@Windstruck - Makes sense. Thanks.

@ssayre - Cool. I'll try the NPW with 2 lines and see how it goes and also using 5m lines. I haven't tried the NPW with a bar using extensions yet...always just the bridle...that should help. North winds are blowing this morning...a little lighter today and should end by noon. Time to get my butt in gear.

BTW, I made my 2 line extensions using (I think), q-line 200kg...you guys using the same weight? Was thinking about using 100kg to minimize drag but thought that wouldn't be enough?

I use a stock 3 line set up from born. I think it's 200. I would guess 100 kg would work 90% of the time on longboard with low rolling resistance. Just a guess though.

Winds might have worked today but there was some kind of race going on and my little asphalt path was packed with people...

However, I did get a chance to put on the 5m extensions and test the NPW static on a 2 line bar. Had to make a 2nd little break line length adjustment and then it was good to go. Wow....what a difference those extensions made on the bar...it was almost night and day! Or maybe I'm just a terrible kiter

I've got some extra q-line laying around so I think I'm gonna make some 3m extensions as well.

...never thought I'd look forward to our north winds :D

Wasn't supposed to be any wind at the beach today but got lucky. Found a great street near a sod farm that is right next to the ocean. Wind averaging 12mph with gusts to 16mph. Man, you can get going really fast in no time on asphalt! Need to get used to the speed...
Man that 3.4 NPW packs a punch. Very powerful. Love the drift but man, the upwind is just like everyone says...not that good. Had to sine it back and forth but got upwind at a pretty good clip. Had the kite on both 3m and 5m extensions. Very stable. Had some backstalls but that is just me having to get used to the kite. Overall, another great sessions.
Think I'm gonna make up some 1m extensions as well.
If I like the Nasa Stars, which I'm sure I will, I will definitely need to get the 2.5m! Managed to get some 1 handed rides going downwind but kite was just too powerful going upwind. I think that 2.5m would have probably been perfect.

Quote: Originally posted by lunchbox

Man, you can get going really fast in no time on asphalt!

Had another session today. Same setup - NTK 3.6m on 6m dual lines. Gusty wind blowing at an angle to the road. Going very slow on the port tack and speeding up going back. Steering the kite backwards slows you down well, there were couple of moments when it felt like I'm using the kite as a brake chute
It blew too much and too gusty to ride single handed and couple of starts were overly accelerating...

@Ssayre: What kind of camera/mount setup do you have on your board? Is that directly mounted to the rear truck?

@Grigorib: What size lines did you use on the HQ Rush? I have a Rush 300 Pro that I've tried with both 1M & 5M lines but have not done well at all with either set. I am certain this is mostly due to poor inland wind here in southeast AZ, and pilot skill as well.

Quote: Originally posted by Cochise Kiter

@Ssayre: What kind of camera/mount setup do you have on your board? Is that directly mounted to the rear truck? @Grigorib: What size lines did you use on the HQ Rush? I have a Rush 300 Pro that I've tried with both 1M & 5M lines but have not done well at all with either set. I am certain this is mostly due to poor inland wind here in southeast AZ, and pilot skill as well.

It's a 1" piece of pex plumbing I had left over. It's somewhere between 24"-30" if I remember right. It's mounted to the tail of the board using a u-bolt. I drilled 2 small holes in the tail.

Good info, thank you!

Quote: Originally posted by lunchbox

Wasn't supposed to be any wind at the beach today but got lucky. Found a great street near a sod farm that is right next to the ocean. Wind averaging 12mph with gusts to 16mph. Man, you can get going really fast in no time on asphalt! Need to get used to the speed... Man that 3.4 NPW packs a punch. Very powerful. Love the drift but man, the upwind is just like everyone says...not that good. Had to sine it back and forth but got upwind at a pretty good clip. Had the kite on both 3m and 5m extensions. Very stable. Had some backstalls but that is just me having to get used to the kite. Overall, another great sessions. Think I'm gonna make up some 1m extensions as well. If I like the Nasa Stars, which I'm sure I will, I will definitely need to get the 2.5m! Managed to get some 1 handed rides going downwind but kite was just too powerful going upwind. I think that 2.5m would have probably been perfect.

