I am a backcountry/ tele skiers and also have some time on a snowboard but was thinking with the lulls in the wind- skis would be a lot easier then a board when kiting. Anybody have some feedback on using ski boards for kiting. I am thinking i could still use snowboard bindings so i can keep my comfy boots (hate and dont have downhill boots) and the ability to walk or side step would make it a lot easier than getting ripped on my face when on a snowboard. Any insight and recommendations appreciated.
thanks
scott
PS looking at a set of summit custom 110s with a snowboard binding and riser (could later switch to tele bindings if i feel like it)

No joke, what the heck is a "Ski board"? Like a snowblade? Or are we talkin tele-board (not tele ski)?

I wasn't going to say anything.

Just buy some old planks off craigslist(a ton out there now, perfect chance to pick some up cheep)

Those look kinda short for any serious combat though.
If you tele alpine is a breeze.

Feyd-Its a really short ski with twin tips- i think they are sometimes called snowblades. the ones i am looking at are 110cm in length and 14/11/14cm wide
Dandre- no interest in alpine skiing to many people and standing in line- maybe if i was out west but east coast no fun.

I kite on my tele gear or a snowboard. I tend to like the snowboard a bit more since you are facing the kite while making up wind runs. I do like the skis if I am out to make turns.

Depends how deep the snow is - they're bloody hard to ride in powder. I should upload some videos from winter, shouldn't I ...

Hrmmm maybe a pair of kids snowboards (as in smallest can find) with snowboard bindings mounted like ski's? might not work on hardpack, but probably be a blast in the fluffy stuff!

Hrmmm.......

Kamakuza:

Yes!! Videos, just waiting for the lakes to freeze now so can go on the lake .....

I'll get around to it

Lam - snowboard binding are really wide and limit your lean angle. So they put them up on risers ... with the soft boots, it's not such a good ride.

Probably right, just throwin idea.. so maybe a set of ski bindigns and boots then? That would add safety as well if (WHEN) you eat it the boards can pop off..

Scott there are several guys up this way that use the skiboard/snowblades on the lakes if the snow is not too deep. Super easy to turn and jump with ,very ice skate like. My son Morgan has 90cm he started out on, spinning jumping going backwards etc. until he felt the need for speed. I did'nt know you could put snowboard bindings on them and have them work right. No breakaway bindings on any that I've seen so your knees will be at risk I guess. No doubt though they are perfect for the flying you like to do.

Not really necessary ... the new skiboards in the shops all seem to come with pop-out/breakaway bindings but I've yet to hurt myself with fixed bindings - there just isn't the forces involved to tweak anything hard enough, I reckon. They'd be easier to get into I bet though :D

I got Fischer WebXXXL or something ... silly name, but they're 99cm long and the widest you could buy at the time - they have the surface area of 160cm skis. You can KIND of do powder if you don't stop and can hold enough speed (steep slope) but if you stop ... it's a struggle

Quote:

Originally posted by Kamikuza I got Fischer WebXXXL or something ... silly name, but they're 99cm long and the widest you could buy at the time - they have the surface area of 160cm skis. You can KIND of do powder if you don't stop and can hold enough speed (steep slope) but if you stop ... it's a struggle

Thats what the Kite is for! :singing::wee:

Last year we got good snow ... and no wind. Or wind and no snow. Still crossing my fingers though!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh,, I remember those things. We used to sell them. A bunch of small start ups, mostly splinters from small board companies, started making them when the popularity of Salomon's snowblades too off.

I remember that they didn't come with regular alpine ski bindings but with more of a plate binding like on an alpine carve board. No point in a relaeasable binding as there wasn't enough leverage generated to work it effectively.

Also they had hieght minimums for riders. Really little kids were verboten because they aren't strong enough to support the load in a non release crash. PITA because the groms always wanted these things more than adults did.

Anyway most of them are produced with inserts for binding mounting. I'm not sure that putting board bindings on is worth the hassle. I'd put tele bindings on with if you want the cozy boot action. The skis are so short that they would roll forward before you could dip a nee. -)

^ That.

With all the leaning involved in kitiing.. I dunno.
I saw these things on and off all winter on groomer days; but as soon as the fluffy stuff hits I'd imagine you'd be hating life.com

I heard a funny story about some employees dropping acid; slapping ski blades on one of the members and taking him up the tram..

He was never heard from again....

Ha!

And that's how they roll in Big Sky.

Whatev, we're good people. The only place friendlier I've been to is Cody, WY.
It's just totally different from "civilized" life. I had a hard time adjusting to it, but now I wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world.

It's just living on vacation.

Scott,
Here's a link to someone who put snowboard bindings on snowblades. Looks like the only issue is width. He loves them.

http://www.skiboardsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12254...

I started snow kiting with a pair of 95cm Line skiboards before I even learned to downhill ski. I have the plate type bindings as Feyd described and use rando boots. Sure are easy to turn. Still have them, but rarely use 'em. They stink in powder and they submarine through the crust and trip you. Fun on hardpack on the local lakes, but they are squirrelly at speed (reminds me of this SmartCar I saw driving 85 on the freeway the other day- looked like an imminent rollover when he changed lanes quickly).

krumly