Snowkiting - what will this year bring???

[MikE mAy]

Jake- what's your response on the foil or SLE question? i'd be curious to see what you think since you mainly ride SLE on the snow. Kenny- you didn't make the decision any easier for me.

so, i have a few more questions for everybody:

with all this talk of skins and AT binders, i wonder how much you actually get stuck out there. is this a weekly occurance? seasonally? i've never made the financial commitement to AT binders, however the Freerides look very tempting. i have no hookup though. i however, i use an old pair of treckers and skins for my backcountry adventures. they seem to work marginally well. is it worth it to carry this added weight in my pack at all times? how many of you carry avalanche gear when just out for a cruise, or is just those long treks? what sort of risk am i looking at? this might influince my kite choice as i would assume there is less risk of malfunction on a foil.

i'd like to hear some stories of "i was two miles out and had to walk back in snowboard boots in 3ft drifts." anybody got any?

as far as skis go, i think the gotamas will be my ski of choice, however i've got the old race sticks and some 190 B Squads straight off of Gordy Piefer's rack. i'd imagine those will only come in handy when it's really cranking and i'm trying to set a land speed record. from what i'm hearing though, 103MM isn't too wide underfoot for kiting. that makes me feel better.

[Augie]

Mike,no I haven't ever been stranded with an equipment malfunction. It is more of a peace of mind- Boy Scout be prepared thing. I have gone out by myself on Monte Cristo 4 miles from the road and then I have the skins. If I am at Powder Mountain or Skyline the only pack that I carrry is a Camelback. However, besides an equipment malfunction what if the wind dies or starts nuking to where you can't handle it? I rarely carry avy gear because I don't typically get on the steep slopes.

You are right about a big fat ski. We are esentially skiing backcoutry conditions and sometimes you get going fairly fast and you need something to smooth out the wind ridges. I had a gps with me last year and clocked an even 40mph with me skiing downhill and the wind going downhill-it scared the shit out of me, and it takes a long runout to slow the kite down.

I have both foils and a 10m turbo diesel. I think the bow wind range is handy to have but the best kite in my opinion is the Ozone Frenzy.

This one is an answer to Les's earlier invite to kite James Peak- Are you crazy? James Peak is steep shit to ski without a kite in your hands. I'll just watch you. The other problem is that it is one of the higher peaks in the area and prone to gusty shifting winds. It also is within the resort boundary and only open to skiers. Maybe in the spring when the resort shuts down.

[Kenny]

Mike M,

You will need to decide for yourself between foil or SLE. I suggest that you start by setting up your existing kites with a 5th line that attaches to the trailing edge. Don't be too anxious to buy another kite. You will be able to demo the Frenzy, Instinct, and the Waroo at Skyline this year. We get more demos on the snow than on the water, so you can try before you buy.

As far as the AT binders, you probably won't need them this year. Just stay close to the road. Most of the posthole trips are either due to the wind dying or twisting the kite - foils are more prone than LEI's in this dept. not vice versa. I have seen a lot of LEI riders walking back because they were not able to relaunch their kites because they did not setup a 5th line attaching to the trailing edge. I have never had a 2 mile posthole trip. I recall that Brian had one at Strawberry last year.

I have never kited in avalanche prone territory, so I have left the gear at home.

Kenny

[Jacob Buzianis]

I haven't walk in the deep snow very far yet. The most was probably 50 yards at the most that when the wind started to died. I know I got Marty stuck out there last year when he decided to follow me at Strawberry.

Hey Marty- if you would kept following me, you won't of got stuck too bad.

Recommend to carry power bar. It doesn't matter how far you are going. There time when you are having too much fun you forget that you need food.

[MikE mAy]

any tips on setting up a 5th line on your trailing edge? i see slingshot has what they call an ATL or All-Terrain-Launch thing. i will look into that, but what about other kites? mainly either my old naish V4 or any of billy's best kites. i'll cross post on kiteforum just to be sure.

looking forward to snow flying!

[btjsfca]

Just had a couple of things to chime in:

Mike M: BOW/SLE vs foil

There's also the possibility of going for a Flysurfer foil like a Psycho 3 or a Speed, or even a Pulse. You'll pay premium over Ozone, but they're closed-cell (so, good for water too) and incredibly well-designed. I had a change to see and fly one this summer, and I was very impressed. Stable, powerful (intimidatingly so, but I'm a thin guy). They pack up small like a Frenzy, too. I also can't say a bad thing about Peter Lynn kites. Just bought a new Venom II and it's sweet. Fast turning, great depower, simple setup (but still more complicated than a Frenzy or a Flysurfer), stable like crazy.


