Snow Kiting 101
Snow Kiting and Kite Skiing are a lot easier to learn than kite boarding on the water. It is easy to stand on snow, which makes the whole process easier. It also takes a lot less wind to drive a board or skis across snow than it does across water. The whole learning experience is a lot less daunting, as you need much less power and wind to get you moving.
In addition to that, holding an edge in snow is much easier than in water making ‘up-wind’ progress much easier to master. All you need is snow and a power kite and you can turn a cold winter's day into a blistering, adrenaline-soaked experience.
To Snow Kite or Kite Ski you will want a foil type kite since it is completely soft in structure and cannot be damaged easily when the kite is slammed into the ground. Foils are also capable of reverse launching which is very important for re-launching these kites from the snow. The choice between static or de-powering foils is essential to your experience; recent advancements in technology have brought us foil kites that are capable of de-powering (often called “sheeting”).
Foils with de-powering systems are far superior to “static” quad line kites for many reasons. De-powering foils have a control bar that has a hole drilled in the middle to allow the center lines to pass through the control bar and into your harness. This allows the control bar to “float” on the center lines and takes all the pull off your arms and grip and into the harness. Pushing the bar away from you decreases power. Pulling the bar towards you increases power. Not all quad lines are capable of de-powering though.
The first step to snow kiting is to choose the proper kite size. Unlike water, snow conditions change daily. When you consider a kite size, you must also take into consideration the main style of terrain. It will take more kite power to pull you in fresh powder than it will on packed snow or icy conditions. The most popular size for most winds and terrain is the 5.0 square meter size. The 5.0 is ideal for the medium winds of 14-20mph. A 3.5 will work in higher winds, over 18mph and a larger 7.0-9.0 foil will be the preferred size for lighter 10-15mph winds.
Next you need to figure out where you are going to be sailing. When choosing a kite, consider what's around you. The snow kite size you use will also depend on the surface you're kiting on. Snow Kiting on hard packed snow or ice takes a lot less power than deeper powder conditions. Some of the best snow kiting is done on a frozen lake because of the unobstructed wind flow and knowing that there is nothing under the snow, like dangerous branches or rocks.
Make sure it is a large area free of all obstacles. Consider what might be under the snow. It wouldn’t be very pleasant to land on a sharp pole, etc. Pay attention to the area directly downwind of the riding area, because getting pulled into a roadway, etc wouldn’t end very well either. Flat land or rolling hills is much preferred over mountains and one must find a place with consistent winds. Choose a snowboard with a long effective edge to resist against the kite, but is still short enough to keep the swing weight down. Kite Skiing works with nearly any type of skis, but typically shorter (lighter) skis allow for more air and bigger tricks.
The next consideration is skill level and athletic ability. The larger the kite the more power it generates and more demanding it is physically. If a rider is just getting started, the best choice is the smallest kite that will produce enough power to move. It is essential not to be overpowered, not just because it’s obviously safer but, less power is easier to manage. No one kite will cover the entire wind range, so start with a smaller kite and then get a larger kite later.
The size of a rider is another important consideration. The bigger a rider is the more sail he will need to pull him around. If a rider is over 180 lbs, he should be looking at 5.0 sq. meter kites to start with. If a rider is less than that, then he can go with a 3.5 to start with.
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