Snowkiting tips for Beginners

[Kenny]

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.

[btjsfca]

Kenny, lots of good advice in your post. Thought I'd add in some points.

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.

Also, keep the kite moving as best as you can until you're ready to take off. Not extreme movements, but don't let it hang at the edge or it might do some bad stuff.

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.

Don't forget the ever-popular flop-on-your-back technique. From your knees, just throw your weight back and you'll end up on your butt. In the end, this works well as a strengthening regime as well. Just imagine doing about 50 situps over a couple hours! Also, on your back, you have a chance to adjust your waist harness if it was riding up.

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.

I should point out a good rule of thumb: If in doubt, rig small. You can always come back and rig bigger. With time, bad size choices will become fewer. In the snow, I'm surprised by how little a kite I can get by with. Also, in the snow, if you feel a bit underpowered in the flats, you'll probably be perfectly powered on higher ground. The trick with a small kite is to use the speed to best advantage. Learn to loop, and if you feel like you're not getting enough pull, try adjusting your line a bit more downwind.

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.

Be mindful of your surroundings. Wind is highly terrain-dependent. Being downwind of small inclines can do bad things to the wind. If you're facing downhill with the wind at your back, try to get back upwind. Skyline has many terrain-induced wind dead zones that makes it a terrible place for beginners.

Be mindful of other kiters too. If you see an area with kites on the ground, stay away! Watch the good kiters. If you notice a good kiter taking what looks like an indirect line to a good riding area, there might be a reason!

-J

[Sarah Ranes]

Kenny thanks for taking the time to post all this info. Also btjsfca for the added tips, It will be heilpful.

[Kenny]

A few more...

1. Don't grip the bar with a heavy grip. You will wear out your forearms quickly and develop tendonitis in your elbow. A loose grip will allow you to ride more relaxed for hours at a time.

2. Stance - Stance is important on the snow and the water. You want to keep your back straight and squared up. Keep your front leg straight and your rear leg bent. This posture allows you to use your weight against the kite. You do not want to be hunched over or every little gust of wind will pull you over.

3. The exception to using a small kite is in deep powder. Deep powder has a lot more drag and you are going to have to upsize the kite or you will not be able to get going.

4. A bib or a one-piece snow suit is preferable over snowpants. Gore-tex pro shell is amazing stuff if you don't mind spending the bucks.

5. Don't try to learn on your own. Start by buying a trainer kite. Fly it until you are very proficient. Then take a lesson. By the way, snow is a lot easier to learn on than water. Kiteboarding is the kind of sport that has great potential for injury both to yourself and others if you don't take the proper precautions. You will save yourself weeks of frustration and possible injury by taking a lesson first.

Kenny

[Leo Chan]

I will suggest not to learning on deep powder with a kite that is too big. Fighting through waist-deep snow to get up or untangle the lines could take lots of energy. I was tired after the 3rd try. . .

[KyrkWright]

I want to say thanks to Kenny and btjsfca for the tips in this post. Specifically thanks for the tips on how to get back on your rear when you face plant with a snowboard on. In my DPA (Deep Powder Adventure) last night I was able to use both of your suggestions to get myself back on my feet with relative ease. There is no way in that powder I could have done the leg lifts I used to do to get the board around. The snow was too deep and I wouldn't have lasted physically anyway, despite the core workouts I have been doing. So thank you for the tips. I know I am not the only one that appreciates them and I wanted you to know that last night you saved me a ton of energy!
-Kyrk