Common wakestyle tricks include: all freestyle tricks with less height, unhooked handlepass, raileys, grabs added to tricks, trick with cable park features rails, obstacles, kickers and ramps. Below is an example of wakestyle riding by the very talented Colleen Carroll. Whether with straps or strapless, wave style employs a kite for positioning on a wave similar to a jetski tow-in.
Once the kiter is on the wave, she can stop using the kite for power and have an authentic surf experience. Wave kites have drift that allows them to hang in the sky without tension on the lines. Wave riding champion, Moona Whyte, provides an amazing example of wave riding in the video below.
Foiling is a style that uses a hydrofoil attached to a directional board. The hydrofoil enables the board to come out of and hover above the water while riding. The feeling is like no other style of riding. Below is a video of 10 year old Kainani Drexler, who has become quite the YouTube star because of her foiling tips videos. There are other riding styles within the styles that we described above, and some of them can be combined like the big air freeride example.
There are many tip designs on the market but they all tend to sit under 2 categories; square and rounded:. A squarer tip tends to have a larger amount of pop and is found on most freestyle and wakestyle boards.
A squarer tip does not help push the water in a certain direction which means it does not carve as well. You may also find boards with very square tips can produce a lot of spray, however most manufacturers round off the corner of the tips to prevent this from happening. A rounded tip has less pop then a squarer tip however is much better for carving turns. This is why it is found on most freeride kiteboards. Width is a massive factor in kite boards; it may not be a defining feature for most people when choosing a board, however it should be something you are aware of.
Most average boards tend to be about 38cmcm in width. We are going to look at narrow and wide boards as understanding the outline and tip shape will aid you in being able to spot any style of board on the market at just a glance. Be aware when you add 1cm in width to the board it adds a lot more surface area than 1cm to the tips.
These are usually faster through the water, and lighter in weight. Narrow boards tend not to be good in lighter wind conditions and are usually found at extreme kite speed racing events, Race boards can be as small as 27cm. A wider kite board will give the board extra surface area allowing for faster water starts and better pop.
Most beginner boards tend to have a width of about 40cm, and the large light wind board can be in the 50cm mark. Flex describes how stiff the board is, there are 2 main ways in which a board flexes tip to tip Longitudinal flex , or between edges across the width of the board Torsional Flex. There is a way you can test the longitudinal flex of a board by holding the board straight and pushing in the centre, doing this you will be able to tell how flexible your board is.
Manufacturers tend to use, fibreglass, carbon, kevlar or different methods of shaping to make the board flex they way then want it to. Freestyle and advanced freeride kiteboards tend to have a medium flex pattern to them. This provides the best control-pop performance for most conditions. Most wakestyle boards tend to have quite minimal amounts of flex to them, this makes them fast and allows them to build up a large amount of pop, however a harder board tends not to deal with choppy water conditions too well.
Heres a breakdown of the different style of twin tip boards on the market and how their construction features effect their performance and characteristics:. A freeride board is designed to be extremely versatile in all conditions, though generally more suited to riding where you are powered up. Most freeride boards tend to have a rounder outline which allows for better surf and carving abilities.
The tips on a freeride board tend to be slightly curved off and not carry as much width in them, this allows the board to handle better in waves.
The flex will be soft to medium allowing the board to carve smoothly. A freestyle board is designed for the rider wanting to really push their tricks hooked and unhooked.
They tend to be slightly stiffer than a beginner or freeride board to allow for extra speed and quick explosive pop. Like the beginner board, the freestyle boards usually carry the width through the tips. They tend to feature a medium to high rocker and a straighter outline to allow the board to drive upwind through the water. A wakestyle board is designed for fast powered tricks and usually unhooked tricks. They tend to feature a stronger foot strap insert to allow the user to fit boots to the board.
Most wakestyle boards will have quite a large rocker which produces a better progressive pop out of the water. The board feels free under your feet and maximizes the freedom of movement and control in all terrain conditions, however this can affect the upwind and light wind ability of the board.
As well as this you will tend to find a double or even a quad concave bottom to allow the water to be channeled through the board and break surface tension when landing unhooked moves. Channels along the rails for extra grip means these boards can be ridden with or without fins. There are many boards on the market aimed at beginners. This does not mean the board will last you one season then you will have to sell, it means it will feature some basic design elements to achieve early planing great for board starts and better grip.
