How to fold your kitesurf kite like a boss!

Ever wondered if there is a faster and smarter way to fold your kite? Ever wondered how others can fold their kite in such a small package so fast? Here is the fastest smartest way to fold our kitesurf kite!

[@webstken]

My wife really appreciates this. It has been taking her about 15 minutes to deflate and pack my kite when I get in from a session. Only negative is there's only time for 1 beer now while waiting :(

[@bbanl]

Ken Webster Ha ha ha 😂 😂 😂 Man, I will have a serious talk with my wife. We need to re-think her matrimonial duties! 😜

[@sebastiaanhoendervangers1557]

Hi Ken, can you please upload a video of how to get your wife pack your kite? Much appreciated

[@benfilas6441]

Great tip and one that I'll definitely try with my F-One Bandits! I see this as a quick method for rolling/folding up kites after sessions knowing that I'm still going to give my kites a good wash, dry and fold once I've returned home with my gear! Thanks for taking the time to make this video!

[@kingprone7846]

this is ok and works great. the reasons most kiters fold their wings seperatley on each side (Rather than folding it halfway to begin with) is that this is the traditional method. initially kites had very flimsy material so had to be treated with the uttermost caution. The kite had to be therefore dry, clean, no salt water and then had to be pleated which you do by individually folding the kite. Now today this doesnt matter anymore but people still fold kites like that...

[@derricksmith307]

meaning new kites don't need to be washed? i wasn't aware the durability of ripstop nylon changed or what's the main fabric of new kites now?

[@davidviolet]

Thanks. Great method. And thanks to all the others for the comments

[@martinsandstrom]

Damn! Genius, gotta try this asap!

[@grandmasterflash213]

Epic kite folding there

[@scottr1210]

Amazing tip! Did it last night and the air comes out of my F Ones better! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@nunogirao8097]

I've been paking my kite this way and it's great. Now I'm trying to get a way of packing without disconnecting the lines. I roll the lines to the bar until there are just 3 or 4 meters of lines, pack the kite and roll the rest of the lines and bridles, which are now all together. You just need to be careful not to tangle the bar around the packed kite, and.. next time is just a breeze to unfold the thing :)

[@bbanl]

Nuno Girão I will try this on vacation when I go kiting every day! So far I have not been that successful as the lines often get into some sort of tangle. Funnily enough I always pack my flusurfer foils that way (there I roll the kite around the bar, which works like a dream

[@OthmaneTaky]

Thanks for sharing man! Works like a charm on my 14m

[@apriliarsvfour2029]

works great! thanks for sharing!!

[@miraclesailor]

Thank you... that is nice!

[@adamdennis2936]

Thank you for sharing this clever idea

[@webstken]

Great video. Thanks for sharing.

[@fabienh3943]

.... what the hell do I need 10min for!? :-) Cool method. Thanks for sharing this!

[@piggypiggypig1746]

I will try this next time. Thanks!

[@vikingh3008]

Great video 🤙🤙🤙

[@arthurstriker3894]

THANK YOU!

[@esnyder77]

Nothing wrong with this as most people roll their kites. But if you fold it instead of rolling it they last longer. The less you smash it up the longer the stitching and fabric last. Ive made my 09 Waroos hold up fine till present day. I've seen friends smash the crap out of their kites and wear them out in pretty good 2-3 seasons

[@bbanl]

Edmund Snyder Hi Edmund. Thx for your comment. I agree that folding is preferred. I actually don't roll but make small folds, except when I am in a hurry or when we fold up a kite in the air with 2 persons. Having said that, we use Slingshot and Ozone kites. They are very strong and I have never experienced issues with old kites due to packing abuse. Our oldest kites are just so worn out that the fabric becomes thin and soft and eventually rips in a crash.

[@esnyder77]

bbanl . Yep, the less you roll them and smash them the longer the fabric stays crispy and strong, and less prone to ripping on impact.

[@adrloch]

Thanks for the tip, where are you taking this video, looks like a great place to go.

[@bbanl]

Adrian Lochan Yes, amazing place. BGK (Barra Grande Kite camp) in Barra Grande. Lovely hotel and a fantastic kite location in the north of Brazil. Fly to Fortaleza and 6 hours taxi drive but well worth the travel.

[@bowmosexual]

Nice, basically fold it like I've been folding my foils for 10 years :) Can you also show me in 45kt, as this is super fun lol

[@bbanl]

Actually yes. that also works as the kite is small. Try folding a kite in 45 knots like most people do; first one half to the middle and then the other. Big chance of getting into trouble. It’s actually most tricky with a big kite which you fold after the wind picks up. Then you need to be careful that the kite doesn’t catch wind when you start folding the tips.

