Competition Tips
I'm by no means the most consistent or successful competitive kitesurfer ever, but wanted to put together a guide for anyone getting considering getting into competitive kitesurfing. By all means just take this with a pinch of salt, as it it just my opinion and not as a result of any great discussion or agreed wisdom.
Most of it is common sense :)
Most of it is common sense :)
Preparation
I personally believe that competitions are won or lost in your preparation. Perhaps in a one-off occasion the unprepared will triumph, but over the long run the benefits of good preparation will bear fruit.
Training
In competition you are under great time pressure, and it's not uncommon that a trick you can land 95% in training will only get a 50% success rate in the heat of battle. This is often due to the do or die nature of competition - you have to do the trick whatever the conditions.
Gear
It almost goes without saying, but you need to gear to be in good condition, else it may fail you when you need it most.
It's worthwhile having a good think about which gear to compete on. I'd suggest not using the most hardcore board and kite - your gear needs to perform well in a wide range of conditions, and characteristics like upwind ability and relaunch can save you a great deal of time when time is of the essence.
But should you compete on different gear to what you train on? I think probably not - train on the gear you'll compete with, and gain maximum familiarity with it.
Other
It's worth mentioning that it's time well spent reading and understanding the rules & competition procedure. Don't get caught out with rules you were unaware of!
Training
- Location
In competition you are under great time pressure, and it's not uncommon that a trick you can land 95% in training will only get a 50% success rate in the heat of battle. This is often due to the do or die nature of competition - you have to do the trick whatever the conditions.
- Content
Gear
It almost goes without saying, but you need to gear to be in good condition, else it may fail you when you need it most.
It's worthwhile having a good think about which gear to compete on. I'd suggest not using the most hardcore board and kite - your gear needs to perform well in a wide range of conditions, and characteristics like upwind ability and relaunch can save you a great deal of time when time is of the essence.
But should you compete on different gear to what you train on? I think probably not - train on the gear you'll compete with, and gain maximum familiarity with it.
Other
It's worth mentioning that it's time well spent reading and understanding the rules & competition procedure. Don't get caught out with rules you were unaware of!
Competition
Preparation
On the day of competition, its well worth getting your kit ready nice and early, so you aren't left flapping when your time comes. Be sure to move your gear as the tide goes out, so it isn't left miles from the shore when you need to compete.
If you've competed before you'll know you spend quite a bit of time waiting for your heat, and it's very easy to get cold. It's well worth having a neoprene jacket or similar to keep the wind off. You can spend the day on the water if you wish, but it's easy to miss your heat if you do.
- Gear
On the day of competition, its well worth getting your kit ready nice and early, so you aren't left flapping when your time comes. Be sure to move your gear as the tide goes out, so it isn't left miles from the shore when you need to compete.
- Clothing
If you've competed before you'll know you spend quite a bit of time waiting for your heat, and it's very easy to get cold. It's well worth having a neoprene jacket or similar to keep the wind off. You can spend the day on the water if you wish, but it's easy to miss your heat if you do.
- Kites/Boards
- Awareness
- Heat order
- Start & positioning
- Main
