Kitesurfing is a mixture of speed, gliding and aerial skills that offers almost unlimited possibilities for producing tricks. They can be done in freestyle with jumps and aerial tricks. We propose a lexicon of the tricks or figures the most realized in the discipline.
Be accompanied by kitesurfing experts
It is important to choose a sailing partner to introduce you to new tricks. This helps to motivate each other and to correct mistakes between you. Working on the same tricks creates a certain emulation. You will progress faster with two people.
Another solution is to use kitesurfing coaching. This is an efficient way to progress. Indeed, the coach is there to supervise you and correct you in the realization of your tricks. If you are in the Var area, you can rely on the Kitesurf & Kitefoil & Wing Foil school in Hyères: KGG. The experts of this school welcome you to transmit their passion with very high quality equipment, from Duotone and Ion.
Different styles
With kitesurfing, you can choose your own rhythm: to sail serenely or to perform more or less complex tricks.
In freeride mode
Freeriding consists of letting yourself glide along without any defined objective. It’s about having fun while taking advantage of the spot’s configurations. Freeriding involves mastering speed, carving, surfing and jumps.
Freestyle
Freestyle is all about performing specific tricks during your kiteboarding session. You can opt for either old-school or new-school tricks. The former are impressive, as they involve a nice amplitude of jumps. The board-off is the trick that best embodies the spirit of old-school.
As for the new-school, the most famous tricks are the railey, the back mobes or the KGB. They are performed with the kite in a low and dehooked position in order to take maximum advantage of the power of the kite in the arms.
Some well known tricks
The back roll
The back roll is a simple rotation of the body and board over the surface of the water. It is best to rotate the body backwards, i.e. look at the back, just above the front shoulder. This is the first trick to be adopted to initiate the rotation of the body.
The front roll
The front roll is a simple trick to perform. It is a question of approaching the trick with little speed without trying to go high. The trick should be initiated like a classic front roll. Bend the front leg while looking behind the back shoulder. You should keep the kite above your head to maintain optimum balance. When the rotation is complete, turn your gaze in the direction you want to go. The kite should then be returned vigorously before hitting the water and lowered to gain speed.
The railey
The railey is a trick where the kiteboarder jumps horizontally, with the board above the body, which is positioned backwards. The dehooked railey version is also known as the “Superman dehooked position”. Dehooker means to unhook the chicken loop from the harness to get the full power of the kite in your arms. There are different versions of this trick. The railey kiteloop, for example, which is a dehooked kiteloop with the body pulled forward into a railey position.
Or the railey to blind, which is a railey followed by a half-turn in the blind before folding. Or the railey to blind, which is a railey followed by a toeside turn before folding.
The kiteloop
The kiteloop is a manoeuvre that consists of initiating a jump with enough amplitude to be propelled by a complete loop of the wing. The loop is accomplished through a full rotation of the kite, towards the back of the displacement. A kiteloop is performed before reaching the peak of a jump.
The darkslide
The darkslide is a manoeuvre that is popular with kiteboarders who like to demonstrate. The first step is to slider on the surface of the water on the toeside rear end of the board and use a kiteloop on the exit of the move. You must master the kiteloop and the power jibe beforehand.
The backmobe
The backmobe is based on the combination of a back roll associated with a 360 and a back to front hand bar passage, in the middle of a trick.