Well gentlemen,

Last night I was given a gift of about 2-4inch of snow(depending on elevation) and a possibility of more later today and tonight. I haven't flown in about 2 weeks and today winds are 15G25 mph.

My question to you all experienced snowkitiers, go for the snowboard? or tough it out on the landboard?

Thanks,
Brian

... how much do you value your snowboard?

Snowkite is totally possible and safe for the snowboard too in as little as 1-2 inches of snow. As long as you do it on a groomed grass field like on a ball park (i.e. baseball park, soccer pitches, football, etc.). Or you can always use your rockboard until you get a good base.

Pretty the grass is plenty groomed. 46 acres of grass, nice enough to lay down like 700 really expensive balloons during the balloon fiesta.

Ill bring the board, but how much different is it than landboarding? Ive snowboarded for 10 years, but no snowkiting :bigok:

Brian

I kite ski and I was quite a good skier before I kite skied and I picked it up no problemo. If you can board, and you can ski, you will be able to snowkite with your board, rather easily, is my guess.

I've used skis on frozen grass when there was at most 2" of snow cover and it was fine. Frozen grass can be a pretty fast surface with a little cover.

Not much different. Its a different feeling from landboarding though! I do both and every year i end up bruisin my tush a little the first day out from switching seasons.

Just remember that leaning on your heels won't turn a whole lot on a snowboard haha. You gotta do the tail slide a little.

Also the board won't track very well on the snow, you will almost always be in at least a little skid. I've done some 45 degree drift looking skids at high speed during high winds in high pow Talk about wake vorticies!!! (excuse the pilot talk, it really looked like it )))

And i use my board starting at about 2-3 inches. As long as the field is groomed you are A ok.

We don't use our farm fields until there is about a foot down

Just feel it out, and be ready to fall backward alot. Its not difficult after the first hour

Perfect timing on this. A lot of people had been dying to start the winter kite season in southern Ontario and it was a really mild November. When the first light snowfall came in Toronto a couple of weeks ago a couple of guys went out to their local sports field and shot what they called a "craptastic video"
You won't believe the lousy conditions they went out in and what they were doing - it made for good fun. (Yes brutal on the gear)

http://vimeo.com/8228474

I prefer to ride in at least 12 inches of powder. Anything less and you are bound to hit bottom with your board, at least, if you are edging hard. I tend to lean back pretty hard and edge against the kite like a fiend. This leaves deep grooves in the snow, and I have hit bottom with my board even in 2 feet of snow. I try to keep that from happening, but it always seems to. No real damage yet, but I was scraping mud off the edge of my board.

Nothing quite like riding in deep powder. However, if you are careful, I am sure you can ride in less...

And as we all get ready to go out on the ice, one may want to review the ice safety and ice rescue techniques covered last year in this thread
http://www.powerkiteforum.com/viewthread.php?tid=8255&pa...


That "craptastic" vid was quite good given the conditoins.

Just a bit o' grass stain on the parka and pants that day, ey?

you can try a mountainboard on very lite snow
I did ,...
Once! once...

if you do it, bring a freind along
somebody who could use a good laugh.

If there is any snow at all, the ATB board won't have traction. Go for the snowboard.