Kitekahunas - Learn Wave Kitesurfing: Lesson 8

Focus on frontside top-turn (more important details)

This lesson of the wave course is for advanced riders and masters. With these tutorial wave kitesurfing videos ...

... You will learn much faster and then enjoy wave kitesurfing much sooner.

... You will not learn the wrong movements, which are later very difficult to correct and un-learn.

... Importantly, with the right posture you will look much more stylish on the water.

... People will admire you.

KITEKAHUNAS - Learn Wave Kitesurfing. A video course from Kitekahunas on Vimeo.

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What you will learn in this lesson

- The details of the front-side top-turn.

- The movements of your kite, board, hands, head, shoulders, hips, trailing arm and the co-ordination of all these movements in detail.

Lessons 5 and 6 have explained you the basics of the front-side top-turn and the front-side bottom-turn in the waves. In Lesson 7 we took a focused look at the bottom turn, in order to make the turn more dynamic and stylish. In Lesson 8 we now go into much further detail of the top-turn and explain you the movements of your kite, board, hands, head, shoulders, hips, trailing arm and the co-ordination of all these. Once you master the top-turn, you will be able to throw massive spray from the top of the wave, an create a spectacular show for spectators on the beach.

Wave Kitesurfing. Perhaps the most thrilling activity in the world. Possibly the most joyful sport on the planet. What makes it so special? A wave kitesurfer is able to play in perfect harmony with the raw forces of nature, both wind and waves.

CONTENT OF THIS LESSON

Previously in Lessons 5, 6 & 7

2) You have learned in Lessons 5 and 6 the frontside top-turn, performed stand-alone or after a bottom-turn. In Lesson 7 we have discussed the bottom-turn in more detail. Lesson 8 now takes a focused look at the top-turn itself.

3) When you perform the top-turn frontside, as opposed to backside, you can push the tail of your board and your fins with the heel of your back foot.

4) Therefore, you can exert much more force on to the tail of your board than with your toes. Consequently, you will throw more spray off the lip of the wave.

10) Your hand at the bar

11) As explained in Lesson 7, when you approach the wave after your bottom-turn, you usually control your kite with only one hand at the bar. Before you reach the wave, you again give your kite the steering input with one determined strong pull, to fly your kite into the other side of the wind window.

12) Learn when to do this pull, to get your timing right. If you pull too early, your kite will pull you away from the wave, before you reach its pocket. If you pull too late, your kite may pull you over the wave, preventing your top-turn.

13) Afterwards you push out the bar, so you can fully concentrate on the top-turn without your kite interfering or pulling you. Only later, when you are ready to ride off the wave after your top-turn, you will pull the bar again.

20) Movement of your kite

21) You can fly your kite low into the other side of the wind window, away from the wave.

30) Your trailing hand

31) Your free back hand or arm is also called the “trailing arm” or “trailing hand”.

32) Stretch out your trailing arm before the top-turn, pointing towards the wave. Throw your trailing hand backwards, strongly in one go, while keeping your arm straightened.

33) The movement of sending your trailing hand backwards should be as strong as you can, against the rotational direction of your top turn. With this you create additional torque, spin and rotational forces on to your body and your board during the top-turn.

34) This rider does not use his trailing hand to its full potential. The rider does not throw his hand backwards to support the rotation during his top-turn.

35) Here is another example.

36) This rider has the trailing hand right. The rider throws the straightened trailing arm backwards, against the rotation to support the top-turn.

37) This is another good example.

38) You will see when you are on the water that the right usage of your trailing hand will make a huge difference to a powered frontside top-turn.

40) Your head and your front shoulder

41) During the top-turn, you should lead the turn with your head and your shoulders. This means that you turn your head sharply into the direction of your top-turn, and you throw your front shoulder at the same time into this direction.

42) [Although this rider does not show it … throwing your trailing hand backwards can help support this movement]

43) Throwing your trailing hand backwards can help support this movement.

44) The sharp turn of your head and your front shoulder into the direction of the top-turn, as well as the counter-movement of your trailing hand will support the pressure of your hips and legs onto the board – so you can turn your board as sharply and as fast as possible into the new direction. All of this should happen in the pocket of the wave.

50) Your legs and your board

51) When you reach the pocket of the wave, firmly push the tail of your board with your back leg. Straighten your back leg as much as you can.
Bend your front leg to support the full turn of your board.

52) When turning on a wave with speed you are re-directing your movement within a fraction of a second, creating significant G-forces on to your body, which are absorbed by your legs, and mostly by your back leg. You may notice this particularly during your first top-turns.

53) You will have to withstand this force with your legs, pushing hard. The spray you can throw during this maneuver with the tail of your board and with your fins reflect the strong forces during the top turn.

54) Try to stay relaxed during the maneuver, despite the high forces your body has to absorb. You will soon realize that the key to a well-performed top turn is that your body stays loose. Your top turns will get tighter and the spray you throw will get higher.

55) If you do not have a lot of speed going towards the wave, for instance in light wind conditions, put even more emphasis on the movements of your body during the top-turn, because the lack of speed and momentum of your body will not support you as much.

56) In this case, throw your trailing hand backwards even harder, and push even harder with your back leg while straightening it, and bending your front leg. Turn your board as much as you can. Your top-turn will still look spectacular, despite the lack of power.

60) Slide out the tail of your board

61) The movements of your frontside top-turn can be exaggerated by “over-turning” your board, sliding the tail of your board in an accentuated manner with your back foot. Your board can then turn 180 degrees or even more.

62) It is easier to do this with less speed. Try to fully straighten your back leg and bend your front leg. With this you will come almost to a full halt and then slide at the end of your top-turn.

63) Aim to approach the wave vertically

64) For further progression aim your board vertical to the wave. This can help give you an even more explosive and a more complete turn.

65) After you have completed your top-turn, pull the bar to ride off the wave. Depending on how long your wave is rolling, you can possibly enter into another bottom-turn in front of the wave and then add another top-turn.

70) SUMMARY

71) Steer the kite with one strong pull into the other side of the wind window and then push out the bar.

72) Before the top-turn point your back arm towards the wave. Then support your turn by throwing your trailing hand backwards, against the rotation of the turn.

73) When you reach the pocket of the wave, throw your head and shoulders into the direction of the turn, firmly push the tail of your board with your back leg. Straighten your back leg as much as possible. You can even bend your front leg.

74) You can accentuate these movements to slide out the tail of your board, or in lighter winds with less power to create a spectacular frontside top-turn with explosive spray.

Watch the other wave kitesurfing Video Lessons

Lesson 2: How to start wave kitesurfing - turns with the right timing FREE
Lesson 3: Your furst turns with distancing and usage of the entire wind window FREE
Lesson 4: Surfing a wave - backside riding and turns on a wave
Lesson 5: Frontside top-turn
Lesson 6: Frontside top-turn after bottom-turn
Lesson 7: Focus on frontside bottom-turn FREE
Lesson 8: Focus on frontside top-turn FREE
Lesson 9: Backside top-turn after bottom-turn
Lesson 10: How to gybe - basic gybe/jibe FREE
Lesson 11: How to gybe - advanced gybe/jibe

If you purchase our wave kitesurfing tutorial videos you can download all of them (Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10 and 11). Download these videos onto your harddrive or smartphone and view them conveniently during your holidays or on the beach, without the need for an internet connection.

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