Stinkbug Start & Rodeo Stinkbug - to wingfoil on lower-volume boards, or in more choppy conditions.

This guide explains stinkbug starts. This simple start will help you get wing foiling on smaller boards or in more choppy conditions. The tutorial includes: 0:00 Intro to stinkbugs
1:01 Stinkbug walkthrough
3:13 Stinkbug mistakes
4:22 Rodeo stinkbug walkthrough
5:45 Benefits of rodeo version

[@asquared01]

I recently started using a DW-style wing board - it's 18 inches wide, 85 litres and 5'10" long. Initially I use the standard stinkbug start (which has served me well for the last couple of seasons using my 60 L 5' board.) I struggled with the mechanics on the new DW-style board until quite by accident I watched this video which reminded me of the rodeo-style variant of the stinkbiug start. I tried it today and it made the world of difference. That variant of the start makes the DW wing board start effortless. At only 18 inches wide stradding and bringing the feet and legs into position is no effort at all. Thanks for a terrific tutorial.

[@jacobstr]

Hey Arthur, fancy seeing you here.

[@asquared01]

Hi Jacob - small world hey!

[@leonardodausa3963]

...you guys are phenomenal...thank you for everything you do...so helpful...so precise and simple...all the best... leonardo

[@kountchev1]

it sums up almost all variations on the internet. helpful!simply put.

[@petercook7798]

Great video. I really appreciate the wind direction indicators.

[@skimannz]

Great instructional video thanks. One point I found is if the wind is strong you can sometimes catch the clue of the wing when lifting it. I found its important to lift the wing up and forward into the wind to reduce the likelihood of this happening.

[@ernestjohnbertillsonolaffs6461]

Great video, complete and exhaustive

[@jamalschott5547]

Thank you for the tips!

[@wingfoilrentals]

Best tutorial out there ❤

[@kitesurfcollege]

Thanks so much, hope it helps people

[@robinlange93]

My 3rd try Wingfoiling was on a 40L kitefoilboard, 3 years ago, and I figured out a rodeo start myself. It was tough, but I had a lot of kitefoil experience. Anyway it is possible to do a rodeo start without getting into stinkbug position, I mean standing up without letting go of the wing above, just by sliding the feet over the edge onto the board and then doing a little jump to get the knees on the board. Helps to pump the wing down which lifts you up for a moment. Probably a bit harder to learn and you have to be quick and precise with the jump on the knees, but it's the fastest way to stand up, nessesary when in big swell and you need to get going before the next wave.

[@kayho5262]

Excellent video with step by steps explanation, i am going to give this a trial. thanks.

[@floridafoilers]

Excellent instruction, nice work and thank you for sharing 👏🔥

[@vikingkitesurfacademyschoo8054]

Excellent tutorial, thank you

[@rayglynn2589]

Thanks lads, really useful. I haven't tried this much as i have a neutral volume board to my weight but next board is gonna be -20l so these tips will really help with learning to get that going 👍

[@kitesurfcollege]

Cheers Ray, I hope this helps. I found the rodeo stinkbug technique the best for getting up (almost) everytime on mid-size boards as there's so little time for a wave to catch your wing or roll you over.

[@mattstockton2433]

Thanks heaps, so quick and easy to follow

[@kitesurfcollege]

Cheers Matt

[@kit3cut]

Hello Alex, I started wingfoiling 5 months ago and your videos have helped me a lot to get better! You are actually my teacher;) I can now do every other jibe. Unfortunately, the elbows on my wetsuit got a hole from being pulled up over both arms. I'm currently looking for a new method to get on the board. Do you also have problems with your elbows on the wetsuit with your method of pulling yourself onto the board? Greetings from Germany, Alex.

[@wildhogget69]

Very good information, I sought of combine the two by error, but it works. But Always in heavy chop which is quite difficult for me, sometimes the swell knocks me off. 🤣

[@skreebop]

Woo-hoo! Thanks for this! I just switched to a smaller, narrower board and it feels like riding a bar of soap. I've been slowly figuring out a technique to get standing but I lose a lot to downwind movement while fussing with wing placement and dealing with chop. Exhausting and frustrating to say the least. These look like a lifesaver!

[@kitesurfcollege]

Good luck with the smaller board. I remember how exhausting it was trying to figure out starting a mid-size board in a rough ocean, trying and failing different techniques. When I finally got up I was often so tired I just mowed to lawn to avoid falling and having to water start again. Now I use the rodeo stinkbug, I can have more fun on the water (and not worry about falling) as it's a reliable start that doesn't use too much energy.

[@skreebop]

@@kitesurfcollege Yes, that sounds exactly what I've been going through. My wing spot when there's decent wind = waves. Fun once you're going, bad news when you're learning. I'm stoked to incorporate the stinkbug to minimize the learning-curve torture that I'm currently dealing with.

[@skreebop]

just a follow up because why not. This technique is working great. I do find that I'm most successful when I'm asymmetric as I get to a kneeling position. My weight is still over the center of the board but I have my knee far forward heel-side and correspondingly my rear knee is back toe side. Then raise the wing and let the wind do its job. Works more often than not, even in swells.

[@maca5645]

Perfect vid, thx!.

[@becarefoil]

Such a great video!!!

[@kitesurfcollege]

Thanks so much Iñigo

[@Donkytom]

Helpful, thank you!

[@kitesurfcollege]

My pleasure

[@carlossaez3586]

excellent.

