Power Kite Forum

First snowfall of the 2016-2017 season

canuck - 9-10-2016 at 05:17 PM

Short but sweet first session of the season today. Snowed early this morning and was gone by 2PM

Fall 2016 1st session Oct 9 12m Matrixx.jpg - 79kB Fall 2016 1st session Oct 9 12m Matrixx melting fast.jpg - 79kB

skimtwashington - 9-10-2016 at 07:04 PM

Snow!!!...... or grass skiing lube....


Not much... but long as you can slide.... way to get some SUPER early.

Got couple months to wait here.


nate76 - 9-10-2016 at 08:16 PM

Love it. That's typically what my 1st tracks of the season look like. Sure as heck beats no kiting at all!

Send some of that white stuff my way!

Brant - 9-10-2016 at 09:43 PM

Don't get too anxious too early or you might be in for a surprise.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/saskatchewan-slam...

My area only got a couple inches from this one and the farmers figure it'll be two weeks at least to get back in the fields and finish harvest. Plus you never want to deal with the problems that come with a foot or two of snow that comes before the ground freezes, it's a muddy nightmare. That being said, I wish it would hurry up and start freezing!

(Just to save some Googling, 41cm is over 16")

Bladerunner - 10-10-2016 at 09:38 AM

Yee Ha! Way to go Bill!
You need to make a point of going to Spray Lakes in April or May and lay claim to the longest snowkite season this year.

I was back home in " Cow Town " the weekend before last for a wedding + to see Mom's new place. Sorry I didn't contact you but it was a quicky visit and all Family.

canuck - 10-10-2016 at 12:27 PM

Thanks Ken, April is usually no problem for Spray and often can go into mid-May at other spots in the mountains. I was in Toronto when you were here so we would have missed contact anyway - glad you had some Family time.

Brant, that was a bad storm in Saskatchewan. I hope the farmers can salvage their crops. I'll take snow cover anytime - keeps the soccer players away. It is pretty wet before freezeup but it is great to still be able to use a ground stake instead of a screw.

Cheddarhead - 11-10-2016 at 08:58 PM

Kudos on the first outing! You should submit a speed to the Hardwaterkiter.com ranking. You may have the record for earliest submittal:D

OffAxis - 6-12-2016 at 03:01 PM



bigkid - 6-12-2016 at 03:31 PM

We had snow this morning but was gone by the time the sun came up. 2 feet of New at the pass only a half hour away. To many trees at the pass and the lake isn't frozen yet. Soon I hope.

nate76 - 6-12-2016 at 07:26 PM

Offaxis, that looks like it will be a sweet kite spot once you get some snow on it. Do you typically get much snow coverage in the winter?

stetson05 - 7-12-2016 at 12:03 AM

There is still snow on the ground here. The first this winter but I don't know if there will be enough to do anything with.

OffAxis - 7-12-2016 at 04:48 AM

In January and February snow will stick around for a week or two. Usually long enough till the next storm rolls through. Some years we go without snow. Other years we can get a lot.

We got a big storm laat year of 30in at once so that stayed around for a while.

CHICKENKOOP - 12-12-2016 at 09:51 AM

I got my first day this season!
dry land soccer field.
low steady wind, just enough snow.
love this sport!

firt snowkite 16.jpg - 137kB

nate76 - 12-12-2016 at 09:58 AM

Nice! Low, steady wind - that's my favorite!

Windstruck - 13-12-2016 at 05:50 AM

Quote: Originally posted by CHICKENKOOP  
I got my first day this season!
dry land soccer field.
low steady wind, just enough snow.
love this sport!



SWEET! Nice to see you getting some in SoVT! Beautiful shot of your big green monster too. A very merry Christmas indeed! :thumbup::thumbup:

Memopad - 14-12-2016 at 05:45 AM

I need to go test the ice on my lake. It froze over 4-5 days ago, and it's been in the single digits for a few days now. The wind has been howling in the 20's to maybe 30mph, so it's a bit beyond my comfort range on a kite anyway for now.

OffAxis - 15-12-2016 at 12:37 PM

Finally got some snow in the forecast for the 17042 zip code. Friday night into saturday turning to rain. So it might not play out in my favor but I'm hopeful.

