Any good starter video tutorials out there?

Although it is aimed at MBS bindings, John Diurba's video tutorial also applies to GI Talon Bindings and is worth a watch:


Depending on which generation Talon binding is on your board, it may be possible to adjust the fore-aft angle of the bindings in relation to your heel/toe. Although it might not seem it, it makes a lot of difference in comfort and security. It also controls the shape of the arc created by the top pad of the bindings and the plastic ladder (the part that feed into the ratchet adjustment). This will also have some impact on how smoothly your feet slip in and out of the bindings.

Get used to hopping in and out of the bindings until you can do it smoothly to the point of second nature. Avoid getting into the situation where you have one foot in the bind and one foot out, as this can set you up for the board torquing your knee/ankle/leg.

When starting out, don't run the tires at full air pressure. The more pressure in your tires, the less rolling resistance there is and the faster the speed of the board will spool up.

Master the bunny hop.


This is the act of jumping straight up with your feet in the bindings, turning the board in mid-air and landing facing +|- 45°, 90°, etc degrees from your original orientation. This will come in handy when adjusting the attitude of your and your board in relation to the wind when (re-)starting. It's important to land with your weight centered over the board, so that it doesn't slide out from underneath you. This will just cause passing bunnies to laugh at you.



If you don't have a lot of experience on a mountainboard or skateboard, one option for learning board control and body positioning before marrying those skills with kite control is taking some downhill runs (on bunny hills). It's best if they have a long flat runout at the bottom. The further up the hill you start, the faster you will go.

Don't try to go downhill with the board facing straight downhill.

Jasper and his girlfriend, Lucy, did a good tutorial on "dropping in" on a hill.


The MBS Ride Guide gives some guidelines on speed/air pressure and also about speed control downhill.

Soup to nuts, the best source of info/tutorials on kite landboard is probably still the Progression Beginner Landboard DVD. It can be ordered through Amazon or Side Off Video.

There is a synopsis of what is covered on the DVD located here. One of the nice things about the DVD is that it goes over how to do things, common mistakes, and how to correct those mistakes.

ATB,
Sam

+1 for the Progression Landboarding DVD

It helped me a lot on how to start.
It's worth every penny,

Your FB will suffice if winds are right but it's better to start underpower to get the hang of things.
You can also ride the board in some slopes to get the feel of it (turning, carving, etc).

And, as Sam stated, the "bunny hop" ( :D ) is essencial to learn so you build mental muscle to correct your stance when needed.

Welcome to the land slide,

Thanks again Sam, your are a treasure trove of great information!
So now it seems I'll have to learn a different kind of bunny hop. I'm used to the mountain biking version of the bunny hop

I can't wait to get started...fingers crossed.