!

BY KITESURFERS | FOR KITESURFERS

COLLECTIVE EXPERIENCE The BWSurf Team Rider Guide to Strapless Kitesurfing

!

!

I feel so honoured that some of the best and most experienced surfers and kiters in the industry have chosen to be part of the BWSurf family. They’ve got a wealth of experience and knowledge so I thought I’d take the opportunity to share it with you. BWSurf team riders are incredible kitesurfers, but they’re also extremely talented surfers. In fact, many are pro-surfers who discovered kiting as a means to extend their time on the water and compliment their surfing.

These guys are a big part of the BWSurf family. It’s their input into our R&D and constant feedback that allows Dano and me to create the best equipment to suit different riding styles and conditions. Having riders who are competent in both kiting and surfing, enables us to be innovative and at the cutting edge of surf-style riding. This ebook will give you a good insight into what drives our riders as well as some handy tips you can apply to your own riding.

Enjoy!

BEN WILSON

IMAGE: Stu Gibson

!

!

IAN ALLDREDGE

“13 years ago, my Dad and I were riding our bikes down the street to check out the surf. As we got to the beach, we noticed it was flat, just like the days before. We looked out beyond the waves and saw a kiter having some fun out on the point. This was the first time we’d ever seen someone kiting. After watching for a few minutes we decided to walk down and ask this guy for some info on where to get a lesson. He gladly taught us the basics and we were hooked. The summer time in California tends to be pretty inconsistent for surf. When the waves do show up, the wind tends to be on it. For us, this was the perfect opportunity to get in the water have fun when the waves were small. These days I’m always looking forward to the next wave and the next big swell. Every wave is different. I’m excited to travel to new places and to push the sport in a positive direction with more of a surf influence. I’m also getting more involved in the instruction side of things and want to keep pushing the sport in new directions and reach a wider audience.”

IMAGE: Ian Alldredge

!

!

Strapless Airs... “Imagine you’re driving down the freeway with your hand out the window, palm facing forwards. Now imagine you’re trying to keep a plate on your hand. The only way to do this is to keep your hand facing forwards with the plate pushing directly into the wind. If you turn your hand to face too far in any other direction, it will fly off. The same thing goes for keeping your board on your feet; you’ve got to push it into the water and the wind, pressing against the resisting forces.” - Ian

IMAGE: Stu Gibson

!

!

“For me it’s important to have freedom to pivot my body without being limited by the standard hook used in most commercial harnesses. It’s really cheap and simple to customize your gear to suit your style. I use a Dakine harness with a length of rope tied across the spreader bar to add an extra few inches of freedom (that adds degrees to my range of motion). Another alternative is to use a larger harness than you’d typically buy – go a size up. This allows your body to move more so you’re not pulled around by the chicken loop. Where I come from it’s normally gusty and not ideal for unhooking so I use the extra space from the additional rope to achieve a similar feeling. Just choose a set up that works for you. “ - Ian

Harness Setup...

IMAGE: Stu Gibson

!

!

Go Strapless “Try riding a skateboard to get your body positioning comfortable. And before you even attempt going strapless in the waves, spend time in flat water and use wind-chop to practice small airs.”

IMAGE: Stu Gibson

!

!

“If your kite goes down, always stay away from lines

and try to keep some space in your lines by releasing.

Ensuring that tension in your lines is minimised is

essential.”

IMAGE: Ian Alldredge

!

!

“Being underpowered means a lot more work, especially when you want to simply park and ride. Slowing down is easier than finding extra power but if you’ve got too much speed, edge your rail hard against it. Also try catching the wave early, making sure you’re out in front of the wave and allowing it to catch up to you.” - Ian Alldredge

Upsize

IMAGE: Ian Alldredge

!

!

GREG NORMAN JR.