Memopad - 20-12-2016 at 06:24 AM

I went out on the lake as the sun was setting on Sunday, and flew my new to me Summit 12m in a slight breathe of wind, maybe 3-4mph. Took a little work to get it in the air, but once it was flying it sure was sweet. I was amazing at how easily the kite flew in that low wind, nice quick turns and generating enough power to pull me around in the snow. I was flying static, but could've had a decent run with skis on. That was my first flight of the season, and really left me ready for more...

...which leads to Monday. Get home from work and it's blowing in the 20's, local airport was showing 25mph I think. I had discounted attempting to fly in that much wind because I felt like it was really outside my comfort zone. Then I thought about people like Feyd who get kites out in 40mph winds and figured I probably wouldn't die so I should give it a shot... lol. I was able to use my 5m Apex and it worked awesome. The kite was pretty lit but not once did I feel out of control. Did some fast laps across the lake, probably skied for about 30mins until my legs were on fire and I called it quits. Quite a workout...

There was 2-4" of very wind blown snow over ice, and it was kind of drifty so bare spots and deep spots on the lake. The wind packed snow was really heavy, even though it was dry snow. Made it challenging to ski and especially turn, felt a little uncomfortable actually. Still a really fun session and I'm happy I went out. Definitely more comfortable in higher winds now, so this will open up a lot more days for me.

Cheddarhead - 20-12-2016 at 12:37 PM

Although technically not the first snowfall for us, it was my first session of the winter here in Wisconsin. Lakes are finally frozen enough to get out and put some miles on the skis. We have plenty of snow on the ice already which isn't the best since the ice wasn't that thick to begin with. Had my first Flysurfer Speed experience as well. Winds were very light so it was a great opportunity to get my first taste of a Speed. So far I love it! It's definitely a different kind of animal. Takes a little finesse to get it inflated and launched, but after that the rest was pure enjoyment! Reminds me a little of launching arcs. Can't wait for my next opportunity to get better acquainted.


Memopad - 20-12-2016 at 01:51 PM

Looks like you have more snow on your lake than I do on mine. All the snow blew off the lake and into my driveway I think.

Glad you're enjoying the speed 3. I have the same kite but it's the 19m, and I haven't flown it yet. Waiting for a nice light air day to get the beast out to play.

Memopad - 22-12-2016 at 08:18 PM

I need to stop trying to kite with kites that are too small for the wind... gets frustrating in a hurry lol.

Took the 9m Montana for a ride today, first time skiing with that kite. I thought there was going to be more wind out on the lake, but it was only blowing probably 4-7mph. Had a decent ride, took some work to build apparent, but even the slightest down-wind course brought the kite out of the sky. The kite seems very prone to wing tip tuck, and it kept collapsing on me as I'd try and turn it through the window. It's an older kite, not sure if the bridles are out of wack or if it's me or the lack of wind. It definitely held shape better when I'd hit a "gust" and start moving faster.

I can tell this is going to be a fun kite in more wind though. It really wants to move fast, and it has a huge power difference through the bar throw.



IMG_20161222_162337.jpg - 97kB

Cheddarhead - 22-12-2016 at 09:03 PM

If it was truly 4 to 7, I would've been on that 19 meter speed of yours. It was 13 to 20 today here and I was using my 15 meter speed no problem.

Memopad - 23-12-2016 at 05:21 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Cheddarhead  
If it was truly 4 to 7, I would've been on that 19 meter speed of yours. It was 13 to 20 today here and I was using my 15 meter speed no problem.


Didn't bring my wind meter, but it was extremely light for sure. I still haven't had the speed in the air yet, need to find a backpack for it or something, it's a loose kite at the moment.

I could dive the 9m through the window, get some speed, but as turned it back up to get ready for another dive, it would start to stall and then the tip would tuck in, definitely light :duh:

gemini6kl - 23-12-2016 at 05:40 AM

like he said not enough wind for that sized kite. With a 9m you probally need a good 15mph to snowkite. 7mph is 16m sized and bigger foil.


Quote: Originally posted by Memopad  
I need to stop trying to kite with kites that are too small for the wind... gets frustrating in a hurry lol.

Took the 9m Montana for a ride today, first time skiing with that kite. I thought there was going to be more wind out on the lake, but it was only blowing probably 4-7mph. Had a decent ride, took some work to build apparent, but even the slightest down-wind course brought the kite out of the sky. The kite seems very prone to wing tip tuck, and it kept collapsing on me as I'd try and turn it through the window. It's an older kite, not sure if the bridles are out of wack or if it's me or the lack of wind. It definitely held shape better when I'd hit a "gust" and start moving faster.

