MotoFoo86
Posts: 216
Registered: 9-12-2015
Location: Bend, or
Member Is Offline
Mood: Wishing for more fly time
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Snowkiting Central Oregon
Gearing up for winter, i'm going to be scooping out places over the next couple days for some snowkiting here in the CO. Unfortunately our haven got
taken away years ago during the BKC era. I think i've found a couple viable areas without much sled traffic. However i'm always game for company!
If the wind doesn't blow, i have backup plans, and can get you hooked up on some tix at Mt. Bachelor for some lift service action but no... no kites,
trust me i asked... and asked... and asked... Backside kiting would be fun on that mountain!
Laying the seeds for an epic adventure winter.
Kites:
HQ: Rush V Pro 350, Apex IV 5.5m, Montana VII 7m, Montana VIII 10m & 14m
Ozone access XC 4m, access v7 4m, access v6 12m, Frenzy 07 7.5m, Frenzy 9m
FlySurfer Speed 4 Lotus 21m, Speed 4 9m, Unity 6, & 10m, Psycho 3 13m
2010 Best Waroo 5m trainer LEI
GI Patrol 106, skis? yup lots, snowboards? Couple of those too
Libre full race stainless
Libre Hardcore
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Windstruck
Posts: 3338
Registered: 5-16-2015
Location: St George, UT, USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Get in my buggy!
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Good luck Moto! I'll be pulling for ya! Shame your primo spot got pulled off the table. This is going to be my first year Snowkiting and I'm
snooping around a bit too in the greater Park City area. NBC Studios went and bought the land out from under one of the spots a lot of kiters had used
for years right on the outskirts of town and went and built a giant studio complex. Doh!
For us one the big gating factors becomes the depth of our snowpack. A great amount of our open rolling terrain around here is covered with sagebrush.
Once the snowpack is at least a settled 4 ft everything is covered up with a layer of protection and the options expand exponentially. The Wasatch
snow is so dry that it really settles down to much less than when it fell. Twelve inches of Utah Powder, however wonderful (Greatest Snow on Earth, so
they say) settles in a few days down to about 4 inches of snow pack. "Some settling may occur during shipment" as I usually say, just like breakfast
cereal. . I know your snow, like that in the Sierra Nevada Range in CA really
gets deep on the ground due to its higher moisture content. Hey, we all live with trade offs, right?
I look forward to hearing about your adventures and conquests this winter! Videos please!
Born-Kites:
RaceStar+ (3.0m, 5.0m, 7.0m, 9.0m, 14.0m)
RaceStar (9.0m, 11.0m)
NasaStar-4 (2.5m, 4.0m, 5.5m, 7.0m)
NasaStar-3 (custom 3.2m)
Flysurfer Kites:
Peak-5 (2.5m)
Buggy:
Peter Lynn BigFoot+ nose & tail; midsection VTT rail & seat kit; home-brewed AQR
NAPKA Member US2815
SWATK Member UT0003
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MotoFoo86
Posts: 216
Registered: 9-12-2015
Location: Bend, or
Member Is Offline
Mood: Wishing for more fly time
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Unfortunately video equipment is very low on the list of things that need my attention (money). Still need to get my at ski setup dialed. Possible
another pair of longer turn radius stiff midfats too for more front side kite duty.
Kwohl butte is my first thought!
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.9522795,-121.671835,8788m/da...
it's the smaller butte seen there just south of mt. bachelor. I know the bc guys love it.
As for our snow, central or tends to be a little dryer than alot of the tahoe resorts that we're compared. We're also a little higher. Cascade
concrete does occasionally apply.
Kites:
HQ: Rush V Pro 350, Apex IV 5.5m, Montana VII 7m, Montana VIII 10m & 14m
Ozone access XC 4m, access v7 4m, access v6 12m, Frenzy 07 7.5m, Frenzy 9m
FlySurfer Speed 4 Lotus 21m, Speed 4 9m, Unity 6, & 10m, Psycho 3 13m
2010 Best Waroo 5m trainer LEI
GI Patrol 106, skis? yup lots, snowboards? Couple of those too
Libre full race stainless
Libre Hardcore
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Cheddarhead
Posts: 1402
Registered: 12-4-2009
Location: Green Bay, Wisconsin
Member Is Offline
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If you guys get tired of all the powder, come to Wisconsin. We specialize in high moisture snow
SS Turbine 17m
SS Rally 14m
SS Rally 12m
SS RPM 10m
SS Rally 8m
SS Rally 6m
FS Speed 3 15m dlx
FS Peak 2 6m
Ozone Frenzy 9m
Ozone Access XT 6m
PL Farc 1200
What I ride:
Home brew buggy
Volkl race tiger DH 210
Dynastar DH 218
Blizzard Cochise 185
Steepwater 179 twin tip
Aboards Reverse 161
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MotoFoo86
Posts: 216
Registered: 9-12-2015
Location: Bend, or
Member Is Offline
Mood: Wishing for more fly time
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We got DUMPED on in town here on tuesday night/wednesday morning, snow depths in town ranged from 12-14". As such i was determined to set out and do
some snow kiting. So this morning i took off my chains, loaded up both snowboards and all three kites (not going to miss a session if i don't have
to!) and headed out. First flight at Riverbend park, wind was good, launched the 14m montana... wow, that sucker is a BEAST. If it's flying it's
yanking, loved it, however two families descended on my flying field to play soccer in the snow. I landed, packed and slunk away.
