I got a flight 93 for Christmas and I tried it out for the first time today. The wind was 8-12 ish mph and I was on my 5m ace.
I had some problems to get rolling (the grass was semi tall and was still wet from a recent rain storm, so this may have contributed) and when I did get rolling (by pointing the board 30-45 degrees downwind) it either wouldn't be for long or the kite would luff. What exactly am I doing wrong and how do I fix this?
Also another problem I had was getting pulled over top of the board. I'm assuming i just need to trust the kite and lean way heelside against the pull. Is this correct?

Also, any are there any other pointers you have for a beginning landboarder? I have a helmet so no worry there.

one last question: is the peter lynn backstrap any good? my arms got tired after a while and thats pretty much all I can afford in terms of a harness.

Thanks!

You need to turn the board across wind again, once you get rolling ... so you're starting off pointing downwind, dive the kite, then as the board starts rolling, lean on your heels and turn back upwind, keeping tension on the lines - you should be able to park the kite at about 45 degrees from then on and just cruise.

The surface I use here is hardpack dirt so the time from diving the kite, feeling the kite pull, feeling the board moving and sharply turning is like one second ... just to give you an idea. A slower surface like sand or grass, you can take a little longer cos the 'drag' from the board keeps the lines tight. I seem to remember big fat turns and really having to lean back against monster dives to get rolling on the beach in NZ ...

Buggy guys don't like the backstraps, but I've got one from my Rebble and I like it - but only when I've got a nice long area. But that's my paranoia ... and you can use them with kite killers but check that you can dump the strap (duck your head and shrug your shoulders) without it getting caught on the back of your helmet!!!

The ace will be a difficult kite for learning. It requires alot of attention and has been known to luff. Not saying it wont work I'm just saying its going to make your board learning a bit more difficult. Plus the pop and snap of the ace in a gust will want to pull you over every time. If your winds were steady it would be easier for you to trust the kite and lean into it, but if you don't have those smooth winds that trust will be a hard thing to do. To this day I would never trust a ace in any kind of gusty condition.

I'm w/Dakitez on this,the ace is not akite tolearn to board w/.
Ya just can't trust it. You need a kite that does not generate alot of lift(low aspect) If you continue to KGB w/ it ,please put on all the safety gear.

i dont wanna hi-jack this thread, but i bought my son a atb/kite combo for x-mas and was gonna ask these same questions. the kite i got him is a 2m rhombus firebee. anybody fly these... he weighs about 90lbs. soaking wet

I have not flown the firebee, but I believe flexiblade has. If its the same kite I am thinking of, he does not trust it either.

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Originally posted by wannabekiter I got a flight 93 for Christmas

:wow: :o :wow: Somebody loves you... truly.

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ATB,
Sam

well I cant afford a new kite so I'm stuck with the ace for a while.
I'll definitely try the hard turn right after starting and park the kite like you said kamikuza

Does anyone else have any input on the backstrap? I don't think it will get caught on my helmet

Basically you need to learn to lean back much farther than you feel comfortable doing and let the kites pull transfer into the rolling motion.

As for the backstrap, I vote no. Your arms getting tired is just you working em out., its good for yah :D Just go lift some weights when the wind aint blowin!

Save you cash and move to depower kites eventually. Thats was the best move for me.

Brian

pads, insurance, constitution of chain gang worker.

you're set!

You can modify your ace a bit, take some of the lift out, not hard to do. But yes it will never be an easy kite to fly in the gusts.

however -- moving from static to rolling will make even the most practiced static flyer look and feel like a newbie. If that's all you got, then stick with it, you'll be a better rider in the end. You'll move on and soon as you have the $$$, that's for sure, but for now just stick with it.

Yes to pads & insurance!

No harness and killers is actually the safest for the pilot, but bad on kite / line tangles, and bystanders, especially if your spot is small / crowded. any trees about? Yes you'll get tired fast but you're young, you'll bulk up and be able to fly longer in no time!

sorry, no new info for ya, but good luck, you've got a kite and wheels, that's all you really need.

for me soft grass takes about 5mph more wind than hardpack. I understand that the ace is all you have but for me it is too lifty but if you keep it lower in the window maybe 2-1 and 11-10 you might get more pull and less lift. I can definately board better with my 5m blaze than my 5m ace.

tried all your tips and I definitely did a lot better the 2nd time out today! :D
shorter grass and drier land helped too though.

