The first time I saw these "kites" that look like big parachutes it was a guy static flying a 10 or 12m Flysurfer in the field by my place. One look and I thought "I gotta try that". I frantically searched eBay and bought my first 3m, then found this forum, did more research, more eBaying and ordered the Rage before the SportAir had even arrived. (Sound familiar?)

Once I found this forum I started learning about all the other things you can do with them and - given that winter was around the corner - I started prepping my mind and body for snowkiting. Now, up until now I had been flying static, getting yarded all over the place by my Rage, scudding and sliding to my heart's content - oblivious to what else was out there.

Now here's where you might relate. By this point I was well aware of the fact that these kites are AGGRESSIVE! There's no way around it...if you're not paying attention things can happen. So to add skis to the mix was something I was unsure about. But you know what? It's a day I'll NEVER forget. You know all that aggression you feel? Well, as soon as you break the bond between the ground and your feet somehow and turn that power into propulsion you'll forget it was scary. Seriously. There was an amazing and indescribable sense of peace that overcame me as soon as the skis started sliding and I realized all that brute force had been transformed into clean, green, quiet, efficient power. AMAZING! AMOXOMAOMAOMA or whatever it is they say - that's it! Thought you were hooked before? You'll have to give it a whirl. My advice? Stick to land if you can. Unless you're a waterbaby and decent wakeboarder you might want your first traction experience to be on land where you can be a little underpowered and still go.

All that said - it doesn't matter what you do when you're flying them - just FLY THEM and ENJOY every minute of it! And don't forget, there's a big difference between a fixed bridle and a depowerable. I can't recall exactly but I think it's something like 60-70%? Meaning a 5m fixed bridle is gonna give you the same grunt as maybe a 7 or 8m depowerable. No matter what she says, size ISN'T everything

macboy thank you for taking the time to share this. I don't know where this sport will take me. I think it is difficult for me to be "patient" but i will try. You know I have never been a skate boarder, so I don't feel inclined to the ATB route. Always having lived in warm climates, snow skiing was a vacation type event. If it ever snows in Miami we'll know that global warming was a hoax. I do like the water though and living in Miami just about an hour to Key Largo, I can see this heading in that direction. I/we have been down in the Middle Keys 30 miles or so past Key Largo and sat and watched the kite boarders. I mean we sat right there where you could hear the wind on the kites and theboard cutting thru the water. It really intrigued me. Like I said I pretty much like anything to do with water or beaches for that matter. Little did I know over the last couple of years when I sat there that I would wind up with a kite (several) and thinking that maybe I'll try it. We'll see. It sure is fun, so wherever the path leads me.... I'll be smiling along the way :cool2:

I got involved in this after seeing some videos in a kite store in Season Oregon (was probably Above It All Kites, amusingly enough, before the "new manager"). My reaction was very similiar to Macboys, "I've got to try that!" The two things I saw in the video were landboarding and kite buggying. So that was my initial goal. Got the kites and buggy in short order and started riding very quickly. I probably only spent a day or two static flying. Then two days on the beach with some good instructions, and I have been riding ever since.

I was later introduced to snowkiting, which was an easy progression for me since I had already spent 7 years downhill snowboarding. This summer I am learning how to Kiteboard. Its a blast once you get started. Only catch is the number of kites you need to get.

What a cool observation !

In my path I wanted to get moving from day 1. I was held back by not being able to surf / board at all.

That day that I moved over to the rollerblades and actually got to interact with the wind instead of fight it was like ......... the greatest thing that I had ever felt

Enjoy flying ! It is a ton of fun . Just KNOW that it can even get better :eekdrull:

Hey Bladerunner,

Those off-road rollerblades look sweet. Is it a bumpy ride on grass or do they sink in a lot on sand? From the videos on YouTube, they look super quick.

Very good read folks; here is my tale of the monster…

It all started close to six years ago at Myrtle Beach on a lone beach early in the morning. I stand there holding my brand new $9.99 dollar stunt kite straight from Wal-Mart. Woman balked at me for not buying the cheaper $3.49 that she so keenly eyeballed but I set her straight. I told her there was no way I was buying that one liner when I can have two for a little extra. The beginning was a little rough but within the hour I had completed my first loop de loop and I was in a zone. I flew that sucker for two straight days until the doohickey broke right through the thingamajig. Whoa was me. Picked up the yellow pages and looked for a kite store, BINGO! Come on baby lets go shopping. Her… WHAT!?! You go shopping… what did you break?

I walk into this kite store at Boardwalk On The Beach wide eye and sweating. Sale person approaches and knew by the look that I had it bad. I told him I wanted something big, he asked how big? I mumble and stuttered BIG. He turned and said follow me. We walked through the maze of spinners, wind socks, and yard junk in its entire colorful array. For the first time ever he handed me a power kite. A POWER KITE YOU SAY? I had never heard the sort but all I knew at the time that it had to come home with me like a cheap prom date from high school. I masterfully sent the woman off to go look at shoes telling her that I would be here in the park feeding the ducks. Little did she know that I was off in the kite shop about to unleash the beast raging from within. :singing:

The rest of that week spent at the beach will never be the same. From my first liftoff to my full on scud until my arms about fell off, my Go Fly A Kite 4 meter is still today my all time favorite. Now taking the next step, as of last year bought the first buggy and learned to do all kind of neat tricks with it. As time goes by I look back at that moment on a lone beach early in the morning and think… I wouldn’t have changed a thing.

Live life to the fullest and if that day shall come while getting in some buggy time… it will take the undertaker a WEEK to get that silly grin off my face.

Todd, that is a great story. I was actually chuckling out loud. What I am noticing about this sport and this gathering of enthusiasts is that the combination together release the inner child in all of us. That is really a fantastic effect. Look, I am not a therapist or a tree hugger and I don't meditate (probably should). That is not to say that I couldn't benefit from a therapist, and lord knows I've hugged on worse things than trees :wow::wow::wow:

I just remember reading/hearing/dreaming somewhere that you spend your first 20years trying to 'grow up' then you spend the rest of your life trying to recapture your youth. It seems like these kites bring out the yewt in all of us

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Originally posted by rip2tide2 Hey Bladerunner, Those off-road rollerblades look sweet. Is it a bumpy ride on grass or do they sink in a lot on sand? From the videos on YouTube, they look super quick.

YES,

I LOVE my Coyotes!

I used to be called Snowbird . I get off on snowkiting but don't get enough chances around here. These Coyotes are a LOT like snowkiting and just good fun !

The Coyotes amaze me at how well they run over some real rough surfaces. They also run on the hardpack beaches real well.

I top out at 37mph due to speed wobble. That feels pretty fast but I could go faster if I would push it.

They are cheap for what you get on Ebay but large sizes are tough to find.

First, I just gotta say I love Todd's quote:

Live life to the fullest and if that day shall come while getting in some buggy time… it will take the undertaker a WEEK to get that silly grin of my face. <------That's awesome!

Second - I know what you're saying with the speed wobble. Every time I go down a hill in my normal rollerblades I feel like I'm going to die - but I don't want to be that kid that's trying to carve down a two lane highway:duh: It's probably an unsettling feeling when you're being pulled by a strong kite and know that when you fall at 37MPH you will continue to be dragged.