How to Kitesurf Upwind

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How to Kitesurf Upwind

Being able to stay upwind in kiteboarding is usually the right of passage that turns a kiteboarding beginner into a true kiteboarder.

Staying upwind is essential to becoming self-sufficient as a kiter in knowing that you can get back to where you started/launched from.

Once a beginner feels comfortable turning back and forth then it is time to focus on developing the board skills to work with the kite to stay upwind. The key is learning how to keep the kites momentum going for a short period of time while you jump or change directions upwind.

The concept of getting upwind is pretty straightforward, you just need to focus on pushing on your back heels with the weight on your back foot while still keeping the kite in front of yo0u and not killing your board momentum. If you lean back too far then you will kill the board momentum and fall back into the water. Also, staying upwind can become very important in windier conditions as you can end up downwind very fast if you aren't able to control your board speed.

The best tip for keeping momentum in the board when turning is to point your board downwind slightly as you turn and then as you start heading back in the new direction after your turn is completed then start to get on your back rail to get back upwind. By allowing your board downwind during the turn you allow the board to move through the turn and wont get yanked as hard by the kite as you would if you had just whipped the kite across the wind window into the new direction you wanted to go.

In summary, it really just takes a little time on your board to understand how hard to edge to control speed without falling back into the water and how to shift your weight to get upwind.

Learn Kitesurf going upwind part 1