[@rainbowtrout9743]

brill vid thanks james the noob kitesurfer

[@lasseb2268]

Nice vid mate i am going to try it with my Cores;)

[@bbanl]

Lasse devil Should work like a dream. 😃 Shape a bit like the Ozone Edge.

[@helipilot727]

only for a one pump... dont like one pump myself but great idea

[@Kitearmy]

I thought this video was going to be a waste of time....nope! Great tip.

[@saarmegides1474]

How do you get the air so fast from all of the struts? I always need to wait and push so hard to get it out

[@bbanl]

Depends per kite. With Slingshot the air comes out really easily. WIth Ozone Edge kites the middle strut is always an issue as the tube folds double. Just make sure the tube that connects to the strut is not folded if your kite has that issue

[@jerder7068]

i tryed it out at my last Kitetrip and for me was one Problem left : the air doesnt get out of the struts => the kite is very big (cant have 2 Kites in one bag =/ ) so do you have a solution or tip how to solv this ?

[@bbanl]

JERDER hi, yes, with some kites the tubes connecting the struts to the leading edge are rather long, creating this issue. In my experience Slingshot RPM'S always deflate but the center strut of my Ozone Edges usually don't deflate right away. At the end when folding the kite in 3, I put my hand in between the kite and find the tube just under the leading edge and pull it a bit to one side do that the fold in the tube gets removed and the air can come out. The package is then super small (see video) and we can easily fit 2 or even 3 kites in 1 kitebag. The smallest package you get if you start folding really small folds of 10 to 15 cm. Give it a try!

[@jerder7068]

thanks i will try it next Kite-session

[@unihenke8913]

take your time and wait a few seconds before rolling up the kite. The bladder, the fabric etc. does not work well to put all your body weight on.

[@bbanl]

unihenke yes, fair point. You don't need to put your weight on it. Just us being inpatient 😜

[@bbanl]

unihenke yes, fair point. You don't need to put your weight on it. Just us being inpatient 😜

[@airwolf7742]

This wouldn't work out too well on a north kite, where the deflate valve is on one of the wing tips. I don't know why they did that. Such a pain to fold even traditional

[@bbanl]

Sean B. What a Bummer! Hmm, maybe time to test a different brand. I love my high performance Ozone Edge and my son is a big fan of Slingshot RPM for unhooked tricks. The new Slingshot Wave SST is super for wave riding. Two great brands, just like North by the way.

[@airwolf7742]

Will work on my other kites though! Nice tip!

[@martinaune]

Sean: The trick with the north kites is to roll them from one side to the other, the thing to keep in mind is to roll it so the trailing edge is "straight". If you roll it so the leading edge is "straight" like a traditional kite with the valve in the middle, the battens will make it hard to pack it small. But follow trailing edge and you are good :) Its fast end easy when u get the hang of it.

[@BeyondImmortalEU]

a great way to ruin all your valves on the kite (one pump and inflate) is to put all ur weight on it like that. ur bending all the valves and pushing the kite fabric into some hard plastics on ur kite. i dont get why ppl like to pack their kites so tight, the bag is big enough to not have to do that. so why?

[@peteandalie]

^ there's always this guy.

[@florissinepari2372]

My guess is that sand on a beach will give in so the damage is likely zero change. Just don't do it if you're sceptic. I have Zian kites with deflate on the edge. That's a no go I suppose?

[@strekke1986]

where is this spot?

[@bbanl]

strekke1986 here is the exact location: Dropped Pin near R. Tremembé, 205, Cajueiro da Praia - PI, 64222-000, Brazil maps.google.com/?q=-2.908378,-41.409605&hl=en-NL&gl=nl It's a great spot for kitesurfing! Flat water heaven and a great lagoon.

[@gergelysimon6698]

fckn works :) thx

[@Nilz4FR]

Ever tried that with a 17qm XR4?

[@bbanl]

Nilz4FR a what? I definitely did it with a 17 meter kite (Blade Fat Lady) but don't know what a XR4 is.

[@Nilz4FR]

CORE! The best LW kite!

[@bbanl]

Nilz4FR Ahh Yes! I actually helped a guy on the beach in Tarifa fold all his Core kites :-)

[@bbanl]

Nilz4FR on a different topic, best light wind kites are Foil kites ;-). My Sonic2 15M is a beast!

[@kearnuphoenix668]

Seems like the obvious method... How do other people do it?

[@neuronflow]

the valve is still open and can potentially pierce the canopy.

