Any know of a good snowboard that can can be used as a snow kiteboard?.What are the sort of things that you would look at that would make a good snow kiteboard?I would like to boost big and free ride few back rolls and front rolls that sort of thing.
check out the shinn snowboard, shinn use a fair bit of snowboard tech in their manufacture of kiteboards
Diamond, Use a twin tip board same both ways. I have ridden a Lib Tech Skate Banana magnetraction with the wavy edge. It helps bite into the ICY conditions we get in OZ. I have used it both riding with a kite and riding deep pow in OZ and overseas great board and relatively cheap. The biggest thing is to have comfortable boots and bindings board always comes second to that....
as has been said go with a larger radius sidecut for a snowkiteboard = straighter sides
i have only had personal experience with the nobile and the best snow kite boards and the build quality on the best board sucks - it falls apart with little use at all
i have used the nobile board since 07 and love it basicly as happy g has touched on, it helps if you are encountering icy conditions
and snow + wind = icy conditions somewhere on any mountain but they can be quite brutal for freeriding if you have not had any previous snowboarding experience
if you do end up in icy conditions you will feel the dedicated board is the best purchase you ever made.
be careful though some manufacturers (can't remember off the top of my head who the are) rebrand normal boards for snowkiiting and the only have the usual 6 or 8 meter sidedcut radius
not something close er to 16 - 20 meters
Cool that's some interesting info .Iam going to snow farm nz for my first trip and I was pretty keen to get a specific snow kiteboard .Is a specific snowkiteboard a bit more rigid than a normal snowboard?.
Select to expand quotedefault said..
Just use a regular snowboard
Use a regular park and pipe focused board. Freeride boards are built to favour one direction of travel - you can ride the other way on them but parkboards are shaped equally both ways with the binding mounts centred on the board. Freeride boards put you closer to the tail.
If you think you are going to deal with ice put a more aggressive edge on the heel side of the board. Maybe don't do the toe side as hard as if you catch the edge and hit the deck on your face, so you probably want it quite forgiving.
Give a lot of consideration to your boots and bindings - you are going to spend all day in those things, doing a fair bit of walking so maybe go for a softer boot with a bit of flex in the ankle. Bindings, I'd be going for a Flow style binding as you can step into them, and do them up with one hand, which is an important consideration when you are flying a kite with the other and you will have gloves on which reduce your dexterity.
I've done a lot of snowboarding and the general convention is to get your boots first, then your bindings, then your board. TBH I'd buy my boots and maybe the bindings, but hire a park board up there. Unless you are going to do loads of snowkiting, it's probably not worth the expense.
Some really good advice in here already.
You definitely will have an easier time with a centered stance as you will spend equal amounts of time riding in both directions on your heel side edge. A snow kite specific board will make it easier to edge your board in a straight line for extended periods of time on flat terrain, like on a frozen lake for example. I can't see that being much help up in NZ where there is a lot of variation on the terrain and you need to turn you board often. Plus most snow kite specific boards would behave pretty badly if you ever use them in a resort on hard packed snow, you'll find it hard to turn them.
To put it simply, the board that you'll choose will make the least difference in your snowkiting experience in NZ. I've taken many people up snow kiting over the years in NZ and it get can quite rough up there especially if it's your first time snow kiting, regardless of how good of a kiter you are on the water. You have to be able to adapt to ever changing snow conditions from wet sticky snow to powder to ice, crust, rocks, etc. and sometimes all in the same day! Basically you have to already be able to easily manage steep runs in ski resorts in any sort of snow conditions riding both regular AND goofy to really enjoy the terrain NZ has to offer.
Also, your board can get really trashed up there with all the rocks hiding under the snow, a lot of snow kiters I know just use to an old beat up board and they still ride amazingly well...
Don't believe the hype around snow kite specific boards, just spend your money on really good boots and get just about any half decent board with a centered stance, even used (or hire) and you'll be just as fine as with any other board.
