Power Kite Forum

Easier to learn - skis or snowboard?

pongnut - 18-12-2013 at 07:29 AM

Ok, for folks that have their basic kite control skills down, and now want to take it to the snow, which is easier to learn:

snowkiting with skis

or

snowkiting with a snowboard?

Feyd - 18-12-2013 at 08:16 AM

Skis, even if you're a snowboarder. Simply by virtue of being able to move around easily.

We recommend that our first time students rent skis if they area boarders. Most do and those that don't, we can still teach them but they realize very soon why we suggest skis for stating. The first time you need to step back or shuffle back at all to launch or cheat a kite you realize the value in having your feet move independently.

That said if you're a competent boarder, you can learn on the board just fine.

Cheddarhead - 18-12-2013 at 03:13 PM

Skis for sure! Two independent feet on individual boards to balance vs. two feet fixed to one board. Which one is the funnest? That's up to the individual:P

rectifier - 18-12-2013 at 03:46 PM

I grew up on a board and I say SKIS!
Snowblades are cool at low power levels because you will never cross the tips ;) more power and they can't edge hard enough.

Bladerunner - 18-12-2013 at 04:05 PM

Skis are easier over all I suspect. It was a natural choice for me since I came from a skate / ski background.

It is very hard to learn 2 new skills at the same time. If you have no ski or board experience get your kite skills down 1st. Going for a day of downhill and getting used to the skis without worrying about the kite would also be an advantage. Short skis are easiest to deal with at 1st.

power - 19-12-2013 at 06:42 PM

By far if you have no snow skills at all snowboard is easier. Less to worry about ski tips crossing twisting legs, coming out of bindings. Ive learned both on the mountain and have taught both and in general kids boarding are riding before skiers.
If you can scud with a kite you can kite snowboard. Its basically the same mechanics. Your feet are strapped in and theres less going on down there to worry about. Its about weighting that heel edge.
If you have skied before then i would say skis may be easier. You can start from standing position easier and less chance of being pulled over the front of skis

martinipro - 20-12-2013 at 08:13 AM

I have not tried skis yet but:

Coming from someone that had never been on a snowboard or skis before(No Snow back home).
I was riding without a problem within 5 minutes (Yes a lot of get off the bindings and reset the kite when you crash).
But, as far as riding I would say Snowkiting(on snowboard) is easiest kite sport I have attempted to date(this includes buggy, landboard and kiteboard).

ssayre - 20-12-2013 at 08:21 AM

Was that on a depower I assume?

martinipro - 20-12-2013 at 04:03 PM

Depower is correct. If you have good kite-skills it shouldn't be much if a difference with the right winds.

Kamikuza - 20-12-2013 at 08:10 PM

I haven't voted on this cos I can't decide. I got going on skis in a day, from only being able to roller-skate (anyone remember them? :o ) but it took me much longer to get proficient ie. using the edges and carving.

Same probably goes for the snowboard - although because I knew how the edge works, I got onto that sooner with the snowboard that most people seem to.

To finish, if you can ice or inline skate, you can use short skis - 100cm or less. They're so like skates that on my first day, I kept trying to step turn with the predicted results...

Ah, so I'm going to vote skis :D

Kamikuza - 20-12-2013 at 08:10 PM

Akcshully... if I can change my vote? :lol: cos if you can skateboard, snowboard will be easier...

Feyd - 21-12-2013 at 05:32 AM

What we need to clarify is at what point in the learning process are we talking? If you're a raw beginner, never flown a kite before, a snowboard is problematic when it comes to needing the ability to move around while getting used to launching and stuff like that.

How many of us learned to fly a kite for the first time with their feet tied together?

If you already know how to fly a kite, say you come from a water background or KGB then sure, snowboard is going to translate easily. If you already know how to fly a kite anything you put on you feet will come relatively easy.

If we're talking about an alpine environment with lift access, snowboards are easier to learn for a beginner. That's why it blew up so fast because it's easy and anyone can do it. But now with the new types of shape skis the snowboard segment is fading away fast. The new skis make skiing easy for anyone.

Kids now are starting to look at lift access snowboard as something their dad's do. Twin tips in the park rule the day now.

Kami's got the right idea. The quickest, dirtiest route is ski boards or snowblades. Teaches you all you need to know about edging and it does it without having to think much about what you feet are doing while still being able to move around.





Bladerunner - 21-12-2013 at 11:39 AM

Quote: Originally posted by martinipro  
I have not tried skis yet but:

Coming from someone that had never been on a snowboard or skis before(No Snow back home).
I was riding without a problem within 5 minutes (Yes a lot of get off the bindings and reset the kite when you crash).
But, as far as riding I would say Snowkiting(on snowboard) is easiest kite sport I have attempted to date(this includes buggy, landboard and kiteboard).


I am curious if you had previous skateboard / mountianboard experience ?

We get so few days of snowkiting that I have never had the luxury of trying to pick up snowboard. Like you , I found stepping into snowkite was so easy it was almost natural. It is important to note that before that I failed on water . Struggling with the board and being strapped in. That going in with kite skills makes either one easier to pick up.

I have a feeling I could pick up the board with relative ease now that I have it worked out on ATB. Still, " going with what I know" made attempting kiteski the easiest and most rewarding experience I have had. I was tearing it up on rollerblade with the kite going in so ski was natural for me. Your experience kind of shows that you will do best at what you know best going in.

Like many are saying. It is easier to learn 1 new skill at a time. If you come in with good kite skills then learning a new ride isn't near the same struggle. Trying to learn to kite + a whole new way of riding combined is a real struggle.

I voted skis but think it isn't fair since I have never ridden board.

knick33 - 8-1-2014 at 11:50 AM

I've skied all my life and for the last decade, i've been almost exclusively using skiboards. They are much shorter than regular skis and are non directional. Matched my skiboards with my Twister a few years ago and find it to be the best combination for jumps and all around cruising around. Because they are short, you don't have to worry about crossing skis.