Power Kite Forum - NPW and Skateboard - Need recommendation

So I got this HQ NPW9 3.4m for free a few years ago.

I've always wanted to try it on a skateboard on asphalt but the conditions/timing never really came together...until yesterday.

Wind was out of the west at 12mph with gusts to 20. Unfortunately, this meant that I only had about 100 ft of room so there was a lot of back and forth and turns.

...but I couldn't believe how much fun I was having.

Now I'm looking to get a new one (this one's pretty beat up. Hence the free part).

Although the kite was pretty stable, the nose tends to fold in more than I like. I was able to compensate most of it by applying some breaks, but after watching some videos, there appear to be models out there that are more stable and have better upwind.

...so finally to my question...

Can anyone recommend a particular type of NPW that is stable, good upwind and will work directly off the bridle?

Oh, and does anyone sell these (i.e. bigkid (Nasa Star 3, Kitemaker, etc.)?

Thanks.

Big Mike out of Texas was in the process of becoming a U.S. Dealer for Born-Kites earlier this year but it never really came through and now he appears to be shuttering his online business. So... I don't believe there is a U.S. Dealer in place at the moment.

What all of us NS2 and NS3 groupies do is interact directly with Steffen Born through his German website. Steffen is a very good guy and a true pleasure to do business with. I own pretty much every kite he sells so I think I can safely say these things. Here is a link to Steffen's website:

http://www.venturi-power.de/index.php?language=en&&&...

You've already heard from Sean (Ssayre) king of the short lining long boarding crew. He is who I would rely on for information in the exact lane you are talking about.

Good luck!

kitemaker4 - 13-12-2015 at 01:02 PM

For the npw5 and npw9 version of the nasa wings they need brake input to keep the nose from folding in when flying them as a four line kite.

Susan (npw goddess)

ssayre - 13-12-2015 at 02:43 PM

Km4, I've said this before, but I was impressed that larks heading both top and bottom bridle leaders together and flying 2 line worked right away with further adjustment to the brakes to prevent nose 95% of nose collapse. Because your builds are geared for 4 line flying, that wouldn't be critical. I didn't try any adjustments or it might have eliminated 100%. Also the way you do your bridles to leader and knot to attach flying line is very neat with the additional leader length built in so to speak to keep attachment to lines further away. Kind of hard to explain to others unless they have seen it.

lunchbox - 13-12-2015 at 10:10 PM

Thanks everyone.

I think I'm gonna get a Nasa Star 4m.

I have an old Flexifoil bar that I should be able to use (2 line).

Do I need to run the 3rd line from the kite or can I just take it off if I don't care about 'depowering' the kite?

When visiting the Born site (thanks for the link Windstruck), I also noticed they have a single skin called the LongStar. Any one tried those and if so, how would that work off the bridle and on a longboard?

ssayre - 13-12-2015 at 10:22 PM

Don't know about long star. Steve has them. The 4 meter is the perfect size for an average breeze 10-15. The third line is not necessary at all once your confident about the wind speeds your flying in. My wind is gusty and never use the third line. 2 line bar is fine. I did use it starting out until I was confident about what size for wind speed to keep from a tree snatching the kite. Email Steffen to order. Don't try ordering from site. He will send a invoice you can pay on PayPal. The 2.5 size is good 15+ and is a blast as well.

ssayre - 13-12-2015 at 10:29 PM

Also, you could modify your 2 line bar easily to accommodate third line if you wanted. Feel free to email me if need be. If overpowered and tight quarters it will keep you from losing your kite.

lunchbox - 13-12-2015 at 11:38 PM

Cool, thanks SSayre!

So the 4m would be for the beach where's it typically 10-18mph.

What size would be good for 4-10mph? I'm about 200lbs and this would be using the skateboard on asphalt. I was thinking the 7m would be a good compliment because there's almost no rolling resistance but the wind is definitely light. I just want to make sure I'll at least get moving.

Thanks.

Windstruck - 14-12-2015 at 03:33 AM

Don't know about long star. Steve has them. The 4 meter is the perfect size for an average breeze 10-15. The third line is not necessary at all once your confident about the wind speeds your flying in. My wind is gusty and never use the third line. 2 line bar is fine. I did use it starting out until I was confident about what size for wind speed to keep from a tree snatching the kite. Email Steffen to order. Don't try ordering from site. He will send a invoice you can pay on PayPal. The 2.5 size is good 15+ and is a blast as well.

Lunchbox - for your application I would recommend sticking with the NS3s not the LongStars. The LS is a five line kite with a Z-bridle. It can be flown off of two, four, or five lines, but unless you actively engage the central fifth line you may be prone to back stalls and reverse flying. I've got some video footage up on YouTube of a bunch of these kites in multiple line rigging scenarios should you be interested.

I agree with Sean in that the central third line is optional when flying the NS3s. I made up a custom bar for my NS3 quiver that incorporates the third line so I consistently tie it in but more sessions than not (most really) I never actually use the 3rd line. That being said it has gotten my seat meat out of a sling a few times. Once you get a NS3 you will immediately see how to not use the central bridle lines.

As for size I again agree that the 4m is a great first choice and is a real work horse. Your coastal breezes are likely far more consistent than my inland mountain jank so for the light stuff (4-10 as you mentioned) you could go with the 7 or even the 8.5 I would think. I'm not a longboarder and don't have any experience on asphalt, but with its low resistance you might want to try the 7m. Less kite to deal with too.

If you want to email Steffen Born directly you can reach him at info@born-kite.de. He or his lovely bride Kerstin will answer directly. Once you have a stream of communication going I'd feel free to order directly from the website. I've done that routinely, leaving a personal comment to Steffen in the comments section which he has always personally responded to.

3shot - 14-12-2015 at 04:51 AM

Steffen is great to deal with. Pre-welcome to the other "dark side". :thumbup:

ssayre - 14-12-2015 at 05:38 AM

4 / 7 meter combo would be a good choice if only buying 2 to cover the majority of wind conditions.

I will clarify my 3rd line use. I do always have it attached when using long lines and hooked in with the standard 3 line bar. I'm usually dealing with high rolling resistance in grass in the buggy when hooked in so I have to manage much more power than when I'm using short / no line flying unhooked with longboard and pavement. As such, Im using them towards the top of the wind range on grass and while not often, I still have to hit the safety once in awhile when I get hit with gust or conditions change like Steve said. Basically anytime you want to retain your kite in the event something goes wrong, it's a good idea. The third line can be used as a form of non traditional depower but I only use it when I hit safety similar to a third line on a trainer to kill power and retain kite.

Back to light winds 4 - 10. I don't get any consistent usable winds below 7ish winds that aren't accompanied by frequent lulls of 0 so I have no experience in consistent light winds. 4 - 10 is a big gap. I would say 7+ mph the 7 meter would work on asphalt. Below that you'll most likely need larger.

If you have the space, you could probably get wider range out of the ones you have by switching from no lines to 3 or 5 meter lines or longer if space permits. my 5 meter lines allow me to sine the kite nicely when needed.

