looking to try out this sport Im a pretty active 200 lb guy and a quick learner. Can anyone give me some advice on what to start with for a setup? I would probably use it on snow ice with skis or board and maybe water in the summer

Where abouts in ME are you? Pine Point, Long Lake, Sebago Lake are known spots for ME riders and there is N. Conway in NH and the NorthShore of MA. Maybe you can hook up with one of the locals (or semi-local riders) and we can help you out.

Water kites cross over to land but can be a pain to pump up on the snow. land kites don't fair well on water if they crash into it. Kites from Peter Lynn and Flysurfer and the HQ Neo crossover from land to water well.

Might be best for you to think about what you really want to do and what your budget is before we make the usual recommendation (3-4m fixed bridle foil on handles or if water is your goal a decent kite of the same size on a three or 4 line bar).

Bangor area and i guess i would be looking for one for winter use first and maybe an additional one for open water if i get hooked

any good books you could recommend? Ive seen a few on Amazon but not the greatest reviews

Oh you will be hooked sir, you WILL be hooked.

Start to read this first

Welcome to PKF!

I don't know of any good books on the sport but the internet is probably your best resource aside from local support or videos.

Here is a great guide on all aspects of the sport
http://www.racekites.com/howto/howto.asp

Stick around PKF for a while and also check out http://www.racekites.com/forum/default.asp and http://forum.kitecrowd.com/ for tons of information on the sport and videos, etc.

You may want to consider a lesson from Andrew here http://www.powerlinesports.com/shop/pc/home.asp. He has a buddy Zeb in N. Conway who also gives lessons but I don't know how to contact him.

If I was in your shoes, the first thing that I would do is order this video:

http://www.amazon.com/How-Snowkite-1-DVD/dp/B0014C4SFG

Skip books. There just isn't much you can learn about kiting out of a book.

Next I think it would make sense to get a 3m 4-line kite so that you can get out and start getting a feel for flying the kite, while you try to decide what your "real" snowkite should be.

Quote:

Originally posted by B-Roc You may want to consider a lesson from Andrew here http://www.powerlinesports.com/shop/pc/home.asp. He has a buddy Zeb in N. Conway who also gives lessons but I don't know how to contact him.

Here is a link to Zeb's school.
http://www.ime-usa.com/imcs/snow_kiting.html

I'd check out the video and research as much as you can on the web. This forum as well as others has a ton of useful info and large number of helpful people. Another Kite School you may want to check out is Stormboarding over in Burlington Vt. They've been teaching snowkiting longer than anyone in this part of the country. They have some really good deals on begginer packages and you get a free lesson with a kite purchase I think. Check them out at

http://stormboarding.com/


http://stormboarding.com/gearshop/snowkitepackages.html

It's a bit of a drive from Bangor but the winds over there are ususally better than what we get here in North Conway. They put on the Kitestorm meet and offer free intro to kiting lessons as well as demos for various kite companies. It's a good time, it's free and a good place to get some first hand exposure to kiting. It's really laid back and it's FREE. I've never taken a lesson with them but I heard good things.

Like B-Roc stated if you want a multi-tasker kite the big 2 are Peter Lynn and Flysurfer. There are tons of used Peter Lynns out there right now with everyone wanting to upgrade. A Venom1 or 2 would be a great kite for cheap money. A Flysurfer would be a sweet set up as well aren't often in very good shape if it can be had cheaply so it can be a trick sometimes to get it to fly perfectly. The Peter Lynn is a little challenging to learn to land and launch at first but with practice they're awesome to fly nothing handles punchy gusty bad winds up here in the mountains better. Flysurfers are pretty damn amazing especially the Silver Arrow versions.

HQ's Neo is an option but I'm not sold on them. I only know one guy who had one and he didn't like it much and sold before he had half a season on it. I never flew it. I've flown a bunch of thier other kites and for the most part they rock. Especially if you're on a budget.

Personally I would start with a trainer kite to learn with and use on the snow then worry about getting a Water/Snow crossover kite after the snow melts.

Just my $.02.

Thanks for the info everyone, I ended up getting a 3.5 meter HQ hydra and playing with that for a while and then picking up a 12 m Cabrinha Crossbow. I have been trying them on the Ice over the winter and it has been alot of fun.I went to kitestorm in Vt and picked up a few pointers and got to try out a few kites.
Now im thinking of buying a Peter lynn Twister 2 to try jumping a bit any advise on what size to get?6'2 210 lbs

If you want to snowkite + hit water I think you can pick a better kite than a Twister II .
Look in to a depower to compliment the Cabrina. IMHO

how old, maybe you are,i've got 5 years left then i'm to old.

You're never too old - we got retired grandma's and grandpa's kitesurfing here. One guy I swear is way past 70.

So ... welcome, old guy!

Sent you a U2U, Blade is right, If you are going the water route, DePower may be what you want.

But if you still want a Twister, 5.6 would be minimum, 7.7 next size up. I don't think you would get anywhere with a 4.1 unless you had really strong winds.

According to my Grandkids I'm old too!! :singing:

you don't stop playin when you get old, you get old when you stop playin....:singing::singing::singing:

I got gray hairs in my beard - and eyebrows :ticking: I DEMAND to be respected!

Well Kami you got me beat. The grey is taking over. But I suppose if my beard and hair were not so long it would be less noticable! But I just think it looks distinguishing. Or old what ever :frog:

Well I thought I was old till I went to Kitestorm. 45 But I never said too old

I just shaved off my beard and I'm glad to see the grey chin go!

cheezy is right, just don't stop playing!

I got into this with my dad, he's mid 60's, and while his progression has been very slow, (he's not been trying very hard at all) but he snowkites with skis and goes upwind no problem already... and lately he's made rumblings about that I need to find him a deal on a MBS/GI board... :D

Distinguished ... yes that's it so what do you call a receding hairline then? I had carparks since I was 20

A line of bunnies hopping backwards!!! A receiding hare line

I would rather be an old FART

Than a young DICKHEAD

One of those (dickheads) you call it, ROFL. told me I was attacked by UFO's cause I had a crop circle in the back of my head.

I told him I rubbed it off on his mom's headboard.