Toeside is the skill that turns a rider into a proper kiter. Once you can hold upwind and cruise in control, this is the next thing worth chasing.

On a surfboard it is not optional. Without it you can only ride waves half the time, so heel to toe becomes essential the moment you leave your twin tip.

It also kills the uncool sit-in-the-water transition and gives you far cleaner ways to change direction.

If you have snowboarded or wakeboarded it may click faster, but nobody is born with it. Expect five metres before you stack, then ten, then aching knees because you cannot stop.

"When you first come round toeside it feels like walking a tightrope. Give it a few sessions and it turns into the most natural thing you do on the water."

Pick the day

Flat water is your best friend here. Shelter behind a breakwater is ideal, or ride the glassy inside once the waves have broken.

Steady wind matters more than usual. Balanced on that new edge, a gust will knock you straight off, so save this for a clean, consistent breeze.

Be properly powered up. Underpowered, you just sink when you come round. If you are torn between your 9 and your 12, rig the 12 today.

Work through the turn

Set the kite high, around ten or eleven o'clock. Sitting up in the window gives you a touch of lift that makes turning the board through 180 degrees easier.

Eye up your spot before you commit. If it is choppy, aim to turn off the top of a piece of chop so you are less likely to catch an edge on the way round.

Start shifting your weight forward. Your back foot is about to swap, so prepare for the change before you move rather than halfway through it.

Step the board round quickly. This is the tricky part and it happens fast. Move your back foot sharply so the board swings through the full 180 degrees.

Turn your shoulders to follow your feet. It feels wrong facing the new way, so forget where the kite pulls and get your body square over the board.

Load your new back foot. The pressure has changed sides, so consciously drive your weight through the foot that is now behind you.

Power the kite back up. You always bleed some power in the swap, so give the bar a pull or dive the kite gently to keep driving forward.

Drop the front hand once you feel settled. Bringing it round in front twists your body naturally into position and makes toeside far more comfortable and stylish.

When it goes wrong

Catching an edge at 45 degrees? Kiteboard fins make the turn harder than a snowboard. Lift the tail of the board round rather than dragging it, and let the nose stay light.

Nose sinks the moment you come round? Your weight has not moved across yet. Keep it over the foot still in the water as the tail swings, and hold your new front leg bent.

Board just stops and sinks? That is a power problem, not a technique one. Carry more speed into the move, execute it fast, and power the kite as you exit.

Toeside feels painfully slow? You are digging the back foot in and stalling the board. Ease your weight forward until you feel it release and pick up speed.

The whole thing feels unnatural? It is meant to. Open your hips forward, rotate your shoulders, and drop that front arm to settle everything into place.

Where to take it next

Toe to heelside transition. Come in with speed, turn the kite then the board, and dig the heelside edge hard to kick up spray before you power away.

Ollie 180. Once the dynamics feel familiar, pop into the turn by loading your edge and letting the kite lift you. It is the base for loads of tricks.

Heel to toe off a wave. Use a broken or unbroken wave as a ramp, send the board up, and rotate in the air ready to set up your next frontside turn.

Questions & Answers

What does toeside actually mean? It means riding with your toes pointing away from the kite and your heels toward it, the opposite of your normal heelside stance. Your weight and edge pressure swap sides, which is why it feels so foreign for the first few sessions before it becomes automatic.

Why do I keep sinking as soon as I come round? Almost always power or weight. You either carried too little speed into the turn, or you never transferred your weight onto the new back foot. Rig powered up, keep speed on entry, and consciously load the rear foot as the board swings through.

Do I need a surfboard to learn toeside? No. You learn it on your twin tip first, and it works both ways. But if you plan to ride waves later, toeside stops being a nice extra and becomes essential, since you will spend half your time on a wave facing that direction.

How long before it feels natural? Most riders manage a short toeside run within a session or two and feel genuinely comfortable within a handful more. Before you head out, check the wind forecast so you get the steady breeze this skill needs.