The current Kitesurfing World Champion Karolina Winkowska give us 10 tips to give kiters of all levels the best chance of trying new tricks while on the water and of course hopefully landing them.
1. Concentrate
When you want to learn something new, you have to commit to it 100%. Think about every single move you have to make. Firstly find a good place to try it then think about the entire trick movement, edging, kite position, bending hands, pop, then about the rotation and at the end the landing.
photo: Alexander Lewis-Hughes
2. Don’t be afraid
A new trick is always challenging, because you have to teach your body something you have never done before. Fortunately in kiteboarding you will always crash into the water.
Also the bigger you go, the more time you will have to make all the rotations, so don’t be afraid and just go for it.
photo: Alexander Lewis-Hughes
3. Start from the root of the trick
Begin with the proper edge and good rotation, the handle pass or any other rotation will be easier if the first part of the trick is done correctly.
4. Imagine the trick
Think about each step you will have to do in the water.
Also you can make your visualisation more real and try the move on a trampoline or simply on your bed.
5. Try it hundreds of times
Sometimes it takes hundreds of repetitions before landing it.
6. Watch other riders doing the trick
Watching videos of other riders are the best because you can play them in a slow motion, and see every part of the move you will have to learn.
photo: Alexander Lewis-Hughes
7. Believe that you can do it
It might be a long process of learning but you have to always believe that one day you will land it.
8. Enjoy the process
Learning a new trick might be pretty frustrating sometimes, but we have to enjoy it. If we get angry or sad, our bodies will get stiff and it will be harder to learn or to recover for the next session.
photo: Alexander Lewis-Hughes
9. Take a day or more off
You might get hurt after crashing all day long so I recommend to take a day off and re-think what you were doing wrong.
For me this is one of the most important steps, as sometimes I need to forget about the trick for half a year or more, and then when I try it again, … after such a long time I approach it in a different way and most of the time it is successful.
photo: Alexander Lewis-Hughes
10. Try something else
If the trick you are trying for a long time doesn’t work, try a different one, maybe you will learn it faster.
Written by Karolina Winkowska
Facebook: Karolinawinkowska
Instagram: @Karolinawinkowska
Official Site: Karolinawinkowska.com
photo: Alexander Lewis-Hughes
