Why Do Your Kitesurf Jumps Go Forward Instead of Up?

You send the kite, leave the water — but instead of getting a high jump, you travel a long way forward.

Sometimes it feels like the kite simply isn’t lifting you. But very often, the problem starts before you even leave the water.

First, one important point: in a normal kitesurfing jump, you are not supposed to go perfectly straight up. You already have forward speed before takeoff, so you will continue travelling forward and slightly downwind in the air. That is a normal jump trajectory.

The problem is when it looks more like this: lots of speed → long flight → very little height

If your jumps consistently send you forward rather than upward, the first things to check are your edge, line tension, kite position and takeoff timing.

This is the first thing to check.

Before the jump, you’re riding with a solid edge. Then you send the kite upward, the pull increases, and your body starts following the kite.

The board flattens.

At that moment, you stop resisting the kite effectively. Instead of maintaining line tension and creating a more vertical takeoff, you continue travelling forward.

So if your jumps are long and low, look closely at the last fraction of a second before takeoff: Is your board still on edge when you leave the water?

Speed is important for a high jump.

But it’s easy to draw the wrong conclusion: The faster I go, the higher I’ll jump.

If you approach faster than you can control through your edge, the board starts to flatten as you send the kite.

The energy doesn’t disappear — a larger part of it simply remains horizontal.

So yes, you fly. Just far instead of high.

The goal isn’t to build maximum possible speed before takeoff. You need usable speed that you can still control through your edge.

Think about the moment when you send the kite.

The kite starts moving upward, the direction of pull changes, and your body naturally wants to follow it.

If you allow that to happen too early, your resistance disappears before you get a proper takeoff.

The sequence becomes: kite moves → you move with it → there is line tension but not enough resistance → the trajectory becomes more horizontal

A good takeoff contains a brief moment of opposition: the kite pulls — the rider resists.

Then you leave the water.

That’s why simply following the kite doesn’t create the same lift as maintaining a properly loaded edge.

It’s a small mistake with surprisingly big consequences.

You start sending the kite and automatically look up to see where it is.

Your shoulders follow your head. Your upper body comes over the board. Your edge gets weaker.

And instead of resisting the kite, you start travelling with it.

During takeoff, keep looking forward or slightly upwind, rather than up at the kite.

If the kite is already almost overhead before the jump, there isn’t much room left for an effective send.

To generate lift, you keep sending it farther back.

But now the kite can end up too far past 12 before you get a clean takeoff.

For a basic sent jump, start with the kite around 11 o’clock or 1 o’clock, rather than directly at 12.

In other words: a higher kite before takeoff ≠ a higher jump.

It isn’t only the kite’s position that matters. Its movement matters too.

The opposite problem is moving the kite very gently towards 12.

It feels like this should make the jump more controlled.

But the moving kite needs to create additional pull. If the send is too slow, you may not get enough upward impulse. You keep travelling forward while the kite gradually moves overhead.

And again: horizontal speed remains, but there isn’t much vertical lift.

For a jump, you need a positive, controlled kite send, rather than slowly drifting the kite towards 12.

But that doesn’t mean sending it as far back as possible. A faster send and a farther send are not the same thing.

If the kite continues travelling backward after it should already be creating lift, your position relative to the kite changes. This can happen because:

• you started with the kite too high;
• you held your back hand too long;
• you lost your edge;
• you looked at the kite;
• you redirected the kite forward too late.

For a controlled jump, the kite shouldn’t disappear uncontrollably far behind 12 o’clock.

This is another mistake that becomes obvious on video.

The rider anticipates takeoff and throws their body forward or upward, almost as if trying to physically jump over something.

But if your body moves over the board, the board becomes flatter.

And once again, you lose your edge and resistance.

For a basic jump, it’s more important not to try to physically launch yourself off the water too early. Maintain your riding position and resistance until the kite movement creates the lift.

No. And this distinction is important.

Even a good high jump doesn’t work like an elevator travelling perfectly vertically.

You had speed before takeoff, so some horizontal movement remains once you’re airborne. On landing, you actually point the board slightly downwind and redirect the kite forward to regain forward momentum.

So the goal isn’t: “Stop travelling forward completely.”

The goal is: Get more vertical lift while maintaining a controlled horizontal trajectory.

Video is one of the best tools for this.

Film several similar jumps from the side and don’t focus on the flight itself. Look at the last second before takeoff. Check:

1. How fast are you going?
Are you controlling the speed, or are you already going faster than you can hold through your edge?

2. Where is the kite before the send?
Does it start around 11/1, or is it already almost overhead?

3. What happens to the board during the send?
Does the edge remain engaged, or does the board flatten?

4. Where are you looking?
Forward/upwind or up at the kite?

5. When does your body start following the kite?
After loading the edge, or almost immediately when you move the bar?

6. Where does the kite go after takeoff?
Does it stay controlled above you, or travel too far behind?

Very often, a single slow-motion video is enough to see why a jump became long instead of high.

Can’t Find the Mistake in Your Video?

Send us a video of your jump and we’ll analyse your technique to show you exactly where you’re losing height — whether it’s your speed, edge, kite send, timing or body position.

You’ll get specific feedback on your jump and clear recommendations on what to work on during your next session.

Video jump analysis — €30.

Don’t try to fix everything at once.

If your jumps consistently send you far forward, start with one thing: Keep your edge during the kite send.

Do 5–10 similar jumps while focusing only on that.

Then work separately on the speed of your kite send.

After that, look at the kite’s starting position.

This makes it much easier to feel which element is actually changing your trajectory.

Only once your basic takeoff becomes repeatable should you gradually add more speed and a more aggressive kite send.

Height doesn’t come from pulling the bar harder or physically trying to jump higher.

You need the right sequence: controlled speed → solid edge → positive kite send → resistance against the pull → line tension → clean takeoff

If one of these disappears too early, more of your energy turns into forward movement.

So after another long, low jump, instead of asking: “Why didn’t the kite lift me higher?”

ask: “What happened to my edge in the second before takeoff?”

Very often, that’s where you’ll find the answer.

Once you can already jump but want to change your trajectory and add height, video becomes particularly useful. Small losses of edge or timing errors can be difficult to feel while you’re riding.

In Preá, Brazil, Kite Hub private coaching combines radio communication and video analysis. We look at your takeoff, kite position and board control, then work on one element at a time. Private kitesurfing coaching in Brazil >

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