Hey Lofty,
I kite skate quite a lot and asked myself the same question at one time... I tried 8m lines on my trainer and the kite would barely even leave the ground. And once you got it in the air, was super unstable and impossible to control. Most trainer kites come with around 18m lines, and I recon the shortest you could ever use is 15.
In most places I've land kited the wind is pretty bad down low due to obstacles nearby creating turbulence. Wind gets significantly steadier and stronger up higher so long lines are usually best just for that reason. I wouldn't go shorter than 15meters either.
To get more stability on a skateboard just screw in some blocks to wedge your feet in slightly, gets much easier to resist the pull from the kite. Otherwise a good quality mountain boards like MBS Comp or pro Series are great for that and you get to ride both on and off road!
I reckon it's be much better on a longboard with bigger wheels and cruising/carving, not trying to do 180s on a popsicle board like that vid. But whatever makes you smile is good.
Also I have an Imp and the 3rd line would be very handy - if they dropped the bar in that vid there'd be some chasing to catch it, plus nice to have depower if things went wrong, plus self/reverse launching too.
Here's my vid.
In my experience using a skateboard with a windsurf sail is actually far more fun and can be used in more places than a kite.
As mentioned short lines on a trainer kite don't really work that well, it's really got to be windy for most trainers to even fly properly with short lines. I get bored pretty quick riding the skateboard with a kite so I don't see why you would want to limit yourself to a board design that can't even ollie... unless of course you can't skate (ollie) anyway then I gues it doesn't really make a difference and a longboard will be more stable if you are actually going super fast.
Well I'm not into shortboard style tricks. I'm all about the carving and speed. I've had some interesting sessions 25-30 knots doing about 40-50 kph. I can tell you that's jam packed with excitement.
Select to expand quotesir ROWDY said..
a skateboard with a windsurf sail
that would look seriously gay
A guy near me has made a skateboard that takes a windsurfing sail and he uses that
Select to expand quoteScrubes said..
A gay near me has made a skateboard that takes a windsurfing sail and he uses that
I corrected it for you.
Yeah, because flying a childs kite while riding a longboard with full pads and a helmet isn't gay in the slightest...
I bought myself a Comp 95 to go on the beach with my 3m trainer kite (Ozone Ignition). It goes really well when the beach is big and flat and the wind is up.
Prevailing wind is a southerly which blows straight onto the beach where i am. Then when it blows up and swings to the north i get out my windsurfing kit and go for a proper sail.... :P
I was referring to a 'kite' of some sort that you could hold onto via handles attached to the spleen or spine of the kite and simply be able to be pulled along. Attaching short to very short lines on a kite bigger than 90cm will cause all sorts of trouble, I agree. I tried it with my trainer and yeah it swayed all over the place uncontrolled. But a kitewing is what I was referring to. Unfortunately they are too big and would drag on the ground.
I am sure someone will make squillions once such a kite is invented.
Select to expand quotekiteboy dave said..sir ROWDY said..
I don't see why you would want to limit yourself to a board design that can't even ollie... unless of course you can't skate (ollie) anyway.
That's a pretty narrow worldview you got there ref. None of my 4 current boards even have a kicktail. But hey luckily I don't claim to be able to skate(ollie).
You think?
People should start riding twin-tips without straps and boots as well if they can't jump. 
Seriously though, longboards are great for bombing big hills but pretty much useless for anything else. I can't help but laugh when I see kids carrying longboards up gutters in the street.
p.s. I would still rather bomb a hill on a regular skateboard anyway, but hey I like living on the edge.
Bombing a hill on shortboard is slow and boring.
I remember a time this young dude on a short challenged me till a hill bomb....... Hehehe he had no chance. Haahahaha.
The green wheels are nersh money hax. The orange wheels in the vid 3dm Avila. Both stupidly wide...... Oh yeah.
Any way bar or handles. I like riding one handed particularly toe side carving one handed is lush.
I vote bar.
Slow and boring???... Maybe tell nek-minnit guy that. (or a host of other people).
p.s. Longboards are a predictable, smart craft to bomb a hill with. Shortboards are a squirly, unpredictable thing to bomb a hill with. The choice is yours.
i wish they had trainer kites back in the old days when i was ripping wheel barrow and pram wheels off my billy carts down rocky hills.. skateboards dont have **** on billy carts
Select to expand quoteTHE DONG said..
i wish they had trainer kites back in the old days when i was ripping wheel barrow and pram wheels off my billy carts down rocky hills.. skateboards dont have **** on billy carts
true story.
Select to expand quotesir ROWDY said..
Slow and boring???... Maybe tell nek-minnit guy that. (or a host of other people).
p.s. Longboards are a predictable, smart craft to bomb a hill with. Shortboards are a squirly, unpredictable thing to bomb a hill with. The choice is yours.
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Gessus!! What was I thinking!? Of course I should have thought of a dog! Not this stupid kite idea by the handles! LOL
