Kitesurf trick
Darkslide
- Drag
A slide where the board flips over and drags behind you while you hang from the kite, before the kite pulls you back up. A popular surface trick once you are at ease on both edges.
How to
Ride heelside with power
Ride heelside at moderate speed with the kite at 11 or 1 o'clock, powered but not overpowered.
Front hand off
Take your front hand off, keep your back hand centred on the bar and extend your front leg so your weight sits back over the tail.
Sit and trip the board
Drop your hips into the harness and push your knees and hips downwind so the board trips onto its toe edge and flips.
Slide on the flipped board
Let the kite drag you while the board slides flipped behind you and your chest faces the water.
Exit with the kite
Sheet out and drop into the water at first, then learn to loop the kite at the edge of the window so it pulls you back up onto the board.
Common mistakes
Falling onto your chest
Pull your front foot up and keep your weight back over the tail on the way in.
Board will not trip
Sit deeper into the harness so your weight hangs off the kite instead of standing on the board.
Sliding into a backroll
Look downwind, not upwind, so the slide does not turn into a back rotation.
Builds on
Unlocks
Track your progress on the Darkslide
Log every session on the Darkslide in TrickTrack, rate how it went, add photos and videos, and watch it climb:
- 1/5Learning & practicing
- 2/5Progressing
- 3/5Landed at least once
- 4/5Consistent landings
- 5/5Landed every time
- Mastered
Then mark it mastered when it's yours.