3shot - 14-12-2015 at 06:53 AM

I completely agree with Sean. Look at your most usable average wind speeds and start there. Shipping is kind of high so you would benefit from squeezing in one more kite if possible. Either a 5.5 or 7 like he said. In the buggy with 20m lines, I find the 4 and 5.5 the most used. It won't change the shipping much by adding another kite because they pack so small and weigh nothing. You will pay way more if you go back to order another kite the next time because of shipping.

Randy - 14-12-2015 at 07:12 AM

I've flown both types of kites on a small parking lot - a 5.5 NS2, and a 4.0 NPW9 built by Susan. I haven't used the NS2 in months simply because I haven't needed that much power and have been busily experimenting with other designs and self builds. I sold the NPW9 since I started making my own kites and could make one that size if I needed it. My conclusion - unscientific though it is, is that the NPW9 is gold standard for NPW performance but not as easy to fly as the NS series of kites. Flying off the handles, or short lines is pretty easy though. Most people use a bar with the NS kites. I prefer handles though.

I don't think you could go wrong either way. Flying off short lines or no lines probably would minimize any performance differences in the two kites anyway. Born kite is very good Company, though the shipping cost is quite high and delivery times are quite long and unpredictable and paypal adds more cost as well. I got the kite made and delivered in much less time at far lower total cost with Susan. In either case you will get a great kite with excellent workmanship and materials. Both weighed in the same per sq. meter when I weighed them. Both kites have their little foibles - backstalls with the NS kites, and the NPW9 are pretty sensitive to brake pressure.

Another option is bigE123 (Ian) who makes NPW21 kites. I haven't seen his work, but I believe it is really great, based on reports I've read. He is overseas, so there that issue as well. I know some pkf members have gotten kites made by Ian.

ssayre - 14-12-2015 at 07:35 AM

Back when I was shopping for npw's that is not what I found. Nasa star and susan's were pretty much the same price even with shipping. That was on 7 and 10 meters. That was also when exchange rate was worse. Currently the exchange rate is low. 10% lower than when I bought so I would almost guess the nasa stars are cheaper even with shipping. Obviously I could be wrong and encourage your own shopping.

Don't get me wrong. I think Susan's prices are extremely reasonable. Especially when you start looking into acquiring the raw materials. It's definitely a labor of love. Steffen gets some good discounts on mass quantity I'm sure.

br44 - 14-12-2015 at 05:18 PM

Don't ignore the Peter Lynn Uniq, it is quite good as well. I flew an NPW9 just a couple of times but gave up when it became apparent that it would not fly well (if at all) on the bar that I had. By comparison it is very easy to fly the Uniq single-handed with any bar. Good performance in dirty and light winds, better upwind, also single skin.

ssayre - 14-12-2015 at 05:34 PM

Quote: Originally posted by br44

Don't ignore the Peter Lynn Uniq, it is quite good as well. I flew an NPW9 just a couple of times but gave up when it became apparent that it would not fly well (if at all) on the bar that I had. By comparison it is very easy to fly the Uniq single-handed with any bar. Good performance in dirty and light winds, better upwind, also single skin.

Awesome news! I've been waiting for someone to use it on bar. Was it the quad or tr?

Windstruck - 14-12-2015 at 07:13 PM

Quote: Originally posted by br44

Wow! First positive mention of the uniq that I've read. I owned a 4.5m quad uniq but sold it downstream after some dissatisfying early experiences. At the time I had a gap in my single skin FB quiver between my 4m and 8.5m NS3s. PL asserted that the Uniq line was 33% or so more powerful per square meter than traditional FB kites so I hoped to gap this gulf. It just didn't do it for me. My biggest gripe was how much smaller the wind window was than for then the NS3s and how much the pulling power dropped off once you got the kite outside of being sat deep in the pocket during buggying. I've since gotten better flying and buggy skills, so maybe I'd like it more now.

I suspect that if there is ever a Uniq V-2.0 that I would like it. I feel the same way btw with the LongStar. I own all three LS kites but feel they are sort of at a V-0.5, i.e., not quite ready for prime time. I LOVE NASA Stars, now in their V-3.0. Go figure.

br44 - 14-12-2015 at 09:25 PM

Quad, 2.5 and 4.5. Definitely smaller window than regular foil, but bigger than NPW9. I think the 3-line bar model is particularly recommended by PL for longboarding. But the quads are ok on bars too, plus you get the 4-line handling should you need it.

bigE123 - 15-12-2015 at 01:59 AM

@windstruck Really? If the uniq has a smaller window than the NS3 then something is very wrong, when NPW style kites have been the bench mark for single skin why release a kite that isn't as good? I think that's why the "skin" didn't do it either, it simply was not better than a NPW. Must get my @rse back in gear and get my even higher AR kite under construction, haven't seen anyone push them wider yet so may get to find out why ;-) Or are they just playing it toooo safe at the moment?

ssayre - 15-12-2015 at 05:11 AM

Good to hear from you BigE. It's been awhile.

Windstruck - 15-12-2015 at 05:38 AM

Quote: Originally posted by bigE123

@windstruck Really? If the uniq has a smaller window than the NS3 then something is very wrong, when NPW style kites have been the bench mark for single skin why release a kite that isn't as good? I think that's why the "skin" didn't do it either, it simply was not better than a NPW. Must get my @rse back in gear and get my even higher AR kite under construction, haven't seen anyone push them wider yet so may get to find out why ;-) Or are they just playing it toooo safe at the moment?

A number of things happened with my Uniq Quad 4.5 that put a less than rosy color on it for me. First off, two of the bridle lines had been assembled wrong (too weak) and one of them snapped in the first minute of flight under modest loads. Sent the kite into a death spiral with resulting rat's nest that took 30 minutes to untangle. Big Mike, in business at the time, had been great in working through that (I'd bought it from him). No fault of his of course.

Flown back to back with a 4m Hornet, both off of handles, the difference was striking regarding the wind window, the Hornet was just a much better fly. This was static, not buggying. In the buggy I just couldn't get this kit into a comfortable rhythm but could just park and ride with a 4m NS3. I want to stress that Pilot Inexperience at the time could have seriously affected that comparison.

Anybody that knows me through PKF would surely realize I am not in the business of bashing kites. I really wanted to like the Uniq, but it just didn't work for me. I'd love to try it again on Ivanpah or a big long beach where I had some space to settle into a run and some wind to get used to. Could be a whole other set of impressions.

bigE123 - 15-12-2015 at 06:40 AM

@sayre I hate to say this but I lost my kite mojo, too much going on in "normal" life and something had to give, dipping my toe back in the water ;-)

@Windstruck, my comment was not aimed at you kite bashing a kite. I was just surprised at the "possible" limitations of a new breed of kite, it was more my own interest in how the "mass" produced single skins are doing. One thing I would say is you do need to be a bit more "in-tune" with them (well I do with mine).

Windstruck - 15-12-2015 at 06:52 AM

Quote: Originally posted by bigE123

@sayre I hate to say this but I lost my kite mojo, too much going on in "normal" life and something had to give, dipping my toe back in the water ;-)

@Windstruck, my comment was not aimed at you kite bashing a kite. I was just surprised at the "possible" limitations of a new breed of kite, it was more my own interest in how the "mass" produced single skins are doing. One thing I would say is you do need to be a bit more "in-tune" with them (well I do with mine).

