Pulling off the DARKSLIDE // SA Masterclass

The magic Darkslide. It's a trick that so many people love to do and see in kiteboarding. Now it's time for you to do it!
Feel free to take screenshots from the overview and if you have any questions or comments just drop them below!
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Filming: José Denis-Robichaud
Recommended kite: corekites.com/us/kites/XR6
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[@MarianHund]

Pretty cool!

[@greggunninghamkite1079]

Great to see you in OBX!!! You make the darkslides look super easy and you are so inspiring!!!! Thanks for making these videos :DDDD

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Thanks so much! Was nice meeting you in the OBX, maybe see you there again next year!

[@fromzton]

Hi Steven. Good tutorials. Thank you for the work. One thing that helps me as a beginner with such tutorials, is showing failed attempts and explaining why they failed. Seeing the failures and then seeing the correct version, makes an instant comparison and burns into memory before hitting the water. Thanks again. Keep the content coming.

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Thanks for the message Zoran. I totally agree, seeing failed attempts always helps a lot. Unfortunately I'm not always able to include these moves, but I'll try.

[@NN-ms3dv]

Wow you have some of the best if not the best tutorials out there. Appreciate your efforts and patient explanations!

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Glad you like them and thanks for the compliment!

[@chuanmeis]

Nice tutorials ! I m gonna try my dark slide with all these tricks. We’ll see then 😆

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Thanks! Enjoy the session and I hope it works out!

[@LuigiSimoncini]

short and to the point but clearly and exhaustively explained, technically impeccable, no stupid music or background noise covering the voice, clean video edits... LIKED & SUBSCRIBED!

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Awesome to hear man! Happy that you enjoy videos that I enjoy as well. I'll keep them coming!

[@exumakitesurfing1]

SAME ...

[@a.lame.username.]

Mint! Thank You!!!

[@stevenakkersdijk]

You're welcome!

[@rhondareyna3219]

We finally got some good wind today and the smoke cleared a bit here in Northern California, what a treat! I don't know what mojo you gave me from these videos but I did the best dark slide of my life. Rode into the beach on a small wave and pulled a darkslide with a nose grab (never done that before) right towards my friend who stood staring with his jaw nearly dropping open. It felt awesome and judging by the look on his face, it was. Was like I'd been doing that forever and it felt super stylish. So cool! Glad I made the most of the confinement from California smoke to binge on tutorials some more and that I had an opportunity to try it. I'd like to see a video on the front roll. One of my friends tells me they are gnarly to learn so if you could break that one down to learn safely, that would be great.

[@stevenakkersdijk]

This is sooooo awesome to hear! It really puts a smile on my face to read messages like this! I'll try and get some footage shot in the upcoming time and the frontroll is on there for sure. They're not that gnarly to learn, but there is a few key facts that will help you a lot.

[@jefverbeelen9026]

Great tutorials Steven. I have looked at a lot of youtube videos but yours are top notch 👍

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Thanks Jef! Much appreciated!

[@rhondareyna3219]

I'm loving your videos. Easy to understand, nice photography and great notes provided. Thank you!

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Awesome, thanks for that comment. Happy you enjoy it

[@shanetaylor9833]

Great video Steven!! I am always trying to boost as high as possible so I'm kind of a "one trick pony" so this will be my next trick to work on!! BTW we miss seeing your skills in Squamish... Hopefully we don't lose our access to the spit and get to see you at another KiteClash!! Otherwise hopefully see ya in Capetown!!

[@stevenakkersdijk]

If you love boosting you'll really enjoy this trick as well. I hope to pass by in Squamish this year, its on the list, just need to see if it works with Covid.

[@IanDuijff]

Nice tutorial! Love to see more of these

[@stevenakkersdijk]

They're currently in the making. Looking at publishing one every Thursday. Should be a mix of tutorials and kiting know how.

[@Mike-ms6he]

Amazing- subscribed. Thanks

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Thanks for the sub!

[@EugeneK88freeride]

Damn, it's stylish! 🤘

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Thanks! Always trying to keep it that way

[@ymkevantrijp8401]

Jaa deze helpt!! Thnx

[@ride_the_wind]

Superduidelijk! Thx man

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Top! Mooi om te horen. En graag gedaan natuurlijk.

[@nickkiting4937]

best tutorials out there

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Thanks 🙌

[@ericolsen9819]

Way helpful, nice tutorials. Love the clock kite position indicator. Thank you! Where is everybody? So few subscribers and thumbs. Bummer, but I'm sure they're coming 'round.

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Good question 😅 I think they'll start coming around. Just need to keep the content rolling. Have some new stuff coming out in the next week. Thanks for your support!

[@MrVejavaikis]

Just started to learn this amazing trick! Your tutorial is just fantastic 👍 thanks!!!

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Awesome man! I'm happy that you managed 🙌

[@MrVejavaikis]

@@stevenakkersdijk I made it 👍 thanks to you too 👍

[@LiquidForceKiteboarding]

Nice one!

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Thanks so much!

[@LeonyXimenes]

you teach very well

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Thank you!

[@cristianohaddock3690]

Good explaination.

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Thank you!

[@mohizzle]

Landed this for the first time today. Light wind made it easy to do the loop without getting launched.