Onto the next, Pine Nursery. I've flown here before, but always have dodged soccer goals. Not today, the good people of Bend Parks and Rec had
apparently stashed all the goals due to the impending score. Jackpot. Pine nursery park is a combination of 4 baseball fields, with backstops only
bordering 4 soccer fields. Perfectly smooth too.
Set up just in time to meet another local snowkiter, so far things are good! By the time we both finished setting up though the wind was abysmal. He
managed to get a 20yd downwind drag on his Manta II. I never managed to get running. Spent the better part of 2 hours resetting the kite, strapping
back into the board, and lying in the snow. Major bummer. Still glad i tried, and it was great to put the 14m up! Even managed a small 4-6ft jump
flying static in low wind.
All in all a frustrating but passable day.
Kites:
HQ: Rush V Pro 350, Apex IV 5.5m, Montana VII 7m, Montana VIII 10m & 14m
Ozone access XC 4m, access v7 4m, access v6 12m, Frenzy 07 7.5m, Frenzy 9m
FlySurfer Speed 4 Lotus 21m, Speed 4 9m, Unity 6, & 10m, Psycho 3 13m
2010 Best Waroo 5m trainer LEI
GI Patrol 106, skis? yup lots, snowboards? Couple of those too
Libre full race stainless
Libre Hardcore
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Windstruck
Posts: 3338
Registered: 5-16-2015
Location: St George, UT, USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Get in my buggy!
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Sounds like a great dump! That storm missed us but for a short two hour period where it snowed hard and dropped about four inches. Good while it
lasted.
Those spots sound promising. Your day on snow sounded an awful lot like a lot of my days with my buggy this summer. Chin up - it will come!
Quote: Originally posted by MotoFoo86 | We got DUMPED on in town here on tuesday night/wednesday morning, snow depths in town ranged from 12-14". As such i was determined to set out and do
some snow kiting. So this morning i took off my chains, loaded up both snowboards and all three kites (not going to miss a session if i don't have
to!) and headed out. First flight at Riverbend park, wind was good, launched the 14m montana... wow, that sucker is a BEAST. If it's flying it's
yanking, loved it, however two families descended on my flying field to play soccer in the snow. I landed, packed and slunk away.
Onto the next, Pine Nursery. I've flown here before, but always have dodged soccer goals. Not today, the good people of Bend Parks and Rec had
apparently stashed all the goals due to the impending score. Jackpot. Pine nursery park is a combination of 4 baseball fields, with backstops only
bordering 4 soccer fields. Perfectly smooth too.
Set up just in time to meet another local snowkiter, so far things are good! By the time we both finished setting up though the wind was abysmal. He
managed to get a 20yd downwind drag on his Manta II. I never managed to get running. Spent the better part of 2 hours resetting the kite, strapping
back into the board, and lying in the snow. Major bummer. Still glad i tried, and it was great to put the 14m up! Even managed a small 4-6ft jump
flying static in low wind.
All in all a frustrating but passable day. |
Born-Kites:
RaceStar+ (3.0m, 5.0m, 7.0m, 9.0m, 14.0m)
RaceStar (9.0m, 11.0m)
NasaStar-4 (2.5m, 4.0m, 5.5m, 7.0m)
NasaStar-3 (custom 3.2m)
Flysurfer Kites:
Peak-5 (2.5m)
Buggy:
Peter Lynn BigFoot+ nose & tail; midsection VTT rail & seat kit; home-brewed AQR
NAPKA Member US2815
SWATK Member UT0003
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nate76
Posts: 330
Registered: 9-9-2015
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Member Is Offline
Mood: Lets roast some coffee
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Nice! Glad to hear you were able to make it out - even for a little bit. A bad day of kiting is still better than a day with no kiting at all! At
least that's what I tell myself - all the time.
Sounds like all the snow Windstruck and I were supposed to get got dumped in your back yard. Take care of it for us, please.
Founder/Owner Colorado Kite Sports
Specializing in Gin, Little Cloud & HQ4 foils.
http://coloradokitesports.com
Most used Kites: LC Pelican, Gin Marabou
Skis: Something w/ Marker Baron or Duke Bindings
Boards: Litewave Wing, Naish Jet 2000, OR Mako 140
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