I think I know exactly what you mean by being in tune with single skin kites. While my NS3s have been virtually out of the bag ready to go (save some fun I've had making up a custom bar that allows me to go narrow with small kites and wide with big kites) I've had to do a decent amount of tuning with my Peak2s to rid them of tip tuck, etc. once dialed in the Peaks are sweet! Don't even get me started with my LongStars; that remains a work in progress. :P

The positive attributes of single skins for me truly outweigh their negatives, plus I like fiddling with gear so it's all good. I hope innovative single skins continue to enter the commercial market, particularly 4.5 line DPs. Peak-3? I would love to see a 16m P3! :cool:

br44 - 15-12-2015 at 03:02 PM

In my opinion the Uniq is: (1) what Peter Lynn say it is; (2) better than NPW; (3) a very nice kite. With regards to kite comparisons, the Uniq does, well, exactly what it is supposed to do, given its design. If the design doesn't do what one thinks it should, or if a different design is a better fit for one's preferences, wind conditions etc, that's a different discussion.

Oh yeah, they messed the bridle on the first batch. 2 lines had knotted rather than sewn loops, and apparently the knots could slip under heavy loads (that would never happen on a longboard though). PL sent me the replacement lines, the job seemed complicated (and very annoying), but was no big deal - 15 min (5 min on additional kites).

ssayre - 15-12-2015 at 03:29 PM

Quote: Originally posted by br44

In my opinion the Uniq is: (1) what Peter Lynn say it is; (2) better than NPW; (3) a very nice kite. With regards to kite comparisons, the Uniq does, well, exactly what it is supposed to do, given its design. If the design doesn't do what one thinks it should, or if a different design is a better fit for one's preferences, wind conditions etc, that's a different discussion.

Oh yeah, they messed the bridle on the first batch. 2 lines had knotted rather than sewn loops, and apparently the knots could slip under heavy loads (that would never happen on a longboard though). PL sent me the replacement lines, the job seemed complicated (and very annoying), but was no big deal - 15 min (5 min on additional kites).

I would love to try one of those on the longboard. I agree about not expecting more out of a kite then advertised, however their initial advertising suggested that these had huge power per sq meter compared to their fb foil counter parts. Do you find that to be true? They equated the 4 meter to have similar power to a 7 or 8 foil if I remember right.

Also, you might have had a better experience with an npw on a bar if you tried the nasa stars. I'm not trying to over pimp those kites but they do perform exactly as advertised in regards to flying off of a bar and use with short or long lines.

With that said, I must acquire a uniq at some point now.

Not sure who sells them. big mike doesn't have them on his site any longer and I checked awindofchange and didn't see them there either :puzzled: Is this yet another single skin kite that must be ordered over seas?

On another note, urban kites have 3 sizes and look very similar to uniq.

http://www.urbankites.de/

br44 - 15-12-2015 at 07:45 PM

I guess the extra pull relative to size is more like 30% increase rather than 80% as you imply. Can't tell exactly how much, don't have 6-8m FBs to compare. I assume PL could tell, if you need to know? (I don't.)

ssayre - 15-12-2015 at 08:13 PM

Thanks br44. No, not worried about how it compares other than trying to get an idea of power. On what I use, the 2.5 would work on longboard from about 15-20ish and the 4 meter would do well from around 10 - 15ish. Is that similar wind for the uniq in your sizes? And if I can bother you with one last question, are you flying inland?

lunchbox - 15-12-2015 at 08:58 PM

@br44 - Forgot about the Peter Lynn Uniq. Any one have any ideas about U.S. dealers, price and flying off the bridles?

@Windstruck - Thanks for the info on the Longstars. Think I'll cross that off my list.

@ssayre and 3shot - Thanks for the sizing info. Thinking the 4m and 7m might be best for the moment. And as stated I could probably add a 5m lineset to get a little more power if needed. Figured I should probably get 2 now so I can justify the shipping.

Would love to hear more about the Uniq but right now I'm feeling pretty good about the Nasa Star...I do like the fact that it's a 3rd generation kite!

Funny...I've been looking at all these little places I could kite around my work and the possibilities that an NPW and a skateboard provides.

Great discussion!

br44 - 16-12-2015 at 07:10 PM

Haven't done much riding on wheels yet, my couple of attempts so far (yes some inland) on skates and longboard were cut short by a combination of limited space, bad direction and/or unsuitable wind. (Concrete is much harder than water and snow...) But if you start with Uniq 4.5 for low wind, you only have 3 other sizes left.

ssayre - 16-12-2015 at 07:52 PM

Funny...I've been looking at all these little places I could kite around my work and the possibilities that an NPW and a skateboard provides.

Great discussion!

Yep, they do afford more opportunities to kite. I would suggest using short lines if in turbulent wind. No lines works best in semi-clean or clean wind. No lines requires the sail to be consistently fed with wind or they back stall. short lines allows you to sine the kite to ride out brief lulls.

I was just longboarding with the 4 meter this afternoon well into the dark under street lights at a public park parking lot. Love that size. Very agile and the more agile the better it is to take advantage of very tight areas. I was flying 5 meter line and really working precision flying around light poles, small trees, parking bumper, signs. Fun stuff.

lunchbox - 16-12-2015 at 11:12 PM

Great tip on line length. I have some extra q-line so I'll have to make up some 5m line extensions.

Just ordered the 4m and 7m. Really looking forward to trying them out. I ordered from the Born site and added a comment about using paypal. Hopefully they'll send me the invoice.

I've never paid in Euros before...how does that work using paypal? Do I just put in the euro amount and it will then calculate the correct dollar amount and debit my account? Are there any additional fees for the currency conversation and will Born charge me a little extra so they don't have to pay the paypal fees?

BTW, that run till after dark sounds sweet.

Quote:

Windstruck - 17-12-2015 at 02:40 AM

Steffen (or his wife Kristen) will email you an invoice as a PDF attachment. Open the PDF and you will see the amount owed in Euros and instructions on how to pay via paypal. There will be an email address with the word "jork" in it. Go into PayPal and select Euros as the currency you wish to pay in. There is a fee, but it actually comes out of Steffen's end. Easy.

Great tip on line length. I have some extra q-line so I'll have to make up some 5m line extensions.

Just ordered the 4m and 7m. Really looking forward to trying them out. I ordered from the Born site and added a comment about using paypal. Hopefully they'll send me the invoice.

I've never paid in Euros before...how does that work using paypal? Do I just put in the euro amount and it will then calculate the correct dollar amount and debit my account? Are there any additional fees for the currency conversation and will Born charge me a little extra so they don't have to pay the paypal fees?

BTW, that run till after dark sounds sweet.

Quote:

lunchbox - 17-12-2015 at 07:59 AM

@windstruck - You were right...easy peasy! Thanks.

ssayre - 20-12-2015 at 04:01 PM

Here is a size reference for your 4 meter. A perfect truck landing. :D

ssayre - 21-12-2015 at 01:38 AM

I had the perfect conditions for no lines today. Wind direction was right and I had power lines downwind of me and a set of lines I had to go under to cross the street.

