Started with a regular snowboard, then I switched to Nobile Snowkite 165, big improvement on straight line speed and better balance on hard surfaces
even on patchy ice. On powder not a significant difference.
After a few seasons I decided to step up to a race board Nobile RC2000 "TSAR".
2015 model shown here :
PICO2000
They are expensive, but worth every penny if you are into freerides and long distance cruising.
It was a bit weird at first as I was not used to such dramatic increase in speed and "on rails" handling. Still need to fine tune my stance, bit wider
than before.
I personally like low wind, relaxed cruising sessions, but on the first session of the year I was able to milk 26mph from a 9knt wind in semi-hard
snow with a 10m open foil (2015 Hardwaterkiter speed standings week 4)
Foils: Phantom2 15, Aurora 19 custom, F-1200, S-840, JN Luis 10, JN Randas 8
Inflados: Ocean Rodeo: Flite 17.5m, Rise LW15m, Razor 12m and 10m, Prodigy 7m
Boards: Mako Duke, Mako King, 6'6" Bushman shortned to 5'8"
Land 'n snow: "Tsar" RC2000 Nobile, 150 SantaCruz TT with IceBlade, 159 Mongoose Grand Slalom