Contact   Imprint   Advertising   Guidelines

Tacking Variations - Ideas

A forum dedicated to Hydrofoil riders
User avatar
robclaisse
Frequent Poster
Posts: 306
Joined: Fri Sep 20, 2002 1:00 am
Local Beach: Currently living in Blouberg, Cape Town, ZA
Favorite Beaches: Shoreham-by-sea, UK
Waddell Creek - Santa Cruz, USA
Tableview, Cape Town, SA
Style: Waves / Foiling
Gear: F-one Breeze 15m, Bandits 11,8,6
Pocket 13cm with a Mirage 800, 85cm mast
Mitu 5'8"
Trax Carbon 137
Brand Affiliation: Progression Sports (Formally Fat Sand)
Location: Shoreham-by-Sea, UK. Owner of Progression Sports
Has thanked: 4 times
Been thanked: 97 times
Contact:

Tacking Variations - Ideas

Postby robclaisse » Sat Jan 25, 2020 4:55 pm

I'm pretty consistent across all my four main tacks - push, roll, heel to toe, and toe to heel so yesterday I tried a variation of the push tack - started sitting side-saddle, then popped onto my feet halfway through the tack (video at the end of this post). It was the first time I'd tried it but after a few attempts it started to come and it got me thinking of other tacking variations that I should try. Today I tried the push tack, going in standing and then dropping to seated as I exited - got close but still working on keeping my speed up to stay foiling as I drop down. Anyway, I wondered if anyone else is trying variations of different tacks and what ones they are liking. I've listed a few ideas I've seen in videos - many of these come from watching Fred Hope videos and seeing him ride in Mexico - ridiculous what he can do!

  • Start sitting, stand mid tack
  • Start standing, sit down as you exit the tack
  • Extra body 360 spin (pirouette) (frontside or backside rotation)
  • Back leg kick as you come out of the turn
  • Roll tack, jump off as you complete the body rotation, grab rail and then loop kite to pull you back on (seen Fred do this, no idea how it's really possible!)
  • Toe to heel tack - let go of the bar as you start carving and carve round with both arms by your side
* I haven't said explicitly if these should be a push or roll tack, assuming both are possible, though for me my push tack is stronger so I'd start with that.

His is my seated push tack to standing from yesterday:

These users thanked the author robclaisse for the post (total 5):
Peter_Frank (Sat Jan 25, 2020 6:14 pm) • Janus (Sat Jan 25, 2020 6:46 pm) • Oldman (Sat Feb 01, 2020 1:49 am) • alowishus (Tue Feb 04, 2020 2:09 pm) • jakemoore (Tue Feb 04, 2020 3:02 pm)
Rating: 15.15%

zloilyoha
Frequent Poster
Posts: 453
Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2009 10:26 am
Local Beach: Skadovsk
Favorite Beaches: Karzhyny Skadovsk, Cape Town SA
Style: free
Gear: slingshot, ozone, core
Location: Ukraine, Skadovsk
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 10 times
Contact:

Re: Tacking Variations - Ideas

Postby zloilyoha » Sat Jan 25, 2020 5:35 pm

cool!

Flag53
Frequent Poster
Posts: 290
Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2016 5:19 pm
Local Beach: Rhosneigr
Favorite Beaches: Rhosneigr

Cayo guiermo
Style: Mixed
Gear: Mixed
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 6 times

Re: Tacking Variations - Ideas

Postby Flag53 » Sat Jan 25, 2020 6:21 pm

Awesome, well done 🤙

User avatar
DukeSilver
Medium Poster
Posts: 158
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2017 12:43 pm
Kiting since: 2008
Weight: 82
Local Beach: Melville Beach Western Australia
Favorite Beaches: Graveyards
Style: Hydrofoil, Strapless Surfboard
Gear: Ozone Reo, Ozone Hyperlink, Moses 683s, home built pocket foil board, Cabrinha Skillit
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 24 times
Been thanked: 23 times

Re: Tacking Variations - Ideas

Postby DukeSilver » Mon Jan 27, 2020 1:22 am

Wow that is an impressive move. The only tack I've mastered is the heel to toe tack / 360. I spent yesterday trying to learn the toe to heel tack and so far it has me stumped. So awkward trying to get around the lines. I'll have to go back to the thread on doing them an re-read it. Anyway, keep up pushing the boundaries. Always good to be inspired.

Sheep
Medium Poster
Posts: 156
Joined: Fri Nov 10, 2006 8:45 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: New Zealand
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Tacking Variations - Ideas

Postby Sheep » Fri Jan 31, 2020 10:18 pm

Love it!! Will be trying this out later today. Tacking isn't the easiest trick to learn but like with anything.. practice practice practice

oregonkiter
Frequent Poster
Posts: 256
Joined: Mon Sep 11, 2017 2:26 pm
Style: foil
Gear: Foil stuff
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 4 times
Been thanked: 53 times

Re: Tacking Variations - Ideas

Postby oregonkiter » Fri Jan 31, 2020 10:55 pm

Impressive move. Super smooth.

Any tips on strapless foot switch tacks besides 10,000 attempts, which I have NO PROBLEM committing to? I have my heel to toe and toe to heel tacks down. Now, I want to switch my feet mid-tack. I only ride strapless and use LEI kites. I have gotten around with a switch coming off foil. Any "Ah HAH!" tips to share out there to reduce my practice attempts from 10,000 to 9,000?

Thanks....

