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Snow Kiting
"Anyway
I was able to ride with my snowboard,
man, this sport is a pure drug...
I've
been windsurfing for 16 years and now
I only think about Kiting..."
Pierre Couture / Canada
This Page:
Snowkiting Kites Overview: Standard foils, Sheetable-foils, and Inflatables.
Choosing a kite size
Where to Ride
Snow kite Lessons
Kites - Snowkite Brands Models and Prices.
Snow Kiting on a SnowBoard
Family fun
Snow-Kiting with Snow Skis and pulling a sled
Andrew McKendry
Jackman, Maine, USA
Snow-KITES
overview
There
are 3 different types kites for Snow Kiting currently used for the Snowkiting.
1) Standard Foil Kites: Traditional foil kites are rigged with
4-lines on a control bar.
The kite mainly flys using the kites 2 front lines that connect to the outer
ends
of the Control bar.
The Back lines ( aka brake lines / Back lines / Rear Lines ) are
mostly slack while
the Kite is flying.
The brake / the back line(2)) Add 2 advantages.
Firstly, they allow the kite to be easily "reversed" relaunched quick and easily
off the ground after a nose
first crash.
The brake lines are also used as a safety kill switch.
Just release the bar, and the brake line tighten up causing the kite to
fold
up, lose power, and fall to the ground.
2) Sheetable-Foils: The ultimate kite design for most Snow-Kiters.
Take the advantages of a foil kite and add in the the "sheetability" of an
inflatable kite,
....giving the SnowKiter the best of both worlds!
All of the benefits of a foil and the full
sheeting (depower) ability of the inflatable!
The wind range on these kites allows one kite to handle the wind range of 2-3
standard foils.
These kites are amazing. To learn more about them, visit our new "Sheetable
Foil Kites" page.
Qualities: Very big wind range, designed for land use, The holy
grail for snow kiters.
Examples: HQ: Montana 3 , HQ Apex
You'll pay more for these kites but also get one
kite
that will cover the wind range of 2
3)
Inflatable kites.
This type of kite was designed for the
water but recently
kite companies have been making modifications to allow inflatable kites to also
work well on
the snow.
These 4-line and 5-line designs have a different line set-up compared to
the standard foil kites.
On 4-line inflatables. The kites front
(leading edge) lines
pass through a hold in the center of the control bar and terminate with a
"trim-loop"
that hooks directly to your harness.
In other words, the front lines essentially
hook directly
to your harness.
The back lines on the inflatable kite connect to the
outer end of
the bar and are your steering lines.
The beauty of this system is when you get hit by a strong wind gust, and want to
spill off some of the power, just slide the control bar a few inches away
from
your body. ( The sheetable foils and Inflatables are rigged
the same way, and )
Pull the bar closer to increase power, let
the bar out to decrease power.
This movement is also know as sheeting in and sheeting out.
Qualities: very good wind range, Kiteboarders (water) already own
them, will not fly
if you get a small leak, you need to carry an air-pump with you, not
designed to handle
multiple strikes on solid ground, The ideal kite design for the water.
Example: Best Waroo
Steering a foil using a Control Bar is the same for 2, 3, or
4 line set-ups
just pull the right side of the bar and the kite turns right.
Pull like, to steer it left. Just like a bicycle.
Foils are designed for Land based sports, Snow-Kiting!!!! : )
No pump
required.
The Foils will still fly well even with a small tear or hole.
Examples of standard foil kites:
HQ Beemer, New Tech Ballistic, HQ Scout
Choosing a Kite Size:
If you have no previous experience than the max size
We would allow you to buy is a 3.6m
See "Trainer Kites"
Small Snow kite: 3m to 5m range
Good for the stronger
winds in deep snow
or on lighter days with hard packed conditions.
Large Snow kite: 9m to 10m or larger for light winds.
Medium "One Kite" Snow Kite: 6m to 8m
A good "One Kite" for a variety of rider and conditions
is a 6m or 8m " Sheetable Foil"
Only intermediate to advanced flyers should buy kite of 4+ meters.
Kite Quiver:
For those serious about the sport who want to be fully powered-up
and boosting high lofty jumps in all conditions.
You'll end up with 2 kites.
For Bigger guys: A 7m and 12m combo
For smaller people: A 5m and 10m combo.
Or a 4m and 7m
It you're going to split the purchase and get one kite now.
Get the smaller kite first!
**** These are approximate sizes. The actual size or sizes you choose
will depend on Weight, snow conditions, local winds, experience level etc.
We're also happy to help... just ask! : )
Contact Us
Also see the "How to" page for info on
kite set-up and flying.
Locations
to Snow Kite. Where to ride?
The best locations are wide open mountain passes, and frozen snow covered
lakes, at high elevations where the wind can blow freely with minimal
obstructions.
Tall Trees, large Buildings and houses can all block the flow of wind and force
it to become gusty and shifty. Ideally you are looking for wind that
is consistant
as possible in it direction and strength.
Currently some of the known kitespots are:
Lake Dillion, in Summit county Colorado
Skyline, Utah
Georgetown Lake, Montana
The best locations are still waiting to be discovered.
Lessons:
Snow Kiting is easy to learn when you take lessons with a certified instructor.
Like any sport, you can learn via the school of hard knocks, which for some has
been called "suicide on a string", or you can take a 2 hour lesson and
save yourself
needless frustration. Its amazing how much time and money a good lesson is
worth.
The 1st time I attempted snowboarding, it was crash crash crash. The 2nd
attempt
was with an instructor and friend who told me to drag my knuckles. In 5 minutes
I was riding and doing surface 360's down the hill pivoting off my knuckles
planted
in the snow. For many of you reading this, you already have
the boarding skills
and will need to learn all about the wind and kites. Launching, Landing,
re-launching,
safety kite leash, riding angles, going "up-wind", kite tuning, using
a harness, hooking
in to the trim-loop vs fixed loop, emergency and self rescue, kiteboard stance,
Transitions, jumping, Kite etiquette, choosing the right gear, etc.
Kite Brands, models and prices
Please refer to the "Traction and
Trainer" Kites page to learn more about
the various foil kite designs perfect for Snow Kiting. Kites
by: New Tech,
HQ,
Best, and Ozone.
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