Ground handling vs LaunchingI tried Mike Kung's ground handing technique used in the video with my new Delta before going to Woodrat Mountain for the Rat Race this year. However, on launch at Woodrat Mountain, in light thermal conditions,I concluded its not something I will use in the future. In light thermals you just can't move you hands around fast enough as Mike does in a strong laminar wind at a coastal soaring site. So the glider overshoots before you can get it under control over your head with all the hand switching.
So I went back to the technique I originally learned in 1999 with crossed arms and brakes never leaving your hands, and it worked perfectly with every launch for the whole week. So there is clearly a difference between how to practice ground handling - i.e keeping the glider up for as long as possible but not actually flying, and whether ground handling techniques are actually the right for taking off consistently every time.
Bring the Glider up the Same Speed Every Time
One of the best pieces of advice given at the Rat Race was that you should attempt to bring the glider up the same speed regardless of the conditions. In light winds, that means talking some steps backwards, in stronger winds taking steps towards the glider. Knowing which to do instinctively is the key, and lots of ground handling can definitely help which you'll need to do. It may also vary from one glider to another.
The pilot in the video below is not me, but is flying a Delta like I do and achieves a perfect inflation by actively stepping backwards towards launch as he pulls up the glider. Stepping backwards during the pull-up was very common at the Woodrat Launch due to the light thermal cycles. In stronger winds, the steps need to be the other direction to bring the glider up at the same speed, so taking 2-3 steps toward toward the glider to slow the speed and prevent it overshooting.
This pilot does sit down way to soon. Notice that he is sitting, skimming over the gravel with only a meter clearance. Because he is already sitting, he tries several times get into his Impress 3 pod using just his feet, doesn't manage it, and has to put both brakes in one hand to reach down and stretch the pod. I have the same problem in the Impress 2+ if I am sitting down, and there is definitely an element of risk required shifting focus from precise brake inputs so close to the hill.
Launch Like Chrigel Maurer
If you really want to be the best, watch the best, and learn to 'Launch Like Chrigel'. In this light wind reverse launch on Day 12 of the 2011 X-Alps, he takes 6 steps backwards down the hill, then 4 steps up the hill again - in complete control of the pressure of the glider overhead. Then takes a couple of fast, bouncy steps and dives almost horizontally into the air with a lot of energy, almost in a hang-glider prone position. He is actually looking down at the ground for a couple of seconds, then rotates to vertical without sitting back. He steps the pod while still hanging vertically rather than sitting back, and only finally uses his feet against the pod to push himself back into a sitting position when well clear of the ground.
Here's the detail of the 'hang glider dive' launch style.
Kari Castle
Here is another picture of the 'hang glider dive'. Kari Castle is both a hang glider and paraglider pilot, so maybe her comfort with the prone launch style in this photo comes from her hang-gliding DNA.
What not to do
For some truly scary launches have a look at the video below... Possibly in these wind conditions the Mike Kung technique might actually work to brake the canopy using the Cs/Ds before it drags the pilot up into the air. But any technique that relies on manually switching the brakes from one hand to the other in these conditions just wouldn't give the pilot time to take control of the glider. Again I have major doubts about whether Mike's techniques is relevant when you actually want to launch rather than just practice ground handling.
These pilots are mostly moving towards the glider up the hill, but the wind appears so gusty and strong that they are being in the air before they can turn around. there are people and gliders all over the place, and when even get taken for a ride. The guy in the yellow and red Ozone Mantra has a particularly hard time, probably because of the high aspect ratio and Ozone wings are known for generating a lot of lift at launch. You have to wonder if it was actually safe to fly on a day where launching was so challenging, especially in a location known for strong mountain conditions.