Greg Norman JR has been in the kiteboarding world since the very beginning. “I learned in Maui back in early part of the 2000’s. Lou Wainman did a slim over my head while I was body dragging and I was hooked.” Greg resolved to master kitesurfing, eventually bringing his new skills back home to Florida. Greg pioneered the wake-style movement that bridged the gap between wakeboarding and kiteboarding. This saw him forge a successful career in both these sports while simultaneously following in his father’s golfing footsteps. Always a surfer, Greg travels the world looking for waves - but he never leaves home without a kite - and has made it his life mission to facilitate the expansion of kitesurfing and cable wakeboarding across the globe.

IMAGE: Stu Gibson

!

!

“Practise makes perfect... Some people say you shouldn’t get frustrated when you don’t get something right away, but I say use that frustration. Use it to pump yourself up and go after it. You’ll take beatings, but those beating only make sticking the trick that much sweeter.”

IMAGE: Stu Gibson

!

!IMAGE: Stu Gibson

“Kitesurfing..... It’s FREEDOM. Put up a kite and you’re the skipper, free to

surf, wakeboard, fly or even race.”

!“No two sessions in kiting, no matter if you are on a surfboard or a wakeboard or a foilboard or a McDonalds tray, will ever be the same. Remember, each time you head out for a ride, be ready to roll with whatever is thrown at you and enjoy every second of it. You are out kiting! Not stuck in an office. And one small mantra to keep in your head, ‘Stand Tall You Fall, Stay Low You Go.’”

!

!

TREVOR HENDY Australians in particular will remember Trevor from his Ironman days where he was the unrivaled champion, year after year. A true athlete, Trev had a successful foray into kayaking before coming to the realisation that he’d much rather help others achieve their own gold medals. Now a lifecoach/mentor, his years of battling rough ocean conditions and taking it all in his stride makes him a genuine inspiration. Somewhere in-between all this, Trevor learned to kite. And of course he’s pretty amazing at that too! Trev is a member of multiple Sporting Halls of Fame, holds an Order of Australia, and is an inspirational speaker, kite instructor, father and mentor. “I first got into kitesurfing through my buddy, Paul Jackson, who is very good. He’d always go off kiting when the wind came up. One day he said, ‘Let’s go,’ and he took me down to the beach, put the kite in the air and stood with me until I could fly, land and take off. He immediately put me on the board and sent me out to sea, through the waves. It was when I got out the back that I realised he hadn’t told me how to turn around and that I had never stood goofy-footed before. I made my way back eventually to see him laughing and simply saying, ‘I knew you’d be ok, I wanted to see how quick you could pick it up’. I have never taught anyone else that way and wouldn’t recommend it, but it made for quick learning!”

IMAGE: Stu Gibson

!

!

“I always like to remember the biggest reason why I’m in the water - to let go. Not only is the water my spiritual bath, letting go is also the number one best tip I have for kitesurfing.

Simply let go and let it happen. That particularly applies when you are learning and you are getting to know the bar. When in doubt, let it out.” – Trevor Hendy !

IMAGE: Stu Gibson

!

!

“It is incredible stress relief... Kitesurfing is the number one way I have found to harness the power of nature yet ride it with grace. You can’t control it or wrestle it, you have to let it take you and just stay present enough to be the one guiding the experience. I always come back feeling as though I am more confident and more relaxed.“ - Trevor Hendy

1

“When I am trying something new, I don’t tighten up. I imagine what it would feel like to

pull it off before I have even tried it. Once I have the feeling, I tend to land it without too

much hassle.”

2

IMAGE: Stu Gibson

!

!

GRETTA KRUESI “I first learned in front of my parent’s beach house in Charleston, SC. This was back in 2005 and there were literally no other girls kiting there at the time. The surf was pretty bad that summer and I remember seeing a few local guys having so much fun on kites! I made it my mission that summer to learn—and am thankful to this day for the friends that took me under their wing. Still hooked to this day.” !

IMAGE: Peter ‘Joli’ Wilson

!

!