Awesome. The 2.5 would work great in those winds. I agree you will want the 2.5. It's the most fun size for longboarding when you have the right wind. I actually would like having the 1.5 and 3.2 sizes at some point. Proper sizing makes for a lot more comfortable and enjoyable riding. Making it back up wind while being over powered can really wear me out riding one handed. especially toeside. Last time I was out the wind picked up I really had a hard time keeping my grip.

Quote: Originally posted by Cochise Kiter

@Grigorib: What size lines did you use on the HQ Rush? I have a Rush 300 Pro that I've tried with both 1M & 5M lines but have not done well at all with either set. I am certain this is mostly due to poor inland wind here in southeast AZ, and pilot skill as well.

When I still had my HQ Rush III 3m I rode it on ATB on its original, long lines. Last week riding was on 6m Flysurfer extension line set but New Tech Thunderfoil 3.6m is bigger and it delivers way more grunt power than 3m HQ Rush as I remember comparing them before.

I can only dream of smooth onshore breeze here in Midwest

What boards are you guys using? Currently, I'm on a sector 9 deck with drop through sidewinder trucks with the double kingpins. Wheels are 78a. I've not used any other boars so I don't have anything to compare it to. It works great and the trucks allow for tight turning. However, I've had a hard time getting controlled slides. I'm wondering if a different deck, truck, and wheel set up will help with this or if it's just my skill. I'm thinking the action on trucks with single kingpin might be a better choice. Opinions?

Quote: Originally posted by ssayre

What boards are you guys using? Currently, I'm on a sector 9 deck with drop through sidewinder trucks with the double kingpins. Wheels are 78a. I've not used any other boars so I don't have anything to compare it to. It works great and the trucks allow for tight turning. However, I've had a hard time getting controlled slides. I'm wondering if a different deck, truck, and wheel set up will help with this or if it's just my skill. I'm thinking the action on trucks with single kingpin might be a better choice. Opinions?

I built mine (on the bottom of the picture) when I was on a business trip to Settle back in 2009. Earlier that year I went to parents' house and found my old skateboard I rode when I was in school. Wheels were disintegrating - I could take chunks off wheels as if it was hard cheese. On a business trip to Seattle went to a board shop looking for a 5/4 wetsuit and half a store happened to be full of skateboard stuff. Started talking to the guy how my skateboard days were, what style I'm used to and when I said that I haven't ridden a skateboard in 20 years I realized the kid at the counter wasn't probably even born then yet

Long story short - I stayed and demo bunch of combinations and got this one built - large wheels so I needed risers, very soft bushings as I've been riding the board pumping style all my life. If there's anyone who doesn't know - you propel yourself by "surfing" or "pumping" it and your feet don't touch ground, you don't need to kick the ground. You can go miles without touching ground, you can go light uphill too. With soft bushings I can turn loops and eights on a park path, and again, not having to touch the ground gives it the beautiful "surfing" sensation.

Awesome stash! What length approx is that 40"? That's very similar to the set up I'm wanting to try out. I might need to give pumping a try when not kiting. So far I've used the longboard for kiting only. I'm aware of what it is but wasn't really able to do it last time I tried very briefly.

Quote: Originally posted by ssayre

Awesome stash! What length approx is that 40"? That's very similar to the set up I'm wanting to try out. I might need to give pumping a try when not kiting. So far I've used the longboard for kiting only. I'm aware of what it is but wasn't really able to do it last time I tried very briefly.

I'll post measurements later today.
When my dad first told me he saw guys riding a "deck with wheels" not touching ground it sounded magic to me. That what teenage magic used to be - before then skateboards just weren't (to Siberia, things like skateboards and VCRs came kind of with delay). Couple years later when I got my own board I learned to do the same - pretty much everyone else in town were riding pumping style only Good influence I must say...

