anyone else tried using a snowboard and traction kite on a beach? pretty interesting. the whole bindings part of it is a pain unless you actually where the appropriate boots.

I have seen pictures of people using them on big sand dunes on the west coast of France, looked pretty cool basically using the sand in place of snow!

No, but I've been thinking of making some short (2') skis, so that I can get an edge when skudding.

Later

:frog: i wanted to by a rubber ring or body board or something and strap my self in i thought that would be really fun on beach :frog:

I saw that on tv and its not a snowboard.... it is made for going on sand and the bindings fit regular boots (not snowboard boots) the bottom is not the same.... if you used a snowboard u will grind the bottom (slick part)down to nothing after a couple runs on sand..... it tryed when i was in kitty hawk on my snow board and after 1 run it look like some 1 sand blasted it

The dunes just south of Florence, Oregon are apparently one of the new Meccas for sandboarding. I've talked with them a few times about what they use, because just like you, I've seen (A): people snowboarding with kites. (B): People snow boarding on sand. So why not (C): People snowboarding on sand with kites?!?! Right? Well this is what they said about the equipment they use.

The sandboards are essentially ultralight versions of snowboards. Mostly to facilitate having to haul it back up the hill. (No chairlifts) As stated before, several styles use Dakine straps to accomodate shoes (however some still use snowboard bindings) Contrary to the previous reply, most bottoms are essentially the same as high-end snowboards (that translucent plastic-like material you find on skis) There are some notable exceptions, namely "Venomous Boards" (www.angelfire.com/fl/boardheads2/sandb) use a proprietary material that looks different. They use a very hard wax (Something called "Dr. Dunes SpeedWax" is specifically designed for sandboarding).

The trick, they say, to getting a good run (and not destroying your board), is that the sand MUST be loose and DRY!! Wet sand sand doesn't slide well, and is much more abrasive. (so scudding along the hardpack is probably not a good idea) Fluffy dunes are a much better option.

Other things to consider:

You CAN use a regular Snowboard. Just be prepared to haul up the extra weight.

Even dry sand is much more abrasive than snow and it will evenually eat the bottom of the board, so find an older board that you don't mind messing up.

I had some hard wax, but I didn't use the sand specific variety I used a beat up old snowboard I found on Ebay for $30 and mounted some spare straps from my mountain board. When used with a kite. (I've tried this out) standard upwind performance across flatland is almost nil, and crosswind produces a LOT of drag. (That might be different with a real sandboard though)

Instead, I found a big sandy dune where the wind was blowing uphill at a slight angle, and use gravity to help push me upwind. This allowed for some air on the way down, and a kite assisted ride back up to the top.

I thought it was fun, but a little slow compared to kiteboarding or buggying due to the lack of any real crosswind performance (real sandboards however, claim speeds in excess of 50 mph down a dune slope). Just blasting down the slopes on my beatup ride without the kite was pretty cool too. I'd love to get a hold of a real sandboard (the Venomous Raptor seems to be the popular one about $185) I still think there's a sport there waiting to be discovered.

Also visit (www.sandmasterpark.com) the worlds first sandboard park in Florence, Oregon. Looks pretty cool!! I wonder if they allow kites??

the secret is stainless steel sheet metal or formica sheet

I tried it in los angeles with a really crappy board! It kinda worked!! Needs a lot of wind and i found it nearly impossible to get upwind, was going straight downwind most the time Good fun though! Let us know if you try it! I did it in LA because the beaches aren't hard packed enough unless you get really lucky with the tides and wind which is very unusual

I think that the deluxe or all sandboards do have
a formica layer on the bottom

just wait for the end!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg5jM3hXFik&NR=1

holy CRAP!!!!!! :wow:

Oh yeah , here's my new stainless sand board.

and from above, but without the roundstock on the tips.

:eekdrull: She's a beaut.... you get a chance to try 'er out yet?

That looks amazing! I want one!!!

Hi, i'm looking to make a sand board for my design project at school and need to find out about things like the best materials to use, and what problems peple encounter. Any help would be appreciated!

thanks

Namibia is the place to go for sand boarding.

There are 1000ft high red sand dunes at Sosussvlei. I would only use my snow deck if it was dead already though they get scratched to hell. A lot of the locals there just use a piece of marine plywood!

More Namibia

woo hoo!!

WOW, looks amazing.

However,
"I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating, and it gets everywhere. Not soft like you."
―Anakin Skywalker