This tutorial explains the kiteboarding butter slide.
The trick uses fairly simple kite control.
Start with the kite low.
Steer the kite up very slowly.
Around 45 degrees initiate the slide.
Keep steering up and gradually pull in the bar to help support your weight.
When you loose speed, steer the kite back down.
Let’s look a little closer at the technique.
For practice make your first attempts at low speed.
The slide will be short but it’s the safest way to practice.
To slide further, however, you do need to begin with more speed.
Begin with the kite low.
Then, steer the kite up slowly.
You steer with the original back hand so the front arm can swing behind you, followed by
your chest, to switch stance.
As you switch slide around on your heels then start shifting weight onto your new back foot.
Tuck in the new back leg, and extend the front, to angle the board so it skims over the water.
Tilt your upper body back and reach for the water.
This drops your weight into the harness.
At the same time, gradually pull in the bar to support your weight and continue the slide.
When you loose speed, reach for the bar, switch back to heelside and steer the kite down to
regain speed.
Let’s look at a butter slide riding the other way.
Because we’re using a kiteboard with fins, as most people will be, it’s important that
the tip of the board lines up with the direction you are moving.
If you aim the board further downwind during the slide, the fins will drag a lot as they
move sideways across the water.
If you have no fins, or a highly-rockered wake-style board, then you could slide with
the board at this angle.
You might also cause extra drag if you do not tuck in the new back leg.
With the back leg extended the board will not slide smoothly.
Whereas, with one leg tucked and one extended, you can skim over the water.
Another easy mistake to make, is steering the kite up too quickly.
This may lift your weight so much that you loose contact with the surface.
Another potential issue is starting the slide too late.
If you slide as the kite is reaching 12, the kite won’t pull you sideways and the slide
will be very short.
This is good for practice, as the kite holds more of your weight near 12, and you can slide
with less strain and speed.
However, to slide further you will gradually need to start using more speed, and attempt
the slide before the kite gets too high.
Good luck learning butter slides and thanks for watching.