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Toeside riding

Toeside riding can be tricky to learn at first, but once mastered is fun. It is particularly useful for directional boards when you want turn rapidly and keep going, and for slalom turns and surfing waves. It is also the basis for many tricks and advanced techniques on twin tip boards.

Steps - twin tip

1. Kite. Fly your kite fairly high in the wind window - around 10 to 11 O'clock.
2. Shift your weight slightly forward and reduce your speed.
3. Step your board around. Rotate the board 180 degrees so that your rear foot becomes your front foot. This is difficult at first.
4. Turn your shoulders and rotate your hips to face your direction of travel. This will feel awkward as you are twisted and "leaning the wrong way".
5. Adjust your balance so that your feet are appropriately weighted.
6. Power up the kite by pulling the bar in to get moving toeside.
7. Drop your hand closest the water and steer the kite with your other hand.

You can then turn the kite, then the board and carve turn 180 degrees back onto your heelside.

Steps - surfboard, carve turn

1. Kite. Fly your kite fairly high in the wind window - around 10 to 11 O'clock.
2. Get ready. Take your rear foot out of the foot strap and place it just in front of the strap.
3. Turn the kite. Start turning your kite
4. Carve a turn downwind by flattening your board and rolling onto your toes.
5. Bar. Push the bar out a little to moderate your speed through the turn
6. Finish the carve. Coming out of the turn you will be toeside - aim to hold this position
7. Turn your shoulders to face your new direction of travel. This will feel awkward as you are twisted and "leaning the wrong way".
8. Move your back foot to a comfortable position closer to the edge of the board in the water
9. Adjust your balance so that your feet are appropriately weighted.
10. Power up the kite by pulling the bar in to get moving toeside.
11. Drop your hand. You can drop your hand closest the water and steer the kite with your other hand.

Tips for toeside riding

Let yourself go downwind a little when first getting the feel of riding toeside
Learn on your "strong tack" first. You will find riding toeside much easier with your preferred stance (as you would use for skateboarding or snowboarding).
Lean out and down to touch the water with your "dropped hand"
You can rotate your harness a little so that hook is closer to your hip near the kite. It is very hard to ride toeside with a seat harness at the pull of the kite on the harness hook tends to rotate your body out of the best position for riding toeside.

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