User avatar
robclaisse
Frequent Poster
Posts: 306
Joined: Fri Sep 20, 2002 1:00 am
Local Beach: Currently living in Blouberg, Cape Town, ZA
Favorite Beaches: Shoreham-by-sea, UK
Waddell Creek - Santa Cruz, USA
Tableview, Cape Town, SA
Style: Waves / Foiling
Gear: F-one Breeze 15m, Bandits 11,8,6
Pocket 13cm with a Mirage 800, 85cm mast
Mitu 5'8"
Trax Carbon 137
Brand Affiliation: Progression Sports (Formally Fat Sand)
Location: Shoreham-by-Sea, UK. Owner of Progression Sports
Has thanked: 4 times
Been thanked: 97 times
Contact:

Re: Tacking Variations - Ideas

Postby robclaisse » Tue Feb 04, 2020 11:54 am

oregonkiter wrote:
Fri Jan 31, 2020 10:55 pm
Any tips on strapless foot switch tacks besides 10,000 attempts, which I have NO PROBLEM committing to? I have my heel to toe and toe to heel tacks down. Now, I want to switch my feet mid-tack. I only ride strapless and use LEI kites. I have gotten around with a switch coming off foil. Any "Ah HAH!" tips to share out there to reduce my practice attempts from 10,000 to 9,000?
If you have the heel to toe and toe to heels then adding the foot change shouldn't be too big a step, the kite movement is essentially the same for the all the tacks and the bodyweight distribution - ensuring the weight comes forward midway through the tack so you can drive off the front leg to complete the turn.

So the first question is which tack you are going to focus on - the Roll (or Duck, racing tack, rotating so you are always looking into the wind) or the Push tack (turning your back on the wind). Strapless you can work on either (if you had straps then the push tack doesn't really work). If you can already tack a surfboard then go with the one you can do most comfortably on that. For me, that was the push tack but many with no preference go with the roll, though I personally think this is the harder version as you rotation under the lines and its easier to lose line tension. Anyway here's a couple of tips for each:

For both:
- Think of it like a standard foot change when riding along (commonly done before or after a gybe) - it is two definite steps - step forward, step back. It is not a jump, not a synchronised switch of the feet at the same time - your weight comes forward, then one leg goes back but your weight stays forward.
- As with the standard foot change have the board rising up as you step forward, so the board is pushing up into your feet, more than your weight pushing the board down

Push tack
- The big turning point for me was flattening the board as I step forward and rotate. So you'll be carving upwind, the board will be canted over, as you sheet in and go to rotation your body, push off with your back foot to get your weight forward and as you do so flatten your foot by pushing down with your toes, this will flat the board. Now that the board is flat it will glide in a straight line upwind, you can keep weight on you front feet as your body rotates and it will be easier to get you back foot into position and regain control.
- Because you are rotation forward round the outside of the lines you are creating tension in the lines, so you sit down / lean out more against kite as long as you have got your weight forward over the front of the board and you have flattened it

Roll Tack
- You need more power for the roll tack because you a rotating under the lines, so effective removing a very small amount of tension. So I generally enter a roll tack with more speed and the kite low in the wind window, this way when I drive the kite up to the top of the wind I can generate more lift that will last for longer. It also allows me to really get the kite to loft overhead and keep it driving forward overhead during the middle part of the turn when the board has flattened and is gliding upwind.
- Sheeting out completely as you carve and just before you go into the foot change is essential, helping to get the kite to loft overhead and allow your weight to come forward. Then sheeting into giving you lift and line tension to balance against as you rotate your body and change your feet.
- This tack's foot change really is so similar to a straight foot change, think of it like that and it can really help.
- And look where you want to go, don't stare at your feet, at the nose of the board, look into the turn, this will get your shoulders round and it helps to keep weight forward over your front foot as you come out.

Maybe that was a little more than just an "Ah HAH!" tip but tacking is a complex move with many parts to synchronise - hopefully one of these may make all the difference. I will try and pull out a good video clip of a roll and push tack, later today, which may make some of this easier to understand. Let me know if any of it helps.
These users thanked the author robclaisse for the post (total 2):
alowishus (Tue Feb 04, 2020 2:14 pm) • jakemoore (Tue Feb 04, 2020 3:02 pm)
Rating: 6.06%

alowishus
Medium Poster
Posts: 148
Joined: Sun Apr 21, 2019 3:38 pm
Gear: ozone airush slingshot moses
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 36 times
Been thanked: 15 times

Re: Tacking Variations - Ideas

Postby alowishus » Tue Feb 04, 2020 2:14 pm

Frickin heck Rob that’s awesome!
.... so much to learn ....!!!!

Great tips.

I’m kind of working on the heel to toe roll tack ATM. But going back to falling off constantly is tough.

Cheers for the inspiration.

Jyoder
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 574
Joined: Thu Jul 20, 2017 8:31 pm
Kiting since: 2015
Local Beach: Chesapeake Bay (Annapolis area)
Gear: Zeeko bullet Foil and DIY board
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Annapolis, Maryland
Has thanked: 18 times
Been thanked: 168 times

Re: Tacking Variations - Ideas

Postby Jyoder » Tue Feb 04, 2020 5:21 pm

Here’s a trick to try: during a roll tack foot switch, jump/boost both feet off the board at once as you spin your hips/body and then land on it again and ride away. Did it accidentally when overpowered with foil kite and now have fun trying to see how much “air” and hangtime I can get and still land back on the board. Can’t do it without touchdown yet.


Return to “Hydrofoil”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Baidu [Spider] and 154 guests