KITESURFING TRICK GUIDE: FRONTROLL

At Oceanbirdz we love to see our guests learning new kitesurfing tricks.

With our trick guide we hope to help with your progression. After you have learned how to ride upwind and do your turns it is time for something new. But what? We will explain various tricks, step by step, by showing video’s, pictures and written tips. The first step of learning a new trick starts with visualizing the technique. After you get this, it is time to put it into practice!

FIFTH KITEBOARDING TRICK: FRONTROLL

Got those backrolls in the pocket and ready to move on? Read the blog and check out the video to get some tips and tricks from our Vera how to perform that front roll. With this blog we will explain you step by step how to do a front roll all the way from the pop to the turn and finally the landing. So basically every trick has those 3 phases the take off, the turn/trick and the landing. To succeed all parts have to be performed in the right way.

But before trying a trick on the water let’s start with the trick theory.

Step 1: the take off/pop

To learn a front roll it is important to be able to perform a proper pop. If you don’t really know how to jump or pop check out our previous blog (https://oceanbirdz.com/kitesurf/kitesurfing-trick-guide-jump/) about jumps. The pop/take off is the first part of a trick when it is performed well the turn/trick is going to be a lot easier. To take off start with your kite at 1 o’clock while performing the front roll to the right or at 11 o’ clock if you want to perform your trick towards the left. Cruise on a regular speed and keep tension on your lines. Just before you pop shortly put your board flat to release a bit of tension to then after create more tension on the lines while cutting upwind. Start to edge and push your board upwind, if you feel your kite starts pulling and the tension is getting more give yourself that extra push with the legs and literally ‘press yourself out of the water’.

Step 2 : the rotation part 1

With a front roll your take off position is the opposite as your rotation. You finish a pop moving your body upwind and your hips backwards the front roll is a front rotation where you are going to move forward/frontwards. First of all make sure you finished your pop before you start the rotation. So after your fins leave the water it is time to start the rotation. To start the rotation tuck your front knee in towards your elbow or chest. While tucking in your front knee start to look over your back shoulder and move your hips to start the rotation. To keep rotating fast make sure you keep your knee tucked in, if you try to keep yourself small you will turn faster. (you can basically compare it with making a salto on a trampoline if you are smaller you turn faster then when your legs are straight)

Step 3 : the rotation part 2

So basically you start the rotation with tucking in your front knee and looking over your back shoulders. When you start rotating make sure to keep on looking over your shoulder until you made a full 360 degrees turn. Keep your knee tucked in and keep on looking over that shoulder. If you are struggling to finish the full rotation it can be helpful to slightly pull on your front arm half way your rotation. When you pull your front hand your kite starts pulling a bit towards the direction you are turning this can help you to finish your rotation.

To stop the rotation in time, so just before you made a 360 degrees, you stretch your front leg to slow the rotation down. Now it is time to prepare yourself for the landing.

Step 4 : the landing

Succes fully took off, finished the rotation and ready to safe the deal with a clean landing? First of all spot your landing. With spotting your landing we mean that you literally start to look towards the water and the place where you want to land. Stretch your front leg and move the tip of your board downwind. If you land downwind it is easier to absorb the pressure of the landing. So spot your landing point your board downwind and bend your knees while landing. With bending your knees you will absorb the impact of the landing to get that smooth and clean landing.

Thats it!

Let me show the trick with a video:

And the most important don’t forget to enjoy your time practicing :)

Hope to see you on the water landing those frontrolls! 

Cheers Vera and team Oceanbirdz