Ok so I have been watching a lot of land boarding vids lately. I have a strong desire to move into this sport. I am about 225 lbs and I would be riding in field grass. So here is what I am wondering...
What size kite would I want for this?
Would my PL Twister be a viable option?
Would I be better off with a depower?
What would I be looking for in a board?
Harness or not?

Christmas is coming so I am getting a list together for my family... hehe

Board - FOR SURE ! What you can get depends on what you can afford. What surfaces will you ride? Is jumping in your future?

The Twister is a great place to get started. " Go with what you know " . If you are already comfortable with that kite it is well suited to ATB. Depower can wait ? ( a little while ;-) )

I am in the " get hooked in " camp. It will extend your fly time just by hooking in to rest / walk back upwind at 1st. Over time you will hook in for cruising as well. So harness would be second on the list IMHO.

In the videos that I have seen the depower kites just look so tame hanging out there at the top of the window. I have flown my Twister enough to know that it doesn't stay tame for long anywhere in the window lol. The thought of being strapped in to it is a little scary to say the least. I have only had to dump it on the kite killers once since I bought it but I was very glad that I had that option. I am still fairly new to this and have not had any experience on a bar but I have heard that the PL Twister doesn't like a bar. And would you still be able to dump it on to the killers with a control bar setup?

To answer your other questions...
Yes jumping would definitely be in my future and would be riding in fields and parks. Not a lot of sandy beaches here in MN.

Work on keeping the kite at zenith and then working it slowly down the edge to your left and right. The Twister can be pretty stable at the edge. If it doesn't sit at and work the edge then you have wind / location issues. I suspect you are trying to fly the kite too much. Slow it down and learn to work the edges of the window. Learn to control the kite rather than send it all over and have to react. The Twister could and should look just as tame . If not you may be need to work on keeping it that way ! Could be the wind or could be your style ?

2 important things to work on early. Keeping the kite in control and understanding the window + flying blind. You want to eventually know where the kite is and how to react while looking away. Get these down before attempting the board and it will come a lot easier !

When you are in motion it is different and when things are perfect you find " park and ride " with the kite riding nicely on the edge of the window.

You didn't mention budget. New VS used. Used means a large shipping bill so be aware. New, look at MBS , Trampa, Flexboardz, Scrub and recently Switch.

Hooking in just to rest up at 1st increases your fly time dramatically + slowly acustoms you to being hooked in. Doing so boosts your learning curve IMHO

Quote:

Originally posted by MNKiteFan Yes jumping would definitely be in my future and would be riding in fields and parks. Not a lot of sandy beaches here in MN.

MN... shouldn't there be about 10,000 beaches in that state...

Get a board and give that Twister a go - may need ~ 15mph wind to enjoy, depending on how deep your grass is. Also, much easier to learn with smooth wind so try to stay out of wind shadows...

my 2 cents

if you are comfortable with flying your twister then getting a depower is definately your next step.

boarding with a fixed bridal can be frustrating as you get pulled over the front of the board all the time. its alot easier to lean back against the pull of a depower then a FB.

this is a friends first go on a board with a depower
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-LQt7A95JI&feature=plcp

i must admit he had a good teacher (ME!!!)

Thanks for all of the advice guys. I do have a pretty good grasp on the control of the kite. It's just that when flying static it is pretty boring to hang out by the edge of the window so I spend more time crossing the window. I do however use the edge and the top of the window when my arms need a rest.
Used would be an option but I don't think you really save that much. What I am really wondering is if there is a specific thing I need to look for since I am at the 225 lbs mark lol.
Guess mt biggest thing is that flying static and flying to propel yourself on a board or buggy seem like two different worlds to my novice kiting brain. Guess I will just have to bite the bullet and buy a board and get out there on it. Wish I was closer to some people who rode or even power kited. Would lessen the learning curve a little if you know what I mean! At least I have you guys!!! Thanks
I will be keeping my eyes on the for sale posts to see if anything turns up between now and Christmas.