Mike L: Land kiting spots

You're totally right about Salt Air. Not to mention that the Oquirrhs tend to disrupt the wind. Also: just because there's a barrier before the train tracks at Burmester doesn't mean it's closed!! I've been riding there for the last two years. I drive east on the access road next to the train tracks and park in the turn-out just near the end of where the trains are parked. No one has ever hassled me for being there or parking where I do. I'm looking to get out there again at some point before the landboarding season is done, if you want to ride with someone sometime, PM me.

-J

[lesvierra]

I'd like to join you guys landboarding. PM me if you dont mind my company. Thanks, Les

[lesvierra]

Mike, I flew an ozone frenzy 10m last year. Loved how easy setup was and loved the way it flew. The only thing I would like out of the frenzy is the gust munching capabilities that the waroos have. I liked the back pack that comes with the frenzy, I like the flying sytems it has, I like these kites for landboarding.

I bought a few waroos this summer because I can use them on water and snow and because Pineview where I kite is gusty. I'm hoping the waroos work for me on the snow. Also, as a beginner it is nice to be able to depower so much. If the frenzy could absorb the gusts like the waroo, I think I would ultimatley like a quiver of frenzies for snow and land and quiver of water specific kites.

I carry skins with me like Auggie I guess because I'm a beginner and dont necessarily know where I am going to end up or what kitemare is waiting for me. At PM, I skin to and from the towers. I shot the gap once coming back, but have never kited all the way from the parking lot. I would hate to go up to Monte Cristo or anyplace like that without skins. They provide me with a saftey net.

[Kenny]

I bought the Flysurfer Silver Arrow for the snow. It packs up small for such a large kite (17M). I think it will be the bomb based on my experience with the water. I have thought about a Psycho 3, but then I think for the money I would rather just pump up one of my smaller Waroos. I did get a chance to fly a 20, 16, and a 12 on the snow last year. All 3 relaunch great and are excellent gust busters. The only thing I didn't like was pumping them up.

I also had a chance to fly a Venom 16M - it is a super stable kite. You can just hold onto the chicken loop and it will stay parked above your head. It has less depower than a Waroo, but it doesn't require pumping.

I have never landboarded at Burmester. Where exactly is Burmester located? Is it past the Morton Evaporation ponds? The past 2 years I have not landboarded. Both years the snow immediately followed the water season with no break inbetween. Hope it happens again this year.[/code]

[btjsfca]

I have never landboarded at Burmester. Where exactly is Burmester located? Is it past the Morton Evaporation ponds? The past 2 years I have not landboarded. Both years the snow immediately followed the water season with no break inbetween. Hope it happens again this year.

Burmester is exactly north of the Granstville exit off I-80. When you take the offramp from the westbound lane, you drop into a loop. Right after the cattle guard (when you've turned just about back east), there's the frontage road off to the left. You'll see the trains parked. Follow the frontage road, loop around and drive east along side the train tracks and park in the pullout. Cross the tracks, drop down the embankment and weep.

Smooth, cakey mud flats. So forgiving on a crash. I'd say at least 4 mile tacks on a north or south wind. (I don't know exactly how much terrain there is. I've made it the point of several days to try and get to the beach, but I've never made it.) On a good north wind day, I'm willing to bet that there is no better place in the country to ride. Mountainboards, at least. I've been to Ivanpah, and I swear the stansbury peninsula has it beat.

Oh yeah. Another plus is that there's a wind meter about 300 yards south of the train tracks:

http://www.met.utah.edu/cgi-bin/roman/m ... nit=&time=

The only downside is that it's getting to be a bit wet this time of year and it turns into some pretty tenacious mud after a rain. It looks like this weekend might turn out a ride, though.

If there's anything to be had this weekend, I'm going to try and get out there.

-J

[Kenny]

Sounds like I better dust off my mountainboard and get out there. I did not realize we had such a mountainboarding gem so close by.

[MikE mAy]

so stoked for the upcoming snow year! i ended up with a new pair of skis that (hopefully) will rock on the snow this winter. they are a pair of Steele Spence model 4FRNT twinnies in a 177. they are 117-87-113. i hope this isn't too much of a sidecut, however, i think the pop, undestructable sidewall, and 87 underfoot will rock! i can't wait.....

we just need to pray for snow. and, in my case pray for less work. i can't even get an afternoon off to kite at UL tomorrow and it's bumming me out.

thanks for all the advise on kites guys.

later,
Mike

[lesvierra]

I'm excited to ride these, just made the order. Should be perfect for just about any snow condition. They might even be good for water. I'll put some fritchi freerides on them with 130mm skins. May not need the backcountry set up for snowkiting, but I cant wait to ride in the backcountry.

[spencer7]

yea if you can get in touch with the people in charge of swaner its a great spot, but dont just go trudgin out there because they will come tell you to leave

[Constance Mallula]

OHHHHHHH

I Can't Wait!!! Is it snowing yet???