Most introductionary boards will look fairly similar to freestyle boards, wide tips and a straighter outline , to help carry the speed. They will usually have a soft to medium flex rating allowing the board to cope with the chop and the rider to focus on their stance and position; a single concave for easier upwind ability and edging control.
Remember, you can't use boots with the Textreme, but it is amazing for freestyle and big air. Duotone Team Series. If you want to be a competitive freestyle kiteboarder, this is the board you want to ride from Duotone's lineup.
Pure performance and nothing held back. This board is locked in, track-like and more effective than the Jaime. It's less playful and makes no sacrifice for performance. I've been using this board for the season and it's been my light wind secret weapon. I often size down on my kite to make up for the pure efficacy of this board. Cabrinha Xcaliber Carbon and Wood.
The Xcaliber is an iconic freestyle board. It's not as locked-in feeling as the other freestyle boards but it does deliver the performance any up-and-coming freestyle rider would demand.
If you want a more playful yet effective freestyle board, this is a great choice. Slingshot Asylum. The Asylum is a step closer to a wakestyle board than the other freestyle boards on this list. It's still quite fast and effective.
Slingshot has been building wakeboards long before kiteboarding even existed. That said, the quality and design is unmatched. Damp, powerful and balanced are the only words that come to mind when describing this board. If you want something that fits right between wakestyle and freestyle, the Asylum should be your choice board.
Naish Monarch. The Monarch is a firecracker. Like all the freestyle boards, it's fast and explosive yet many new riders gravitate towards it. A word of warning: do not pair this board with boots. It's not designed for the impact. This is a true footstrap freestyle board. Liquid Force Carbon Drive. The Carbon Drive is a solid choice. It's based off the classic Liquid Force Drive board often found in our packages.
The Classic Drive fits more into the freeride category. The Carbon version crosses over as the most economic carbon board on the market. So what is freeride? Freeride often gets ignored as it doesn't seem as cool as the other styles of kiteboarding.
Some think of it as cruising around mowing the lawn. Others think this is old-school hooked-in kiteboarding. The thing is, the actual definition is someone who implements all the styles.
It's practicing the sport without rules, regulations or parameters. It's all-around kiteboarding. In snowboarding, these are the guys who do backcountry. It makes sense that it doesn't have as much notoriety. Freeride kiteboarding encompasses everything. It's wakestyle, it's freestyle, it's fun, creative sent jumps. It can be hooked-in back rolls or front rolls with a grab. It can be jumping mangroves or riding in the waves.
Its all-around kiteboarding. Not because we don't like unhooked freestyle or unhooked wakestyle. It's because we like to practice everything kiteboarding has to offer. Kiteboarding has been around for a while, but our sport is still developing.
The culture is still evolving as the years go by. Right now, there are many camps within the sport promoting various disciplines, lifestyles, and practices. With all that said, these concepts are malleable. I speak to riders all the time who consider sent jumps to be freestyle.
Just like the sports that came before us, the identity of our sport is evolving and will change with time. Remember, all that matters is what kiteboarding means to you. Don't let anyone decide for you. After all, it's whatever you make of it. Most importantly, kiteboarding is fun!
These kites are easy to use. They have a giant wind range, and they are designed for all disciplines. These are made for all-around kiteboarding. That means if you want to ride wakestyle, freestyle, big air, or waves, these kites will work. You might sacrifice a little performance in certain categories. For example, none of these will drift as well as a wave kite. They don't offer slack like a freestyle kite.
All that said, they are perfect for wakestyle or big air. Unless you're a pro rider getting paid to compete in a very specific discipline, you won't outgrow the capabilities of these kites. Cabrinha Switchblade. The Slingshot Rally. Liquid Force NV V8. Duotone Evo. Naish Pivot. Freeride kiteboards tend to sit right in the middle. Honestly, most kiteboarders will never outgrow their capabilities.
Best of all, they are often less pricey than their performance counterparts. They often have mild rocker lines, mild flex, and as you would imagine, they sit right in the middle on everything. These are great boards to learn on and especially great if you don't want to focus on any one style of the sport. They jump well enough, they have soft landings, and they are playful yet controlled. That is to say, they will not feel locked in like a freestyle board and they will not be as loose as a wakestyle board.
Choose one of these if you just can't make up your mind. Cabrinha Spectrum. Slingshot Vision. Slingshot Misfit. Liquid Force Drive. Liquid Force Legacy. As always, Versus is an open forum. I'd love to hear your definition. Leave a comment on our YouTube video and let us know how you define these disciplines of our sport.
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