I can tell this is going to be a fun kite in more wind though. It really wants to move fast, and it has a huge power difference through the bar throw.




windrider1 - 24-12-2016 at 08:50 AM

Quote: Originally posted by gemini6kl  
like he said not enough wind for that sized kite. With a 9m you probally need a good 15mph to snowkite. 7mph is 14m sized and bigger foil.


Quote: Originally posted by Memopad  
I need to stop trying to kite with kites that are too small for the wind... gets frustrating in a hurry lol.

Took the 9m Montana for a ride today, first time skiing with that kite. I thought there was going to be more wind out on the lake, but it was only blowing probably 4-7mph. Had a decent ride, took some work to build apparent, but even the slightest down-wind course brought the kite out of the sky. The kite seems very prone to wing tip tuck, and it kept collapsing on me as I'd try and turn it through the window. It's an older kite, not sure if the bridles are out of wack or if it's me or the lack of wind. It definitely held shape better when I'd hit a "gust" and start moving faster.

I can tell this is going to be a fun kite in more wind though. It really wants to move fast, and it has a huge power difference through the bar throw.




OffAxis - 5-1-2017 at 01:43 PM

Chance of a dusting tonight. Hopefully it will stay cold enough stick around till Sunday. I just measured out 4 riding spots totaling close to 1000 acres of potential riding if the snow will snow up. Bring on the snow!!!

Memopad - 5-1-2017 at 03:48 PM

Had a freaking awesome session this evening after work. ~47 minutes of riding time, 7.97mi covered. New personal best max speed of 34.8mph, and even did my first jumps! No crashes, some decent hang time, holy #@%$#! I'm hooked (even more?) Was also my first ride on my new skis :thumbup:

The wind was around 10mph fairly steady, dropping a bit as the sun went down. I used the Summit 12m (also for the first time lol). The kite is awesome, it was really cool to feel the power difference with bar throw, much greater range than I've experienced before. Also playing with the depower trim actually made a noticeable difference in the power. Not sure if that's because I actually had enough wind to power the kite up properly, ozone makes awesome kites, it's a new kite, or a combination of all 3. Anyway, the thing is way more tuned and precise feeling than the montanas.

My one question is about going up wind. I usually don't have any issue making gains up wind, but I was struggling a little tonight. When I was making good windward progress, I was going pretty slow and the kite wasn't pulling hard. If I pulled in the bar and moved the kite back in the window slightly, it would gain a lot of power but I'd go sideways instead of forward. I don't have a lot of flying time, but I haven't noticed this as much on the montanas, the access, or the apex. Probably user error, but any hints or thoughts would be appreciated!

Memopad - 8-1-2017 at 08:23 PM

Still having trouble going upwind with the Summit.

I've attached a couple of my gps tracks from last week and today. Today's conditions were almost the same as last week, winds around 10mph but I was making slightly better upwind gains today. I was flying the kite higher in the window and that seemed to allow me to point a little better. It still doesn't feel great, but I don't have tracks from my other kites to compare to right now.

My max speed today was a little lower at 33.5mph, but I launched my self significantly higher on a few jumps. Still getting the timing down, I've found myself getting caught not turning the kite out of apex fast enough once I hit the jump, and that's twisting me and landing me sideways. Had a few good wipeout landings from 6-8ft in the air, and got drug about 20ft after one landing before I regained control of the kite. Naturally my gopro battery died as soon as I launched the kite, so no video of the mess :lol:

rsz_img_20170108_145039.jpg - 66kB rsz_img_20170108_162350.jpg - 69kB

CHICKENKOOP - 9-1-2017 at 12:01 PM

I have found that flexing my knees and hips and getting low over the skis and really crank both edges helps the up wind edge grip..

OffAxis - 8-2-2017 at 09:51 AM

First major snow forecast is supposed to arrive overnight!!! I hope we get 5+ inches. Probably going to take off work Thursday.




Not sure how I feel about flying my 7.5M Apex in 30mph gusts. I guess there's only one way to find out.

OffAxis - 10-2-2017 at 05:41 AM

Was finally able to strap on the board get after it. Was grossly under powered on my Apex. I seem to overestimate wind speed....according to the wind report it was only was 12-15mph gusting up to 20mph. Had to make the walk of shame back to ground stake to pack up before it got too dark.

Still have lots to learn. I feel like there should have been enough wind for me to be able to ride faster but I just couldn't get it together. Next time....