[@bbanl]

meow fair point for some kites. With Ozone kites the (open) valve is covered with a protective neoprene cover. Slingshot kites have a separate deflate valve which is made of soft material without hard edges so no worries there either.

[@neuronflow]

I have a zephyr myself. One needs to make use of that cover ;) I also recommend to close the valve after deflating to avoid sand and other debris getting into the bladder.

[@bbanl]

meow Agee!

[@neuronflow]

Also sitting on the kite and pressing its hard parts and the ground underneath into the canopy is not beneficial for a kite's durability ;) No offense sir, just trying to give feedback to your folding methods.

[@bbanl]

meow Hey, no offense taken! 😀 All comments are welcome so everybody can decide for themselves what suits them the best. I agree that we like to pack tightly and squeeze the air out by pressing down. I have never experienced issues caused by this but I know some people handle their kite with a lot of care. Also they can profit from folding the kite double and take a bit more time to gently let the air come out of the kite.

[@wolfkiting4449]

Also it's not wise to eject the air from your kite so fast. Let the air out slowly

[@bbanl]

Kristian Wolf Never experienced any issue but no harm to warn people that this could cause a problem with (some?) kites. I definitely let the air out slow with foil kites but they are much more sensitive than the bomb proof Slingshot kites.

[@anthonylanden6552]

This may only be applicable in light to moderate wind... and still personally would fold up not any slower than shown in this video starting from each end. With big inflation valves these days, folding is a breeze. Should not take longer than 1 minute. And yes, one should not pack the kite tight. Kite needs to breathe whilst being in a bag. Folding it so neatly does not make any sense or has any benefits (apart from taking less space, which I understand if one is preparing for a trip on plane for example).

[@bbanl]

You obviously haven't tried. We fold this way for over 14 years now. Also in gale force winds of 40-50 knots. But then with smaller kites although my son uses his 9m in those winds to get up high and that works also fine if you know how. Obviously we don't always fold the kites as tight but on a 12 day downwinder when I pack 7 kites space counts. By the way, this method works like a charm in rainy conditions when your kite is wet and you want to pack it sand free: one person deflated the kite the other holds one tip. The person who deflated the kite folds the top tip downwind on top of the other tip so the person holding the lower tip can grab it. That person starts folding or rolling the kite along the leading edge without the kite touching the sand until he reaches the other person. Then he grabs the trailing ege en folds it 3x. This also works in 50 knots 😁

[@anthonylanden6552]

@@bbanl Yes, I certainly have not tried. But unless you kite with somebody, I won't dare ask other people to fold my kite.... However this would be a good show to wathc in +35knots conditions. (I would prefer watching though). It would not make any harm to make similar/same video once the wind is very strong and share with us all.

[@bbanl]

@@anthonylanden6552 haha, yes, I might make that video

[@wolfkiting4449]

I don't want this to come off negative. I know you are trying to help. But my issue is with how your son put all his weight on the kite. There is no way that kite doesn't have several pinholes in the canopy. Just lay under your kite on a sunny day and count how many you have. Thanks for trying to be helpful but many Kiter's will damage their kites if they follow your lead

[@hamishptwc7253]

then whats a better way? do you recommend rolling it instead?

[@bbanl]

Kristian Wolf no offense taken. Thx for sharing. No holes in our kite but it's a good idea to warn people not to press down too hard on the kite. The technique is still faster even if you let the air out slower and don't press down too hard. Cheers!

[@nunogirao8097]

I've been doing the same kind of pressure over sand (or even more) in all my kites and I don't have pinholes. The sand in my usual beach is very thin. Maybe in more rough sands it gets a problem. I also compare with other «gentle wrappers» and I don't see any difference. I believe the wind and sun beating a kite on the ground hurts much more the fabric than your folding pressure.

[@bbanl]

Agree. Not an issue but if people want to be extra careful I will not discourage them. :)

[@49ersailingteamhuckebartz47]

like a random

[@shantrala6609]

So 2009. Common sense.

[@bbanl]

shantra la Yes, indeed doing it since 2007 but take a look on the beach how 98% of kiters fold their gear...

[@JavierJimenezPacheco]

You are a crack man !!!

[@Vladishit_Putler]

except you need 2 people...

[@bbanl]

You obviously didn't watch the video. Only if you want to fold it above the sand you need 2 persons.

[@platriercube]

roll kite is not good for kite

[@fujimatosa]

So, how you put it in the bag, without rolling?

[@sebastianag2966]

@@fujimatosa folding

[@JoshSmeda]

@@fujimatosa rolling can potentially damage the tubes by twisting. Folding via small folds is better.