I had a long discussion with Kyrk Wright today and here a few tips that may help you from our conversation.
1. Why does my kite always fall out of the air? Some of our local spots are located in partial windshadows or where the wind is somewhat turbulent. This is the case at the launch spots for Strawberry River, Skyline, and Richardson Flat (in the summertime, it is true at almost all launch locations.). At those locations, you need to launch your kite and move to better wind ASAP. That means that you should put your board on BEFORE you launch your kite. As soon as you are up and riding, loop the kite if the wind is light and head for higher ground.
2. I get stuck on my knees while wearing a snowboard. Two solutions 1. wear skis - honestly it is the best way to go your first 10-15 times. 2. fly the kite quickly from 10 to 2. If you are powered the kite will lift you off the ground and you can straighten your legs. However, I have seen people panic and crash the kite once they are in the air, so if you are predisposed to panic, you might want to take off the board and put it back on again.
3. What kind of bindings work best for snowkiting - flow are great. I like the old K2 clickers because they are really fast and easy, but it is hard to find decent boots anymore.
4. What can I do to keep my waist harness from riding up? One solution is a seat harness, but they can be uncomfortable for men when you are really powered. So if you want to preserve your family jewels, some of the new waist harnesses are better designed to not ride up.
5. I get tired after 30 minutes - Anyone serious about kiteboarding needs an excercise regimen. Kiteboarding requires solid core and leg strength. Lots of ways to do this, but you cannot rely on kiting alone to keep you in shape unless you don't have a job and can kite whenever the wind blows.
6. How do I avoid kitemares? Most problems occur while launching and landing the kite. A systematic approach to launching can not only be a life saver, it can also help you avoid a lot of wasted time and effort struggling with or chasing a kite. Watch a more experienced rider setup, ask questions and develop you own system. Same thing is true for landing the kite. Talk to others before launching your kite to determine the right size of kite to fly. If you only own one kite, that is a recipe for disaster unless you are truly patient. You don't want to launch too large of a kite, especially when you are learning. Too small of a kite can be equally frustrating.
7. Where is the best place to learn? I think Chicken Creek East out on the ice is a great place to learn. Another good one is Sulphur Creek near Evanston. One caveat, there has to be decent snow coverage, riding directly on ice is not a good idea when you are learning. The nice thing about riding on ice is that with skis and a small kite you can learn how to ride without worrying about going up and down hills. The wind tends to also be consistent which is not the case at Skyline or Strawberry River. Desperation Flats and Rush can be good if the wind and snow conditions are right.
8. What are the optimal conditions? Pick your days carefully when you are learning. It is going to be frustrating if the wind is super light or nuking. Gusty wind, deep powder, and snow squalls are also not favorable for learning. A perfect day is a sunny day with 15 mph wind and packed powder. There are a lot of those days at Sulphur and Chicken Creek East. Once you have the basics down and you have the right equipment, you can go out when the conditions are less than optimal.
9. I spend a lot of time trying to relaunch the kite. What am I doing wrong? First, take note of your surroundings if you go down into a valley it is likely that you will ride into a windshadow. Down goes your kite and you wonder why it will not fly when everyone else is riding. More experienced riders will fly a bit larger kite and keep it high when going into a windshadow area. When you are learning, try to stay on ridgelines and take note when flying into an area when you notice less power in the kite, a quick turn in the other direction can often save you from a fallen kite. Sometimes, you are going to have to hike to a better position for relaunch. I have had to do this several times this year, so don't feel bad it happens to all of us.
10. What do I do if my kite is about to fall out of the air? There are several things you can do. I often will grab the front leader to put tension on the front lines to keep the kite in the air. Another technique is a quick loop of the kite. If the wind is fading and you can't avoid the kite from landing on the ground, learn to steer it so that the trailing edge is down for a quick relaunch.
Don't be afraid to ask questions. Once you learn the joy of snowkiting, you will leave the world of ski lift tickets behind and enjoy the freedom of riding the wind.