Yo. So I'm new to kiting (but not to wakeboarding/snowboarding) and want to get some terminology clear.

I notice that people refer to riding toeside (a.k.a. frontside) as switch. In other board sports switch or fakie means with your opposite to preferred leg forward, could be heelside or toeside. So in kiting where there is not really a preferred foot forward, what do you call the two heelside directions - just port & starboard? And then riding toeside in that direction would be switch port tack or switch starboard tack???

Toeside - riding with your toe side edge towards the water (exactly the same as other board sports). So your kite is pulling towards your back.

Switch - riding opposite to your natural side. So if I ride a surfboard with my left foot forward, when I'm riding my twin tip kite board left foot forward, I'm riding switch (same as other board sports)

Blind - same as wakeboarding, when you have the bar behind your back.

Anyone else who says differently has their terminology wrong.

sunseeker,

Don't you mean that when you're riding your kiteboard right foot forward you are riding switch? No wonder the poor chap is confused.

So rescueme, riding toeside to port is riding toeside to port. Everyone has their own switch foot, opposite to their own natural foot, as in other boardsports. Since I'm natural foot natural foot - left foot forward, if I went to toeside on my port tack I would be riding switch, but only on that side. Kapiche?

Hope this helps. Blind might be more clearly defined as riding toeside with the bar/lines going around the trailing side of your body, as 'bar behind your back' could possibly apply to toeside as well.

Yep, Kapiche. Thanks for clearing that up Pat.

Here's some kite jargon-
"Whilst setting up my moderate aspect ratio four line LEI kite, I once attached my lines to the wrong pig tails. I did a self launch followed by several involuntary kiteloops through the power zone when I should have piloted the kite up to neutral along the edge of the wind window. I couldn't unhook because I was not using a QR chicken loop and I had hooked into the donkey dick. When the kite finally hit the ground I was surpised the the leading edge bladder did not pop.

(true story)

OK if you can understand that then this page is a waste of your time."

http://www.learntokitesurf.com/Jargon2.htm

kitesurfingschool.org/glossary.htm

a few tricks explained too,
kitesurfingschool.org/tricks.htm

Thanks Greenpat for pointing out my typeo...

it should read

Switch - riding opposite to your natural side. So if I ride a surfboard with my left foot forward, when I'm riding my twin tip kite board right foot forward, I'm riding switch (same as other board sports)