Stop position by Thierry Bressure

Transcript

1. ›

   Stop, leading edge up

   0:08

   In this lesson, we gradually introduce stopping the kite, a necessary move in megateam flying, since many simple figures start from a stop. We begin with a stop while climbing, leading edge up: in the center of the wind window, launch and stop the kite at around 30 to 40°. The stop should be a comfortable position, held for a long time without effort: your hands shouldn't have to pull the brakes or push the fronts to maintain it. You set that with the knot ladder; to check it, climb to 30–40° in the middle of the window, stop, and notice that you're not straining. To stop from a climb, just pull both brakes slightly with the same force on the right and left to find the balance. Don't stop for 2 or 3 seconds: hold it for a minute, because the wind fluctuates and you have to adjust the brakes, even give a little power when it drops.

2. ›

   Stop in horizontal flight

   4:19

   Once that stop is mastered, introduce it in horizontal flight: launch, fly to one side, then the other, and in the middle of the window brake gradually with both brakes until it stops. This stop is easier than leading edge up, because the wind stays on the sail longer. Here too, hold it for a minute to learn to adjust the angle and the brakes as the wind changes. Tip: turn over the top so you don't put a twist in the lines; a twist means more friction and a stop that's harder to feel.

3. ›

   Keeping your hands in front of you

   6:05

   The stop is used in team flying, and in a team you're not alone on the field. In a stop with the leading edge sideways, beginners tend to put the upper wing's hand above the other, handle almost horizontal: it's easier, but you'll elbow your neighbor. Keep your hands in front of you, elbows along your body, and compensate by bringing the upper wing toward you. To help, with the leading edge to the right, put your right foot forward, which shifts your shoulders; with the leading edge to the left, your left foot.

4. ›

   Descending leading edge down

   8:29

   The stop with the leading edge down is harder; we introduce it gradually. Launch, climb to the top of the window, turn slowly, then practice bringing the kite down straight, correcting with small presses on the brakes, and sending it to the right or to the left. The point is to rewire your brain: on the way down, the kite is upside down, so my right handle controls the right wing, but that wing is on my left. If I pull my right handle's brake, the kite goes left.

5. ›

   Stop, leading edge down

   11:07

   Once you can correct the path so the kite comes down straight, and you know what sends it right or left, you can stop it: pull both brakes with the same force and hold it, correcting with a small tap of brake on the right or left. For the handles, some advise holding them at 45°, others fully horizontal at first. I'm not a fan: it doesn't look great, and you'll elbow people in a megateam. Ideally, keep the handles vertical.

6. ›

   Dive stop

   12:58

   We can't finish without the move that impresses most when you start flying a Rev: the dive stop. With the leading edge down, dive the kite and stop it a few tens of centimeters above the ground. To practice, stop it instead at about 20% of the window's height to keep a margin: from a stop leading edge down, release the brakes, then take them up again to put the kite back into a stop. Since you already master the stop, it should come easily.

7. ›

   Crisp stops

   14:27

   A tip for crisp stops, like good pilots do, where the kite goes from speed to zero instantly: first practice feeling the balance point, the amount of brake that stops the kite, more easily in the middle of the window. To make the braking abrupt, you also need to cut the wind as you brake: either with your feet, stepping forward, or with your hands, pushing the handles forward to release the pressure in the lines. Repeat until you feel the right amount of brake. Another advantage: since the kite is no longer under pressure, even if you miss your dive stop, you avoid breaking your rods.