Unlike beginner lessons, Big Air coaching is built around your own gear. Here is why, and what to bring.
Why bring your own gear to advanced coaching?
Since the sessions focus on refinement, it is better to bring your own kite and bar. It builds your reference points and your reflexes on your own gear, which directly speeds up your progress — a luxury you cannot afford as a beginner, but essential once you have the level.
Helmet: why it is essential
If you are aiming at board-offs, or if you ever have to kick the board away before a hard landing, you had better be well protected. At this level of commitment, a helmet is no longer optional.
Impact vest: why it is essential
The higher you go and the more rotations and variations you attempt, the greater the risk of landing off balance. An impact vest protects your ribs and adds a far from negligible amount of buoyancy after a missed landing.
What kite size for Big Air in strong wind?
In strong wind, a smaller kite stays controllable while still giving the power to get high. That is the opposite of the beginner's instinct, which often equates "more wind" with "more uncontrollable risk" — in Big Air, a kite correctly sized for the day's wind is precisely what keeps you in charge of your line. In Leucate, sizes from 9 down to 6 are the most used, covering a range from 25 to 35 knots and above.
Board: think about the landings
A high-performance board, with well-adjusted bindings, gives you more grip and more control than beginner gear, which is built for ease of use rather than performance.
Not got the right gear yet?
Let's talk about it before your first coaching session — the wrong kite, harness or board can hold your progress back far more than any lack of technique.
Further reading
Tramontane in Leucate: ideal conditions for Big Air