“Have fun. Never forget that’s what it’s all about.”

IMAGE: Stu Gibson

!

!

“I love kitesurfing because no matter the surf conditions, there’s always a way to push myself and make the surf fun. When it's flat or onshore, I can work on strapless airs. When it's good, I catch a ton more waves than I would regular surfing. And when it’s big I’m more confident and will go out or drop in on heavier conditions.” - Gretta

IMAGE: Stu Gibson

!

!

JOSH MULCOY

“I live in Santa Cruz and there’s a really good surfing wave just past Waddell. For years I’d drive by and see windsurfers. Eventually I started seeing kiters and had to stop to check it out. I thought to myself, “Wow, that turns the ocean into a big waterpark with endless opportunities to ride waves!” I was lucky enough to have a friend help me out and get me going. During this time I actually didn't surf for the whole month - just kited. I was addicted - there’s just something about gliding across the water...”

IMAGE: Stu Gibson

!

!

“I just want to kite like it’s surfing and flow from turn to turn as smooth as I can. Kite placement is key to creating a surf-style flow and we are lucky to have kites that help this out.”

“Kiting is the perfect counterpart to surfing, helping keep you in the water. I love to surf more than anything, but what do you do when it gets windy? Most of my friends play golf! Kiting keeps me riding waves. Using the same board I surf on, just catching a ton more waves. What better training tool for surfing than kiting? You’re actually standing on your surfboard for hours and not just paddling. I really feel this helps out with your balance when surfing. These days I get just as excited going kiting and I do surfing.” – Josh Mulcoy

IMAGE: Chris Burkard

!

!

“Watch the ocean... The most important thing for me before I hit the water is to actually watch the ocean. I feel like kiting is so much like surfing that I spend time to look for the best waves on the beach. After that I just pump up and get out there.” - Josh

IMAGE: Stu Gibson

!

!IMAGE: Chris Burkard

!

BEN BOURGEOIS Ben Bourgeois was attracted to water and surfing at just three years old. He immediately started winning surfing contests even though he was too little to carry the board into the water by himself. After Ben and his family moved to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, he finally crossed paths with kiting. Since then he’s never looked back, now spending his time travelling the world, chasing the best waves and competing in surf contests whenever the mood strikes.

!

!IMAGE: Chris Burkard

“I enjoy the freedom of kiting and getting away from the crowds! It

makes bad waves really fun.”

!

!

“Practise, practise, practise. And if you can, get some footage of yourself – that’s

the best way to perfect a trick.” – Ben Bourgeois

IMAGE: Chris Burkard

!

!

BRODIE ADLINGTON

Newcastle lad Brodie started kitesurfing because of his old man. “He's the keenest kitesurfer I know. He froths harder than anyone I know and he got me into it so he'd have someone to kite with. We kite together at home all time. Cheers Dad!”

“Wax! Having a good coat of wax on my board while kiting and surfing makes the session so much better. I like to put wax up fairly high on my boards so if my foot ends up near the nose I won’t slide off. I usually carry wax on me while kiting, as it heats up under my feet and moves away from where my perfect position is. I'll always keep throwing more on whilst I'm out there. Not so much when surfing as you aren't standing on your board the whole time. I find going switch also lets my wax hold up a lot longer as my feet will push the wax back to where it was.

“Being a surfer and kiting the same board I surf, my boards are always set up ready to go

for both just the way I want them.”!

!

!

“Like most people, I love kitesurfing as it means I'm in the water more. I get to surf when it's offshore then kite when it’s not. If it’s onshore here at home, it'll usually only be a couple of us out kiting so it’s a good way to get away from the crowds that come with surfing. Kitesurfing is also one of the best ways to alleviate stress & keep fit!” - Brodie

!

!

HOW TO...

Perfect a Layback Carve This is one of my favourite kiting moves as it throws off a huge amount of spray and feels epic!