Randy - 21-12-2015 at 05:29 AM

Nice video Sean - I like the 'foot cam' view!

Windstruck - 21-12-2015 at 06:14 AM

Sweet Sean! Glad you got such nice conditions. Loved the truck landing and pack up!

ssayre - 21-12-2015 at 05:44 PM

Thanks guys. I have to have close to due south or north wind to use that road so it's only occasional. The truck landing comes in handy. Sometimes I screw it up and get a bridle snagged somewhere.

lunchbox - 21-12-2015 at 08:20 PM

Nice video Sean...what a road! That looks fun!

Wind looked pretty steady. What was it blowing and how fast were you going?

OBTW, I got an email that my kite had shipped. I'm off from 12/24 - 1/3 so I've got my fingers crossed that I'll get it soon enough to use it then.

ssayre - 21-12-2015 at 08:56 PM

Nice video Sean...what a road! That looks fun!

Wind looked pretty steady. What was it blowing and how fast were you going?

OBTW, I got an email that my kite had shipped. I'm off from 12/24 - 1/3 so I've got my fingers crossed that I'll get it soon enough to use it then.

Wind was decently steady. I would guess it stayed in the 12-16 zone. I didn't track my speed but based off when I have, I would guess somewhere between 15-20 mph.

Did it get shipped dhl? That's the normal shipping method for born-kite. If so, it's a pretty slow and painful shipping process. Generally speaking, it's 3-5 weeks to receive the kites once you order. It's pretty terrible, we have complained about this on the born-kite thread. I really don't understand why it takes so long. I bought a kite on ebay from redsky in England and it only took 3 business days to get here. I've had 2 orders from born-kites via dhl and they both took forever. Unfortunately I wouldn't hold your breath for them getting here by the 24th.

lunchbox - 21-12-2015 at 09:33 PM

^^^^^^

Uh Oh....yeah, it got shipped DHL. 3-5 weeks does seem like a long time...Oh well, I still got the NPW 3.4m and hopefully the surf will be good.

Glass half full approach...guess it will be that much sweeter when I finally get it...and it gives me an excuse to take some more days off ; )

grigorib - 23-12-2015 at 03:45 PM

Looks sweet!
now I'm thinking about it too...can you help here please:

- is hooked in or unhooked better?
- can you ride with a dual line kite? Any disadvantages?
- would it work on a snowskate?

ssayre - 23-12-2015 at 04:04 PM

Looks sweet!
now I'm thinking about it too...can you help here please:

- is hooked in or unhooked better?
- can you ride with a dual line kite? Any disadvantages?
- would it work on a snowskate?

Yes to all the above. Hooked or unhooked would be what you feel comfortable with. I find unhooked easier and have better freedom of movement and since rolling resistance is low, you don't need to be hooked in to carry the load. However, I have been experimenting riding hooked in while longboarding on a peak and it works well. Personally, I don't like hooking in on asphalt unless I have a depower or if I had extremely clean wind which I don't.

I haven't used a snowskate but Steffen in Germany uses one and it looks awesome.

grigorib - 23-12-2015 at 06:07 PM

Next question is whether a large 2m-3m-4m trainer, on short 3-6m lines would work for streetkiting?
I assume it won't fly in almost no wind like the Peak or NPW, but otherwise it should work, right?

ssayre - 23-12-2015 at 06:18 PM

I do not know the answer to that question. I haven't tried a foil/trainer on short lines. Do you already have a foil/trainer? If so, you might have to try it out and let us know. I haven't heard anyone comment on using them with short lines.

I think Randy might have tried it but I don't remember what he said.

grigorib - 23-12-2015 at 06:57 PM

Do you already have a foil/trainer? If so, you might have to try it out and let us know

One day I was riding my ATB and brought a 3m HQ Rush for friend's son to play with. So that day I tried riding ATB with a dual line kite, unhooked and it worked out pretty well in means of mowing it back and forth. Then rode the ATB on quad lines, unhooked with a 3.6m NTK Ballistic but all that on long lines. I don't have the HQ Rush anymore but still have few of dual line NTK Thunderfoil kites and I'm stoked to try it with a longboard now.
I haven't tried the NPW so I'm not sure how its flying characteristics would be different from a dual line foil, except of course ultimate low end NPW can deliver.

ssayre - 24-12-2015 at 08:31 AM

I wasn't longboarding when I still had my foils. Hind sight, longboard would have been the cheapest and easiest thing to start with.

Randy - 24-12-2015 at 10:06 AM

I do not know the answer to that question. I haven't tried a foil/trainer on short lines. Do you already have a foil/trainer? If so, you might have to try it out and let us know. I haven't heard anyone comment on using them with short lines.

I think Randy might have tried it but I don't remember what he said.

I did try using my ATB with a HQ Rush 200 (~1,5 m?) and a HQ Hydro 350 (3.4 m), but both on long lines but didn't have the space or the skill to make it work very well. Never tried either on short lines. I never really got going well though until I tried the NS2 (5.5 m) on very short lines. Since then I've used much smaller NPW's on varying line lengths. I have been thinking of trying the HQ 350 on short lines though and will report back if I get anywhere with it.

volock - 24-12-2015 at 10:44 AM

Next question is whether a large 2m-3m-4m trainer, on short 3-6m lines would work for streetkiting?
I assume it won't fly in almost no wind like the Peak or NPW, but otherwise it should work, right?

Some fly better on short lines than others. High AR and short lines I've had larger issues with (especially lines too short) than other kites. Beamer, Soulfly and Tensor all handle short lines well enough... My Ace is pickier, and not tried them with the Little Devil. Beamer I've flown straight off the bridle in high winds and had it work.

grigorib - 25-12-2015 at 03:54 PM

Do you already have a foil/trainer? If so, you might have to try it out and let us know

So I did it today!
Dual lines New Tech Kites Thunderfoil 3.6m on 6m lines and 55cm bar. It was too much wind to play with a simple quadcopter outside hence just enough wind to fly a kite, and ride a longboard. Good combination, nice transitions and toeside riding. Obviously unhooked and mostly flying with one hand.

Haven't I had vested thousands in kite gear already I'd be so happy now to get into the sport for so cheap - with just a trainer and a longboard

But I'm pretty happy anyways, it was a good riding day!

ssayre - 26-12-2015 at 08:02 AM

Do you already have a foil/trainer? If so, you might have to try it out and let us know

So I did it today!
Dual lines New Tech Kites Thunderfoil 3.6m on 6m lines and 55cm bar. It was too much wind to play with a simple qudcopter outside hence just enough wind to fly a kite, and ride a longboard. Good combination, nice transitions and toeside riding. Obviously unhooked and mostly flying with one hand.

Haven't I had vested thousands in kite gear already I'd be so happy now to get into the sport for so cheap - with just a trainer and a longboard

But I'm pretty happy anyways, it was a good riding day!

Awesome!

I agree, for a very minimal investment, one can get going with a longboard set up. I thought the same thing the first time I did it.

ssayre - 26-12-2015 at 08:04 AM

used longboard $50, trainer/npw or similar $100

$150 total to start riding is pretty tough to beat.

