So, what's got more friction? Skis & snowboards or mountain boards and buggies? (assuming all weights were the same). Curious about the PL windrange chart conversion to snowkiting. Winter gives me the biggest open spaces I'll need to pull out the bug guns knowing I have a long downwind drag area while I reach for safeties : )

As far as friction for skis and snowboard a lot has to do with the depth and quality of snow, temperature and having the right wax for the right temperature of snow.

I bet the buggy wins the low friction test. It will start rolling on hard sand with just a few pounds pull. It is rolling while the skis/snowboards are sliding, even on ice but they are sliding. The landboards small tires would add lots of squirm with the tire contact which would increase friction.

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Originally posted by BeamerBob I bet the buggy wins the low friction test. It will start rolling on hard sand with just a few pounds pull. It is rolling while the skis/snowboards are sliding, even on ice but they are sliding. The landboards small tires would add lots of squirm with the tire contact which would increase friction.

Yah huh. I can pull 2 buggies in tandem with a lot of gear piled on them down the beach with one finger.
It's been a long time since I've been on skis but it seems it would take a perfect conspiracy of condtions to duplicated that on snow and skis.

Low resistance winner, hands down is ice skates and good ice!
I have been on hard packed snow that offered next to no resistance to the kite with skis. Not much more than skates. I have also been on snow with the wrong wax and it felt like thick sticky porridge. VERY hard to get and keep going.
I don't snowboard but I'm pretty sure they need a bit more power. Getting started off their butts at least !

I agree that on the right surface it hardly takes anything to get rolling in a buggy. While I've had to work hard in soft sand.

So ..... I think it has more to do with the surface than the ride.