Stay connected in the wind. This forum is for anyone who rides the wind, winter or summer, on whatever board suits their fancy. Share the stoke, find out where people are going, ask any question, share your discoveries, and discuss any esoteric idea you may have related to the pursuit of wind. Please keep it positive.
I haven't been out since South Padre & am dying to get out. Who's going where? Am I going to freeze with the windchill around -10? I can't remember what temps I kited in last winter.
Wow! what a turn out at WBL: There had to have been at least a 15-20 kites: Avery, Mike B, Chuck, Jim N, Darlene, Leah, Tighe, Sophia, Terry D, Tim D, Denis (by the way my lines are hurting), Dave Z, and several others I didn't get a chance to chat with. Beautiful day it was, surface was great, sun was shining, but you had to rig big. Wind started to die off after 2pm and you had to be flying a waroo to keep aloft right Avery. Sure is nice to not ride ice. Kurt
Great to see snow and the kite crew! Thanks for all of the support especially Kurt in his winter disguise!
Any good suggestions for setting up and self launching with a snowboard? There has got to be other water babies out there that are moving on to the snow and have the same question!
leah, this is my set up and self launch technique with an bow/SLE inflatable and snowboard that I was attempting to explain earlier .
0. Kite with someone and have them help you launch, it's far easier and safer
1. Inflate the kite and anchor it LE down and into the wind just like summertime. Use and an ice anchor or sandbag. I use a sandbag for anchoring the kite
2. Set your lines up downwind of the kite
3. Make sure your lines are correct and not crossed and that you are fully depowered
4. walk with a big arc with lines and control bar up to along side your kite and attach the chicken loop to an ice anchor. Use a extension leash and a climbing hook on your ice anchor
5. unsecure your kite from the sandbag and walk it out to the edge of the wind window, as if you were going to launch it for somone. It should sit at the edge of the window ready for launch (it doesn't always though particularly in inconsistent and light winds). Make sure you kite is on the edge of the window so that it is pointing out to the middle of the lake and not to shore or obstacles in case things go awry
6. Run back to your control bar (your kite won't necessarily stay there indefintely)
7. Lock into your snowboard first
8. Pick up the control bar and hook into your chicken loop with the chicken loop still atached to the ice anchor.
9. Unhook your ice anchor with leash and climbing hook from the chicken loop
10 launch the kite. You can actually launch while still attached to the anchor if you want
11. ride
When I self land, I also hook onto the ice anchor while still in the chicken loop then kill my kite.
Well I finally got out for the first time this winter, great to see everybody again, although it was my first time at WBL so I didn't know that many faces. Thanks for the help Garrett when my hands were frozen. I have to say I REALLY REALLY REALLY like water kiting. Winter kiting is just not for me. Maybe the next 2 weekends up at Mille Lacs will change my mind? I liked winter kiting last year but that's probably because it was new & exciting. The water & South Padre have spoiled me!!
Sorry, Kurt. When I saw your lines, it was too late to plow myself to a stop, so I did an Olly over the lines and tried to land flat so that I wouldn't damage them. Let me know if they are frayed and I'll replace them. It was my fault after all.
Any good suggestions for setting up and self launching with snowboard
I rig just like Kurt, but after checking my lines, I walk upwind, pull on the lines to turn the kite into the wind and do a normal relaunch. I then step into my bindings (I have step in's specially for that). You can also lock into your snowboard, then pull on the lines to turn your kite.
Also, my apologies to the black car parked next to me at Mahtomedi. I noticed that I parked really close on its driver side, so you probably had to go in on the passenger side.
Denis
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Getting into the bindings after launching is tricky. Keeping tethered to the ice anchor as described above can help if you don't want to put the board on first but I would reccommend that you do. Keep in mind that if you are on ice or slick conditions, you must be strapped on your board prior to launching as you cannot edge without it.
Denis,
You ran right over my lines and ollied Jim's. I do have some fraying but I'm hoping it is minor. I'll let you know.
Kurt
Thanks to Darlene for letting me try out that Turbo Diesel after struggling to keep moving with my B4. Don't worry about snow kiting here, if global warming keeps up, you'll be able to water kite during winter in 2-3 years...
Personally, I like to be able to walk around when launching my kite initially. That's why I have step-ins and put my boad downwind of me. But yeah, that makes for some comical sliding on the way to my board.
Kurt, if you need new lines, give me a call: 612 two zero three 1105. You had 25m lines, right?
Denis
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