Hello all,

I have been rollerblading street and ramp for nearly 20yrs, and in the last 6 months I have gotten started with friends in Wakeboarding. The same guys who I Wake with, also have gotten me into Kitesurfing. I have as of yet only practiced my kite skills on land.

I am about to move home from PNG to Mackay where there is a reasonable Kitesurfing community, and a couple of buggy riders to boot. We are blessed with the right conditions to kitesurf in the warmer months, and buggy or blade in the colder season. We also have a couple of large beaches which go from 10-300m (grass to waterline) during low tides.

Here is the dilemma. I have always loved and been a good blader, and I am finding that I am not too bad at wakeboarding either. I can't afford two setups for two reasonably similar sports though. I have just purchased a 10m Sligshot for kitesurfing (unusually it cost less than a 4m PowerKite), but I am not going to be able to use it on the water for another 4 months or so when it is warmer. It would be nice to just do more than hone in my kite skills until then.

I intend to follow your directions and will modify my blades into W.O.D. Can you see any problems with me using a kitesurfing kite with control bar as opposed to handles? Are there any other pitfalls I should be aware of, (outside the obvious safety issues)?

I am sure my story is not unique, so if anyone has any info they think someone like me should know, feel free.

Thanks heaps.:singing:

Surf kites typically produce more lift. I advise being careful about getting lifted until you are proficient at anding jumps safely.

Another concern is that the inflatable tube is susceptible to damage when landing or crashing on the ground. Just a couple things to think about.

Note: If your main intent is kitesurfing, you may want to consider kiting with a mountainboard rather than skates. The experience is more similar than inline skating. In contrast, if you're into speed and long runs, kiteskates are the ticket.

Welcome to the forum!