Epic Kiteboarding Session

uberben · Mar 8, 2007

Today I spent the afternoon kiteboarding and shooting photos. These two guys are great riders and have been giving me lessons all this winter. Let me know what you think.
1.

2.

3. Nathan giving a lesson.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Sw1tchFX · Mar 8, 2007

The first one is the only good one in my opinion becuase it still has context as to where it is and you can see the boarders face, not just their underside.

uberben · Mar 8, 2007

Getting a face in a kiteboarding shot is very challenging. I can hold my own in just about any sports shooting, but I think most people don't understand the variables that goes into a kiteboarding shot.

The biggest challenges I face when shooting kiteboarding.

-You have to stay up wind of riders to get the kite into the frame.
-The kite is on 22+ meter lines so the kite is way ahead of the rider.(superwide required)
-They are moving at around 15-55mph straight at you.(depending of wind speed)
-On a snowboard you ride heelside to keep pressure so you can edge against the wind to stay upwind. So there back is always towards you.
-Cold temps

All this makes it a very hard sport to shoot compared to your basic snowboarding shoot. Soo much of your shot depends on the style of the rider...they were a little overpowered today, so not much style, more about surviving.

THORHAMMER · Mar 9, 2007

#2 is awsome. you can see the face, its small though... the lines in the ground lead you into the dude... I like the whole shot..

I could see this as a huge poster on some kids wall... cropped a little bit and oversaturated of course...

great shot.

essjayyell · Mar 9, 2007

These are great. Call me ignorant because I didn't know this even existed. I'm familiar with kitesurfing though... 1 and 7 are my favourites.

Mole · Mar 9, 2007

I really like #1. #7 would have been perfect if you could have been a little further to the left or waited for another split second to catch his face. All in all I think you did a pretty good job with these.

AIRIC · Mar 9, 2007

Well done. You got some good captures with some nice up close shots.

Eric

snappin · Mar 9, 2007

Very cool shots! I've always wanted to get into this sport. I took one lesson in CA before I moved back to chicago and was really interested but never could find anyone to teach me around chicago. Its not really the type of sport you want to just go out and 'try' from what I understand.

one question... in number 6... is he doing something arobatic or just on his way to a yard sale (hehe theres some snowboarding lingo for ya)?

uberben · Mar 9, 2007

snappin said:
Very cool shots! I've always wanted to get into this sport. I took one lesson in CA before I moved back to chicago and was really interested but never could find anyone to teach me around chicago. Its not really the type of sport you want to just go out and 'try' from what I understand.

one question... in number 6... is he doing something arobatic or just on his way to a yard sale (hehe theres some snowboarding lingo for ya)?

Yeah he is doing a roll/loop. Pretty hardcore if you see it in person.

As for trying it out. You want lessons from a good instructor. It is such a scary sport if you don't know exactly what your doing from day one. Yesterday was my 7th time out since I started and I had a mini-kitemare. I was fully powered up and turning around. I moved the kite to fast through the power window and went air born as I was turning around. so there I was geting swung around 5 feet off the ground sideways through the air. I ended up landing on one ski and they both popped off from the force. I was then tea bagged for about 25 feet(in 3 seconds) before I killed the kite. The kite was laying dead on the snow and it for some reason powered back up and launched me in the air and I said screw it and ejected the kite. My leash kept if from flying across the lake, but there was no way for the kite to power up at that point.

So yeah....lessons are good because they teach you want to do WHEN you get out of control and you don't have to think about it, you just do it. If you are still interested in trying it out...check out the different kiteforums and look for instructors. the minnesota one is www.lakawa.com, otherwise try www.kiteforum.com

snappin · Mar 9, 2007

HA! Now thats a story. Its amazing I could understand all you said from the one lesson I took. My experience was limited to straping on a kite and letting it drag me through the sand on my feet (out in California). I can imagine how scary it was for you having felt the power those things have.

I was on one forum in chicago when I graduated (2+ yrs ago) and it seemed like the sport was just beginning to get off the ground around here. So new that the few people who were good enough in the area to be teaching (at least of the ones on the forum) seemed like they would rather be out doing it than giving lessons. I bet things have gotten a lot bigger in the last couple years, I should check into it!

RMThompson · Mar 9, 2007

#s 1,4 and 7 are awesome. Can you give me the settings and equipment?

uberben · Mar 9, 2007

RMThompson said:
Can you give me the settings and equipment?

I was using a Tokina 12-24 f/4 on a 20d. I always shoot manual mode and for this shoot used manual focus as well. No filter at all. Shot raw+jpeg so I could adjust white balance in CS2

# Exposure time: 0.0010 s (1/1000)
# Aperture: f/6.3
# ISO equiv.: 100