The Top 10 kitesurfing tricks for beginners

 A couple of weeks into your kitesurfing lessons, you feel confident. The adrenaline rush drives you to learn new tricks. The fancy unhooked tricks attract you, yet, is it advisable? A big ‘No.’

Don’t worry; we got you covered. In this article, we guide you through 10 of the best tricks to start with kitesurfing. This list is collated, keeping in mind the average skill levels of a beginner.

How do we advise you to go about the kiteboarding tricks for beginners?

1 – Read the guide thoroughly

2- Observe professional perform these tricks

3- Practice with someone to cover

4- Focus on small cues to get the trick right

BUT  Remember!! Safety is non-negotiable.
 Nothing much; go learn and impress your peers.

Before trying your first beginner’s kite tricks, you should have minimum skills, as riding upwind and being able to recover your board in deep water. Furthermore, keep in mind that while performing any of the following kitesurfing tricks, you will automatically go downwind. Sometimes, the adrenaline will push you to perform a trick in a no-matter situation, and the outcome can be fatal. So that’s our ultimate advice; when performing your first kite tricks, check that you have no other kiters or obstacles downwind from you.

Without further ado, let’s see what are the top 10 tricks that any beginner can start with;

 ” Come to Sri Lanka and learn these kite tricks with us “

1. Waterstart with a kiteloop

This is one of the first beginners kite tricks you can start with.

In your kiting school, you would be taught to balance the kite, place the board safely, and steadily tread onto the board. And once you learn the basics of kitesurfing, beach start must be your favourite companion. Furthermore, if you perform a waterstart by looping the kite, you are in the way to become a master in kitesurfing!

Three-step instructions.

1- Balance the kite and hold it at 12 o´clock with enough tension.

2- Keep the board in front of your knees.

3-Once you are ready, twist completely the bar until the kite makes A 360 degrees loop
4-Once you feel the pull, put your board slightly downwind until you feel balanced when you can start carving

5-Once you are riding on the board, it is the time to untwist the lines of your bar

Key Note: Once you are committed to performing a kiteloop, go for it. Don´t stop pulling the bar until the kite makes the loop, otherwise, you will have a huge crash.

You will see that this way of performing the waterstart is much aggressive than the normal way. Better you try this kitetrick in light wind with no more than 16 knots.

2. The Switch, aka Riding Toeside

Another beginner kitesurfing trick that you can not miss. This is where you switch the direction of your toes by pushing the weight from your heels to your toes.

Once you have good riding skills, it is completely normal that you want to start performing this amazing beginner kite trick. You have probably already seen it on the beach, so it is your turn!

Three-step instructions.

1- From riding heelside, you gain some momentum and control.
2-  You drive the weight from the heel to the toe while switching.
3-  Keep the centre of gravity slightly tilted towards your trailing foot, i.e., back foot.

 Key note:

* Choose a spot with minimum of choppy water as possible. Riding toeside in flatwater is much easier than in choppy or wavy water

Also known as Backloop, this trick is considered a staple diet for a kitesurfer. The scope for improvisation on this trick is immense and can be really stylish once you master the trick.

Three-step instructions.

1- Pull the kite slightly up and press your heels hard against the board.

2- Lean back slightly and pull the kite hard while taking the board off the water.

3- Turn slightly and rotate towards the desired direction.

Key Note: Do not steer the kite at any point. It is a major cause of unwanted jerk movements. It might throw you off balance.

We are 3 classic tricks in; we hope you are enjoying as we now increase the difficulty levels by a notch. However, we reiterate the fact that your safety is our primary goal.

4.Front roll

Quite similar to backroll, this trick is a sure shot to making heads turn. While starting out, it is advisable to learn when the winds are steady.

Three-step instructions.

1-For this manoeuvre, control the kite as you gain momentum

2-Extend your back leg while bending the front leg.

3- Rotate at a steady pace. Your sight must have you looking over your back shoulder.

Key Note: While landing, pull your front hand for better control.

NOTE: Once you master the backroll and frontroll kite tricks, you can perform them by landing toeside. It will be 100 stylish! 

All this while, your hands have done nothing other than gripping the kite. Prepare to let a hand loose and learn a fun trick.
Three-step instructions.
1. Surf a little downwind, and as you gain momentum, steer the kite to 12’o clock.
2. Start to glide. Push the board and raise your legs as high as you are comfortable with.
3. Lean back and let your backhand touch the water before dropping your legs.

Key Note: While landing, try to land on your heels and lean back.

