About Kite Landboards
What is a kite landboard?
A kite landboard is simply a mountain board which has been adapted for using with powerkites. Today there are many kite specific mountain boards available to choose from. They all look much like a large skate board with longer trucks and larger wheels which allow them to be used on rougher terrain. Most kite landboards also have footstraps for a more secure ride and often have a grab handle for performing tricks.
How a Kite Landboard works.
A kite landboard works by transfering the power from your kite to the wheels of your kite landboard. As you generate power with your kite and increase board speed you can then use the kite landboard to resist the kite power and travel across the wind. Co-ordinating the power of the kite with kite landboard manoeuvres will enable you to increase and decrease speed, perform various trick and jumps and come to a controlled stop.
Types of Kite Landboard.
Kite landboards come in various shapes and sizes withe different wheels, trucks and footstraps. The configuration of a kite landboard will usually depend on the type of riding it will be used for and this can generally be split into two main categories: Speed and Freestyle. Beyond these two main categories the configuration will mainly be down to personal choice and budget.
A kite landboard setup for speed will usually be longer with channel trucks and sometimes larger wheels. Each of these contirbute to a more stable kite landboard.
A kitelandboard setup for freestyle will usuallly be shorter, with skate trucks or similar and use standard size wheels. The aim being to keep weight to a minimum and increase manoeuvrability to perfom tricks.
Aside from the above the components used can vary from maple to carbon, aluminium to titanium, rubber and plastic, velcro and ratchets and a whole host of colours to suit each riders personal choice.
Safety Gear.
Kite Landboard safety is made up of many components including knowledge, skill, site assesment, equipment choice and maintainence etc with safety equipment being another. Ultimately the choice and use of each is down to the individual, however experience has shown us that the use of safety gear can prevent a minor accident or injury from becoming a serious accident or injury. Often the use of saftey gear is not just to protect us from our own mistakes whilst powerkiting, but also those of others kiting around and with us. We also use safety gear to protect ourselves from mother nature. Whilst we harness the power of the wind with our kites, we do not control that power and so to some extent are always at risk.
A helmet is essential to keep the grey matter in-between your ears and your head in one piece should your head take the force of a minor impact.
Knee and elbow pads are also useful and if you decide to get more extreme, as they will protect these joints during bumps and falls.
Full body armour is also available to help protect shoulders, ribs and spine.
For kite landboarding it is also essential to ensure your kite landboard and its components are in good working order. This includes all nuts and bolts, wheels, tyres, bearings, bushes, springs and footstraps.