|
|
|
Tip #12 Footstraps and Stance |
|
|
|
|
Footstraps and Stance are important to kiting and as such some consideration and time spent getting it right will pay dividends in your riding ability. With footstraps, there are so many really good footstraps available on the market now that there really is no excuse for having uncomfortable poor fitting straps. The "Flying Objects" or "Dakine" footstraps are molded, comfortable, and infinitely adjustable to fit every foot and they can be adjusted for tightness in seconds on the beach without tools. Adjust the straps to pinch in on the sides of your feet rather than making them wide and really tight across the top of your foot, this makes them easier to get on, makes they stay on with less effort, and they are more comfortable. A slightly "toe out" or "duck" stance is preferred by most riders and allows the knees to bend without twisting. Most people stand with a little "duck" so take a normal relaxed stance and notice the angle your feet are naturally, this should be pretty much the same for when you are riding. For stance width, the width of your shoulders is about where you should place the inside of the footstraps if you have multiple footstrap insert positions. I.e., the screws on the end of the strap closest to the board should be at least shoulder width apart. Some people like an even wider stance and this should be experimented with to suit your style. A wider stance is better for freestyle tricks as it gives you a wider stance for better balance on landings. Correct stance can make a massive difference to your riding ability so it is worth playing around with it.
|
|
Last Updated ( Saturday, 25 July 2009 )
|
|
