Author Topic: Carving jibe wing foiling  (Read 1876 times)

Caribsurf

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Carving jibe wing foiling
« on: March 07, 2020, 08:38:01 AM »
Ok just came in from a great session, best one yet, but having a crazy time figuring out carving jibe while still up on foil.  Watching videos it looks like most DO NOT switch stance and ride backside. I am guessing this a kiting thing? I have more windsurf background and switch stance.

I have the finesse of a bull in a china shop, so while carving the jibe on foil as soon as I try and switch my stance, slam! I come off the foil and board hits the water.  Should I be switching stance well few before starting the jibe?   How can you delicately switch stance without disturbing the foil?

  I tried riding backside and might keep trying , but wasn’t comfortable at all although I was able to stay up a bit.
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PonoBill

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Re: Carving jibe wing foiling
« Reply #1 on: March 07, 2020, 10:56:44 AM »
I'm struggling too, but I'm getting closer to a consistent switchfoot jibe. For me, the key has been to learn to ride with my feet close together. The spot where I can do this is about five inches back from my normal front foot position. I move my back foot forward to this position with minimum weight on it, which makes the board drop a bit, then transfer my weight to the back foot and slide my front foot back. I foil along like that for perhaps twenty seconds. I can practice that move several times on a typical reach, so I'm making good progress with that. Getting back to the normal position is, as expected, the reverse. 

The next step is either turning in that position or doing the turn backside and then getting to the middle and switching feet. I'm trying both right now which is obviously a mistake, I need to settle on one, but so far neither has emerged as the better way to do it. I find backside so clumsy that I'm leaning towards turning with my feet in the middle, but I lose control of the foil that way fairly often, whereas I simply fall a lot going backside.

Some people have told me they took a year to learn to jibe kitefoiling, so maybe I shouldn't be so impatient, but a lot of the things I want to do with a wing center around not falling off every time i jibe. I'm not too concerned about tacking, I windsurfed for decades without a credible powered-up tack. But I want to downwind these things, and jibes are critical for that.
« Last Edit: March 07, 2020, 11:00:26 AM by PonoBill »
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Caribsurf

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Re: Carving jibe wing foiling
« Reply #2 on: March 07, 2020, 02:44:12 PM »
Thanks Pono, I will have to give that a try.  It’s so nice foiling into the Jibe but not so nice slamming back down when I two step on the deck.  I will continue the backside attempts and see if it kicks in, but would love to be able to switch stance

Although I have no problem getting up on foil, I still haven’t found the sweet spot where I feel my feet need to be every time. Lots of wiggling toes and lifting heels inching for that perfect spot.  I’m tempted to attach the foot straps that came with the Jimmy Lewis once I know for sure where to put my feet.

I don’t think I ever tracked on a windsurfer once I learned to Jibe.  I was good at sailing up wind so it didn’t really matter. Same goes for a foil board, I am amazed at the sharp angles you can foil upwind.
Hobie Raw 8'10"
Jimmy Lewis Kwad 8'7"
Naish Hover 95 liter 5'7"
F-One Rocket foil board 5'5" 90 liters
Fanatic Aero 1250, 1500, 1750 HA foils
CabrinhaMantis 3.5, 4m 5m. F-One Strike 7m CWC
Hobie 14' race board

Solent Foiler

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Re: Carving jibe wing foiling
« Reply #3 on: March 08, 2020, 11:27:31 AM »
No advice, but some solidarity in your struggle (your windsurf tacking sounds very familiar!)

My gybes are still very much work in progress, but have managed a few fully foiling, and now at the point where I think I have my head around what needs to happen, just need to get the muscle memory to improve the execution.

The issue I have is that the water I wing on is very often really choppy so I have to pay very close attention to my ride height as I go through the carve, whilst handling the wing at the same time. The wing handling is beginning to become familiar so can focus on it less, but I try to gybe looking down and forwards into the turn.

On foot position I've naturally adopted a back foot forward stance when going quicker so my feet are already closer together. I've done ONE foot switch which I think is how I should do it. I swap on the turn exit once I've collected the wing on the new side to give a bit of stability. Back foot forward with front foot back immediately after. Too many of my foot switches so far end up with a bit of a dance in the middle. I'm on a 1650 foil so it's quite foot position sensitive for someone of my ability.

My backside riding is also terrible. Despite it looking the most natural thing in the world for some people, for me it's going to take a bit of focus and practice to get it. I'm secretly hoping I won't really need to if I get the foot switch nailed, but will be useful to know how to do.

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obxDave

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Re: Carving jibe wing foiling
« Reply #4 on: March 09, 2020, 02:22:05 AM »
I come off the foil and board hits the water.  Should I be switching stance well few before starting the jibe?   How can you delicately switch stance without disturbing the foil?

Ask 5 different people and get 5 different answers. I always prefer doing a switch stance completely separate from any other move. A lot easier for me to learn one thing at a time. Once you get better at it you can combine it with other stuff any time you want

I’m not sure why people try to teach or learn this as one go-for-broke maneuver. Like everything else there is a way to progress. Start with practicing small foot shuffles. Wide stance to narrow stance and back again. Same thing with side to side offset. Get the feel for moving your feet on the board without switching at all. Try to feel comfortable riding with a pretty narrow stance whenever you want, and not staring at your feet when you do it. Do it at low height knowing you might touch down and the just try a pop back up. The water is you’re “bottom cushion”.

In kite foiling with 20 liter boards and very pitch sensitive foils, most of us learn our first full foot switching  with a “touch-down” switch stance from a low foil height. Ride narrow stance, Rear foot goes forward, board touches down, front foot goes back, board comes back up on the foil. Get good at that. 

Next you go for the full air switch stance where you practice “unweighting”. Before the switch you do a quick a pump (almost like your trying to breach the foil) so the board stays neutral during the switch without dropping. It’s a very subtle pump.  On a small kite foil board you have to be really quick. On a big ole wing board you can be a bit more sloppy about it, but you still need to be sorta  quick.

So for me progression is  ==> 1 shuffle, 2 touch down switch, 3 aerial (unweighted) switch

(I’m a spazzy 62 yr old)
« Last Edit: March 09, 2020, 02:33:44 AM by obxDave »

 


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