Toeside.

If you want to go downwind on a TT, boost 5 times each tack on a nice fast broad reach. TT's arent really designed to ride directly downwind. Problem solved and much more fun.

Yep,for me at least I find it easy to just ride toeside. But in saying that I don't do a lot of down winders but I find when I do it seems the way to go( for me).

I find falling off, losing my board and inverting my kite works well for me

When going down wind 'at high speed' and skipping across chop and swell - just keep signing the kite on the high side of the clock or youll nose dive eventually.. this will give you some upwards tension to skip the board and to avoid slamming full speed into the back of swell...

That means you have to steer it back up 'BEFORE' you normaly would, as you are relying on apparent kite speed for that bottom stroke, remember when chasing the kite almost directly downwind at full speed - its easy to overun the kite going down swell when your on that bottom stroke.

A bit of timing practise - and ride tail heavy, youll get it wired

allano said...
I find falling off, losing my board and inverting my kite works well for me

Good one

loop it!

We just work on our tricks
Big boosts. Kite loops. Backrolls. Huge carving turns. Popping to toe side. Farting around in the surf. Speed runs. Whatever is fun really and you'll loose meters while having loads of fun
The goal is not really to just run down the coast but enjoy your session without worrying about the upwind effort.

All good advice guys
How about board position though?
That was probably my biggest failing.

While I was sining the kite I'd edge when it was on the way down and ease off the edge when it was on the way up, but I didn't seem to be getting the controlled speed I wanted, as in fast, ( or thought I should be).

I also tried riding the board flatter and had fun trying to slash it around like a surfboard.

But if you want to do a good speed run, is it just ride it flat and loop?

I did the Redkite Downwinder on a TT, it was heaps of fun! First time I'd travelled downwind. In contrast, I found it fairly easy and relaxing. In fact I think that aspect is critical, when I relaxed and didn't think too much, it just seemed to happen.

I experimented a bit but what seemed to work was putting a lot more weight on the front foot, but not perfectly flat, and attempting to ride a very different direction to normal kiting, while really feeling the kite and iit being just powered up.

Kept the kite largely in the power zone, letting it sit low and attempted to sometimes keep it parked. So it was low where the wind was up, but when it slackened off I would take it higher and do very, very slow signing, just enough to keep the kite moving. When signing, on the down stroke I found I would bring the bar in, and feel like I was pulling the kite, and on the upstroke I let the bar out a bit, and it felt like the kite was pulling me. Then with the kite either parked deep in the power zone, or moving slowly in this fashion, my favourite bit was I found it was possible to control the tension in the lines just by changing the board direction one moment to the next, which really amounted to very minor change in degree of edging. So the kite was just a smidgen above slack lines. It did stall twice, momentarily, but it was in the power zone, so quickly changing my degree of edge meant it would re-start easily. That was my experience anyway.

For context, I weigh 81kg, have a 137cm TT, and was using a 12m Switchblade.

Lots of tricks. Or just ride as fast as you can!
Pinza to mullaz can be done in about 5 min! I use to race my girlfriend driving her car.
Go for a decent downwinder, 30km minimum and you'll figure it out.

Just think - skier behind a boat.
And Yep - for once the nausea inducing post "loop it" fits perfectly.

if you go too down wind just cut back to get line tension then start looping again.

big kites are more difficult. little kites on windy ways are easy.