Only thing that definitely helps is board skills though

Windstruck - 26-12-2015 at 05:17 PM

used longboard $50, trainer/npw or similar $100

$150 total to start riding is pretty tough to beat.

Only thing that definitely helps is board skills though

Dude - got to add helmet, elbow and knee pads unless the newbie is a boarding god. Even then really, IMHO.

ssayre - 26-12-2015 at 05:30 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Windstruck

used longboard $50, trainer/npw or similar $100

$150 total to start riding is pretty tough to beat.

Only thing that definitely helps is board skills though

Dude - got to add helmet, elbow and knee pads unless the newbie is a boarding god. Even then really, IMHO.

Can't argue with that. I'm still without knee and elbow pads. I should have put that on the Christmas list.

lunchbox - 26-12-2015 at 07:50 PM

Had a really fun session on my 3.4 NPW9 and skateboard today. Wind was out of the north at 12-25mph today. GusTY!
I was a little reluctant at first considering the strength of the gusts and especially riding on asphalt but after the buggy didn't really pan out, I decided to give it a good.
These kites are pretty amazing. Turns faster than crap connecting directly to the the bridles but doesn't feel scary. Very confident inspiring. Handled the lulls really well which were probably closer to 7mph. The path is only about 200 yds long and not wide enough to turn around so that meant getting off the board at every tack...I must have gone about 15 miles. I don't know why I find it so fun but I just couldn't stop!

One thing though...I tried to set up the NPW9 on a 4 line fixed bridle bar but it flew really bad. Fine tuned it the best I could but just couldn't even come close to the flight characteristics I got with the handles. Kinda sucked, because I would have really liked to have practiced my 1 handed riding today (during the calm periods of course

).

Which got me thinking...I really hope I can get the same flight results with just the bar on the Nasa Stars and not have to fly with handles on those as well.

Any one feel like commenting about the NS on a 2 line bar in really gusty winds? Any problems with stability, backstalling, etc?

Windstruck - 26-12-2015 at 08:45 PM

Had a really fun session on my 3.4 NPW9 and skateboard today. Wind was out of the north at 12-25mph today. GusTY!
I was a little reluctant at first considering the strength of the gusts and especially riding on asphalt but after the buggy didn't really pan out, I decided to give it a good.
These kites are pretty amazing. Turns faster than crap connecting directly to the the bridles but doesn't feel scary. Very confident inspiring. Handled the lulls really well which were probably closer to 7mph. The path is only about 200 yds long and not wide enough to turn around so that meant getting off the board at every tack...I must have gone about 15 miles. I don't know why I find it so fun but I just couldn't stop!

One thing though...I tried to set up the NPW9 on a 4 line fixed bridle bar but it flew really bad. Fine tuned it the best I could but just couldn't even come close to the flight characteristics I got with the handles. Kinda sucked, because I would have really liked to have practiced my 1 handed riding today (during the calm periods of course

The only issues I've had with backstalling with NS3s have been when the winds were too light for the conditions or I was flying a very large kite (8.5 - 12.5m). The smaller kites seem to fly just fine off of the bar without any bridle adjustments. Normally the NS3s are three-line kites, but the central 3rd line is just used to scrunch up the nose of the kite or as a safety line and can easily be disregarded if you want to forgo those features.

I could see some backstalling occurring in really gusty winds if you have sized the kite to handle the gusts without being dangerously overpowered. Backstalls could then happen during the lulls if you don't keep the kite moving properly as it would then be undersized for the conditions. For example, it is possible to backstall pretty much any NS3 if you try to hover it at zenith and it is undersized for the wind at the moment of the hover.

ssayre - 26-12-2015 at 08:51 PM

Sounds like a fun session. Regarding setting up the npw9 on a bar, I set up my susan made npw on a 2 line bar by connecting the 5m lines to both brake and power bridles on the kite. I just larks head knotted the brake and power together to the fly line. That set up worked just fine on a bar. Depending on how well balanced your brake and power bridle leaders are, you might have to tune the tension on the brake bridle leaders/pigtails but I did get mine to fly properly.

Regarding the nasa star 2 line bar gusty wind flying, I don't have any stability problems or backwards flying UNLESS I'm flying in severely wind shadowed areas OR flying the 7m in very light wind with lulls of no wind. Other than that, they remain perfectly stable. The gusts do not bother the stability at all, it's just if you hit a pocket of dead air or anything that will stall the kite that they will have trouble.

ssayre - 26-12-2015 at 09:20 PM

I need to clarify my above remarks. All is true with 5 meter lines. When you go to no lines, the stability and back flying become more of an issue in the lulls

lunchbox - 27-12-2015 at 08:59 AM

@Windstruck - Makes sense. Thanks.

@ssayre - Cool. I'll try the NPW with 2 lines and see how it goes and also using 5m lines. I haven't tried the NPW with a bar using extensions yet...always just the bridle...that should help. North winds are blowing this morning...a little lighter today and should end by noon. Time to get my butt in gear.

BTW, I made my 2 line extensions using (I think), q-line 200kg...you guys using the same weight? Was thinking about using 100kg to minimize drag but thought that wouldn't be enough?

ssayre - 27-12-2015 at 09:09 AM

I use a stock 3 line set up from born. I think it's 200. I would guess 100 kg would work 90% of the time on longboard with low rolling resistance. Just a guess though.

lunchbox - 27-12-2015 at 01:11 PM

Winds might have worked today but there was some kind of race going on and my little asphalt path was packed with people...

However, I did get a chance to put on the 5m extensions and test the NPW static on a 2 line bar. Had to make a 2nd little break line length adjustment and then it was good to go. Wow....what a difference those extensions made on the bar...it was almost night and day! Or maybe I'm just a terrible kiter

I've got some extra q-line laying around so I think I'm gonna make some 3m extensions as well.

...never thought I'd look forward to our north winds :D

lunchbox - 27-12-2015 at 09:46 PM

Wasn't supposed to be any wind at the beach today but got lucky. Found a great street near a sod farm that is right next to the ocean. Wind averaging 12mph with gusts to 16mph. Man, you can get going really fast in no time on asphalt! Need to get used to the speed...
Man that 3.4 NPW packs a punch. Very powerful. Love the drift but man, the upwind is just like everyone says...not that good. Had to sine it back and forth but got upwind at a pretty good clip. Had the kite on both 3m and 5m extensions. Very stable. Had some backstalls but that is just me having to get used to the kite. Overall, another great sessions.
Think I'm gonna make up some 1m extensions as well.
If I like the Nasa Stars, which I'm sure I will, I will definitely need to get the 2.5m! Managed to get some 1 handed rides going downwind but kite was just too powerful going upwind. I think that 2.5m would have probably been perfect.

grigorib - 27-12-2015 at 11:06 PM

Man, you can get going really fast in no time on asphalt!

Had another session today. Same setup - NTK 3.6m on 6m dual lines. Gusty wind blowing at an angle to the road. Going very slow on the port tack and speeding up going back. Steering the kite backwards slows you down well, there were couple of moments when it felt like I'm using the kite as a brake chute

It blew too much and too gusty to ride single handed and couple of starts were overly accelerating...