1. Speed - it's all about the speed... The more speed you've got, the bigger the turn will be and more water you're going to move. So make sure you've got a whole bunch of speed before hitting the section.

2. The Section - You can perform one of these off many sections but you really want to aim for the right one to maximise the ‘sick-ness’ of the turn. I look for a section that has a lot of push behind it, is just about to break but still has a bit of wally part next to it.

3. Timing and technique - These two things are crucial for making the turn look sick. Time it wrong and you'll be hitting a fat section or you'll be too late to even hit it. The perfect time to hit it is just before it's about to break. As for technique, race at whatever angle you want to the section (depending on how you want it to turn out, the harder the angle the more vertical you'll be when you hit it) then throw your back arm into the water behind you just as you lean back to throw all your weight and power onto your back foot. Using your arm as a stabiliser behind you, transfer your weight to your front foot - this will make your fins throw out and the tail of your board will slide.

!

!

MATT KEENAN “The best part about surfing and kiting is that it’s just you and the waves. That’s the best part about this entire thing we love so much - it’s all complementary. Surf styles apply to kiting and sometimes you’ll learn something while you’re out kiting that can enhance something you’re trying to do surfing. The real question is, ‘why isn’t there a kite in every surfer’s quiver?’”

IMAGE: John Bilderback

!

!

“Patience is the absolute key to getting a trick dialed. You just have to keep trying and trying until you try the trick almost by instinct. Getting someone to video you or getting some GoPro clips from your lines is also incredibly helpful. Once you see yourself doing the trick both in your mind and then in play-back, you may notice something you’re doing wrong.” !

IMAGE: John Bilderback

!

!

“Know your surroundings... Everyone has been a beginner. Everyone has rocked up to a new spot and just frothed out to get out there. The most important piece of all these sports we love to do, is that the conditions are always changing. Just make sure you take a few minutes to check everything out and then go nuts.”

IMAGE: John Bilderback

!

!

LUCAS HEARN

We first came across Lucas at the 2013 Merimbula Classic where he wowed judges with his skill on the water and won a place on our 2014 Namotu Island Kite Week. He scored some good conditions in Fiji and has the shots to prove it. “I started kitesurfing when I was about 10 or 11, just mucking around on the beach with an old two-line after getting lessons from Keahi's dad, Chris De Aboitiz. It just started off as something to do when the surf was bad and blown out, but the more I kited in the waves, the more I got hooked on it.”

“Kitesurfing just offers a lot more freedom than surfing; if you want to hit a section that's 20 metres away, you can get there in seconds. You don't have that option when you surf.”

IMAGE: Stu Gibson

!

!IMAGE: Stu Gibson

!

“A big strapless boost off the back of a wave is by far my favourite thing to do. It feels good and looks sick if you can nail it. There are only two main keys to it: having your kite in the right spot and angling your board into the wind correctly. You can do this at whatever speed you want, just start off with your kite parked at 45 degrees as you come up to a wave. Just as the nose of your board goes to leave the water, steer your kite slightly higher to get a bit more lift and speed. By this point your board will nearly be out of the water and you have to try and position the bottom of the board so it’s facing into the wind. Essentially the wind will make it stick to your feet. Leave your front hand close to the middle of the bar and as you come down you'll naturally pull with that hand which will bring the kite lower slowly. As you’re coming down, your board will fall off your feet if the kite is too low and you'll land very fast and very hard. So try to guide the kite down at the same rate you fall. While you’re dropping you'll gain enough momentum to level out the angel of your board and hopefully land smoothly, also remembering to bend your knees to take the impact.”

HOW TO...

Go Big and Strapless

!

!

“I love kitesurfing because when the surf’s really small and mushy, you still

have enough power to do big turns and airs, when in reality the waves are

terrible.” - Lucas

IMAGE: Stu Gibson

!

!

