Well, the fields and weather just started to allow for landboarding again two weeks ago and so far this season is off to an awfully disappointing start. Our skiing season was short but I had great sessions and had been looking forward to continuing it on my board.

Unfortunately, the winds have yet to blow in the best direction so I am constantly flying towards fences and light posts and the gusts have been real erratic. I was snatched off the ground with my bego and floated right over to the fences (very floaty landing but I thought for sure either I or the kite was going to be destroyed).

My 5.5 is a well behaved kite and yesterday it had me skimming off the ground like some twinkle toes or some astronaut on the moon but again, I'm just floating along and here come the fences.

Then today I just keep getting hammered over and over by my 2.5 as the gusts come along and snatch me off my landboard or the lulls are so bad I'll be static flying to keep pressure in the lines and then I'll be launched over my landbaord when the gusts come.

I probably shouldn't bother to fly in these conditions but you know how it is when you get that itch, it just needs to be scratched, but its really been frustrating and putting a big damper on my enthusiasm. The winds are totally off and then on and then they are low and along comes a huge gust or they are high and you get powered and then they cut off like someone has thrown a switch and the kite collapses only to be rapidly reinflated and fully powered by some errant gust.

I feel like a total newby flier again and have never had a run of crap conditions and sessions as long as this.

Very frustrating not being able to control mother nature. The seasons around here are becoming more and more unusual and the wind has just plain stunk. I look forward to kiting, its my therapy but if this keeps up I'm going to need therapy to deal with the frustration and disappointment.

I just had to vent a bit because I'm sitting here, back at work, totally frustrated.

Hope the wind and conditions are better where you are.

I purchased my 5.5 two or three weeks ago and the first time that I really had a chance to put her up was Tues. What you may need to do is find an alternative place to ATB that doesn't have the fences, and light posts.

B-Roc,

I got just the thing for you :D

Order one of these longboards tonight!

http://www.krackedskulls.com/

I used my M1 46" Kracked Skulls today behind my 1.5m Bullet at the local bike trail. The baby Bullet got me going 18mph (GPS) for a smooth ride. The wind was directly perpendicular to the trail - such a sweet day

When the wind sucks, just find a place to cruise...

I highly recommend one!

If you're always stuck with the nasty winds, it may be time to look at more gust absorbing kites.

A 10m Pulse could be the answer

Yup, PL and FS both come to mind for depowerable kites, both good in the surf as well. If you're talking fixed bridal open cell foil, something like the Brooza does fairly well in lumps.

Thanks for the input both on the longboard and the depower.

Its been really frustrating. Now its 5/3 and the winds still blow (in the bad way). I've gone back to mostly flying my sport kites (which I do enjoy) but have really been looking forward to boarding again since the skiing season was so short this year. Last year I stopped skiing in March and started boarding in early april - now its may and the conditions still aren't great, plus all the soccer nets are out now and the youth sports programs have begun so the fields aren't as available at night or on weekends.

Its been a major bummer and I have been considering getting street tires for my board or selling my kites and going the depower route.

Hopefully it will turn around soon - you all know how depressing it gets when you can't feed the addiction for days at a time let alone months.

My last couple of afternoons have been the same- lots of lulls, followed by monstrous gusts that had me sweating. Thanks god I don't date anymore! That would really be tough, given my current luck. On second thought, it may be worth it.

Here's one more longboard to check out B-Roc:

http://hamboards.com/

Looks like a smooth ride...

That one is definately not my style Influenced by years of mogul skiing - I like quick and snappy

Quick and snappy = 10m Psycho 3

B-Roc:

I hear what you're saying about lumpy winds. Here in St. Paul Minnesota, it's all about gusty conditions. In winter and summer you can get out on bigger lakes with some fetch to smooth out the winds, but buggying and landboarding generally puts you on smaller fields with trees and buildings messing up the wind.

I'm becoming partial to depower kites, especially on days when I go from working a 3.5 m fixed foil to keep moving in the lulls and then getting yanked a minute later. On the one hand, it forces you to be on your toes (literally and figuratively) and learn to handle your kite. On the other hand, it gets old the older I get.

I started using a 9m PL GII this winter, and like it, except for the occasional inversion or bowtie that forces the walk of shame. My Viokite Proteus 7/8 with all the UDS II mods was sweet for the next size up. I'm thinking a 4-5 m depower foil like an Access II for would be a good swap for 2-4 m fixed foils around here. I treasure my trips to the coasts for consistent winds...

krumly

I finally had a good session yesterday ~ 2 hours with the new cubes on the board.

I can again see the benefit of depower as the winds constantly built so I flew the 7, 5.5 and the 4 but it was a good day and the first day I could slide over to toeside and keep on riding with the new cubes.