Well it has been almost a year now that I have had my ATB. I finally had my first ride. I bought it a year ago thinking it would be easy to do and then realized it was better to follow the advice of all of you here on the board and practice with the kite for a while and then transition to the board or buggy. I also bought a buggy right off the bat that just sat for months. Should have read the forum first then buy the equipment.So that is what I have been doing.

I did the kite for a few months first. I bought a Bullet 5.5, Rage 3.5, HQ 2.5 and a Slingshot 2.0 for the kids to have fun too. We all went to parks and beaches with the kites only and had a blast.

Took the buggy out to El Mirage last year and got lots of help from people here on the forum and had my first buggy ride. It was awesome and I became totally hooked. Then winter came and had to put it all away.

Well spring came and I couldn't wait to get the kites out again. Took them to the park and let them breathe in the fresh cool air and we all had fun remembering our previous experiences with the kites.

So I was now determine to try the board. Went to Oxnard yesterday near the airport where Dom goes sometimes and of course it was filled with soccer players. So we went to the beach and of course...no wind.

Decided to call it a day and went to dinner. After dinner the wind was great so I went back to the park to see if they were gone (soccer players) and the park was a ghost town.

Got the Rage out since the wind was at least 10mph or more I guess. Got on the board and fell over. Got on again and fell backwards. Third time got moving a little then stopped then a little more, before I knew I was at the end of the park. Couldn't get myself comfortable going the other direction though. Felt weird being positioned on the board traveling the other way so I just walked it back to start. The next time I made it to the end with out stopping and it was so fun. Too bad it got dark though. Can't wait to get more practice and be able to go back and forth.

So thanks to all the great advice on this forum from all of you. I have had a great learning experience, no injuries and a whole lot of family fun.

Chad

Hey chad! Glad to hear you made it out there, sorry i didn't call you i've just this minute got back from Pismo - the wind was HOWLING today (i was mainly getting to grips with kitesurfing - i wish my skill on a landboard transitioned straight over to water! It's frustrating relearning the ways again!)

Next time i'll definitely come - might take some more trips to pismo coming weekends which is an amazing amazing place... although someone told me that they don't alow boarding/buggying there anymore?! Someone say it isn't so??!

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Originally posted by domdino ... although someone told me that they don't alow boarding/buggying there anymore?! Someone say it isn't so??!

I heard two versions last week:

From a local kitesurfing instructor: buggy/landboard only allowed between grand avenue and pismo creek from march to october because of the snowy plower season

From a lifeguard patrolling the beach:
Ok north of the ATV area up to pismo creek (Quote "I'm not a Ranger...")

I little tip that applies to all sports. Learn to ride / do things on your weak side as soon as you learn them on the strong side or it will be harder to pick up later.

Also for reasons I can't explain it often seems like I can generate more power going one way than another. This doesn't always coincide with the weak side . Can anyone explain that ??? I have fiddled to see if I'm reading the window wrong without it getting better.

Practice riding toeside. Most people never get the thrill because they just ride back in the opposite stance. But onve you get it, I find riding toeside more exhilirating than heelside, just a little more difficult to work the handles.

if you learn by starting out toeside, then when you go to turn around and come back heelside will be a breeze, not to mention ridng toeside really improves your piloting skills.

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Originally posted by snowbird Also for reasons I can't explain it often seems like I can generate more power going one way than another. This doesn't always coincide with the weak side . Can anyone explain that ??? I have fiddled to see if I'm reading the window wrong without it getting better.

I too have experienced that both while skiing and boarding and it seems to have nothing to do with your weak side. For a while that is what I thought it was - my difficulty edging or holding power on my left foot / ski, etc. but then I had a couple sessions where I could only get up wind carving on that side and I couldn't on my right.

I think it must have something to do with the direction of the wind because I fly at the same places over and over week after week and sometimes I crank going left, other times right and sometimes I'm ok at both directions.

Weird :puzzled:

My left foot is the most worthless part of my body, i often think about cutting it off!

As far as going faster in one direction than the other though that shouldn't happen if you are going directly across the wind... i have to go MUCH slower left usually because the wind is slightly north and so i'm having to carve like a mother to stay on the hard part of the beach and upwind!

I agree with toeside, it feels awesome and is especially useful skill to have on the water if you have a directional board - or even a twintip for that matter - one of the best feelings in the world is doing a downwind circle in the water to toeside!

Is there ay way to get aschedule of the soccer games from the boys and girls club? weekdays have a lot less people out at oxnard.

m:bisou: