smooth strapless slashing

[Tighe]

looks like way too much fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiXu78wO3I8

[Tighe]

a few more

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBP5PdNI8mE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em0_AHNNUJ4

[Eric Bro]

Wow!!

[steveb]

Sweet. Just so people know Extreme Air has some LF surf boards he's selling at a good price.
We also have a new shop/dealer in Duluth. Cool thing is he sells and stocks surf boards http://www.superiorsurfsystems.com guys name is John Abrahams, really nice guy.

[Tighe]

Slingshots are on closeouts too

http://buyslingshotsports.com/s.nl/sc.2 ... y.11069/.f

[steveb]

I'm riding an SST and am very happy with it, great for lightwinds and waves. ( superior)

[Geo]

Cool.

Is this a dumb Q, but how exactly do they seem to be carving up and down using only one hand w/o flagging the kite too much? Is it just me, or would it be difficult to make the kite move just so up and down wind w/ just one hand? Are they unhooked a good part of the time except going back out?

That fuse: how long is it compared with the other boards (at 6' or so)? Can you ride it comfortably on our smaller lakes /lower wind speeds, or is it really meant for Superior (or Maryhill) if you ain't talkin ocean?

[Tighe]

Some kites allow you to ride unhooked with the kite just sitting in the air, moving with you. Of course it really makes a difference what direction the wind is coming from and how you have your kite tuned. Most waves around here run perpendicular to the wind but in coastal areas that isn't always the case. Nothing like a good Side on wind.

Here's the info on the new Slingshot lineup. Lots of great choices

Schey-09-kiteboard1.jpg (344.68 KiB) Viewed 7971 times

The Fuse grew from 149 to 151cm in 08. Not that much of a difference. Unlike the SST and the SRT the Fuse has a construction more similar to their twin tips. I like the size, it's light under foot, and in the air. I think I'd classify it more as a directional with twin tip capabilities ( ie you don't need to jibe) vs a surfboard you can use in light winds. You'll probably get more light wind performance out of a surfboard with a full tail and a bit of float. The Fuse is probably a bit more versatile.

[seamonkey]

I had my new 2008 SRT out today for the first time in the water. I'm a directional regular foot rider so with the wind direction at Wildwood today forced me to ride goofy which made toeside transition impossible at my stage. It is the coolest board I've ever been on, other than snow which I prefer over water. Northeast on the padre Gulf would be Ideal wind direction. The board is too long to take on the plane so I will have to ship it UPS. Anything over 5 feet wont go on Sun Country, plus they want to charge 90.00 each way.

[steveb]

The old windsurfers should really be thinking about trying a surfboard, it's a bit of memory lane for us.
I'm loving the board feel as opposed to wake board feel under my feet again. The gybes are a blast and it's much easier to learn than a planing gybe on a windsurfer, it recently dawned on me you can tack which too is easier than trying to tack a 85 liter windsurf board. You get that steering with a locked back end feeling again, so you can really carve. It just feels better, I'm sorry that I'm not a good enough writer to put into words the difference.
They're a good light wind alternative, my SST gets going about the same time as my 148/48 lightwind board, but you get the benefit of a wave toy in your quiver. They point like crazy too, once you realise you don't have to edge hard to get upwind but steer the board into the wind.
I'll be in Padre over thanksgiving, if you want to try mine just ask.

[Geo]

well, I am a windsurfer, and I am old, so you can see my interest!

Do you ride yours with straps, or strapless? With the straps on, are they like windsurfing boards with 3 straps?

I have been getting great mileage out of my 151(?) Spleene. It isn't supposed to do well in higher winds, waves, but I've had good luck all the same, since it shoots upwind and is pretty flexible. But, in the 15 minutes I tried the Tighe's fuse, I could see why so many of the guys in the Gorge were going to the surfboards.

haven't made plans for Padre yet, but you never know...I have initial partial "permission" to go.

