices , my lung capacity, is about
1/2 of what it was, three weeks ago ; so there is No way, i'm gonna stick
my fake feet, into a set of straps, that i already know, i have trouble, getting
out of.

I plan to go to Mohave, in about two weeks ; i plan to leave the TT home.
Both iriejohn, and oldkiter , set me up with Foot Hooks ; i put the larger
one in front, of my 5.5' , Nash Directional, and the smaller one in back.
I won't need to worry about being drug underwater, when i eat $h!t, with
my compromised lungs.

SO -- can ya give me advise, on foot-work, when i do jibes ; i'd always
ben strapped in in the past, so i have no clue on what to do ? The Nash
use to be 6', and i diced 6" off the back, in the shape of
a double diamond. It's wide, stable, with tuns of rocker,and i can turn it easy.


Thanks : Bille

[iriejohn]

I just got over a rather Brutal case of covid-19, last week it nearly
took me out.Blood coming from all orifices , my lung capacity, is about
1/2 of what it was, three weeks ago ; so there is No way, i'm gonna stick
my fake feet, into a set of straps, that i already know, i have trouble, getting
out of.

I plan to go to Mohave, in about two weeks ; i plan to leave the TT home.
Both iriejohn, and oldkiter , set me up with Foot Hooks ; i put the larger
one in front, of my 5.5' , Nash Directional, and the smaller one in back.
I won't need to worry about being drug underwater, when i eat $h!t, with
my compromised lungs.

SO -- can ya give me advise, on foot-work, when i do jibes ; i'd always
ben strapped in in the past, so i have no clue on what to do ? The Nash
use to be 6', and i diced 6" off the back, in the shape of
a double diamond. It's wide, stable, with tuns of rocker,and i can turn it easy.


Thanks : Bille

I can't give you any advice Bille, but you've been in the f*cking wars for sure!

[purdyd]

My footwork with or without straps is nearly the same. But I’ve got both my legs....

How did you switch feet before?

[oldkiter]

Bille I have to watch you every minute!! Mask and distance!!! Very grateful you made it through the virus. Used to be a professor of Microbiology so take it from me this is a nasty bug! Only advice I can give re: directional is I have approached them as in windsurfing. Basically rear foot in front of strap/hook prior to turning and pressuring downwind side of board. While going through turn and kite coming across unweight and switch feet. Let us know how it goes! And stay well and safe!!

[Bille]

...

How did you switch feet before?

I Didn't --- it was difficult to get out of the straps ; so i'd just
do toeside to go the other direction. When i got tired of riding
that stance ; i'd drop in the water , and turn the board around, and
heal-side the other direction for a while.

@ oldkiter :
I can picture what your saying ; i can set my directional
up on pads, and practice that in my condo !!
Gonna wait two weeks before i go in the water ; make sure
i'm fixed up first.

Bille

[ronnie]

Hi Bille,
Best wishes for a fast and full recovery.

The simplest way to go strapless might be something like the Shinn Waterbird?

[knotwindy]

You’ll get lots of opinions about this so here’s mine.
First, the foot switch and the turn(jibe) are not necessarily related. You can switch feet before, after, during or separate from the turn. Most people have a stronger toe-side ride so to learn use that side. Make your usual heel to toe turn, get a bit settled and then switch your feet afterwards. Once riding heel-side switch your feet to toe-side before the opposite turn.
The biggest, most common problem I see with people learning the foot switch is they have been told to “step forward with the back foot”. Nah, although the back foot does have to come forward first that thinking will make it harder to get right. When you are riding in a straight line your center of gravity is balanced over the proper point on the board. If you “step forward” you center of gravity moves forward with you and the nose drops, hits chop, slowed down, whatever and leads to complications you don’t need or want. The ‘trick’ to the foot switch is not speed of change or speed of board. It is keeping the board as quiet as possible during the switch. So yea, move your back foot forward out of the hook first. The closer your feet are together the less you will effect the board when you move. Here is what you might try instead of thinking “step forward” with the back foot. Try “swivel back hip forward” so you spin in place as much as possible so your center of gravity moves much less when you do move your back foot forward. It’s not a step, it’s a dance step.
Also, when you go to move the back foot you will be balanced on just one point (the front foot) unless you use the kite for help as a second point. Moving the kite up slightly helps but not to far, as the board is still going to be moving forward you want to be as well. Not stopped under a very high kite. 3 basic options here; sheet in and back out, bring that kite up and back down or tweak the board upwind for a blink. Last one is the fastest and easiest to do for me as I only have to think about the board while switching but up to you. You do have a special circumstance I can’t even imagine.
So, short version now that you have the whys. Back foot forward a bit, kite up a bit, swivel back hip forward, weight on ball of front foot(to upwind a blink) , weight balanced between bar & front foot, move back foot forward & front foot back. Either direction, before or after the turn, the move is the same. Don’t try to go fast as possible, comfortable board speed and comfortable foot speed. The ‘trick’ is not speed but keeping the board quiet.
Sorry, longer than I thought, much easier to show or do than talk about.
Oh, and have fun during the wet times!

[Daversj]

2 tips that i think are most important when learning strapless surfboard transitions.

Be on your stronger stance before you carve the turn. So change feet before or after turn depending on tack. Easier when learning.

Before you change feet practice riding with an almost completely unweighted back foot. This will force you to have your front foot in the correct position for the transition. If you can ride on one foot, when you move your back foot forward next to your front foot, there wont be a weight shift. All your weight was already there. Nothing gets upset and you keep planing. Then just move the old foot back.

Good luck, you’re one tough hombre.

A surfboard thats at least 19 or 19.5” wide makes learning much easier...

[1234567Simon]

I come from Windsurfing. So for me strictly strapped.

One strap front. One strap Back.
Was riding my directional like 15 times now.
I watched several videos, and tried in my garden.
Nothing worked....

Finally I decided to do two steps:
Finish my turning without switching feet, ...go a little down wind in toeside Position.
No big pressure in the kite, no big pressure on the toes. I am not going fast... just beeing pulled behind the kite.

Sinus the kite a little. When kite goes up again , then switch your feet.

Most tutorials say:
First move the back foot to the front.
Then move the front foot to the back.

I always sunk the nose like this and got slammed.

Now I move the front foot back..... and then the back foot to the front...

Super relaxed for me now.


In this Video he does it all with super power.
At 1:15 he switches feet.
Also at 1:46 he switches feet more relaxed (the left small picture.)

Don‘t rush!
Get the he right moment, when kite is moving up.
Then you have more time, to not pay attention to the kite. And only concentrate on your feet.

https://www.progression.me/blog/increas ... ing-turns/

[purdyd]

This

When kite goes up again , then switch your feet.

Also it has been a trend lately in kiteboard design to put a bit more width in front so when you do step forward it is a bit easier.

I have no idea what a 6’ chopped to 5’ 6” Frankenboard will be like ...