Thanks Grigorib! I tried the Rush 3M on its original line set last year but quickly discovered that my flying & boarding skills were not enough to try it at my small local park. Ran out of room quickly. I will try to post a short clip of that failed attempt.


Hi Ssayre, I have a Flexifoil Flexdeck that I try to use at the park. And this year I got a Santa Cruz Skate Cobra longboard, 40"x10" with a 1" drop. This page is the best one I can find for a better description of it: http://www.zumiez.com/santa-cruz-skate-cobra-40-drop-down-lo...

I live in Sierra Vista, AZ and open maintained space is very limited. There are no really good places to fly here in this little small town. The larger city park (Veteran's Memorial) is sometimes okay for size/space if there are no scheduled city events or carnivals going on, groups of people playing soccer or football, or the Medieval Times nerds taking up the field. But there are way too many trees & other buildings causing obstruction of good wind flow through the park. The only other park in town (Thompkins) is very small but more open to the wind. But that small space I have to yield to families, dogs & other folks enjoying the day. I took my ATB up to the Willcox Playa one day earlier this year, but that sand is way too powdery & soft to get any real traction to get moving along. It might be okay if I had a buggy with big foot tires on it. I did find a sweet spot on Ft. Huachuca but the field is too close to the airfield where they do UAV training & missions so they said no.

So my frustration led me to look at other kiting options. I found your threads you posted earlier this year on street kiting which inspired me to get the Santa Cruz longboard. I found it locally on Craigslist for $60 from some young guy that was desperate for gas money. It came with the original setup as described on that website above. 10" trucks with OJ III 75mm 78A wheels. The only thing I added was a 1" riser pad and new hardware for mounting the trucks. I spent many weeks on the board just kicking around the neighborhood just so I can get comfortable on it. Last week for Christmas I got a new set of Gullwing Sidewinder II trucks for it. Mounted them & tested: wow, what a difference! They turn way better and are great for carving & pumping the board. From what I read about them on the Silverfish Longboard forum I don't think they're optimal for sliding. Haven't tested them myself but will soon. Now my main dilemma is finding a large & empty parking lot open to the wind, and without a security guard chasing me off the property.

thanks cochise. Have you tried school parking lots in near you?

Quote: Originally posted by ssayre

Awesome stash! What length approx is that 40"? That's very similar to the set up I'm wanting to try out. I might need to give pumping a try when not kiting. So far I've used the longboard for kiting only. I'm aware of what it is but wasn't really able to do it last time I tried very briefly.

so wait a minute....you didnt even grow up skating?
damn...you go all in when you go

Quote: Originally posted by abkayak

Quote: Originally posted by ssayre   Awesome stash! What length approx is that 40"? That's very similar to the set up I'm wanting to try out. I might need to give pumping a try when not kiting. So far I've used the longboard for kiting only. I'm aware of what it is but wasn't really able to do it last time I tried very briefly. so wait a minute....you didnt even grow up skating? damn...you go all in when you go

I was a skateboarder in my middle school years so I have had plenty of skate experience but Longboarding is different. You couldn't "pump" to keep moving on a skateboard. At least not that I'm aware of. Longboards either didn't exist at all or didn't exist in my area when I was young.

I've thought about switching to skateboard but with small deck and small wheels, they are not as stable and get tripped up on small rocks and cracks easier.

I was blown away at 40 years old at how much easier a longboard is for general cruising compared to skateboards. First time I stepped on the longboard, it felt completely natural like I'd never missed a beat.

I've put in countless miles on the longboard and kite at this point and only had 2 very minor crashes. The key is keeping a close eye on the pavement ahead of you to watch for possible trip hazards. Much much more critical than buggy on grass.