[steveb]

The SST has 2 straps setup just like a twin tip, straps in the middle. I put a grip pad deck from NSI on my board so I can step anywhere behind the front strap and have grip. So I ride out and in the straps. If I feel like jumping I put my feet in, upwind I put my front foot in but leave my back foot out. Playing with waves I either have just my front foot in or no feet in the straps. I find you can crank the heelside/toeside turn harder out of the straps. You have so much space on the top of the board it's easy to move around, the secret is to bring your kite a little higher taking the weight off your feet as you move around.
I do think in retrospect I might have preferred something a little shorter but wider. Something like a fish design. It'd have a little more flexibility for around here.+ you can buy grip pads from NSI with inserts in them. So you could get a fish design for $400 or so and add the pads for straps. Cheaper than most the kiteboard specific designs.But just as good.

[seamonkey]

Steve, My name is Michael. I have spoken with you on the phone before, but never met you in person. I'll be at La Quinta in Padre from 11/26 through Dec. 1. I'd team up with you on some directional gulfside downwinders if you're game. We'll have a vehicle. Log in my number and please send me yours. 612 868 0393.

[steveb]

We'll be there about the 22nd thru the 2nd. 715 781 2474 cell.I tend to switch the thing off down there. I spend too much time on the phone with work so I hate the things. We have a Honda Odysea van silvery greyish with Wi plates. We can usually be found having breakfast at Teds about 9.30 am.

[Shane]

I picked up a 6.0ft LF late last spring and pretty much haven't ridden anything else since then. I get of the water and my face is sore from the silly grin I have the whole time I ride it.
Shane

[Tighe]

For those of you looking to compare the SS boards, Mark Doyle at XL Kites down there probably has the whole line up for demo. If enough people are interested I could see if I could arrange to have a few for an afternoon so people could do side by side comparisons. I'd be interested as well. I've only ridden the 06 SRT and the 07 Fuse.

ride on

[RandyL]

Tighe, I would like to demo a surf board if possible.

[Nathan B]

a really sweet optoin for a strapless kitesurf board is also buying a wakesurfer/landlock boards . great strapless boards for light wind days and you can still hold down alot . I have a H.O Kona 5'11 and it is amazing! Christian S(I think?) has the same board, Steve you may have tried it behind the boat ,and thats the other great thing you can use them for wakesurfing the boat. I paid just under 200$ fot it thats the best part! and they are strong boards.

http://www.lakawa.com/lakawaphoto/?showpic=2850

http://www.lakawa.com/lakawaphoto/?showpic=1433

[steveb]

Yeah Nathan I've ridden it, fun a bit like a cross between a skim board and a surf board, very loose on the water.
One of the things I've been doing this year is goofing around with boards, mainly driven by trying to find comfort for a knee injury that hates riding twin tips, so it nearly heals and I kite, and it nearly heals etc.etc.I've been using a mutant, surfboard,skim board and twin tips. All throw a new dimension to your riding and all create new challenges. You also learn a lot about weight dispersion and using the kite to help balence. This has really helped me improve my regular TT riding as my kite controls much better.
If you're like me where you don't want to ride unhooked, you're tricks are going to be limited by your willingness to wreck yourself, riding different boards adds challenges and fun without beating the doo doo out of your body. I've had some wicked session in light air on the skim and surfboard trying stuff that on a twins a no brainer. A basic turn can become a challenge and highly amusing if you don't mind using swear words, somthing that's never bothered me much.
So long winded way of saying there's other ways to kite, it's just whether or not you want to try them.

[MK]

fun vid. Looks like he keeps the kite high in the air not far from neutral which allows him to skiff, turn, spin etc... It looks like he takes the experience of kiting in a different direction into more of board play but dips his kite when he needs a little grunt. Maybe his Helix helps with that kind of performance. Michelle flies one and could maybe add to it (has she left yet, what happened to her dogs?), Seth too. Looks more surfy, I'm interested. Reminds me a little of the wakeskate I picked up for boating this year except the skate is like a skateboard but I don't have any fins on the bottom so its really slippery, and I'm a pile of garbage up on it too (laughing the whole time of course).

After the snow experience last weekend in SD and traveling with fellow stoke seekers I'm scheeming on how to meet up in SPI with all utes. And now this directional board conversation adding to it may put me over the edge. I'm glad to read it can be used for wakesurfing too. Nothing like getting more opportunities to use your gear to help with buying decisions. Realistically its looking like spring break before I'll try to get a chance to ride one but will eagerly read on from all of your reports until then.

Steve, you commented on not having the ability to be descriptive enough to explain - I just hear your accent when reading your posts and that's colorful enough

Mike