Thanks Randy. I should have been more specific, and was wondering amongst the long boarders around. Just finally picked up a long board and not sure the wheels that came on it are a good choice (were described as extra sticky for downhill runs over 35mph to me).

Hey volock, I use the wheels that came with my board used. I think they are nineballs?? not totally sure, most of the writing is worn off. They are 78a hardness and I'll have to look at the diameter when I get home. They seem to work great for kite longboarding however, they are the only ones I've ever used so I'm afraid I don't have much to compare to.

Same video I posted in the npw thread. Just archiving it here.

Quote: Originally posted by ssayre

Just archiving it here.

Nice to see I'm not the only one out there that finds ANY excuse to repost videos. :moon:

After looking on cl and getting great advice from b-roc, I acquired a new ride. It's longer and a drop deck with regular rkp trucks. Feels like it will be more stable at speed. It's also a drop deck versus my old one that is not. Can't wait to try it.

Looks fun. If you really want to get the feel for it set it up with some double cones on the soft side (boardside bushing for your weight and roadside bushing slightly soft for your weight). Flat or cupped washers to your liking based on how much lean you want or want to restrict. Then go out and work on your pumping skills. You should be able to dial that board for some flat ground pumping with the right bushings. Now work on standup 180s. Start by learning hands down. Once you have those dialed that will open up a new dimension to kiting if you are able to slide 180 standup or hands down.

If you find the bears too restrictive try a set of angled risers.

I'm off to CL to see if there are any local deals for me to score now

Nice find! I'd be interested to know how that new board would feel with the Sidewinder trucks from your Sector 9. But still using the newer(ish) wheels that came with the Apex.

BTW, I found a great deal ($24.99) on cheap longboard wheels:
http://www.zumiez.com/mercer-75mm-purple-83a-skateboard-whee...

I'm going to order them as there are a couple big gashes on the stock wheels that came with the board.

Let us know how you like your new board!

Hey Cochise, I put 7 miles on the new board just now. I was banished to a narrow walking path but it must have been 1/2 mile one direction. Because of that, I didn't have room to do frontside toeside transitions so I can't directly compare that, but I can tell it will not have near the turn radius as the sidewinders. But it was super smooth and just glided effortlessly while being much more stable. I would say the sidewinders are perfect for smaller locations where you have fun by carving and doing tight transitions where the be longer board will be awesome for large open space or going in a straight line for long distances like I did tonight. One thing that surprised me was I was able to learn how to pump on the new board and I never could on the side winders. I might try swapping trucks some time and let you know. I thought about making a super long pin tail and putting them on it. I would think it would be like surfing even though I wouldn't know.

Noice! (yes, with an "O").

Cool board ssayre!

I have gotten so hooked on streetkiting lately...it's pretty ridiculous actually. Come to think of it, I started really researching boards after reading some of B-Roc's comments. Not sure if it was on this thread or another.

I got a Carver (Taylor Know model) and have been riding that for about 2 weeks now. Wow...those boards are so much fun. It really does emulate surfing and the ability to even go up gradual hills without even putting your foot down is pretty cool. I think it will definitely improve my surfing.

I just recently purchased a Sector 9 Revolver with the Sidewinder trucks. Funny, from what I can gather from reading comments on the Internet, you either love them or hate them. Hopefully I'll love them. I bought it for the quick transitions and carving I've been doing at the beach lately. And with the excellent drift of the Nasa Stars I can almost skate directly at the kite and carve at the same time...it really feels like down the line surfing! Hopefully I should get the board next week and hopefully I made a good choice!

Next purchase will be something with more stability for those long 1/2 mile stretches where I can work on getting some speed...something like you got!

Anyways...congrats on the purchase!

I'll have to U2U B-Roc when I get closer to making a decision finding a more stable board for speed...Oh, and also for sliding.

Lunchbox, you will love the Sector 9 with sidewinders. They are very well suited for kiting. They can turn ridiculously tight and have a fun overall feel to them. Also, I'm impressed with the s9 durability. I got mine used from play it again sports for $40. It was inexpensive because it looked like it had been dropped off a cliff, but it has been rock solid. Even at my weight at 240. I'm going to get some new wheels and bearings for that board and keep it in service.

