Kitesurfing

Kitesurfing in the Waves

Kristin Boese and Christian spreCKels

the Complete guide

This manoeuvre calls for very goodtiming, as the lip of the wave must be metexactly.

After completing the bottom turn, Skysteers his board as steeply as possible upthe wave towards the lip. He steers his

kite back towards the beach and takes hisrear hand off the bar. At the moment ofcontact with the lip, he turns his head andhis upper body in the direction of thewave trough and pushes the board roundpowerfully with his back foot. He bends

his knees, to absorb the impact of contactwith the wave, literally rebounds off thelip of the wave and drags the hand on theinside of the turn through the water,executing the turn around his hand as animaginary pivot. After completing the off

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the lip, he uses his free arm to helpmaintain his balance, brings his weightforward again, rides down the wave andprepares for the next bottom turn.

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Off the lip/re-entry

Key points for mental imaging:• Steer board towards the lip.• Steer kite back towards beach.• Take rear hand from bar.• Turn head and upper body towards wave

trough.

• Push board round using back leg.• Transfer weight forward.• Ride down the wave.

Off the lip/re-entry


Kristin rides out of the bottom turn withher upper body facing the wave andtravels at maximum speed towards thewave section that she has chosen for theaerial. She flies the kite here in the 1 o’clock position and has taken the backhand off the bar. She must keep a careful

eye on the section, as she must watch forthe exact moment at which the wavebreaks to take off. Shortly before contactwith the lip, she executes a swift edgechange from toeside to heelside. In thebrief moment of contact with the lip, shemoves her weight forward and upward,

so that she can utilize the wave’s energyfor take-off or more for a kind ofrebound from the lip. During flight sheremains centred over the board with herweight forward and can even grab the railof the board while doing so, in order toland upright.

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Frontside aerial

The key to the success of this trick liesin hitting the right section of the wave atthe right moment, so that the wave takeson the job of catapulting you out of thewater.

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Frontside aerial

Key points for mental imaging:• Steer kite to 11 o’clock.• Seek out take-off point and ride towards this

in switch stance.• Change to heelside.• Shift weight forward and upwards.

• Allow yourself to be catapulted out by thewave.

• Centre weight above board.• Land.


The floater is an extremely stylish andfunctional trick, which enables the kiter tocross over a fast-breaking section of thewave without having to bottom turnaround it.

Kristin emerges from the bottom turnat high speed and steers the kite towards

the shore in anticipation of the floater.She doesn’t ride vertically up the face ofthe wave, but instead manoeuvres at aconsiderably flatter angle to the breakingsection.

She directs the nose of her boardtowards the back of the wave and climbs

on top of the breaking section. She thenglides across the top of the breakingsection, centring her weight over theboard.To end the floater, she transfersher weight forward and onto the heelside to drop back into the trough of thewave. She keeps herself centred and

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balanced over the board so as to stickthe landing and get ready for the nextbottom turn.

FloaterFloater

Key points for mental imaging:• Ride at high speed towards the lip of the

wave.• Steer kite back towards the shore.• When you reach the lip, point board towards

the back of the wave.

• Centre weight over board.• Float.• Transfer weight forward and follow the kite.• “Drop” down the breaking wave, centring your

weight as you do so.


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