IMAGE: Dave Oates

Proving that age is no barrier to kiting prowess, Pismo Beach native Ryan Oates became a BWSurf team rider at just 14. We’re keen to see what will happen now he’s old enough to drive... “Every time I go out I always want to try something new. Whether that’s tweaking an air or doing a turn to ride the wave differently. Changing up your style, technique or a manoeuvre will help you become a better rider!” - Ryan

RYAN OATES

!

!

New Jersey local, Teddy Lyons has extensive experience both as a rider and instructor, even kiting home after school as a kid. “After watching the local crew kill it for years I finally decided I had to learn how to kitesurf. My good friend Mark Miedama gave me a water lesson and then I would follow the crew on downwinders, just trying to figure out how to get up on the board.”

TEDDY LYONS

IMAGE: Beau Pilgrim

!

!

HOW TO...

Stomp a Backside Air

1. Send your kite above your head similar to jumping on a twin-tip, but slower. This helps create lift, without ripping you off your board.

2. When the kite reaches 12, pull in on your bar and start your jump. It is important that you really suck your front foot up towards your chest, as this helps get your board off the water and into the air.

3. Hold your bar in until you reach the top of your jump.

4. When you reach the top of your jump, slowly ease out on your bar while keeping your knees bent close to your body. This will help you make a smooth descent.

5. As you are coming down, slowly start extending your legs. This helps give the board some momentum, keeping it with you when it wants to fall off your feet.

6. Now land it! Hopefully if you went through all these steps you just stomped a clean backside air. Remember that kite power and wind speed are very important for this trick, so don’t frustrate yourself trying to master this trick in light winds!

IMAGE: Keith Hamlyn

!

!

“Make sure the conditions are right for whatever trick you are trying to learn. If you want to learn airs, you need solid wind to help keep the board on your feet, and if you are focusing on wave riding it helps to have a decent size wave. Trying to learn new tricks in marginal conditions can be frustrating and deflating, so just be patient!” - Teddy!

IMAGE: Keith Hamlyn

!

!

The SEARCH for PERFECTION Since starting Ben Wilson Surf (now BWSurf) in 2005, Dano and I have gone from making instructional films and hosting coaching camps to designing, manufacturing and distributing our own range of kites, boards, bars and accessories. During our time in the industry, we’ve been lucky enough to meet some incredible characters, help shape the sport and share the stoke with as many people as possible. Every day we refine our techniques, look for better ways to build our products and bring kitesurfing to the mainstream market. We’re passionate about building the global community and the best quality products. As the only surf-specific company, we understand the rigors of riding in swell so you’ll receive the boards, kites and bars for tough conditions. The Noise Pro kite is the culmination of nearly 15 years of experience and development from Dano and me. Together with our Team Riders and network of Ambassadors around the world, we've managed to refine the design of the gear to simplify use - because when you're in the surf, the last thing you need is extra rope or rig in your way. It's been a process of fine-tuning and streamlining our design to make a kite that's stable, safe and a true complement to surfing. It's the same story with our range of boards. Each one has everything you need without the bells and whistles and each one is great to ride either with or without the kite. Surf in the morning and kite in the afternoon, that’s our philosophy.

Our search for perfection never ends ...don’t hold back!

For more information on BWSurf products, visit the

website at www.bwsurf.com, email info@bwsurf.com

IMAGE: Stu Gibson

!

!

!

Copyright 2015 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Disclaimer All the material contained in this book is provided for educational and informational purposes only. No responsibility can be taken for any results or outcomes resulting from the use of this material. While every attempt has been made to provide information that is both accurate and effective, the author does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy or use/misuse of this information. Acknowledgements Thank you to our incredible photographers who go through so much to get ‘the shot’. Stu Gibson - www.stugibson.net John Bilderback - johnbilderback.com Peter ‘Joli’ Wilson - www.joliphotos.com Chris Burkard - www.chrisburkard.com Beau Pilgrim - beaupilgrim.com Keith Hamlyn - keithhamlyn.com