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Awesome! The lighter winds help for sure, big kites often make tricks more relaxed as steering mistakes are made less fast

[@PierreMartin8]

Thanks! I would like to get the same for a front roll please! Hello from Amqui, Qc :)

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Frontroll, noted ;-) Hope you get some good conditions at your homespot soon! Guess there is still snow at the moment

[@VK-pl1nd]

if you follow the tutorial in this video, most likely you will smash yourself with the loop few times and will think that this trick is really for pros only. but the secret of darkslide is that it is easier, than it looks like, but you need follow 3 basic steps to prepare for it: 1) you need to begin with the the exercise: edge like before jump (but not too fast), and steer the kite very slow 5-10 seconds from 10 to 12 and when you will fill the start of the power that lifts you - lay forwards and stretch your legs. the result will be kind of belly-drag :) - don't go over 12, steer the kite forward, it should pull you to direction you were riding!!! 2) after playing with belly-drag 5-10 times, adjust your edging speed and speed of the kite and try just to strike the water with the end of your board and pull you up with the bar when the kite will be at 12 - don't go over 12, steer the kite forward again, it should pull you to direction you were riding!!! (like a normal jump). don't forget to flip your front knee ;) do 10-20 of this strike and sliding "jumps" 3) play with the timings and as your strike will prolong into slide you will face the fact, that you want the kite to pass 12 to make slide longer, but you have no possibility to move kite forward again to get the power to lift you up and continue movement. and you will absolutely naturally want to pool the loop down to get that power! but just not forget to point the board and body position to go downwind and steer the kite aggressively to make the radius of the loop smaller and finish the loop! don't afraid to do the loop, as the kite already has no power to make the speed or height bigger. if you want to prepare in some way for the loop, try to do downloops and downloop transitions first. that's it! I've started to do the darkslide even before the normal backroll!

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Thanks for the detailed description 🤙 Stoked you got it!

[@jaydenschuurman9130]

nice video

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Thanks man! Happy you liked it 🤗

[@renatomiraglia7783]

Super good explanation! Would be great to know about your megaloops®️🦅 🤯Thanks for doing the sport more accessible.. Good luck in KOTA 🤙

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Thanks a lot man! I'm in the perfect place right now to start filming some how to on the loops. Even an advanced one on how to get your kite low 🚀

[@Witjes]

@@stevenakkersdijk Please also make sure to cover rotations in loops. A lot of (mega)loop videos out there but non covering when and how to make/start that rotation! Thanks

[@stevenakkersdijk]

@@Witjes I'll look in to that for sure 🤗

[@kitingholger9826]

Nice one! Good luck at KOTA🏄🏽‍♂️🚀

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Thanks a lot! Will pull some big ones!

[@kitingholger9826]

Looking forward to it! 🏄🏽‍♂️🦅BTW: I was in Workum last week ..🏄🏽‍♂️☀️⛄️ sending greetings 🏄🏽‍♂️😄

[@The667brzust]

Hi, love the tutorial, I am aware that the best kite would be a delta shape (xr-like), but what about a c hybrids like (gts)? Do you think its doable ?

[@stevenakkersdijk]

It is for sure! Used to do and still do loads of them on the GTS. The big difference is that you'll need to be more precise with the steering as you don't have as much control over the power with the bar.

[@slavatsv7431]

Thanks! Nice tutorial! What your weight and what is the size of the board? My weight is 86-88 kg. What size can you advise me?

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Thanks! It always depends a lot on your style and preference. The board I'm riding in this video is a 140x42,5 When I go out for big air it's slightly on the big size, but I love it for the stable landings. Think a board this size would be good for you as well. I'm 85kg

[@tommasolorenzodamico5585]

Nice tutorial. Next trick frontroll transition kiteloop

[@stevenakkersdijk]

That would be a good one!

[@willowsurfs]

So dope! I wanna know how to jump hiiiiigh 😍

[@stevenakkersdijk]

I think you're already able to. But there is definitely a video coming out on high jumps. Just need to figure out how I get high myself first ;-)

[@shannonpitts8022]

Steven put out this video on how to Jump High, which I think is one of the best, most accurate videos on the topic: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oICVl4Z9mKaCha8

[@Blubba36]

Nice one... Would be nice 2 see some board-offs!

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Noted! Will start working on those asap Actually really enjoying them lately

[@KITEFORUMcom]

@@stevenakkersdijk nice to hear ;-)

[@shannonpitts8022]

@@KITEFORUMcom Ask and Steven delivers some solid board-off counsel kzbin.info/www/bejne/eHqThXqfmc-kmZo

[@robmacintyre3020]

Great tutorial thanks, love to have a video that clearly explains how to use loops and multiple loops to come down from big jumps safely, timing, kite position, bar in/out and how hard to pull

[@stevenakkersdijk]

That one is on the list! Especially as I'm in Capetown it will be a must for me to film.

[@brvandenbussche]

@@stevenakkersdijk can't wait for that one!

[@Symbiiot]

seconded great tutorials!!! please do this video mentioned above

[@ramonvanderroest1232]

Vette tutorial man! Zou je de inverted backroll op eenzelfde manier willen uitleggen? De variant waarbij je toeside landt. Zag 'm laatst bij Schellinkhout maar kan er online geen goeie how to over vinden. Zou epic zijn als je deze wil uitleggen 🤙🏽

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Yes ik zal hem op het lijstje zetten. Moet er wel een keer wind voor hebben 😅

[@ramonvanderroest1232]

@@stevenakkersdijk Yeahhh tof man! Klinkt trouwens alsof je nu ook in Nederland zit

[@danyosen]

- positive feedback - !

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Thanks! Always good ot hear

[@Schnuffilein1000]

Please explain how to Jump with a Kiteloop

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Will be there soon!

[@Alex_Kuzmin]

Next trick: Jesus Walk

[@stevenakkersdijk]

I better start practising for that one again! Used to do them quite often a long time ago, but not so much any more. I'll put it on the list.