The apex board has a completely different feel but in a good way. I'm hoping it's better for speed and slides. I may have to replace wheels but not sure yet.

Also, I like that carver you have. I almost went that direction this time around. I've got my eye on a couple locally.

Quote: Originally posted by lunchbox

Cool board ssayre! I got a Carver (Taylor Know model) and have been riding that for about 2 weeks now. Wow...those boards are so much fun. It really does emulate surfing and the ability to even go up gradual hills without even putting your foot down is pretty cool. I think it will definitely improve my surfing.

I love my Carver CXs





And here I am again last weekend trying to get my 180s down in the pool on a very unstable (by design) CX truck



CX = fun on a short board. Sidewinder = fun on a longboard. Neither are great for sliding.

@ssayre - Cool to read your comments about the Sidewinders...been reading a lot of comments on other forums regarding those trucks....there sure is a lot of hate out there. Knowing that you like them especially for the streetkite application makes me feel better. Delivery is scheduled for next Tuesday so I'm going to take it out after work and carve down the street with it. My youngest son is taking in interest in skating with me which is awesome. He's excited about the board as well.

Please let us know what wheels you end up with for sliding.

Yeah, if you get a chance to pick up a carver I would definitely recommend it. BTW, I've got the C7 trucks on the front. I haven't tried it with my kite and I'm not sure I will. It's just so much fun cruising down the streets finding things to carve on. And a great way to burn calories!

@B-Roc - Nice riding. That looks like a lot of fun...and a hell of a workout too! Although I don't think I'm ready for it, there is this skateboard about a mile from my house that I might have to just look at. Maybe one day I'll have the nerve and ability to ride there.

Could you offer some advice on a beginner type longboard that would be good for sliding while streetkiting? There is so much side pull on those NPWs that it's not going to take too much effort to slide but I also don't want it to slide too much as I'll want to carve as well.

Sidewinders get hate from the serious DH and freeride crowd. They are a ton of fun for those who like the surfy/carving feel which is why many are sold in surf/skate shops. Ride them regardless of public opinion if that is your thing. I wouldn't do serious DH or sliding with them as that's not their intention and you could get hurt if/when they fail. I would think they pair very well with a kite per ssayre's experience as they are stable but allow you to carve in tight spots on longer boards.

C7s are fun trucks. I would not recommend those or CXs with a kite. Though they could be used and could be fun, if your front foot comes too far forward and you are powered, you could pearl the nose of the board into the street or at least so steeply that you fall over or fall off as the board dives and pivots.

Longboards are preference. I'm 5'7" and at that height I prefer a board that has no less than a 22" effective foot platform (the space between the kicks or the drops) and usually no more than 25ish. I prefer top mounts and symmetrical decks and I also prefer double kicks or at least a deck with a blunted front kick to lock my foot against when sliding (regardless of concave) and to help when returning from switch.

My foot size is 8.5 and I like my decks to be 9.5 - 10" wide to prevent toe bite though a more narrow deck can be fun as it is lighter and you can work the rail with your toe or heal more aggressively when sliding or kicking the board around.

That's cool b-roc. Is that your son with you?

I get confused between the difference in a short longboard and a standard skateboard.

Yes, that is my youngest son (B-Roc Jr. / SmOC - pronounced smoke He's 13.

Traditional street skateboard is 32" long +/- an inch or two and a wheelbase around 14". IMO, a longboard is anything over that.

Here are some links that may be helpful

https://www.silverfishlongboarding.com/forum/longboarding-re...

https://www.silverfishlongboarding.com/forum/longboard-and-s...

https://www.silverfishlongboarding.com/forum/longboard-skate...

https://www.silverfishlongboarding.com/forum/longboard-and-s...

Excellent B-Roc. Those links help catch me up on the last 25 years of skate evolution. Haven't made it all the way through them but gives me some reading to do this weekend.

There are more great links at Muir - a great shop if buying on line. If you go to this one you can get to the others (on boards and wheels and bushings, etc. For whatever reason PKF deletes them every time I post them - maybe sees all the links as spam or a threat???) Some redundancy but good info nonetheless.

https://www.muirskate.com/longboard-guide


And if changing bushings, check here for reference points

http://www.motionboardshop.com/pages/bushing-selector
http://www.longboardism.com/2011/07/venom-bushing-charts.htm...
http://www.bushingpicker.com/

If you like videos look up ratvision and motion board shop on youtube. They both make decent tutorials / product reviews.

