I'm hopeful somebody can point me in a direction or two for a nicely laid out online tutorial on the basics of landboarding. I'm not looking to jump; rather, basic stuff like making turns (coming about). I really enjoy the tutorial on buggying found here:

http://www.coastalwindsports.com/BetterBuggyBasics.html

Anything out there on the net like this, but for landboarding? I'll be using a pretty basic set up consisting of a PL 4M Hornet with handles, strop, and and harness. And yes (I can hear my wife...) helmet and joint pads.

Thanks in advance!

not really, check carls vids he has some useful starter stuff.

really the same as buggy, just add balance and 2 front ends

Forum user "CTB" has a series of you tube videos of this very subject.
"Search" is your friend...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wH5_PRcvs4&list=PLlxcSG...

Thanks all for your early replies. Carl - I agree that this is a good set of videos. What I am specifically looking for is the issue of making the turn at the end of the run. I get intuitively how to do this in a buggy or on skis/snowboard, but I'm going to be landboarding on grassy fields and don't see the tires just sliding around as they would on, say, sand.

Does one make a downwind turn similar to that on a buggy? Come to a full stop by bringing kite up to zenith (or a little behind) combined with turning a bit upwind and then just reverse direction by rolling the other way?

I'm just looking for a few pointers specifically about the turn to avoid taking too many hard spills. Even with elbow and knee pads and a helmet my 50+ body doesn't take to falling quite like I used to in my youth.

Thanks in advance!

at first and for quite a while if ever you wont be turning....just send the kite the other way and take off
left foot forward one way...right foot forward the other
no turning around like in the bug

It sounds like you have the basic turn correct.

Turn your board upwind while taking the kite up to zenith. Just as you lose all energy in the original direction bring the kite back down in the new direction. Your board should be pointing a bit down wind in the new direction naturally if you cut far enough up wind.

swesting - your strategy is the easiest way to go as others have pointed out, and you don't lose ground going downwind in a jibe. Here's a quick video showing how easy it is.

Turning is the very reason I like buggy and Longboard much better than mountainboard. Turning is half the fun in my opinion and to stop going one direction and just point and go the other direction kills my flow. Once I discovered asphalt and longboard, I haven't touched my mountain board since. I like going from front side to toe side seamlessly. Probably possible on smooth enough field with mountainboard but I find it impossible.



Here is another one that illustrates some turns

Cool videos Sean. I was really impressed with how well you did that. Maybe I should try to learn that someday.

Thanks, it's not too hard once you get comfortable with the board and kite.

To all - thanks for all your great videos and tips. I was out again today and things went much better! I think what it boils down to is that I'm a flat out rookie on a board and its just going to take a while. I worked a PL 4M Hornet with a harness and strop between my handles today and that made things a lot easier.

Sean, the asphalt long board videos look pretty darn cool! I have an old "flow board" that my son got many years ago that I think could be superb for this application. A flow board looks like a long board skateboard but it has a set of seven wheels on each "truck" in a sort of semi circle under the board (see attached photo). As you lean you sort of carve as compared to turn (pretty different feeling, but definitely good). Most definitely something to do AFTER I am a practiced master on grass with my mountain board. Even with helmet, knee, and elbow pads spills on the asphalt are ugly! Hey, it gives me something to aspire to!

I remember seeing those type of boards but never tried it. I had skateboarded a fair amount when I was a teenager so I took to the longboard pretty quickly. Good to hear you had success. It mostly comes down to good kite skills and tons of practice on all of the types of locomotion.

All heel-side/stop transitions here until 4:15 and I had to let it slide a bit...(that's where all the fun is)... :P
https://vimeo.com/98305417

It's all about knowing your kite getting your Center of pull LOW...and moving the kite back over the arch at the right time...
I think really where it happened for me was getting depower and pulled from my "belt buckle area" instead of wrenching my shoulders around with my old 6M fixed bridle...

Here's my funny take on how to get started the right way...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axmQ2aMKiMQ
(stop/transition at 3 min)

Crazyherb - thanks for the nice videos and sage advice. I will surely increase my quiver to include some depowered kites down the line. Your setup looked smooth and far calmer than flying fixed bridle. Who ever said owning a boat was the only way to spend money?