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January 6 2002 by Big Al  

First, a tremendous thanks to you, doomskater, for setting up such a great site and forum. Largely due to you, my interest in kiteskating has been piqued.

To make a long story short, I took a lesson on kiting down in Florida (highly recommend the instructor, Jeff (www.kitemare.com), but since NYC isn't a great place for water based kiting, I looked to the land. As a certified inline skating instructor, kiteskating seemed like a great fit.

I purchased a slingshot training kite and have gotten the hang of basic kiting. Before I invest heavy money into the sport, here are a few questions that some readers may be able to help out with.

A) What are the advantages of the 2 line vs the 4 line kite for land use? Is there a major difference if I'm looking to get big air?

B) I haven't seen comments on the slingshot foils. How does it compare to some of the other kites that have been recommended, like the ks4u quadrafoils? One advantage I know is that it comes as a complete package, with lines and harness.

C) Are harnesses a must, and at what size should one use a harness? Any recommendations?

D) I'm inclined to buy the coyotes since I'm not much of a build it yourself kinda person, but reviews seem mixed. Any thoughts on them, or other "prebuilt" off road skates (for grass mostly, not sand)tha I may not have come across?

E) I'm kinda curious to know why kitebuggying became more popular that kiteskating in light of the big air potential on skates. Are there any drawbacks I should know? Is there any core constituency of kiteskaters out there?(the web has proved fruitless.)

I'm looking to get into this sport is a serious way, and perhaps even expand my skating instruction to include this area. I appreciate any help.

Thanks!

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January 22 2002 by doomwheels

Hey Big Al,
Sorry about the delay answering your questions. I have been in the hospital with a NON-kite related back injury.

A) What are the advantages of the 2 line vs the 4 line kite for land use? Is there a major difference if I'm looking to get big air?

Quadline kites offer far more control of the foil and its power. They are easier to "set in the zone" for cruising whereas dualline kites must keep moving up and down to generate enough power at the edge of the window. Quadline foils are also easier to launch and land. There are many more advantages not listed here.

B) I haven't seen comments on the slingshot foils. How does it compare to some of the other kites that have been recommended, like the ks4u quadrafoils? One advantage I know is that it comes as a complete package, with lines and harness.

Most manufacturers offer all the accessories needed... no real advantage to a pre-packaged set. I prefer Quadrifoil to all other land traction foils available at this time. JOJO has some decent kites, and some pilots like Flexifoil, but I recommend Quadrifoil's Competition X series for quality and performance.

C) Are harnesses a must, and at what size should one use a harness? Any recommendations?

I would recommend a harness only for off-road use and for any kite size. A chest harness is good for cruising and a hip harness is better for jumps. Harnesses are not needed for asphalt surfaces as the sailing areas are usually small and the surface resistance is slight. There is always a danger of being hooked into a harness at high speed on a non-forgiving surface.

D) I'm inclined to buy the coyotes since I'm not much of a build it yourself kinda person, but reviews seem mixed. Any thoughts on them, or other "prebuilt" off road skates (for grass mostly, not sand)tha I may not have come across?

I have a pair of Coyotes though I have not spent much time on them. They might be alright for pleasure skating at low speed on a smooth surface, but they do not have the wheel base necessary for high speed or desert skating. I suggest a skate with 2ft + between the front and back wheel axel for speeds above 15 mph or multi-terrain surfaces. Coyotes would not work on sand.

E) I'm kinda curious to know why kitebuggying became more popular that kiteskating in light of the big air potential on skates. Are there any drawbacks I should know? Is there any core constituency of kiteskaters out there?(the web has proved fruitless.)

Kiteskating requires more strength and endurance than buggying. There is also a perceived danger of standing on skates at high speed (though I have only been injured while buggying). Although there is not a lot of info available online regarding kiteskating, there is a solid consortium of kiteskaters worldwide. Check the kiteskater webring found on the doomwheels enter page for a small collection of related websites.

Hope this provides some basic info for you. Check through some of the past postings from this forum for more ramblings.

Have fun,
bc

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January 22 2002 by Balabo

I just wanted to had a little something about the coyotes, I certainly don't have as much experience as Bob about kiteskating, but I own a pair of coyotes...
I agree on the fact that on soft surfaces coyotes are defnetly not as fast as "homemade" skates, and perhaps not as safe either (do to the shorter wheelbase), I do find that they perform well on sand.
Now I certainly have to conceed that where I live the huge (45 feet) tidal range pack the sand pretty hard. However if you are going to get a pair of coyotes one advice... Remove the brake... It is majorly getting in the way for kite skating, being given that you are a skate instructor, that lack of break should not be a problem, the best way to stop in my opinion being to use the kite as a break.