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Finally tacking beyond stoked!

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lovethepirk
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Finally tacking beyond stoked!

Postby lovethepirk » Mon Mar 01, 2021 2:44 am

I'm coming up on 3 yrs foiling and in the last month I am finally nailing my tacks on a race foil with inflatable kite. I wish I could have a conversation with myself 3 yrs ago, as it all seems so simple now. I'm scared to say I am more addicted to the potential of a foil sesh now then I was when I first was learning. Not having to re-waterstart, specially in sub 11mph winds, puts a damn huge smile on my face after doing so for years. My 15m is also starting to gather dust as I am building the confidence continuing my energy thru my tacks with the smaller kite. I think it took me this long b/c I like to boost alot and I just like relaxed freeride sessions without monitoring my progression. Foiling is so fun to me, sometimes my progression took a rightful back seat. I have been sprinkling in some high speed air jibe attemps, with some epic crashes. That is my next goal. Thought I'd, just throw out some stoke tonight....what yall working on? need any tips on the tack?

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Re: Finally tacking beyond stoked!

Postby jumptheshark » Mon Mar 01, 2021 2:55 am

Nice! We’ve actually had a decent snow season but I miss foiling.

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Re: Finally tacking beyond stoked!

Postby jakemoore » Mon Mar 01, 2021 4:08 am

Nice!

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tkaraszewski
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Re: Finally tacking beyond stoked!

Postby tkaraszewski » Mon Mar 01, 2021 3:17 pm

These took forever and I still don't nail them all the time. It gets tiring practicing them day after day after day, though.


I'm trying to learn tacks to toeside on the wingfoil now. It's pretty similar, but the hand work is way different. I can only do it in one direction so far.

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Re: Finally tacking beyond stoked!

Postby Jyoder » Mon Mar 01, 2021 4:13 pm

Yes!!

Tacking on a fast foil with foil kite in light wind feels so damned good! The smooth parabolic curve upwind, the weightless transition and landing the foot switch, watching water fly by under the board, and leaning back in harness with kite surging forward, it’s magic!

Yes, you can foil in low wind with a huge surf foil and a slow fluttery Peak 13m or similar on long lines, but it just sucks in comparison to smoothly jetting along over flat water on short lines with a beautiful high AR machine.
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Re: Finally tacking beyond stoked!

Postby airsail » Mon Mar 01, 2021 8:06 pm

Jyoder wrote:
Mon Mar 01, 2021 4:13 pm
Yes!!

Tacking on a fast foil with foil kite in light wind feels so damned good! The smooth parabolic curve upwind, the weightless transition and landing the foot switch, watching water fly by under the board, and leaning back in harness with kite surging forward, it’s magic!

Yes, you can foil in low wind with a huge surf foil and a slow fluttery Peak 13m or similar on long lines, but it just sucks in comparison to smoothly jetting along over flat water on short lines with a beautiful high AR machine.
Got to agree, there is a lot of talk about using bigger Peaks in light wind to get going, but what happens after you get going, boredom. The feeling of accelerating to 20+ knots in under 10 knots of wind, cranking upwind, the power coming from the kite is brilliant. Just starting to get my tacks, even keeping the board dry occasionally but when you get the timing right it’s a great feeling.

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Re: Finally tacking beyond stoked!

Postby bragnouff » Tue Mar 02, 2021 12:11 am

Jyoder wrote:
Mon Mar 01, 2021 4:13 pm
Yes, you can foil in low wind with a huge surf foil and a slow fluttery Peak 13m or similar on long lines, but it just sucks in comparison to smoothly jetting along over flat water on short lines with a beautiful high AR machine.
To be honest, the main appeal of a surf foil and a Peak is precisely about surf. On flat water, this would lose most of that appeal and quickly venture into the realm of boredom. But the concept of surf kite foiling essentially vanishes in light wind, and the only source of fun in those conditions would be to go fast and straight on dedicated gear. Hence why the consensus about the Peaks on foils is on the smaller sizes.

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Re: Finally tacking beyond stoked!

Postby jumptheshark » Tue Mar 02, 2021 1:10 am

I thought both “flat water” and “fast and straight” were euphemisms for boredom!?

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Re: Finally tacking beyond stoked!

Postby Jyoder » Tue Mar 02, 2021 2:05 am

Fast and straight..... boring
No no no. Going fast doesn’t need to be straight and boring. I don’t ride long straight tacks unless I’m going site seeing or racing a friend.

The extreme upwind and downwind angles offer a lot of options, plus throwing a transition every 10-20 seconds, finding two or three buoys within 200m of each other and doing a mini course race. Do it standing, do it rodeo, work on stuff, try a lazy Susan and crash, laughing. fast fast fast.

Then slow down, put kite at 11 o’clock and relax, breathe, hop to toeside, carve a sin wave back and forth downwind through the chop moguls, with kite tensioning and luffing slightly, not too much, breathing with you... heck even a race foil can ride that little moment of chop wave here and there like a skate park.... then reach up, grab the bar, downloop gybe, throw back into the harness, wicked grin, and start again.
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Re: Finally tacking beyond stoked!

Postby jumptheshark » Tue Mar 02, 2021 2:12 am

You had me at skate park, then I realized I already have the better tools for that.

Glad your groovin on yours, but I wouldn’t trade for all the tea in China.


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