Thanks everyone

No substitution for board time and knowing/predicting kit behaviour. Good luck!

lol im with free rider, if you dont have a solid skatboarding.snowboarding surfing background BUY PADS!!

and it better to fall backwards than fowards, because a broken tail bone is allot better than a broken knee cap, or a torn ACL.

when you fly depower, learn all of your eject systems so you could do them blindfolded.

and most important, HAVE FUN

yeah, I'm just getting into ATB myself with zero boarding experience, and I had to shut down my downhill runs today... Could tell it was only a matter of time before I take a nasty spill, it's off to the Value Village / Sally Ann soon for me to get me some old ice hockey gear!

But yes I am having fun!

YES

LEAN BACK. Far better to fall back than forward.

NO!!! to the back strap. Save up for a proper harness. It will serve you better down the road.

I started landboarding last summer and have progressed pretty well so maybe I can share a bit...

Stop worrying about your gear. It can make things easier or more difficult but it all works the same in the end and you will end up with a heap of it no doubt.

to get the right starting board angle dive the kite before getting on the board and then point your board along the resulting skid lines. If in doubt point MORE downwind than less...

Dive the kite to get you rolling or edge it gently into the power zone in strong winds (25mph+) then to get you moving cross wind you need to get back on your heels. If you do this too quickly on sand or grass it will be like hitting the breaks so do it in a smooth progression.

lift your toes in the straps
bend your knees a little more
finally lean back against the power of the kite

A harness will make all this easier unless the wind is light.

next learn to stop
then learn to slide the board with control and recover
then learn to ride toeside (much easier with a bar & harness)
then start tackling sliding and carving turns
then move onto jumps

Thats as far as I've got! and my jumps are not that great and neither are my heelside to toeside carves! Having an absolute blast though!!

Maybe best option is to go buy a dvd called Progression Landboarding, bloody brilliant , consise informative it is now my new bible

I'll add to the "get a real harness" not the backstrap club.
I just got a Ozone Access XC harness for 80$ (used once, love demos, Craigslist is your best friend), threw a nice shiny new carabiner from REI on there to attach to chicken loop- Brand new harness, total cost $104.

I can't really stress crash pads enough, elbow, knee, and hips/ass. Can't. Stress. Them. Enough.

If $ is the issue, don't choose $ over safety. At least get some used pads from the store to protect your hips and tailbone. There seems to be no shortage of secondhand sporting goods stores, so there is probably one near you-TIP-wash anything you buy secondhand really well :D


The material you are rolling on can GREATLY affect your speed, keep an eye out for that. Ensure that your tires are aired up hard, this is one mistake I see a lot of new board owners making.

Yes, the ace is going to be a bit of a tough kite to learn on, but you'll do ok, maybe just a bit more time on your ass than you'd like.

Oh, and if you go to you tube there is this crazy guy "carl the bullet" you can watch all his videos and watch him progress. Yes, carl, I watched you for a while before I joined this forum!

thanks for all the info guys! I've been progressing OK and yeah the ace is a bit tough to learn on. I got a real harness from someone off this forum and that's helping a lot. I think I do need to inflate the tires a little harder because the manual that came with my flight 93 said for beginners to leave some air out, I'm assuming to slow down the board a tad and I forgot to try it out with them better inflated. Landboarding is sure a blast though!

Unless your wind is clean you're going to have a really tough time with a fixed bridle.

Quote:

Originally posted by wannabekiter I got a flight 93 for Christmas and I tried it out for the first time today. The wind was 8-12 ish mph and I was on my 5m ace. I had some problems to get rolling (the grass was semi tall and was still wet from a recent rain storm, so this may have contributed) and when I did get rolling (by pointing the board 30-45 degrees downwind) it either wouldn't be for long or the kite would luff. What exactly am I doing wrong and how do I fix this? Also another problem I had was getting pulled over top of the board. I'm assuming i just need to trust the kite and lean way heelside against the pull. Is this correct? Also, any are there any other pointers you have for a beginning landboarder? I have a helmet so no worry there. one last question: is the peter lynn backstrap any good? my arms got tired after a while and thats pretty much all I can afford in terms of a harness. Thanks!