Quote: Originally posted by Cochise Kiter

Thanks Grigorib! I tried the Rush 3M on its original line set last year but quickly discovered that my flying & boarding skills were not enough to try it at my small local park. Ran out of room quickly. I will try to post a short clip of that failed attempt. Hi Ssayre, I have a Flexifoil Flexdeck that I try to use at the park. And this year I got a Santa Cruz Skate Cobra longboard, 40"x10" with a 1" drop. This page is the best one I can find for a better description of it: http://www.zumiez.com/santa-cruz-skate-cobra-40-drop-down-lo... I live in Sierra Vista, AZ and open maintained space is very limited. There are no really good places to fly here in this little small town. The larger city park (Veteran's Memorial) is sometimes okay for size/space if there are no scheduled city events or carnivals going on, groups of people playing soccer or football, or the Medieval Times nerds taking up the field. But there are way too many trees & other buildings causing obstruction of good wind flow through the park. The only other park in town (Thompkins) is very small but more open to the wind. But that small space I have to yield to families, dogs & other folks enjoying the day. I took my ATB up to the Willcox Playa one day earlier this year, but that sand is way too powdery & soft to get any real traction to get moving along. It might be okay if I had a buggy with big foot tires on it. I did find a sweet spot on Ft. Huachuca but the field is too close to the airfield where they do UAV training & missions so they said no. So my frustration led me to look at other kiting options. I found your threads you posted earlier this year on street kiting which inspired me to get the Santa Cruz longboard. I found it locally on Craigslist for $60 from some young guy that was desperate for gas money. It came with the original setup as described on that website above. 10" trucks with OJ III 75mm 78A wheels. The only thing I added was a 1" riser pad and new hardware for mounting the trucks. I spent many weeks on the board just kicking around the neighborhood just so I can get comfortable on it. Last week for Christmas I got a new set of Gullwing Sidewinder II trucks for it. Mounted them & tested: wow, what a difference! They turn way better and are great for carving & pumping the board. From what I read about them on the Silverfish Longboard forum I don't think they're optimal for sliding. Haven't tested them myself but will soon. Now my main dilemma is finding a large & empty parking lot open to the wind, and without a security guard chasing me off the property.

Nice find on the board. I'm rocking a board with a bit more drop, but am also new to skating. I laugh about your being in Sierra Vista as my grandparents-inlaw live there (half the year), and so small world. I've yet to be there and look for kiting spot... but now I have an excuse to bring a kite the next time we visit. In terms of spots to go for pavement, I have no ideas for you, as I don't remember any sports stadiums (like for HS level) or anything... Sam's Club and Costco have been pretty cool about letting me kite there when they're closed or just about closed, but are non-optimal, especially with all the light poles.

For riding the ATB on dirt, I'd check out some of the "new" development/dirt roads south of the city. Last I remember, there were some spots I'd consider usable around there. Either that or go searching for old/close/private air strips in the area. Sometimes those people are chill and will let you use them, sometimes they're #@%$#!s, it's hit or miss. Avoid the small airport/active airports/people with an actual air tower, they won't let you given FAA rules... However farmers/ranchers with their own strips, small tower-less private strips, and former air strips have let me in the past. Usually you're searching for somewhere with two run-ways in the traditional X pattern... Which means you can kite one of them or the other dependent on wind direction (ironically they have them that way to get around cross winds that we want).

yea...i started on clay wheels, stopped before the ollie was invented, but actually skated w/ a few of the legends back in the day....still havent made it out w/ a kite, but do have my pump down ( i got good hips):D

"still havent made it out w/ a kite, but do have my pump down ( i got good hips):D"

I knew this was going this direction sooner or later

Okay, finally posted my first YouTube video: https://youtu.be/EH3zhZPgjfw

It's my first attempt at kite boarding. 3m HQ Rush Pro on a Flexifoil Flexdeck. I'm about 6' and at that time I was about 300lbs (+/- 5lbs). Christmas Day 2014. Winds were about 30+ MPH, and gusting at 40+ MPH.

Wish the video was longer. It was taken on a new camera someone got for Christmas but they didn't have an SD card in it. So it quickly ran out of space after taking pics & videos most of the morning.

I now know that it was way too windy for me to handle it for my first time on the board. But at that park with all the trees & buildings around, it's hard for me to get a kite up in anything less than 20 MPH. Which is why I looked into street kiting instead.