6. Double backroll – One foot.

You learned the backroll, now is the time to improvise. This is a double backroll with one
foot off the board.
Three-step instructions.
1- Glide with momentum and jump high, doing a back roll.
2- Hold the board with your backhand and take your back foot off the board.
3- Grab the kite while getting your foot back onto the board, performing the second backroll.

Key Note: Stabilize the jump by pushing the board hard using the heel of your front foot.

These kitesurfing beginner tricks are gradually getting harder. So, we drop in a slightly easier
trick, yet requiring maximum control is the jibe trick. This trick also is great for improvisation
and looks really stylish when you pull it off well.

Three-step instructions.

1- Surf downwind, while steering the kite higher.
2- Carve onto your toeside edge, and switch your feet.
3- Lean back as much as possible while lowering the kite.

Key Note: The lower and swifter the turn is, you can create a spray during the feet switch.

8. Backroll Kiteloop

The backroll kiteloop is a very popular trick amongst kitesurfers. Mastering the backroll is
quite a prerequisite for this trick.

Three-step instructions.

1- Start off with a vertical backroll, with most of the weight on the heel of your back foot.
2- Rotate slowly during the loop. Pull the handle hard with your backhand and push it using
your front hand.
3- As you drop back to the water, look over your front shoulder, and soften the landing

It is time to stop being a bloody beginner… An unhooked front roll, S Bend, is your next step towards being an intermediate surfer.
Quite stylish, S Bend tends to test your ability to balance and swerve like no other trick.

Three-step instructions.

1- Keep the kite low as you gain momentum. Push your feet hard against the board and drive
your back foot, leading into a jump.
2- Extend your arms and turn your upper body. Grip tightly, and legs extend, and your lower
body rotates too.
3- Bend your knees to prepare for a good landing.

Key Note: The initial jump must be powerful to allow the body to rotate with ease. Rotate
the upper body as early, after the initial jump.

10. Darkslide.

We finish the best kiteboarding tricks for beginners with an innovative trick. To execute this
trick well, top-notch balance and awareness are of paramount importance.
Three-step instructions.

1- Steer the glide back slowly and pull the kite high. Bend your knees and move forward.
2- Bend back while gripping the kite tightly. Hold your front leg high.
3- Rise your body while pulling the kite down.

Key Note: To intensify this trick, bend your knees and let them rise above the water

Important tips when  performing beginners kite tricks

Before trying to carry out any trick, it is advisable to receive some instructions from an accredited professional, as well as to have the appropriate protection material to launch into the sea. In our post about the dangers of kitesurfing, you can read the necessary elements to practice Kite safely and without taking great risks. On the other hand, it is always recommended, if we are newbies, to hire some initiation classes before being able to enter the water with all the equipment. This will allow us to have a better idea of the correct moment to perform the tricks, as well as the steps to follow. Therefore, it is convenient to take all these elements into account when we want to enjoy Kite.

Expert Advice

10 Tricks – Each trick is pushing you towards being a better surfer. Learn each of the tricks with the utmost discipline. For the first few learning attempts, having a guide or an expert to cover is advised.

As you progress, do not hesitate to add your own little variation to build the trick and make it more impressive.

Tricks and manoeuvres from beginners to intermediate levels

These are just a few examples of what we think are the best tricks for progressing from a beginner to an intermediate level. In order to perform the next tricks, we recommend you to master the previous ones. We hope you like them!

The top 8 tricks to progress from beginner to a more advanced kite level:

1 – Blindside: This move is an unorthodox way of sailing, using the balls of your feet instead of your heels.

2 – Bone: In this beginner kitesurfing trick the kiter must release one leg from the board and extend it.

3- Railey: It consists of a jump in which the Kiter extends the body and throws the board over the head.

4- 313 in Kitesurf: To perform this manoeuvre, the Kiter must be in the air. It’s a mix of Heelside Railey with Frontside Handle-Pass 360. This is one of the most spectacular tricks in the sport.

5- Deadman: Mimicking a dead man in midair, the Kiter hangs upside down, head down during the jump, and releases the control bar.

Indie: This trick consists of grabbing the edge of the table, that is, grabbing, with one hand near the back foot while in the jump.

6- Nose Bone: During the flight, bring one knee to the chest and extend one leg out and forward.

7- Ollie: This trick requires a bit of dexterity to perform. The back foot should push the board down and the front foot should pull the board up to take a jump.

8- Roast beef: It consists of jumping and holding the edge of the board between the legs.

Wishing you a safe kiting experience! Feel free to leave us a message if you need more tips for your very beginners kitesurfing tricks! You are welcome to visit our amazing kitesurfing destination in Sri Lanka!