Karolina Winkowska had a storming year on the PKRA tour last year, turning a lot of heads with her rapid trick acquisition and finishing the season in third place. Here she show a fine example of an S-bend-to-blind. To achieve a nice, fluid style like Karolina's here, make sure your unhooked railey and s-bend skills are second nature and you can hop to blind with your eyes shut. Now get ready to load up that rail...

• Come into the trick carrying plenty of speed - not so much that you're on the edge of control, but enough so that you can pop on command. • As you approach your take-off spot, unhook and bear off downwind to let the kite drop back in the window to where it will give you more power and pop. Bearing off downwind will give you more control unhooked as the kite won't be trying to pull your arms out of their sockets!

• A lot of this trick is in the release. Make a quick, clean pop by pumping the board hard at an upwind angle and keep your kite at 45. Prepare for the lift in the kite and combine it with an explosive body movement for greater power in the release. Hold back until you are close to being off balance for the most pop. Release as you would for a railey, thinking about getting the board behind you and really stretching that position out.

• Relax your body after popping and let the pull from the kite naturally flip your legs up and pull your arms out straight. Most of the rotation in the air is initiated by throwing your head forward into the spin.

• Relax your body after popping and let the pull from the kite naturally flip your legs up and pull your arms out straight. Most of the rotation in the air is initiated by throwing your head forward into the spin.

• Relax your body after popping and let the pull from the kite naturally flip your legs up and pull your arms out straight. Most of the rotation in the air is initiated by throwing your head forward into the spin.

• Relax your body after popping and let the pull from the kite naturally flip your legs up and pull your arms out straight. Most of the rotation in the air is initiated by throwing your head forward into the spin.

• As you come round start to spot your landing and let your legs start to drop down. If you got a huge amount of pop and your legs are still above your head then pulling on the bar will help you get your legs back underneath you.

• As you come round start to spot your landing and let your legs start to drop down. If you got a huge amount of pop and your legs are still above your head then pulling on the bar will help you get your legs back underneath you.

• Now is where you need to start thinking about coming into blind. Because Karolina's kite has slipped up the rotation she needs to do is more of a vertical spin. As for a forward spin however look over your front shoulder to keep the rotation going.

• Now is where you need to start thinking about coming into blind. Because Karolina's kite has slipped up the rotation she needs to do is more of a vertical spin. As for a forward spin however look over your front shoulder to keep the rotation going.

• Keep going beyond the point where you would be looking to land for a regular S-bend. Take your back hand off the bar and throw your arm and head into the backside rotation.

• Keep looking around and down: the aim is to roll into the bar, wrapping it into your body, rather than muscling it.

• Get your head round to spot your landing. As you come in to land, keep looking round in the direction you're spinning. You're aiming to land with the board pointing downwind for more stability.

• As you land try to bend your knees and crouch down to avoid getting pulled over backwards if you haven't rotated enough.

• Lean forward to pull the bar into your body and make the pass as soon as you can to avoid crashing the kite into the water as it will probably be steering downward as you'll still only have one hand on.

• Lean forward to pull the bar into your body and make the pass as soon as you can to avoid crashing the kite into the water as it will probably be steering downward as you'll still only have one hand on.

• Stand up and ride away.

• Stand up and ride away.

• Stand up and ride away.

PROBLEMS: • If you're crashing the kite a lot, then position your front hand with one finger on the other side of the chicken loop on the back hand side of the bar to avoid steering the kite too much when you are one handed.

PROBLEMS: • If you're struggling to get the bar down to your waist to make the pass, a lower kite position will initially mean more power, but will make it easier to pass the bar on landing. A high kite will pull your arms up making it difficult to bring it towards your waist for the bar pass on the ride out.

PROBLEMS: • If you're having general problems with blind riding, then check out Kiteworld issue 22's Motor Drive where there was a comprehensive section on hopping to and landing blind then passing the bar!