Cochise Kiter - 28-12-2015 at 11:59 AM

@Ssayre: What kind of camera/mount setup do you have on your board? Is that directly mounted to the rear truck?

@Grigorib: What size lines did you use on the HQ Rush? I have a Rush 300 Pro that I've tried with both 1M & 5M lines but have not done well at all with either set. I am certain this is mostly due to poor inland wind here in southeast AZ, and pilot skill as well.

ssayre - 28-12-2015 at 12:55 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Cochise Kiter

@Ssayre: What kind of camera/mount setup do you have on your board? Is that directly mounted to the rear truck?

@Grigorib: What size lines did you use on the HQ Rush? I have a Rush 300 Pro that I've tried with both 1M & 5M lines but have not done well at all with either set. I am certain this is mostly due to poor inland wind here in southeast AZ, and pilot skill as well.

It's a 1" piece of pex plumbing I had left over. It's somewhere between 24"-30" if I remember right. It's mounted to the tail of the board using a u-bolt. I drilled 2 small holes in the tail.

Cochise Kiter - 28-12-2015 at 01:00 PM

Good info, thank you!

ssayre - 28-12-2015 at 01:03 PM

Wasn't supposed to be any wind at the beach today but got lucky. Found a great street near a sod farm that is right next to the ocean. Wind averaging 12mph with gusts to 16mph. Man, you can get going really fast in no time on asphalt! Need to get used to the speed...
Man that 3.4 NPW packs a punch. Very powerful. Love the drift but man, the upwind is just like everyone says...not that good. Had to sine it back and forth but got upwind at a pretty good clip. Had the kite on both 3m and 5m extensions. Very stable. Had some backstalls but that is just me having to get used to the kite. Overall, another great sessions.
Think I'm gonna make up some 1m extensions as well.
If I like the Nasa Stars, which I'm sure I will, I will definitely need to get the 2.5m! Managed to get some 1 handed rides going downwind but kite was just too powerful going upwind. I think that 2.5m would have probably been perfect.

Awesome. The 2.5 would work great in those winds. I agree you will want the 2.5. It's the most fun size for longboarding when you have the right wind. I actually would like having the 1.5 and 3.2 sizes at some point. Proper sizing makes for a lot more comfortable and enjoyable riding. Making it back up wind while being over powered can really wear me out riding one handed. especially toeside. Last time I was out the wind picked up I really had a hard time keeping my grip.

grigorib - 29-12-2015 at 03:40 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Cochise Kiter

@Grigorib: What size lines did you use on the HQ Rush? I have a Rush 300 Pro that I've tried with both 1M & 5M lines but have not done well at all with either set. I am certain this is mostly due to poor inland wind here in southeast AZ, and pilot skill as well.

When I still had my HQ Rush III 3m I rode it on ATB on its original, long lines. Last week riding was on 6m Flysurfer extension line set but New Tech Thunderfoil 3.6m is bigger and it delivers way more grunt power than 3m HQ Rush as I remember comparing them before.

I can only dream of smooth onshore breeze here in Midwest

ssayre - 30-12-2015 at 08:16 AM

What boards are you guys using? Currently, I'm on a sector 9 deck with drop through sidewinder trucks with the double kingpins. Wheels are 78a. I've not used any other boars so I don't have anything to compare it to. It works great and the trucks allow for tight turning. However, I've had a hard time getting controlled slides. I'm wondering if a different deck, truck, and wheel set up will help with this or if it's just my skill. I'm thinking the action on trucks with single kingpin might be a better choice. Opinions?

grigorib - 30-12-2015 at 08:46 AM

What boards are you guys using? Currently, I'm on a sector 9 deck with drop through sidewinder trucks with the double kingpins. Wheels are 78a. I've not used any other boars so I don't have anything to compare it to. It works great and the trucks allow for tight turning. However, I've had a hard time getting controlled slides. I'm wondering if a different deck, truck, and wheel set up will help with this or if it's just my skill. I'm thinking the action on trucks with single kingpin might be a better choice. Opinions?

I built mine (on the bottom of the picture) when I was on a business trip to Settle back in 2009. Earlier that year I went to parents' house and found my old skateboard I rode when I was in school. Wheels were disintegrating - I could take chunks off wheels as if it was hard cheese. On a business trip to Seattle went to a board shop looking for a 5/4 wetsuit and half a store happened to be full of skateboard stuff. Started talking to the guy how my skateboard days were, what style I'm used to and when I said that I haven't ridden a skateboard in 20 years I realized the kid at the counter wasn't probably even born then yet

Long story short - I stayed and demo bunch of combinations and got this one built - large wheels so I needed risers, very soft bushings as I've been riding the board pumping style all my life. If there's anyone who doesn't know - you propel yourself by "surfing" or "pumping" it and your feet don't touch ground, you don't need to kick the ground. You can go miles without touching ground, you can go light uphill too. With soft bushings I can turn loops and eights on a park path, and again, not having to touch the ground gives it the beautiful "surfing" sensation.

ssayre - 30-12-2015 at 09:00 AM

Awesome stash! What length approx is that 40"? That's very similar to the set up I'm wanting to try out. I might need to give pumping a try when not kiting. So far I've used the longboard for kiting only. I'm aware of what it is but wasn't really able to do it last time I tried very briefly.

grigorib - 30-12-2015 at 09:07 AM

Awesome stash! What length approx is that 40"? That's very similar to the set up I'm wanting to try out. I might need to give pumping a try when not kiting. So far I've used the longboard for kiting only. I'm aware of what it is but wasn't really able to do it last time I tried very briefly.

I'll post measurements later today.
When my dad first told me he saw guys riding a "deck with wheels" not touching ground it sounded magic to me. That what teenage magic used to be - before then skateboards just weren't (to Siberia, things like skateboards and VCRs came kind of with delay). Couple years later when I got my own board I learned to do the same - pretty much everyone else in town were riding pumping style only

Good influence I must say...

Cochise Kiter - 30-12-2015 at 09:56 AM

Thanks Grigorib! I tried the Rush 3M on its original line set last year but quickly discovered that my flying & boarding skills were not enough to try it at my small local park. Ran out of room quickly. I will try to post a short clip of that failed attempt.

Hi Ssayre, I have a Flexifoil Flexdeck that I try to use at the park. And this year I got a Santa Cruz Skate Cobra longboard, 40"x10" with a 1" drop. This page is the best one I can find for a better description of it: http://www.zumiez.com/santa-cruz-skate-cobra-40-drop-down-lo...

I live in Sierra Vista, AZ and open maintained space is very limited. There are no really good places to fly here in this little small town. The larger city park (Veteran's Memorial) is sometimes okay for size/space if there are no scheduled city events or carnivals going on, groups of people playing soccer or football, or the Medieval Times nerds taking up the field. But there are way too many trees & other buildings causing obstruction of good wind flow through the park. The only other park in town (Thompkins) is very small but more open to the wind. But that small space I have to yield to families, dogs & other folks enjoying the day. I took my ATB up to the Willcox Playa one day earlier this year, but that sand is way too powdery & soft to get any real traction to get moving along. It might be okay if I had a buggy with big foot tires on it. I did find a sweet spot on Ft. Huachuca but the field is too close to the airfield where they do UAV training & missions so they said no.

