VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

Windsurfing you don't get to pick whether you ride the wave goofy or regular foot on the wave - the wind decides for you (ie. you can't ride backside down the line or frontside upwind). This normally means I'm riding regular on the wave just about anywhere in the pacific which sucks because I'm a natural goofy footer. So with kiting I've got options but I can't determine what is preferred. In wind/wave directions opposite to preferred stance do you conform to the wind the same way as windsurfing switching your stance to ride frontside down the line, or instead ride backside on your natural foot like you would surfing?

I hope that made sense. Kook out.

Lots of debate on that question on kiteforum.com

Most surfers turned kiters maintain dominant foot position, riding frontside or backside for lefts or rights. Riding backside is a little more awkward because of the harness pulling away from the kite.

But some kiters practice being ambi-footrous....equally strong either foot forward, so can ride frontside both ways. I'd guess that a fair number of windsurfer converts go this way, as you have probably been forced to get comfortable batting both ways. <ahem>

Makes a difference for strapless airs too....backside is not that hard, as the wind sticks the board to your feet. Frontside you need to grab ... or so I've read.

I believe something like this... but I might be wrong...
and this...

and then there are the freshwater swells of the Columbia. The kiters riding a single swell face downwind looks magical, alternate riding on both sides, like snowboarding. i myself am tempted.

nanmoo wrote:Windsurfing you don't get to pick whether you ride the wave goofy or regular foot on the wave

It's only a mater of time before someone does a switch taka or goiter going down the line, common, step up your game moo!!

Depends on your riding history. If you've been snowboarding and surfing for your whole life then you will have a very dominant stance. If you have a clean board riding slate then you might just be able to teach yourself to be an ambiturner (zoolander). More useful for freestyle than surfing though.

Unfortunately my knees, ankles and hips have been beaten into a permanent regular stance. So it's frontside (toeside) on surfer's rights and backside (heelside) on surfer's lefts for me. And on any critical wave that's the only way I would want it to be, since your dominant backside is just as fun when riding waves (once you get uses to it).

So for SE at CB and NW at SC you will be backside. Which means your bottom turns won't be as powerful, but there's 3 big upsides to being goofy on rights.

1. Your turns off the lip are going to be way more fun, almost getting upside down and really driving down the face.

2. You can use these waves as kickers to boost you to the moon.

3. And most importantly, you'll be much more confident getting out in big surf since you'll be heelside when confronting big closeouts.

In the end, if your kiting is at a decent level, then your body will naturally tell you which way feels more comfortable in the waves.

x2
nicely said smartang!

Just look at our little Moo, a couple days kiting and he's ready to charge waves! ... So proud, it seems like just yesterday he was heckling and throwing stones at them.