Broneah Kiteboarding – We Build Kiteboarders – kitesurfing, kiteboard, kitesurf, lessons, camp
Author: Matt and Keegan Myers
Published: Dec/Jan 2005 issue of Kiteboarding Magazine, www.kiteboardingmag.com
While comparing kiteboarding to golf might seem like heresy, the two sports do share some similarities – like choosing the right equipment for the job. Just as a golfer chooses a particular club to maximize control for certain shots, a kiteboarder uses particular length lines to maximize control for certain riding techniques.
Selecting the correct-length lines can make or break a session. The key is understanding how different line lengths affect the power, control and response of your kite. “I use short lines when I want more punch for kite loops, and I use longer lines for more consistent power and control,” says Cabrinha team rider Cameron Dietrich. “A simple adjustment to my kite’s lines dramatically changes how it performs.”
Think of anything below 22 meters as short lines, 22 to 27 meters as average lines, and more than 27 meters as long lines. Manufacturers design kites for optimal performance with lines of 22 to 27 meters. Longer lines create a large, consistent pull, ideal for light wind and big, lofty airs, while shorter lines generate a small, punchy pull through the power zone, good for high wind and explosive jumps. If you want to produce more power with your kite, lengthen the lines; to decrease your kite’s power, shorten the lines.
Slingshot team rider Bertrand Fleury, who is to kite loops what Tiger Woods is to blasting golf balls, uses 10- to 15-meter lines to generate quick bursts of power for his loops. Shorter lines also give the rider more control over the timing of the kite, helping make the power stroke as brief as possible and allowing the rider more control for landing.
Some of the world’s top wave riders shorten their lines for optimal power in different sections of a wave, like when dropping in or smacking the lip. “The bursts of energy generated by short lines are vital to create the speed of the way I want to ride the wave,” says legendary waterman Chuck Patterson. They also let you depower the kite quickly and regain power instantly by diving the kite back through the power zone while riding the face of a wave.
If you want to impress the crowds with huge, lofty airs, ride 30-meter lines and up. Turning speed and overall response become slightly delayed, but the longer lines generate a larger power zone, more kite stability and more constant power without tons of work by the rider, allowing you to use a smaller kite in lighter wind.
Just as a golfer would use a driver off the tee and a nine iron in the fairway, a kiteboarder would use long lines for big, lofty airs and short lines for laid-out kite loops. Experiment with different line lengths to find out what you are most comfortable with and to dial in your particular riding style. And oh yeah, we promise never to compare kiteboarding and golf again.