So my frustration led me to look at other kiting options. I found your threads you posted earlier this year on street kiting which inspired me to get the Santa Cruz longboard. I found it locally on Craigslist for $60 from some young guy that was desperate for gas money. It came with the original setup as described on that website above. 10" trucks with OJ III 75mm 78A wheels. The only thing I added was a 1" riser pad and new hardware for mounting the trucks. I spent many weeks on the board just kicking around the neighborhood just so I can get comfortable on it. Last week for Christmas I got a new set of Gullwing Sidewinder II trucks for it. Mounted them & tested: wow, what a difference! They turn way better and are great for carving & pumping the board. From what I read about them on the Silverfish Longboard forum I don't think they're optimal for sliding. Haven't tested them myself but will soon. Now my main dilemma is finding a large & empty parking lot open to the wind, and without a security guard chasing me off the property.

ssayre - 30-12-2015 at 02:10 PM

thanks cochise. Have you tried school parking lots in near you?

abkayak - 30-12-2015 at 02:13 PM

so wait a minute....you didnt even grow up skating?
damn...you go all in when you go

ssayre - 30-12-2015 at 02:35 PM

Quote: Originally posted by abkayak

so wait a minute....you didnt even grow up skating?
damn...you go all in when you go

I was a skateboarder in my middle school years so I have had plenty of skate experience but Longboarding is different. You couldn't "pump" to keep moving on a skateboard. At least not that I'm aware of. Longboards either didn't exist at all or didn't exist in my area when I was young.

I've thought about switching to skateboard but with small deck and small wheels, they are not as stable and get tripped up on small rocks and cracks easier.

I was blown away at 40 years old at how much easier a longboard is for general cruising compared to skateboards. First time I stepped on the longboard, it felt completely natural like I'd never missed a beat.

I've put in countless miles on the longboard and kite at this point and only had 2 very minor crashes. The key is keeping a close eye on the pavement ahead of you to watch for possible trip hazards. Much much more critical than buggy on grass.

volock - 30-12-2015 at 02:55 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Cochise Kiter

Thanks Grigorib! I tried the Rush 3M on its original line set last year but quickly discovered that my flying & boarding skills were not enough to try it at my small local park. Ran out of room quickly. I will try to post a short clip of that failed attempt.

Hi Ssayre, I have a Flexifoil Flexdeck that I try to use at the park. And this year I got a Santa Cruz Skate Cobra longboard, 40"x10" with a 1" drop. This page is the best one I can find for a better description of it: http://www.zumiez.com/santa-cruz-skate-cobra-40-drop-down-lo...

I live in Sierra Vista, AZ and open maintained space is very limited. There are no really good places to fly here in this little small town. The larger city park (Veteran's Memorial) is sometimes okay for size/space if there are no scheduled city events or carnivals going on, groups of people playing soccer or football, or the Medieval Times nerds taking up the field. But there are way too many trees & other buildings causing obstruction of good wind flow through the park. The only other park in town (Thompkins) is very small but more open to the wind. But that small space I have to yield to families, dogs & other folks enjoying the day. I took my ATB up to the Willcox Playa one day earlier this year, but that sand is way too powdery & soft to get any real traction to get moving along. It might be okay if I had a buggy with big foot tires on it. I did find a sweet spot on Ft. Huachuca but the field is too close to the airfield where they do UAV training & missions so they said no.

So my frustration led me to look at other kiting options. I found your threads you posted earlier this year on street kiting which inspired me to get the Santa Cruz longboard. I found it locally on Craigslist for $60 from some young guy that was desperate for gas money. It came with the original setup as described on that website above. 10" trucks with OJ III 75mm 78A wheels. The only thing I added was a 1" riser pad and new hardware for mounting the trucks. I spent many weeks on the board just kicking around the neighborhood just so I can get comfortable on it. Last week for Christmas I got a new set of Gullwing Sidewinder II trucks for it. Mounted them & tested: wow, what a difference! They turn way better and are great for carving & pumping the board. From what I read about them on the Silverfish Longboard forum I don't think they're optimal for sliding. Haven't tested them myself but will soon. Now my main dilemma is finding a large & empty parking lot open to the wind, and without a security guard chasing me off the property.

Nice find on the board. I'm rocking a board with a bit more drop, but am also new to skating. I laugh about your being in Sierra Vista as my grandparents-inlaw live there (half the year), and so small world. I've yet to be there and look for kiting spot... but now I have an excuse to bring a kite the next time we visit. In terms of spots to go for pavement, I have no ideas for you, as I don't remember any sports stadiums (like for HS level) or anything... Sam's Club and Costco have been pretty cool about letting me kite there when they're closed or just about closed, but are non-optimal, especially with all the light poles.

For riding the ATB on dirt, I'd check out some of the "new" development/dirt roads south of the city. Last I remember, there were some spots I'd consider usable around there. Either that or go searching for old/close/private air strips in the area. Sometimes those people are chill and will let you use them, sometimes they're #@%$#!s, it's hit or miss. Avoid the small airport/active airports/people with an actual air tower, they won't let you given FAA rules... However farmers/ranchers with their own strips, small tower-less private strips, and former air strips have let me in the past. Usually you're searching for somewhere with two run-ways in the traditional X pattern... Which means you can kite one of them or the other dependent on wind direction (ironically they have them that way to get around cross winds that we want).

abkayak - 30-12-2015 at 03:04 PM

yea...i started on clay wheels, stopped before the ollie was invented, but actually skated w/ a few of the legends back in the day....still havent made it out w/ a kite, but do have my pump down ( i got good hips):D

ssayre - 30-12-2015 at 03:15 PM

"still havent made it out w/ a kite, but do have my pump down ( i got good hips):D"

I knew this was going this direction sooner or later :lol:

Cochise Kiter - 30-12-2015 at 04:55 PM

Okay, finally posted my first YouTube video: https://youtu.be/EH3zhZPgjfw

It's my first attempt at kite boarding. 3m HQ Rush Pro on a Flexifoil Flexdeck. I'm about 6' and at that time I was about 300lbs (+/- 5lbs). Christmas Day 2014. Winds were about 30+ MPH, and gusting at 40+ MPH.

Wish the video was longer. It was taken on a new camera someone got for Christmas but they didn't have an SD card in it. So it quickly ran out of space after taking pics & videos most of the morning.

I now know that it was way too windy for me to handle it for my first time on the board. But at that park with all the trees & buildings around, it's hard for me to get a kite up in anything less than 20 MPH. Which is why I looked into street kiting instead.

The Santa Cruz Skate Cobra is my first real board as I didn't grow up as a skater either. My first skateboard was in the early 80's that my mom bought from Woolworth's. It was just an ugly no-name hunk of plastic on metal wheels that would quickly send me down for a face check on the tiniest pebble & cracks. I was too chubby as a kid to go any farther than half a block on it. And shortly after I got it the neighborhood stoner kids beat me up & stole it. Never tried to skate again since. But after watching Ssayre's videos of him crushing it on the pavement I got inspired to give it another go now in my mid-40's.