[@JeffreyJDavis]

Useful video guys,a bit more thorough and detailed than many of the other stinkbug vids out there. Any specific tips regarding stinkbug with a boomed wing (I also fly Duotone Slick SLS 5.0 and 7.0). The first time I tried it on this wing I struggled a bit but I was trying to push up with my hands both on the boom. Upon watching the Slick SLS portions of this vid again, it seems you are using front ELBOW and maybe rear HAND (not on boom) to push up to knees? Or is it both hands on boom but pushing up with both ELBOWS? What combo works best for the push up to knees when you are using a boom?

[@kitesurfcollege]

Hello Jeffrey, and thankyou. It's like you said first " it seems you are using front ELBOW and maybe rear HAND (not on boom) to push up to knees". That is correct. Not placing the back hand on the boom (until you raise the wing) plus aiming the nose of the board slightly downwind (as shown in the video) helps a lot with both larger wings and boomed wings, since it keeps the boom or strut out of your way and reduces the chance of the wing flipping or catching the water (since the wing is free to move a bit with the wind and waves). I tested lots of variations of the stinkbug and found the version shown in the video to be most reliable overall across a range of conditions and equipment.

[@JeffreyJDavis]

@@kitesurfcollege thanks! Yesterday (7m Slick SLS) I was struggling with the clew / trailing edge catching the water and then basically sheeting in / powering up the kite before I could get up. I'll focus on bearing off 45 degrees next sesh.

[@MatanShapira]

I keep my hands pumping the wing in rodeo and dont use them for climbing the board, requires some flexibility in the hip

[@Wightkitesurfer]

Can’t you just let the wing pull you straight up from the sitting straddle position, if the wind is strong? (Just started winging)

[@DS-go8mn]

What is the volume on that board?

[@juniorjoao666]

Porque não há legenda em português? Há alguma maneira de conseguir?

[@strekke1986]

We just started (5 sessions in) on a +20L board compared to weight, and I must say it is soooo difficult to crawl and then stay on that damn board without getting bucked off. You need depth for the foil, and wind for the wing, but depth+wind = heavy chop at my spot. Really frustrating because I am an advanced kitefoiler and am pretty sure that once I get on foil with the wing I will be zooming around without issue. But right now, just even getting and staying on the board in the first place is a nightmare in the chop. Will try this method next time, but if you have any other tips, please let me know!

[@kitesurfcollege]

In those conditions the stinkbug is what you will eventually need. If you're still at the stage of struggling to start your wing foil gear, however, choppy conditions are a real challenge. You will crack it eventually but the conditions will slow you down in the early stages. I would say it's well worth the effort/time/money to go find some flat water at first. Once you train the basics on flat water (and reach the point you can get up and take off quickly) then you'll start to find it's not too challenging to apply those skills in choppy conditions. Good luck and all the best, Alex

[@strekke1986]

@@kitesurfcollege Thanks for the feedback. Managed to get up and on foil 3 times today, with some very long rides. Your method definitely helped. Some findings that might help others: - make sure you're powered enough. You wanna get up to speed asap to stabilize and good wind will help you significantly. A powered wing held above your head will also make it easier to transition from knees to feet - don't mess around on your knees under the wing: get up from the stinkbug position in 1 go ASAP, catch wind in your wing to get some momentum, and get on your feet ASAP. Much more stable when the wing is pulling you, and again more stable when up on your feet - practice the pumping of the wing a few times on the beach so you know what to do once you're standing up and need to pick up speed to get on foil. Another vid that really helped me perfect this stinkbug method is this one kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmGqiIxrpr9se7c , starting at 2:45

[@matteofranceschi3581]

Hi Alex, Would you recommend learning taxing in rodeo style even for kitefoiling beginners or the harness is too bulky to allow that?

[@kitesurfcollege]

Hi Matteo, for kitefoiling this won't help with taxiing, dealing with waves or waterstarting more quickly - since the kite can get you standing quickly then you have more control while standing. However, rodeo taxiing is one route to learning to sit on your foil board while foiling (i.e. you can start sitting on your kite foil board and then take off) but I'd say it's easier to start foiling and standing then learn to drop into a seated position - so basically rodeo taxiing is not too helpful for kite foiling.

[@ericfernand]

What do you think is the minimum volume to weight ratio for this technique? 10L less than bodyweight in kg? equal L to kg? Thanks.

[@kitesurfcollege]

Hello Eric. In this example the board is 85L and I'm 88kg, but you can go much lower. I've tried this on a friends self-made 50L in choppy conditions, and that was easy no different to using the 85L really, just need to be spot on where you crouch. In flat water I could probably do this with a 45l board. My other board at the moment is an 18L and the stinkbug does not work on that.

[@NeuralEngin33r]

why is it called the stink bug though?

[@Houseforest]

What is the riders weight and board volume? Seems to be not really low volume?!

[@kitesurfcollege]

Hi, I'm 88kg and the board is 85L, so roughly neutral buoyancy - but you can easily stinkbug with much less volume without any change in technique.

[@IINoisesII]

how many liter has the blue board?

[@kitesurfcollege]

Hi, that's an 85 liter carbon board (a sky wing team edition). That's my general purpose board. It's got enough volume to limp home if the wind dies, and it's light-weight enough to swing around on waves or do some aerial rotations etc. My other board is a full sinker (18L) but that needs a LOT of wind and doesn't get used much.

[@jip2971]

show us on choppy conditions..

[@Zirkiziod7]

What vol board are you using??

[@kitesurfcollege]

Hi Dirk, I'm using an 85l for that demo and I weigh about 85kg or a bit more if you include the wet wetsuit

[@martinomovies]

Rodeo start needs a skinny board and a flexible crotch!

[@kitesurfcollege]

haha, some warming up or yoga may be required