The Santa Cruz Skate Cobra is my first real board as I didn't grow up as a skater either. My first skateboard was in the early 80's that my mom bought from Woolworth's. It was just an ugly no-name hunk of plastic on metal wheels that would quickly send me down for a face check on the tiniest pebble & cracks. I was too chubby as a kid to go any farther than half a block on it. And shortly after I got it the neighborhood stoner kids beat me up & stole it. Never tried to skate again since. But after watching Ssayre's videos of him crushing it on the pavement I got inspired to give it another go now in my mid-40's.


@Ssayre: Yes, I have tried the local high school parking lot a couple of times as it's rather large. Security didn't tell me to leave but they drove by really close & gave me a look that wasn't very welcoming. Also that parking lot is in an oddly placed area that is not conducive for optimal winds. I'm starting to think nowhere in town is conducive as the wind here shifts 90' degrees in either direction, and sometimes even does a 180' going back in the opposite way in which it first came from. What the heck? I guess that makes me an unofficial member of the Janky Wind Club as well.


@Volock: Cool! Let me know if you ever make it down this way again as I'd like the company of a fellow kiter. I feel like I'm the only one for a hundred miles in any direction. I see there are some posts from a guy out in Yuma (southwest AZ). And there's another fellow in Buckeye. I saw an old posting from 2011 from someone that was on post (Ft. Huachuca). But I have a feeling they may not be stationed here anymore. I think there are a couple of abandoned real estate development sites in town that they cleared land on & stopped. I'll have to check those out for wind conditions.

That's a pretty serious breeze there Cochise, got a helmet under that hood?
I learned to board w/ that Rush...in much calmer conditions wearing gloves too
Be safe before you start rolling

I've tried a number of places, but don't have many good spots. A few ideas to look at. Mega churches - just don't go on Sunday morning, but Saturdays, and Sunday afternoon might work. Big office parks usually have a security guard who may or may not care. Schools, when school is out. I've found a few usuable places at our local lake which have big parking lots near boat ramps. Car dealers or shopping centers who are out of business might be good too. Get used to driving around a lot. You can also identify potential spots by looking at satelite maps like google maps, etc. But they don't tell you much about the terrain.

I had the police come and sit around while I was flying at a few of the places. They never said anything. I think they were just killing time and thought this was interesting to watch.

Quote: Originally posted by ssayre

What length approx is that 40"?

36" deck
23" between trucks
73mm 80a wheels

Thanks, looks like it's got some tall risers. Does that help add more power when pumping? Also, dumb question, on that set up the back foot is behind the back truck on the tail right?

@Abkayak: On that day I did not have one on. But since have purchased a helmet for all boarding activities. Thanks!

@Randy: Thank you for the ideas on locations! I've had a few days with intention to fly that only resulted in driving around town looking for good spots that were not busy or patrolled by security.

Quote: Originally posted by ssayre

Thanks, looks like it's got some tall risers. Does that help add more power when pumping? Also, dumb question, on that set up the back foot is behind the back truck on the tail right?

It's got about an inch of risers otherwise wheels were biting the deck. What really helps pumping are soft bushings. You can even pump a regular skateboard with soft bushings (rear bushings should be stiffer than the front). You should be able to tilt the board with a force of couple of fingers or fully down with a palm. It makes it easy to pump and it's more useful for lower turning radius which I like.

My stance is - front foot a bit back of front trucks, rear foot over and a bit backward of rear trucks (but not on the tail). Usually right shoulder facing forward, goofy. I can kite regular but can't pump it regular side though

ok. riding goofy helps me ride one handed toe side since I'm right handed. funny, i find it almost impossible riding one handed front side because I have a hard time controlling kite left handed.

Quote: Originally posted by ssayre

ok. riding goofy helps me ride one handed toe side since I'm right handed. funny, i find it almost impossible riding one handed front side because I have a hard time controlling kite left handed.

Yep, toeside with right hand on the bar only - it goes sweet! I need to work on my upwind turn from toeside - in light wind I almost pulled it but in stronger wind I whacked the kite.

One certain downside of streetkiting - crashing or sliding the wing over asphalt/concrete occasionally. That's going to wear it out.