Right, im fairly new to landboarding aswell but the tips that i learnt early are fresh in my head.

First up, the Ace 5m is essentially a lift kite, you will need something with traction more than lift, dont get me wrong though, you can board with an ace but its not ideal, i have one also, the 4.5 and it is good for boarding but you have to be a looney to do it :D But when youve mastered your ace, you will find that its a very good (for nutters) kite for boarding with, only strange thing is, that you may find that it doesnt want to budge from zenith to powerzone lol, gotta love the Aces. :singing:

8 to 12 mph will only get you rolling slightly anyway without Long grass and wet grass, and if your inland, thats even worse. so dont worry there.

if you wernt getting rolling even though you pointed the board down wind a bit then its definitly the wet long grass thats stopping you.

Oh and for the getting pulled forwards off the board, just fight the wind and lean back, you wont fall off the board, unless you are inland then you probably will, not through any fault of your own though, Inland winds are rubbish, they may even be contributing to why your luffing mate. That and the Fact that its an Ace, the most unstable kite ever hehe.

Quote:

Originally posted by nocando Maybe best option is to go buy a dvd called Progression Landboarding, bloody brilliant , concise informative it is now my new bible

Second that. Excellent video. Does a superb job of conveying a detailed introduction to fundamental land-boarding skills.

I'd like to see a book version - something on paper that breaks down the material as thoroughly as the video does.

It'd be very valuable to be able have it in a cargo pocket for reference in the field.

Quote:

Originally posted by Knolee Unless your wind is clean you're going to have a really tough time with a fixed bridle.

my wind is so dirty it could have an STD :puzzled:
lol...neeed moar coffee
No i learned to board in choppy cr.ppy inland winds on a FB kite.... You do a few more faceplants than i think you normally would, but to date i've only sustained one injury while landboarding on a FB kite... and that was a jammed thumb... pretty minimal. It is more difficult, but not impossible by any means... i enjoy it

and yes, the progression landboarding dvd is a must have

fixed bridle boarding and inland winds, hopeless, especially on an ace.
0mph variable 1 2 3 15mph gust 1 2 3 4 5 0mph variable, luff, fall back whilst still travelling, have to wait for the next gust to actually get back up haha. move to the coast.

Quote:

Originally posted by lives2fly I started landboarding last summer and have progressed pretty well so maybe I can share a bit... Stop worrying about your gear. It can make things easier or more difficult but it all works the same in the end and you will end up with a heap of it no doubt. to get the right starting board angle dive the kite before getting on the board and then point your board along the resulting skid lines. If in doubt point MORE downwind than less... Dive the kite to get you rolling or edge it gently into the power zone in strong winds (25mph+) then to get you moving cross wind you need to get back on your heels. If you do this too quickly on sand or grass it will be like hitting the breaks so do it in a smooth progression. lift your toes in the straps bend your knees a little more finally lean back against the power of the kite A harness will make all this easier unless the wind is light. next learn to stop then learn to slide the board with control and recover then learn to ride toeside (much easier with a bar & harness) then start tackling sliding and carving turns then move onto jumps Thats as far as I've got! and my jumps are not that great and neither are my heelside to toeside carves! Having an absolute blast though!!

Ditto on everything lives2fly just said. Don't use a backstrap or strop when you're first learning. Kneepads and smooth-soled shoes will come in very handy.

If you're getting pulled over the board immediately while trying to start, you're probably pointing the board too far upwind. Start by rolling downwind, towards the kite, then begin to edge towards 90 degrees from wind as soon as you start to go. Once you're riding 90 degrees from the wind, you'll be making small adjustments to your angle as you go. Its all about keeping a constant tension on the lines while you ride.

Oh, and if you ever get going too fast on that ace, don't whip that sucker back to the zenith too fast out of panic. That will almost guarantee you getting yanked up in the air!