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Kristin
Catching air in the waves while kiting on a surfboard is not easy, but it sure is fun.
It doesn't matter if you are riding strapped or strapless — it will require the same key fundamentals. Strapped, you will be able to go out there and start landing airs pretty quickly. Unstrapped, you will have a much longer learning curve, but perhaps a more rewarding one.
1. Look for side-onshore wind, set the kite low and move forward through the power zone in the direction of travel with the wave. Build as much speed as possible. Follow the kite downwind, riding down the line using the power of the wave to get speed.
2. Look down the wave and picture where you want to launch from the lip. The key is not to carve much of a bottom turn because you want to maintain as much speed as possible when projecting out of the wave. Timing is crucial when hitting the lip, as you want to project out of the lip cleanly and in control and just in front of where the wave is breaking.
3. If riding strapless, grab the board with your back hand to keep it attached to your feet and to help keep your center of gravity low and over the board. Just before landing, extend your legs a bit to help absorb all the impact. The whole move happens really quickly, so the key with kite technique throughout is to have the kite in the right position from the beginning.
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