strapless snowkiting

[jjtango]

Can it be done?

I have been kiting for 10 months and strapless for 8. Soon I will have to leave my subtropical paradise and return to the snowy north where I imagine snowkiting will happen.
Just wondering how I can keep the stoke going..

Thoughts?
jason

[Luke]

I have snowkited without bindings. It was a riot! I fashioned a Noboard out of a old snowboard I had lying around. I used furniture leg protectors from the dollar store as a big grip pad (the sticky foam circles you put on chair legs to protect the floor). I also mounted a old bike tube as the rope. However, I only use the rope for riding the mountain. Noboarding is super fun if you haven't tried it yet.

Just like noboarding on the hill, this setup only works in powder. It's absolutely useless on hardpack and ice as you cant get strong edge leverage. I have been looking at powder skates with a bi-deck to overcome this challenge. I have seen videos of guys riding the Peak chair at Whistler quite successfully with those things and it looks like a great setup for kiting with. Check it out
http://snowskaters.net/videos/287/powskating-the-peak

[jjtango]

That's awesome!
In VT there are loads of people who jack jump (wooden chair mounted on a ski) but I haven't seen people out on these.

I have an old Burton Custom that I can mess around with... I can see why leverage without raising the deck would be an issue.

Thanks!

[OSTAPneBENDER]

31.01.10

[Luke]

Great pictures. Were you able to go upwind with the single deck skate? Isn't it funny how so many people across the world seem to get the same idea about the same time. Here is a recent article from Drift magazine, a UK publication I think, on using a Florida powder skate for kiting. I want one!
http://www.driftsnowkitemag.com/2011/01/13/kite-lab-florida-powderskate-for-snowkiting/