Need Kiting Buddies

by **Johnny Maw** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 2:22 pm

I am not getting out enough, well not at all I would say. I live in Sugarhouse, and I'm a noob, but I have potential man! I am looking for some people who are driven to get out there. None of my buddies are into this, and I need some peer support. I am a 9-5 guy, but I can take off whenever and I just need some skills and drive to rub off on me so I can get out there more and build my skillz. Any takers? I'll drive, I'll make cute little sandwiches, I'll bring killer homebrew, nudy magazines for the long drives, whatever it takes! I traded in my ski pass money for the kite rig, so I gots to get on it! thanks in advance! I'm going to start some egg salad and tobasco sandwiches now...

Johnny
johnnymaw@hotmail.com

by **windzup** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 8:36 am

I'll go for the sammy's and homebrew!

The right season is coming, and a lot more Utah kiters will rally out for snow sessions... you'll have plenty of peeps to ride and train with soon.

Once the snow hits we'll be out at Skyline and Strawberry as often as possible and you are welcome to join us any time.

Windzup,
Brian

by **MikE mAy** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 11:22 am

i'm in the sugar"hood" area just west of you. i'd be glad to keep you -hooked up with where and when we go. feel free to shoot me a email or give me a call. might go skin somewhere today to keep the legs strong....

Mike
971-2380

by **jason morton** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 11:39 am

little mikey-
We'll see you up there. I'm going hiking too.

by **tjacques** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 1:16 pm

john
just like brian said we will be snow kiting soon. water kiting is getting hard,

. but plan on kiting allot this winter; pc, strawbs , pow mow, and skyline. I like to text and get texted to kite with others, text me anytime you want to kite.
todd ( two D's)

435-901-3120

by **Johnny Maw** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:53 am

Excellent. I'll get some communication rollin'

by **Jacob Buzianis** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 12:17 pm

Johnny,

Once you touch the kite, you automatic part our kite buddies.

Is that correct Utah Crew?

Welcome aboard

Pray for Snow and wind

by **KyrkWright** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 9:34 am

Hey, I am also a rookie at this. As we get ready for the snow season do I need to have a "snow" kite or can I use my inflatable kites on the snow? I have two C kites and don't know if I will have the $$ to buy another one for the snow. Thanks!

by **Jacob Buzianis** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 11:08 am

You can use your C kites. You might struggle a little to relaunch your kite.
If I see you kiting close by, I will be more happy to relaunch it kite for you. You might have to spend the $$ for the new generation bow/sle/hybrid kites. The new bow/sle/hybrid generation kite has made snowkiting and kiteboarding a lot easier to ride. It well worth it. It cut a lot down time and you will learn to feel comfortable with it quick.

Also, there will be some snowkiting demo tour going on this Winter at Skyline, Powder Mt. Strawberry, and some new snowkiting area close to SLC. You can try out the new kites and see how it fit for you.

Pray for snow and wind

by **windzup** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 11:48 am

Start from where you are at..you can use any gear and have fun snowkiting. Use the gear you already have before spending more.

Depending on how often you kite and where you want to go with snowkiting will determine your next kite purchase.

There is a reason that kite manufacturers have developed dedicated Snowkites, and that is to make the snowkiting experience as safe and easy as possible.

While both inflatable and Foil kites can be used as snowkites, the dedicated foils open up the backcountry and truly shine as mountain kites.

Inflatables take more rigging time to inflate, where a foil is launched within 60 seconds. If the wind dies, you can simply pack up your foil Snowkite and re-launch at anytime when the wind picks back up. If you come to a patch of trees, you can roll up a lightweight foil Snowkite and portage thru, easily relaunching by yourself on the other side, ready to explore more of the mountain.

To go far from the car with an inflatable means you should carry a large cumbersome pump (also extra weight on your back) and you'll need to be prepared to spend 10-30 minutes rigging each time you set up the inflatable.
In early season conditions, or any time really, you need to be careful with inflatables near bushes, rocks or even ice, as the inflatable tubes can be damaged or punctured. Foils are far more durable and last years longer, making the investment well worth it.

Inflatables are great if you can only afford one kite and you need it for both seasons. But kiting is about opening boundaries, not limiting them....so buy as many kites as you can get your hands on..you'll never be disappointed.

You are lucky to be in Utah as this is becoming the epicenter for Snowkiting growth and you'll have the opportunity to fly and test the latest Snowkite gear. Even the future gear, as Ozone designer Rob Whittall spends most of his winter in the Utah backcountry developing the next generation of Snowkites...so us Utahn's are actually even more lucky as we have kites designed for our own local conditions.

Windzup

by **MikE mAy** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 12:20 pm

i agree with both jake and brian. inflateables and foil kites both have their advantages/disatvantages. both are widely used on snow however and i think the important fact is to just get you out on the snow with a kite overhead.

if you happen to have a slingshot fuel c-kite, i have a little device that i bought for my older fuel that helps relaunch the kite on snow. if you do have a slingshot, give me a shout and i'll GIVE you the brand new device. i can't seem to remember what it is called at this time. ATL i think. my kite was too old to use it on and i never opened the package. i didn't get it sent back to the company i bought it from quick enough and they wouldn't let me return it (real kiteboarding at its finest). that goes for anyone else looking for an ATL for a fuel. free for the taking.

hope to see the both of you out on the snow soon!

by **KyrkWright** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 12:26 pm

I actually do have a fuel 11m but it is also very old. I am not sure of the year but I don't think it's newer than 2002. So if yours was too old for it to work perhaps mine is too?

Kyrk

by **MikE mAy** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 3:04 pm

i'm not sure what year they added the flaps. there should be fabric flaps underneath the pigtails on both the leading edge and the trailing edge. basically the piece i have is a stick that fits inbetween the leading edge and the trailing edge and acts as a stabilizer. i do imagine that your kite is too old however. i think mine was a 2004, or perhaps 03.
sorry.

by **joshgubler** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 4:08 pm

I've got a whole quiver of 'C' kites I use in the snow. Most of them are old and cheap/free. Last year I had a lot of trouble with relaunch. I think I've got that solved this year with a trailing edge 5th line. Relaunch is cake now.

In my mind there are three options:
1 - fly on whatever cheap crap I can get my hands on.
2 - buy nice expensive stuff and never fly because I'm always working to feed my family.
3 - buy pansh kites and get my truck egged by the local kite manufacturers.

by **KyrkWright** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 5:05 pm

Mike M

My Fuel does have what you are describing I think. I know that it currently has a small metal stabilizer in one side, it doesn't have it anymore in the other side because it came out one day when we were flying it in a park and we couldn't find the piece in the grass. How can I contact you and I can certainly give it a try. The PM on this forum hasn't worked for me when I have tried.

Need Kiting Buddies

Need Kiting Buddies

Sweet!

Inflatables on snow?

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