Hi sit foiling traditionalists,
a few days ago I tried to restore my 1995 Cory Roeselers Kiteski system and therefore also had a look at the old VHS Tape with the instructions (really helped to understand some aspects
)
On the end of the video there was a short clip of a guy kiting with this kite in combination with an Airchair from I think before 1995. So you could say:
"Sitting on a Hydrofoil is one of the earliest, basic form of kiting" long before TwinTips, 4-liners and all this crazy stuff comes up
- Cory Roeselers Kiteski with AirChair ca. 1995.JPG (70.13 KiB) Viewed 3227 times
To try to answer your questions:
There are 3 ways I konw to come into a sitting positions on a foil and much more variations to sit or lay on the end.
1. As Jzh_perth wrotes:
For me best, safes and easiest way to start sitting on the foil when standstill. Big volume boards, short struts and well powered kites may help. High kitepower is not recommended when you are willing to start with one or more kiteloops, but maybe this just for experienced riders, as this can make the original very safe maneuver a bit more dangerous.
2. Go down put your on hand on the deck, then feet by feet over the lee rail as explained in a video from Horue:
https://www.horue.fr/kitefoiltutorials
Have started my self this way, preferable for strapless, step by step makes it nice controllable but takes time and less easy with straps which are a bit in the way.
3. As I do it most time:
ride into switch, go a bit down then do a micro hop out of the legs and leave parallel with both feets board surface, one per side. Little spin from kite pull in switch will turn you into straight forward rodeo position (most controlled position). If you're lucky your butt will land on the right position in center of gravity of foil. Foil will do just a little hop catching your weight again and you go on foiling. (For sure not the first tries). You can also grab front strap with one hand when going down (rodeo style) to get a bit more control especially muscular remember of body position. Long struts are helpful.
Out of this, in my eyes best position you can do practically everything:
- Go upwind, downwind relaxed for miles while overtaking other vehicles with up to 40 km/h
- Doing flying jibes, tacks, 360s, jumping ....
And it also has an safety issue: If you hopefully never hurt a foot and you already know sit foiling, just ride home in this position.
Relaxed sit foiling for everybody.
Just experiment as much as you can, sit foiling or the Caneri Man is all very safe to try, just the last one is not too easy, in general use pitch stable foils.