What smart phones apps are you guys using to track distance, avg speed, and max speed? Google fit isn't cutting it because I'd like to know my max speed.




Memopad - 10-2-2017 at 06:37 AM

Cheddarhead is using an app called Endomondo and it shows track info, speed, max speed, etc. I downloaded it an tried it out but I don't see a max speed option. Not sure if I'm missing something, or if it's only part of the "premium" version and not in the free version.

I'm kind of surprised you weren't moving better on the 7.5, how deep was the snow?

nate76 - 10-2-2017 at 08:15 AM

Glad to see you were finally able to get out! Even a bad day of kiting is still better than no kiting at all.

If you haven't heard about it before, kitetracker.com is a pretty cool website that also has free kite tracking tools for both android and iphone.


OffAxis - 10-2-2017 at 08:44 AM

Snow was like 4 in powder. So i think my board was edging into the dirt at times which was not frozen because we had 60 degree temps 24hrs before.

There were occasional gusts where I could start to park and ride, but then it would die off and I would really have to work the kite to go anywhere. I noticed that things tended to work better when I stopped watching the kite and focused on holding a line. Also things slid better when I had the board flatter, but then I would get yanked over on my face by a gust. Edge too hard and I'd fall over on my butt. Maybe I was trying to edge upwind too hard for the conditions. IDK, I'm still learning.

I had the front lines on the 3rd knot hoping that would help. I also could have been in the wind shadow of the Barn. I'm going out again after work on the other side of the farm with the 16m venom. I gotta get a weather station on top of the silo for real time wind reports.


Update: Sure looks like KiteTracker has all the data I'm looking for. I'll try it out tonight.


flyguy0101 - 10-2-2017 at 09:06 AM

@offaxis- that venom will work awesome in those winds don't be afraid of that gentle giant but also as you are learning remember to keep your hands towards the middle of the bar near the depower line- will keep you from overcorrecting if you get airborn:D have fun casue I think it will all be gone by tomorrow:mad:
oh yeah I use motion-x gps app on my phone has it all

OffAxis - 10-2-2017 at 09:29 AM

I was expecting much higher winds, so I made the rookie mistake of leaving the venom at home. I like flying it, hate the ground handling (I need sand/bean bags), and still working up the nerve to fly it more often.

Memopad - 10-2-2017 at 09:46 AM

Quote: Originally posted by OffAxis  
I was expecting much higher winds, so I made the rookie mistake of leaving the venom at home. I like flying it, hate the ground handling (I need sand/bean bags), and still working up the nerve to fly it more often.


This describes about 99% of my sessions so far this year. I thought there would be more wind and/or was a bit scared to throw up my 18m kite. I actually think the 18m chrono would've been the kite of choice for all but maybe one ride so far this season, and I'm out on the lake fighting it with a 10 or 12m. Go figure.

OffAxis - 11-2-2017 at 05:22 PM

Welp, Friday after work was a bust. Not even enough wing to keep the venom in the air. And now the snow is all gone.

Remember to zip the pocket that you have your phone in, otherwise you'll have to run around in the field looking for it. Thanks to android device manager, I was able to ring it, follow my tracks and just listen for it. Found it in ~5 mins. I should have been able to get its gps coordinates but for some reason gps location was turned off on my phone.

OffAxis - 13-3-2017 at 06:18 AM

Huge storm hitting the northeast tomorrow!!! Here in PA, they are forecasting 12"+ and some crazy winds! With it being full moon and now daylight savings time, i will have more daylight after work to get some sessions in. I sure hope I can get some late season snowkiting in before it all melts away.

CHICKENKOOP - 13-3-2017 at 07:39 AM

hooray! bring it! I'm still getting some pond riding on glare ice sure could go for some softness. with any luck the fields will get a base again.

Memopad - 15-3-2017 at 05:10 AM

My lake survived the recent warmer temperatures, and the past week of sub zero overnight lows and highs in the teens have really built some ice back up. Smooth ice and not much snow on top has made for some fast riding.

I took the Summit 12m out yesterday afternoon and did a little cruising. I think the wind was in the mid teens when I started out, and I got 43mph on a downwind run. Coming back up wind was getting hard, and even fully depowered I was feeling like I had too much kite in the air. I stopped and checked the wind and it was up to the 20mph range. I went back to my launch site, packed up the kite, walked in to my house and grabbed the Apex 7.5m.

