toe-side rules

[bennyh]

Hello All,
just wanted to say that learning to ride a directional over the last few months has opened my eyes to how much fun toe-side riding is. All your 'usual' tricks take on a new perspective, wave riding is smooth and you have more options for landing jumps when you over rotate etc. Just cruising flat water with your faces inches from the blue stuff is magical. It's improved my surfing too as I've got more used to riding 'goofy'.

All you heel sliders out there - have a go. Remember to have a trick 'nailed' do it off toeside too.

[Guest]

Hi

Whats your best tricks to get into the toe side riding style?

Im riding my dir board toe and heal side but am still cant go toe side on my wake/TT.

Whats the trick?

/ Nick

[ATM]

Can any1 give some advice for riding toeside and truckin upwind / or at least not going downwind / ie keeping your upwind ground.

i am riding a UG fridge door and i find that whenever i go toeside, I cannot stay upwind like i can heelside.

It would seam that because i am switched around I have trouble finding the sweet spot in toe side edging and power in the kite. Any ideas on how to stay upwind toeside fellas?

I agree that to say you have a trick dialled you must be able to stomp it heel and toe side.

[Guest]

have to disagree with the last comment.If you land toe side then its a totally different trick than if you land heel side.. similar coments apply to taking off heeel or toe side

[Cal]

I agree with anon above,

In most circumstances a trick taken of healside is totaly different to the equivalent toe side... thats why they have names - like toeside xxxx, or xxxx to toeside or toeside to toeside xxxx

You can bet your ass they get scored differently in comps too...

Callum

[BLOWN AWAY]

Just lean forward and look upwind.... best way to get upwind toeside... it's an awkward stance but fun getting that face near the water, touching the tops of waves.

No hand toesides are fun.... mooning someone when you are riding toeside no handed is an epic move...

Directionals kick ass once again.

BLOWN AWAY

[bennyh]

What I've discovered (no expert though):

The main thing is to really lean towards the water to balance the power of the kite. Commitment is the key, and just like heel side riding you must be powered up to go upwind. Lean out hard and pressure the back foot to force the board to carve up wind. Keep the kite low in the window. Let the harness twist round your body a bit. Use one hand to steer and the other to reach out and add extra rail pressure. If you have to sine the kite you can rotate hard at the hips to enable two hand control but you must keep the knees flexed and poining at the water. Pretend you're Flash Austin!
Somtimes a carve jibe will help set you up - get the board speed up and reverse the kite direction, keeping it low, carving round to toe as you feel the kite pull you.
To switch without changing direction I like to 'ollie' - when powered up with kite at about 45 degrees suddenly carve the board upwind to create a ramp of water. Then release the edge and rotate the hips in the air. The kite should stay still and you will be continuosly powered as you land toeside and get that edge working.
When you've sorted it one way (eg regular) try it the other way (goofy), it feels very strange unless you're an ambidextrous surfer!
Good luck!
ps check the Arcoholics video in this forum for some very good 'do-able' toeside stuff in Caloundra, well worth the download.
Ben