bottom line...after seeing these vids,I have gotten into kiteboarding on snow and water and...well...the 'kitewing' vids led me to the WAY BETTER snowkite/kiteboarding vids and performance of KITES. Got a used KB set-up that will outperform anything here; for way less cost as well(craigslist). No disrespect...I'm just saying. KB...WAY more bang for the buck/tool/effort.
given the price of these things and the general tameness of what you can get out of...I don't see how the performance warrants the price. Yes..they look cool. So what.
as a hang glider pilot, I noted the similarity to of a kitewing. Then, realising how wind works at ground level I realised that kitewing can never even approach what is being done with snowkites. If you want the best use of the wind...you need a kite that is UP in the air(wind gradients)
You're overstating the wind gradient effect, they say it's only 15-to 30% less over a water surface and is turbulent until 2000 feet in elevation.
if you're kw in most places that snowkiting takes place, frozen lakes, open fields, then a ground sail will still get decent wind. The kw is designed for low resistance terrain like ice, packed snow.
No contest that a foil kite of the same size is more powerful and works better in the mountains, deep powder or high wind gradient situations. 3 line snowkites for example aren't nearly as safe as a wing or iceboard sail and take up much more space. I use an iceboard and get just as much speed and go upwind faster with a 5.0 sail in 15 knots as those with 7m lei kites on packed lake snow.
Oh man.... I bought one a month ago, and I'll buy another in two weeks, a 5.5, to last longer in the air. But I live close to the sea, and I think it's most fun in an open space, on a hard beach. Didn't try on ice yet, but that must be great too...and on snow... It is now my ultimate sport...
bottom line...after seeing these vids,I have gotten into kiteboarding on snow and water and...well...the 'kitewing' vids led me to the WAY BETTER snowkite/kiteboarding vids and performance of KITES. Got a used KB set-up that will outperform anything here; for way less cost as well(craigslist). No disrespect...I'm just saying. KB...WAY more bang for the buck/tool/effort.
shoegooguru 3 years ago
given the price of these things and the general tameness of what you can get out of...I don't see how the performance warrants the price. Yes..they look cool. So what.
shoegooguru 3 years ago
as a hang glider pilot, I noted the similarity to of a kitewing. Then, realising how wind works at ground level I realised that kitewing can never even approach what is being done with snowkites. If you want the best use of the wind...you need a kite that is UP in the air(wind gradients)
shoegooguru 3 years ago
You're overstating the wind gradient effect, they say it's only 15-to 30% less over a water surface and is turbulent until 2000 feet in elevation.
if you're kw in most places that snowkiting takes place, frozen lakes, open fields, then a ground sail will still get decent wind. The kw is designed for low resistance terrain like ice, packed snow.
wildblue2 3 years ago
No contest that a foil kite of the same size is more powerful and works better in the mountains, deep powder or high wind gradient situations. 3 line snowkites for example aren't nearly as safe as a wing or iceboard sail and take up much more space. I use an iceboard and get just as much speed and go upwind faster with a 5.0 sail in 15 knots as those with 7m lei kites on packed lake snow.
wildblue2 3 years ago
Oh man.... I bought one a month ago, and I'll buy another in two weeks, a 5.5, to last longer in the air. But I live close to the sea, and I think it's most fun in an open space, on a hard beach. Didn't try on ice yet, but that must be great too...and on snow... It is now my ultimate sport...
zmaupzy 4 years ago
If you like what you see and your in Australia, go to firebee dot com dot au
kitewing 4 years ago
cool...but nowhere near the capability of what a kite can do. The wind is lowest near the ground.
astralninja 5 years ago
Dude, you made me find my new sport!!! :D
Pavefan 5 years ago