Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Here's some photos from another great weekend in Rufus. Likely my last one for the summer, but it was all time! We got in on Friday in time for a 10m sunset/full moon session. I rode all day on Saturday on the 5.5m Kahoona, then sunday provided even more wind in the nuketastic category

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Strapless Kitesurfing 102: The Strapless Air!

This episode of Sick Nick's Strapless Kitesurf Series explains the basics of jumping without straps.

The first type of jump to learn is the basic ollie. Keep your kite around 45 degrees throughout the maneuver, and make your foot stance a little wider than usual.

1) Look for a nice piece of chop to use as a launch ramp

2) As you hit the chop with speed, push down hard with your back foot and lift up with your front foot (similar to an ollie on a skateboard).

3) Now that you're airborne turn the board so that the bottom of the board is pointing into the wind. Also try to make the board as vertical as possible (nose up). This will make the wind hold the board to your feet

4) As you start to lose altitude, point your board downwind and spot the landing. Don't fret if the board starts falling from your feet--you can still pull it off if you concentrate on landing back on your board once it hits the water.

During your first attempts it will be a struggle just to get the fins out of the water.

Once you are proficient at the basic ollie, you can change things up by throwing in a grab midair or sending the kite slightly for more air. You need a lot of wind to be able to send the kite back so that the board stays glued to your feet.

For grabs, first try grabbing with your front hand, then once you get those down try some with your backhand.

Remember to do everything the same during a grabbed jump as a regular jump...you still need to position the board into the wind to keep it nearby (hopefully on your feet).

Strapless Kitesurfing 102: Strapless Air from Nick Ward on Vimeo.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Another good weekend at the Gorge

Hey folks, this weekend proved to be yet another fun filled weekend at Rufus. While Bridge of the Gods was going on at Stevenson, myself and many others found some good wind at Rufus.

Conditions were 25-35 kts throughout the weekend. I tried out some Best Kahoonas for the first time and loved the kites...so stable and predictable even in gusty winds! I got to try both the 5.5m and 7.5m thanks to Motion Boardshop, Seattle. The 5.5m is going to be an awesome nuker kite.

Here are some photos from the weekend. I'll try to get some video up as soon as possible. Click the photo to view full size!


Thursday, August 5, 2010

Rufus Rocks Session 7/30/2010

This video is of a strapless kitesurf session at Rufus, Oregon. Conditions were consistent 20-23 kts and knee to (occasionally) waist high wind swell. Unfortunately, camera issues prevented me from getting any footage of the next day with bigger wind and bigger swell...oh well. Enjoy!

Big thanks to Motion Boardshop, Seattle for the nice demo gear!

Strapless Kitesurfing: Rufus Rocks session 7/30/2010 from Nick Ward on Vimeo.

Strapless Kitesurfing: Wipeout reel

Strapless kitesurfing isn't all about just mowing the lawn!!

This episode of Sick Nick's Strapless Kitesurfing Series showcases the wipeouts associated with learning new tricks.

The move being attempted is a strapless kiteloop, which yields hilarious results.

Strapless Kitesurfing: Wipeout Reel from Nick Ward on Vimeo.

Strapless Kitesurfing 103: The Duck Tack

In this episode of Sick Nick's Strapless Kitesurf series we will cover the Duck Tack transition.

For best results, you should already be able to perform the basic gybe transitions described in Strapless Kitesurfing 101 before learning this maneuver.

The Duck Tack is a useful move for changing direction without losing downwind ground. This move can prove extremely handy when trying to get out past breaking waves.

102: The Ollie is still a work in progress (need more footage), so stay tuned in coming weeks.

Strapless Kitesurfing 103: The Duck Tack from Nick Ward on Vimeo.

Strapless Kitesurfing 101: The Basics

This video shows the basics of strapless riding. In this video you will learn how to perform a basic waterstart, a more advanced beach start, and 2 basic gybe transitions.

Strapless Kitesurfing 101: The Basics from Nick Ward on Vimeo.

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog. This page will be dedicated to the art of strapless kitesurfing. I've enjoyed surfing since a young age and once I discovered the joy of riding my same old surfboards behind a kite I didn't want to do anything else. The ultimate combination for me is riding in the waves on a surfboard being pulled by a kite.

What instantly drew me to this type of riding is (1) the option of traveling to the coast and surfing when the conditions are glassy and kitesurfing when the wind comes up and the waves get blown out (2) the ability to catch 50x more waves in one session than when paddling in and (3) the potential for new and exciting wave riding maneuvers introduced by the presence of a humongous kite.

Living in Seattle, I don't get to the coast as much as I'd like to, but there is plenty of flat water kiting to be had. In the last year I've completely retired my twintip and solely ride surfboards regardless of conditions. The way I see it, by practicing footwork and aerial maneuvers in flatwater, I'll be able to fully take advantage of the waves when I finally make it out to the coast for a weekend trip.

This blog will contain trip updates from all of my weekend excursions, pictures, and videos (including instructional videos). Stay tuned, and thanks for reading!!!!