I couldn't think of anywhere but the Outback or Great White North to do this kind of thing.(No telephone poles)
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I couldn't think of anywhere but the Outback or Great White North to do this kind of thing.(No telephone poles)
I LIKE IT!! Could easily do that on the ice roads here, problem would be getting the lateral resistance on the ice. Still, neat.
I sent that out to some buddies and one of them sent this one back. He and another couple of friends from here are in Norway kiting in the mountains they have there, the Alps I think. This is the first try of a 21 square meter Flysurfer Speed kite. I have a 17 meter Speed and a buddy has three 19 meter Speeds that he lets me use from time to time. These kites are amazing! You can get going quite fast in even 5-7 mph winds....I can't imagine a 21 meter! Plus...the 19 meter kites are about $3K apiece...not sure on a 21. Anyway, here it is...You may be able to appreciate why this sport is so popular here. Its so mellow and relaxing...yet thrilling.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMfSTmxId18&feature=player_embedded#at=214
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMfSTmxId18&feature=player_embedded#at=214
Very Cool!
Thanks Brian,
That was amazingly beautiful! My 17 yr old son and I watched it and now he wants to kite surf. I used to windsurf back in the 80's maybe we could do it together, have to check out whats involved. I sail a fair bit and love using wind to power any vehicle. I'm 48 and hope I'm not to old do do this stuff! Probably should take lessons. Thanks so much for sharing.
If you have any videos of you kite-boarding let me know where to look.
Thanks again,
Greg
That was amazingly beautiful! My 17 yr old son and I watched it and now he wants to kite surf. I used to windsurf back in the 80's maybe we could do it together, have to check out whats involved. I sail a fair bit and love using wind to power any vehicle. I'm 48 and hope I'm not to old do do this stuff! Probably should take lessons. Thanks so much for sharing.
If you have any videos of you kite-boarding let me know where to look.
Thanks again,
Greg
Greg, I'm 56 and took up the sport at age 50. Compared to windsurfing, it's 10 times easier. The learning curve is much faster and the physical demands much less. Lessons from a qualified teacher are good to have. A basic understanding can be had from a number of videos out there that teach the basics of kite handling. The purchase of a small training kite is a good investment.
I have buddies here who are well into their 60's, one who is into his 70's, who are kiting. And then others who are in their early 20's.
I have buddies here who are well into their 60's, one who is into his 70's, who are kiting. And then others who are in their early 20's.
Awesome! I'll look into it this weekend. Can the same rig be used for water and snow (different boards of course)?
Yes, you can...with some caveats.
Usually for the water they use inflatable kites...kites that have bladders in them and you pump them up. IMO these are the nicest kites as they hold their shape even in gusty winds. They are also the cheapest.
For snow and land they usually use foils. These kites require the wind to enter at the leading edge and keep them inflated.
Then there are kites like the Flysurfer which are closed cell foils. IMO these used to be the safest but the others have come a long way in that regard.
All kites can be used on the land or in the water but the inflatables are easiest to restart from the water as they float. As long as you are not going out in anything less than minus 15 Celcius in the snow I'd opt for inflatable kites. Used to be that you needed a helper to lauch an inflatable but with the new kites I find that I can lauch and land them by myself, but takes a bit of practice. The foils you can easily launch and land yourself.
Biggest thing IMO is safety...be sure the kite kit has preferably two safety systems, one to de-power the kite and then if that fails and you or someone else is in danger of being killed another system that lets you completely disengage yourself from the kite. As with most things, safety with these kites is a must. I've seen videos of guys getting lofted, lifted into the air, to heights of 500 plus feet. You want to be able to very quickly punch out if that is about to occur.
Usually for the water they use inflatable kites...kites that have bladders in them and you pump them up. IMO these are the nicest kites as they hold their shape even in gusty winds. They are also the cheapest.
For snow and land they usually use foils. These kites require the wind to enter at the leading edge and keep them inflated.
Then there are kites like the Flysurfer which are closed cell foils. IMO these used to be the safest but the others have come a long way in that regard.
All kites can be used on the land or in the water but the inflatables are easiest to restart from the water as they float. As long as you are not going out in anything less than minus 15 Celcius in the snow I'd opt for inflatable kites. Used to be that you needed a helper to lauch an inflatable but with the new kites I find that I can lauch and land them by myself, but takes a bit of practice. The foils you can easily launch and land yourself.
Biggest thing IMO is safety...be sure the kite kit has preferably two safety systems, one to de-power the kite and then if that fails and you or someone else is in danger of being killed another system that lets you completely disengage yourself from the kite. As with most things, safety with these kites is a must. I've seen videos of guys getting lofted, lifted into the air, to heights of 500 plus feet. You want to be able to very quickly punch out if that is about to occur.