Broneah Kiteboarding – We Build Kiteboarders – kitesurfing, kiteboard, kitesurf, lessons, camp
Author: Matt and Keegan Myers
Published: Feb/March 2005 issue of Kiteboarding Magazine, www.kiteboardingmag.com
RIDER STYLE: WAKE
Description: You dream about glassy, flat water, and the slightest chop annoys you no end. When you discover a sandbar, pier or wind-blocked riding area, you almost explode while waiting to see how flat the water is at 20 knots.
Kite: A moderate- to low-aspect kite that pulls hard, sits back in the wind window and lets you load and pop all day long.
Board: A short board (110-135 cm) with an aggressive rail that will allow you to edge your brains out, with a slight rocker and flex to pop 15 feet off the water without sending the kite.
Building Your Quiver: You’re going to want small through huge. Wake-style riding requires power, so get kites that pull you hard even in moderate wind speeds, which are usually huge.
RIDER STYLE: ALL
Description: You love the flat water, but can’t wait to ride waves. You’re dying to pop a huge raley, but love doing huge, flat 360s 20 feet high.
Kite: Moderate-aspect kites work well for all styles. Get a kite with multiple connection options on the wingtips for easy adjustment.
Board: A board with a soft rail that is about 125-135 cm in length works well in flat water and waves. Avoid extremely large or small sizes.
Building Your Quiver: You’re going to want a full quiver of kites that will work in all winds (8, 12 and 17 meters). Multiple boards work for riding waves one day and flats the next. A surfboard and wake-style board will maximize your session stoke.
RIDER STYLE: HUGE AIR
Description: It’s all about sending the kite as hard as you can and flying as far as possible. Pulling the trigger is what keeps you stoked.
Kite: Two words: high aspect. Find a kite that rides directly at the window’s edge, pulling you straight up when sending the kite. Fast kites that rip through the window will send you to stratospheric heights.
Board: Speed is key. Look for a flat board that tracks fast and allows you to stop your edge to load up before blastoff.
Building Your Quiver: Going huge means you need to be lit up on smaller kites (6 to 12 meters). Get a pack of small high-aspect kites, and pack a small, light twin-tip and a mutant-style board with large fins to keep the board speed up and the edging tight.
RIDER STYLE: CRUISER
Description: You spend your week daydreaming of riding, and whether it’s 10 knots or 30, you’re just happy to be on the water. You enjoy the beauty of the sport and the great exercise it gives you. You want dependable, easy-to-use gear.
Kite: Get a moderate- to low-aspect kite with easy-to-use safety systems and effortless relaunch. Simplicity is key; look for a kite with “kook-proof” connections and a large depower range.
Board: Look for a bigger board that gets you up and going easily and edges upwind without even trying.
Building Your Quiver: Stock kites for all winds (8, 12 and 17 meters). Keep a smaller board (120-135 cm) for windy days and a cruiser (150-170 cm) for the light-wind days.
RIDER STYLE: SURF
Description: All you dream about is smacking the lip of a 10-foot face, digging into your bottom turn and smacking it again! Your sessions completely depend on the waves.
Kite: Get a kite that can take a huge wave eating it up if you drop it in a set. You need a stable kite that you don’t have to think about when you’re riding the face, but is there for you when you need to pull out of a closeout section.
Board: Buy a mini surfboard (4 -5 feet) with either a pad or foot straps, or a directional (mutant style) board. Soft rails and large fins keep you locked and powered on turns and off the lip.
Building Your Quiver: Get a nice stack of moderate-aspect kites – 8- to 14-meter kites work in most wind. Your larger board keeps you planing in the lulls, while the smaller, fast kite generates power.