The winds had kept building and now were in the mid 20's and probably getting close to 30mph in the gusts. I actually felt a little overpowered on the 7.5m in those conditions, but I do like a more relaxed session usually. This is the most wind I've flown this kite in and it's definitely not quite as refined as my ozones or newer kites. Still fun to fly but it liked to move all over the window when gusts hit, and took active steering to keep it where I wanted. Bar pressure was also pretty high and it was easy to get my glove pinched between the bar and the stopper ball. Anyway, took it for a downwind rip and it felt SUPER fast, was expecting to hit 50mph but my gps was only reading 44mph :( Oh well, still a new high speed for me. Did some small jumps on the way back up wind, and the lift is okay when you ask it, but the kite will drop you pretty fast. Definitely no float :)

OffAxis - 15-3-2017 at 12:32 PM

I'm headed out today in similar conditions with my Apex 7.5m. We finally got the snow I was hoping for in December and January.

OffAxis - 16-3-2017 at 09:04 AM

Yesterdays snowkite adventure was just that, an adventure. Estimated 20+MPH winds with 30+ MPH gusts with changing wind directions. The one time I was waiting out a gust, the kite slid across the snow almost 20 degrees with the changing wind direction.

With the gusty winds and deep-ish snow it took me forever to get set up my Apex III 7.5m. I had a tangle in the lines, a bow tie, and the top hat safety release on it own. What a mess. Man it sucks trying to reset that top hat safety. Once I finally was able to get my act together and was up an riding, things got better but not were not great. Even though the kite was overpowered at times, I still couldn't go up wind all that well. The kite gets out to the edge and won't pull. It seamed to like to sit back farther to build power. I was able to maintain a line but not go up wind. I don't know if my snowboard (154cm) is to small for 12in of powder or if i'm over controlling the kite.

Tonight is looking like calmer conditions so I give it another go. If I don't have enough I might even try to get out the Venom II 16m.

Memopad - 16-3-2017 at 12:23 PM

Quote: Originally posted by OffAxis  
Yesterdays snowkite adventure was just that, an adventure. Estimated 20+MPH winds with 30+ MPH gusts with changing wind directions. The one time I was waiting out a gust, the kite slid across the snow almost 20 degrees with the changing wind direction.

With the gusty winds and deep-ish snow it took me forever to get set up my Apex III 7.5m. I had a tangle in the lines, a bow tie, and the top hat safety release on it own. What a mess. Man it sucks trying to reset that top hat safety. Once I finally was able to get my act together and was up an riding, things got better but not were not great. Even though the kite was overpowered at times, I still couldn't go up wind all that well. The kite gets out to the edge and won't pull. It seamed to like to sit back farther to build power. I was able to maintain a line but not go up wind. I don't know if my snowboard (154cm) is to small for 12in of powder or if i'm over controlling the kite.

Tonight is looking like calmer conditions so I give it another go. If I don't have enough I might even try to get out the Venom II 16m.


Even in the higher winds you'll need to build some forward speed before you try and head up wind too high, especially in deep powder with all the resistance that offers. Try heading laterally across the wind until you're moving and powered up before edging hard up wind and see if that helps you find the sweet spot. In deeper snow my upwind angles are really low. It's only on ice in fast conditions that I'm able to really point high upwind and keep moving.

OffAxis - 16-3-2017 at 05:21 PM

Today went better. Not as gusty and lighter winds. It was still blowing 15-20. I still didn't feel comfortable putting up the Venom 16 so I stuck it out with the Apex. I was able to put down 5.6miles with a top speed of 15.8mph. Thanks for the tips MemoPad. I did notice that i did get more speed when flat riding vs. edging hard. It was difficult to stay on top of the snow crust to keep my speed up. Most times I was just plowing through ~6in of drifted snow. It also helped that I moved my hands to the middle of the bar and quit over steering the kite.

During these last two sessions I used a waist harness for the first time. I feel like it allows my legs to be more maneuverable to stay in control of the snowboard better. It was really cool to be able to lay back and edge hard. It did make the top hat safety and landing strap really hard to reach but thankfully I have long arms. They were definitely at the edge of my reach.

What do you guys prefer for snow kiting: Waist or seat harness and why?

Memopad - 17-3-2017 at 04:47 AM

I'm using the ozone access sb base harness right now. I really liked it up until I started doing more jumping and riding with more power. Now i'm finding it uncomfortable and will be looking for something different next season. I'm curious what Feyd likes to use...