Hi All

Can I please get some advice on how to complete a backroll transition? I want to get it nailed this summer!

I can backroll normally no problems but when i try to bring the kite around to transition i get launched horizontally downwind at high speed .

Any suggestion?

Cheers

Do you actually loop the kite or send it back the other way normally?

Kahuna said..
Do you actually loop the kite or send it back the other way normally?

Carve upwind hard, let the kite go up to 12, pop off the water and aim for half a spin, the send the kite into the new direction and it'll pull you around into the new direction... If you' we done it right, even a complete dive of the kite won't pull you off balance. The key is letting the kite go over the top of the window.

Progression you tube
James boulding breaks this trick down
The progression series is available on dvd

After much practice I perfected the lazy mans backroll transition. I slow down coming into the backroll so I don't shoot under my kite while in the air. Starting with the kite quite high around 11 I slowly send the kite past 12, when it's around 12 I pull on the bar and do a pretty lame slow backroll (ie I just spin around without any sort of inversion or quick maneuver). By the time I come out of the backroll and hit the water the kite's generally at around 1. I initiate the loop point down wind and hang on. I can only get away without the loop on a really strong day.

When I was learning I was quite aggressive going into the backroll and initiated the loop while in rotation which feels awesome and is probably closer to looking styish, but I was landing way too hot and was just getting pummeled.

Interestingly I can only backroll on my natural side, and I can only backroll transition starting on my goofy side landing natural, so I'd suggest starting the backroll transition on your least preferred side.

kitcho207 said..
Your slow back roll transition will look good if you handplant
Use the new back hand so the new front hand brings the kite down into the power zone.

Hey thanks for that! I gave it a go on friday and managed to get it pretty well under control. Feels a lot better and having my back hand off the bar made me loop a bit earlier and come out with just the right amount of speed most of the time.