Oh man. All this talk about decks, wheels, and trucks makes me think back on my Powell-Peralta Bone's Brigade days... Wow 30 years has flown by......

that's a good memory Jason. I can't remember exactly what I had but I do remember having a skateboard shop down the street from me that we went to nearly every day in the summer. I know I had a board with gull wing trucks that were neon yellow than had a set of indy trucks after that.

Lunchbox, did your ns3's come yet?

Why....yes they did :D

I was going to do a write up and include some video. Wife and kids are at Disneyland this weekend so I got the whole house to myself. Winds are blowing out of the west on Saturday and Sunday is supposed to rain so that might be a good chance to put together a comprehensive review. Long story short...I love the kites! The 7m took me about a session to get the turning down in light wind...it does not move as fast as the 4m so the transitions in light wind took a little getting used to. I am in the process of saving up for the 2.5, 5.5 and 8.5. That should cover me for all conditions (on the skateboard). I actually could have used the 2.5 several times already (geez, L.A. is not supposed to get west winds until early March). But with these kites and the hard ground, I'm streetkiting every weekend! I think back to all those years I had that silly little old NPW and all the times I told myself that I needed to try it with the skateboard and never did...wasted years...oh well, better late than ever.
review to follow shortly...

@B-Roc - Thanks for the links. Gonna read them over dinner. I've got a lot to learn but I think I'm picking up things pretty quickly. So many choices now...If you don't mind, I might reach out to you when I've got some boards, trucks, and wheels in mind for sliding...

Quote:

Lunchbox, did your ns3's come yet?

" I am in the process of saving up for the 2.5, 5.5 and 8.5."

Good to hear your liking them. Your going to love 2.5m days. That kite is a blast. My next nasa stars will be 3.2 and 8.5.

So it was really windy at the beach today. 12-22mph. Hard work holding down that 4m on a bar with one had. Another day where I could have really used that 2.5!

So great session but kinda bummed. I dropped the kite today and one of the bridle lines got wrapped up on a nail head that was just slightly protruding from the asphalt...what the hell!

So both bridle lines snapped at the point where they meet one of the main lines. In order to fix it and keep flying, I gathered all 3 lines and made a knot. Probably lost a few millimeters but fortunately didn't seem to affect the way the kite flew, and the knot held which kinda surprised me.

So anyway, does anyone know what type of line this is? And weight? And where I can get some? I'm hoping maybe a fabric store or another main stream store? If not, maybe someone can recommend a place to get it online?

And finally, would you leave it as is or replace it with new lines?

Quote: Originally posted by lunchbox

So it was really windy at the beach today. 12-22mph. Hard work holding down that 4m on a bar with one had. Another day where I could have really used that 2.5! So great session but kinda bummed. I dropped the kite today and one of the bridle lines got wrapped up on a nail head that was just slightly protruding from the asphalt...what the hell! So both bridle lines snapped at the point where they meet one of the main lines. In order to fix it and keep flying, I gathered all 3 lines and made a knot. Probably lost a few millimeters but fortunately didn't seem to affect the way the kite flew, and the knot held which kinda surprised me. So anyway, does anyone know what type of line this is? And weight? And where I can get some? I'm hoping maybe a fabric store or another main stream store? If not, maybe someone can recommend a place to get it online? And finally, would you leave it as is or replace it with new lines?

Really sorry to hear that happened. Not saying you need to go all the way like this, but if it comes to it I've had good luck with kite repair here:

http://fixmykite.com/default.asp

Another suggestion would be to email Steffen Born directly. Here is his email address: info@born-kite.de

Good luck!

Thanks Windstruck.

I just sent an email to Steffen so we'll see what he says.

Think I'm also going to create a separate post to see if others have any tips on where to buy bridle replacements lines.

I'm guessing / hoping all you have to do is identify the bridles to Steffen and he would mail you some replacements free or very inexpensivly. If not john at Powerzone could make or provide you whatever you need.