@Ssayre: Yes, I have tried the local high school parking lot a couple of times as it's rather large. Security didn't tell me to leave but they drove by really close & gave me a look that wasn't very welcoming. Also that parking lot is in an oddly placed area that is not conducive for optimal winds. I'm starting to think nowhere in town is conducive as the wind here shifts 90' degrees in either direction, and sometimes even does a 180' going back in the opposite way in which it first came from. What the heck? I guess that makes me an unofficial member of the Janky Wind Club as well.

@Volock: Cool! Let me know if you ever make it down this way again as I'd like the company of a fellow kiter. I feel like I'm the only one for a hundred miles in any direction. I see there are some posts from a guy out in Yuma (southwest AZ). And there's another fellow in Buckeye. I saw an old posting from 2011 from someone that was on post (Ft. Huachuca). But I have a feeling they may not be stationed here anymore. I think there are a couple of abandoned real estate development sites in town that they cleared land on & stopped. I'll have to check those out for wind conditions.

abkayak - 30-12-2015 at 07:58 PM

That's a pretty serious breeze there Cochise, got a helmet under that hood?
I learned to board w/ that Rush...in much calmer conditions wearing gloves too
Be safe before you start rolling :thumbup:

Randy - 31-12-2015 at 07:02 AM

I've tried a number of places, but don't have many good spots. A few ideas to look at. Mega churches - just don't go on Sunday morning, but Saturdays, and Sunday afternoon might work. Big office parks usually have a security guard who may or may not care. Schools, when school is out. I've found a few usuable places at our local lake which have big parking lots near boat ramps. Car dealers or shopping centers who are out of business might be good too. Get used to driving around a lot. You can also identify potential spots by looking at satelite maps like google maps, etc. But they don't tell you much about the terrain.

I had the police come and sit around while I was flying at a few of the places. They never said anything. I think they were just killing time and thought this was interesting to watch.

grigorib - 31-12-2015 at 07:55 AM

What length approx is that 40"?

36" deck
23" between trucks
73mm 80a wheels

ssayre - 31-12-2015 at 08:09 AM

Thanks, looks like it's got some tall risers. Does that help add more power when pumping? Also, dumb question, on that set up the back foot is behind the back truck on the tail right?

Cochise Kiter - 31-12-2015 at 08:40 AM

@Abkayak: On that day I did not have one on. But since have purchased a helmet for all boarding activities. Thanks!

@Randy: Thank you for the ideas on locations! I've had a few days with intention to fly that only resulted in driving around town looking for good spots that were not busy or patrolled by security.

grigorib - 31-12-2015 at 08:42 AM

Thanks, looks like it's got some tall risers. Does that help add more power when pumping? Also, dumb question, on that set up the back foot is behind the back truck on the tail right?

It's got about an inch of risers otherwise wheels were biting the deck. What really helps pumping are soft bushings. You can even pump a regular skateboard with soft bushings (rear bushings should be stiffer than the front). You should be able to tilt the board with a force of couple of fingers or fully down with a palm. It makes it easy to pump and it's more useful for lower turning radius which I like.

My stance is - front foot a bit back of front trucks, rear foot over and a bit backward of rear trucks (but not on the tail). Usually right shoulder facing forward, goofy. I can kite regular but can't pump it regular side though

ssayre - 31-12-2015 at 08:45 AM

ok. riding goofy helps me ride one handed toe side since I'm right handed. funny, i find it almost impossible riding one handed front side because I have a hard time controlling kite left handed.

grigorib - 31-12-2015 at 10:12 AM

ok. riding goofy helps me ride one handed toe side since I'm right handed. funny, i find it almost impossible riding one handed front side because I have a hard time controlling kite left handed.

Yep, toeside with right hand on the bar only - it goes sweet! I need to work on my upwind turn from toeside - in light wind I almost pulled it but in stronger wind I whacked the kite.

One certain downside of streetkiting - crashing or sliding the wing over asphalt/concrete occasionally. That's going to wear it out.

ssayre - 31-12-2015 at 11:02 AM

ok. riding goofy helps me ride one handed toe side since I'm right handed. funny, i find it almost impossible riding one handed front side because I have a hard time controlling kite left handed.

Yep, I've got some wear on the nose on my nasa's. It doesn't bother me too bad with relatively inexpensive wings but I cringe when I scrape my peak. I try to be more careful with them.

B-Roc - 1-1-2016 at 08:36 AM

From the pic it looks like you might be running on Bennett Vector trucks, correct?

lunchbox - 1-1-2016 at 10:28 AM

@grigorib - Nice pic showing all the equipment...quite the water quiver! I like that old school fish...I got a board that looks exactly like it...but yours is a lot nice nicer. Are you using that board in the waves on the Great Lakes?

Maybe you guys have already seen this video but I think the guy does a really good job of explaining the different types of longboards. Geez, there is a lot of stuff to learn!

BTW, I flew in some really gusty winds yesterday and had a lot of backstalls and the kite flying backwards. Keeping the kite moving helped and so it longer lines but what are some tricks that you can do to stop the kite as soon as possible when it is sweeping through the window backwards (BTW, I'm on a NPW9 3.4 using a 2 line bar)?

ssayre - 1-1-2016 at 11:23 AM

Maybe you guys have already seen this video but I think the guy does a really good job of explaining the different types of longboards. Geez, there is a lot of stuff to learn!

BTW, I flew in some really gusty winds yesterday and had a lot of backstalls and the kite flying backwards. Keeping the kite moving helped and so it longer lines but what are some tricks that you can do to stop the kite as soon as possible when it is sweeping through the window backwards (BTW, I'm on a NPW9 3.4 using a 2 line bar)?

I've flown many different spots around my city. Usually in between appointments at work. What I've found is there are either locations or wind conditions that just won't work well and will cause stall/back flying. For example, one location I use on the east side of town works great on an east wind. If blowing any degree from west then it's absolutely miserable flying due to trees and a building that I thought was plenty far enough upwind to not be an issue but it was. My point is there will be times when you need to move on and find a different spot depending on the day and wind direction.

I usually can tell within a minute if location and conditions seem conducive or not and will jet to another spot or quit instead of trying to suffer through. I have a feeling the stars will be a touch more stable and turn nicer for you on your border line wind days.

Also, thanks for the video. That's great information and is in line with the great advice b-roc has been giving me on longboard selection. I think I've taken my current s9 sidewinder set up as far as I can go. Great set up for carving and general cruising but I "need" a stiff drop deck with high concave, reverse kingpin trucks, and a better slide type wheel for what I want to progress to. Higher speed / slides. I think something like the last board on the right in the video would be great except I'd probably get a wheel with rounded edge instead of wide and square.

I've still got a lot of learning to do, but I think I'm starting to sort out the various longboard features at least from a research stand point. I had no idea. It's almost as tough as picking a kite and also seems like a 2 to 3 board quiver is in order depending on location and conditions. Why must we acquire 2 or 3 of everything before we are set.

grigorib - 1-1-2016 at 02:33 PM

Quote: Originally posted by B-Roc

From the pic it looks like you might be running on Bennett Vector trucks, correct?

Correct. Why, what's different about them?

grigorib - 1-1-2016 at 02:42 PM