Hey i'm going to start looking for a snow board for snow kiting.
is there any spec's i need to look for in a snow board for snow kiting?
wider? longer?

ps its been about 10 years since i did any snowboarding so i have know idea what to look for in a normal snow board.

ps i'm 5'11"

I'm 6'2" and found length to not be as critical as when freeriding and enjoyed my shorter freestyle board. Similarly with sidecut as you're carving under kite power even a shallow sidecut is very efficient.

Though I will say that quick step in bindings are the cats' meaow if you're anywhere where it's a little gusty and getting in and out of your bindings can be adventurous. I never tried ATB bindings but will add that snowboard boots are better at keeping cold and wet out.

I agree with Guster, I used step-in bindings and it definitely made things a little easier getting in and out when required - launching, relaunching or walking out of a drop-off.

Something that did catch me out was not having the board and binding set up in a symmetrical "twin tip" duck stance, as I normally ride on the mountain favoured to one direction (Ala natural). I was sweet as riding one way but the other way was almost like riding flat footed blind. Remembering you cant twist your feet in the foot straps like kite surfing.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3266/2838858657_49c7282d8d.jpg?v=0
Shot from last year at Snowfarm, "Wanakite".

ok so i'll look for a blank deck and slap my landboard bindings on there.... sweet that will make it cheaper as well

Seen guys ride with hiking boots and kiteboard straps. Just depends on how comfortable you are riding without the heel support of a snowboard binding or step-in snowboard boot. Ruapehu can be a little icy at times making heel support more than a luxury and there are plenty of good deals on trade-me if you know what you're looking for. Then again I'm sure you can whip up something snazzy in carbon!

unfortunatly i have no idea what i'm looking at on trademe. theres like 600 boards on there.... they all look the same. i'm contemplating doing both getting a standard snowboard with boots and bindings and a plain deck which i retrofit my land bindings too.

i'd need a standard set to practic standard snowboarding and would try both styles when snow kiting to see which is the best.

i can't see me doing hard out toeside carves when kiting. (thats when i think real snowboard boots/bindings would be needed). i'll just ride goofy/natural as required.

the main diff with board designed for snow kiting is less side cut, because you have to lean hard against a kite, the board would tend to turn more. this make going in a straight line tiring on the feet.

but finding one in nz would be hard

better to just get a normal snowboard, $2-300 should get something ok . i think for you around 158-161cm
and get snowbd binding as well. you need the support and your edging a lot harder that an atb. plus half of the time you end up riding (or walking) anyway


or if your cross my way you could just use one of mine

I have a 158 Sims enduro with K2 boots and step-in bindings going v cheap,Drop me a pm if your keen

The the common aspects of all kite snowboards:

* Twin tip design with centred stance

* Shallow side cut/large side cut radius

* Wide centre width (for flat/low angle stance and no toe/heal drag)

If you are not buying a 'kite-snow-board' you tend to find these parameters in more park/jib style boards than freeride, all mountain or powder boards.

The Nobile Kitesnowboard has been brought into NZ in past seasons in small numbers that might be a good one to look at.

Another option is getting a custom wide board from Candleman:

www.candleman.co.nz

Cheers

DK

thanks DK,

At this stage i'm purely on a s/h hand cheap shitter pricing this year. bu that helps my selection of tradme shitters.

Landboard bindings and hiking boots on a snowboard sounds like a recipe for disaster. You might as well turn the clock back 20 years and try to fly an old army parachute while you're at it. I have never seen anyone doing that and at this point I think if it were even a reasonable idea you'd see other people doing it. Save yourself wasted time and possible injury and just buy snowboard bindings and boots. You can usually get a second hand board with bindings already and find second hand boots for $100. When buying a board get a true "twin tip" freestyle board. Alot of boards out there are made for the bindings to be set back and are designed to be ridden one way.

Now if you are looking for the ideal set up then splash out on some rear entry bindings. I prefer the K2 Cinches but APO and Flow are 2 other brands. Flow are probably the easist to find second hand as they've been making these for years. Re boards- the latest rage in snowboarding is boards with rocker such as K2 gyrator, turbo dream and lib tech skate banana. they float in the powder and allow you to keep a centered stance instead of leaning so much on your back leg. I think these boards are particularly well suited to snowkiting. For a good discussion on rockered snowboards see www.alta.co.nz/whats-with-this-rocker-thing.html

This looks a good setup if you are size 9
www.trademe.co.nz/Sports/Ski-board/Snowb...uction-219608111.htm

thanks jon

yes i've gone off the idea of landboard bindings and hiking boots.

ps i'm size 10.....
will keep looking.

what about this for a cheap package?

www.torpedo7.co.nz/products/3MCOMW8S2/ti...-and-Binding-Package

will it work? i think maybe the haze 159 wide.

in reality i'll be lucky to get 1-2 days snowboarding and the same snowkiting per year so i don't want to outlay a heap.

For sure that'll work. Cheap as chips. Must be made by 9 year old chinese girls at that price though. As long as you're okay with that go for it.

at least it takes those chinese girls out of the nock shop and into the fibreglass factory .... they are probably so pleased they get to laminate triaxial glass compared to the alternative.

Hi Plummet,
I'll pm you, I have some sweet deals for new gear (which include Accom deals at the lodge) also have a few used boards that should suit you. Last weekend was perfect for some action on the golf course at the Chateau and Ruapehu is sooo close to ready,
Catch you up there. In fact this Sunday will be great if the forecast snow drops to 800m like they say. We will be blasting on the farm across the road.

Ruapehu is one snowfall away so the skis are waxed and the kites are read.

Cheers Chris.

Sweet send me the info. i'm pretty tied up in the next 2 months so can't see any snow kiting happening before 20 july. but after that i'll be keen for a session or three. I'm pretty keen to find some mild hills that will let me learn the how to hold traction on a snow board without wheels. then i want to glide some hills. (not chasta gliding) really just nice super floaty jumps downhill.

PS you need to create a thread of when and where to kite on ruahepu. what winds are good for where etc.

yea, id be keen to know when a group is heading to ruapeu for a weekend...im keen to check this out.
what do you guys use as a harness? last year i modified my rucksak waist straps with a spreader an that worked ok..but id be happy to know of another cheap alternative?

i'd say keep an eye on trademe for a cheap harness. if you want to kite for hours i doubt a waist strap will cut it for very long.

if i'm heading over ill give you a call....

If your pants allow for it use a kitesurf seat harness. Otherwise a climbing harness or one of the kiting ones like the Ozone or Libre harnesses. Climbing harness is not a bad option over bulky padded insulation. Waist harnesses work as long as your jacket does not get in the way.

The latter climbing harnesses like Black Diamond have wider padded straps that make them much more comfortable.

I've got an ozone D-ring snowkite harness on trademe at the mo
www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=220836943

I have one of those too and they're great as long as you don't need a spreader bar hook for a chickenloop. You still need a quick release and pulley if you want to run handles on them though. The setup that the hardwiring buggy guys use for quad handles is a perfect setup for it.