Another beautiful day here and another day with the same question becoming...well, in need of answer before I kill myself or hit something/someone.

How do you slow down and stop if the kite is parked solidly and you're screaming along? I know I could swing it up to the Zenith but what then keeps my skis on the snow? Yesterday I stopped short of hitting some bags in our pit area only by crashing the kite and giving a good old fashioned snowplow. Also, on direction change I found myself getting a little tugged in an generally "up" direction which spooked me a bit and today I was cooking along so good in better wind than yesterday that I was reluctant to experiment. I put the kite down (that's the polite way to put it), turned myself around, launched and made back the other way.

I have this fantasy in my head that I'm screaming along one way, sail the kite up and back while at the same tie carving back around to turn back the other way and about mid turn I catch some Sport Illustrated cover type air and come back to earth going nearly as fast but in the opposite direction. Is this too far from reality or is there a way to take the answer from the first question and apply it to my fantasies? ; )

Hey Kelly,

When I jib going fast, I try and time the turn of the kite a little ahead of the turn of the skis, keeping the kite high. To avoid the bungie effect and not get lofted, I just ski down wind a little to unload the kite a bit as the kite comes to zenith, then I can finish the ski turn and get going 180* + to the original direction with the kite high and unloaded. Basically its a sloppy jib, but it gives you a little time to keep everything (skis, kite, heart rate) under control.

Keep in mind, when you redirect the kite you don't need to send it all the way back. Send it up and that will decrease the pull and carve a bit down wind and that will kill a lot of your power and if you feel you are being lifted, pull the kite back in the direction you were headed as you complete your turn and then send it back in the direction you now want to go.

Basically you use a series of short zenith parks to kill the power and decrease the chance of being lofted as opposed to sending the kite rapidly back.

However, once you are confident and when the kite is locked and powered and you are in a position where you need to switch directions and don't want to get lofted but want to hold a ton of power and get racing off in the next direction, then slowly send the kite back and drive your skis into the turn, hold the kite back with the brakes a bit to prevent lofting and a rapid redirect, as you complete your carve to change directions, release the brakes and drive the kite foward in a new direction. This will pull you through a massively powered turn but should keep you on the ground. For a moment you will likely wind up almost behind the kite as it will pull through the turn faster than you, but dab the brakes and pull the kite into the power zone and you are off to the races. Can't do that too well in deep snow but on a firm base it is a rush and a half and how I transition all my runs (loose powder will throw a huge rooster tail and the tracks you'll leave are impressive).

Or power WAAAAYYY the hell up and get a good 10 foot jump and start in the other direction and scare the crap out of all the other kiters there! :D Yeahhh that move got me a couple free tips as that was all I was used to. Course you have about a 50/50 shot of eating s**it that also got me some free tips. :P Good luck on working it out, not too hard just alot easier when you have people around to help you.

the answer is just above, but dont be afraid to lose downwind ground as it reduces considerabelly the pull and it gives you a break to make your turn safely when you are not too experienced.

you will be able to recuperate the downwind ground you lost on the way back by going a bit upwind.

another way which I find it works on snow with skis is to park the kite a 3 o'clock at the really edge of the window and try go upwind the most you can. there is a limit to go upwind where you will slow down and stop.

you really need fly the kite at the limit edge. not less because you gain power, not more because you will drop the kite and then it will get back in the powerzone quickly and watch out.

then slowly fly the kite at 1 o'clock and park it there.

I always try to leave an escape route just in case. It is amazing how often the wind increases just as you want turn. Of course you could just stop, turn, then power up.Not cool or elegant but in 5 seconds you are on your way again with no load in your shorts!

Well, these guys have covered how to turn properly, but it's good to know what to do incase you don't.
If you do find yourself in the air, redirect. If going right before you (try to) turn, pull with your right hand once airborn. Last year when I was still learning really, I went out overpowered and sent the kite up/ back too hard and didn't turn fast enough and got about ten feet of air. Would have been fine had I redirected, but I was panicking so I just kept the kite going back, it went out of the zenith, lost all power, and dropped me like a rock.