Snowkiting - Board Options?

[Dropbear]

I'm looking forward to snowkiting up at Bogong this year and hopefully some trips up to the top of Thredbo, but I've got a question about what board to kite with, and I'd appreciate anyone's thoughts on the matter.

I have a Neversummer Premier 163 as my main stick for riding the resorts, and I'm a decent rider. I also have an old ex-hire Rossignol 161 board, heavily directional like my Premier, that I picked up for $20, but I haven't used it in years. It's got a lot of divots in the base which need fixing if I'm to use it again.

Christie's talking about making a split for the Bogong trip, and I could split my Rossi board, but I was wondering, are split boards any good for kiting?

I've never ridden a split, and I've heard they handle pretty well, but can be a bit shaky on hard packed groomers and ice. Considering we're likely to encounter hard conditions while kiting in Aus, and that we'd be needed to edge hard on the heelside practically the whole time, I'm wondering if a splitboard could be *too* compromised for kiting with?

The alternative option would be to buy/hire/borrow a pair of snowshoes, which (since I'm also a hiker) I'd be happy and fit enough to walk in, but if the others there are all on splits or skis then that could be a problem. If I do go with shoes, then the Premier would probably be fine, though I am thinking about getting a park board at some stage so if I do I'd take that instead.

Or I could buy a new or used split, but that brings me to another problem - pretty much every split I've seen so far online is a heavily directional powder board, when twins are best for kiting apparently. The best one I've seen was a new split Neversummer SL on backcountry.com, but at $1000 it's pretty exxy.

Thanks in advance

[Jason]

Yes you will want a twin tip oriented board, don't even bother with a directional.

Also consider a smaller board for kite use.

As you will be on the edge even when going straight look for a board with a straighter edge.

I did see something a while back where a guy converted his own board to a split board, this may be an option.

You know the easy option for back country is to just use Skis but I can understand you wanting to stick with a board.

Jas

[Dropbear]

Yeah I don't want to kite on skis.

I figure most boards have an edge designed for downhill, to get a straighter edged board you'd need to go for a kite-specific snowboard wouldn't you? That's not what I'd be wanting to do this year, but after that who knows?

Can anyone help with the splitboard for kiting question? (Would a split be any good for kiting with?)

[Hamil]

if you google Splitboard Snowkiting and forum you'll find a few threads around that answer it.

but you've got a sled now, so it's all good anyway, right?

[Dropbear]

Yeah the sled makes it easier to go with snowshoes and xcountry skis, but then raises the issue of getting snowshoes and xcountry skis. So I'm still open to the option of a split.

Thanks for the suggestion, I've got some more reading up to do.

I'm thinking that it could be that the answer is yes - a splitter is fine for snowkiting, in which case the Australian topography we're gonna encounter probably makes splits even more useful for getting in and out of the good kiting spots easily.

But on the other hand having shoes and skis (and a solid board) available at Bogong may be a useful set of gear for a range of activities.

The difficulty is I'm unsure how I'll feel about these things in the future. I wouldn't be suprised if I start loving/preferring snowkiting to the extent that a snowkite specific board would be good, but then you wouldn't split a newish one of those...

[danyool]

I don't know about snow kiting and split boards, but even with a regular snow board in the resort, if it is too icy, it can be very difficult to control. I've done it several times were on a stepper hill and you edging hard, then happen to hit an icy spot, then the board just leaves the ground and you travel down hill for maybe a metre. Recover if lucky, crash and cartwhell if not!

Re directional snowboard, i still think that could work for snow kiting, just as a directional board, eg Stonker works for kite boarding. I've got nothing to base that on other than just my thought.

Christie is spltting hers at this very moment, so will be interesting to see how she goes.

EDIT - blonde comment above re directional. Thought about it last night after posting, and think i've realised why directional snowboard wouldn't work so great. Stonker has 2 "sets" of bindings to ride heel side each direction - on the snowboard, you're kind of tied into the one binding so would be riding toe side back. Which i guess is the ultimate aim, but probably not easy for beginner.

[Hamil]

I totally love how i'm the test dummy for the splitboard

[.Joel]

Hey don't laugh, Aldi have some boards going!

http://www.aldi.com.au/au/html/offers_20110602.htm

[Dropbear]

Christie - how's the board looking now it's had a bit of time for the epoxy to dry?

I've now pretty much made my mind up that I'll have to get my hands on a twin (not split) to take to Bogong, and go with snowshoes and extendi-poles (and hire skis for the trips in and out and any no-wind bluebird days).

As for the splitboard idea, things got clearer once I asked myself, "what do I want to do with a split board". I would like to spend more time in the backcountry areas, but I reckon if I've got a board I'd almost certainly be taking a kite too (or otherwise I'd be on xcountry skis). So that means the splitboard would best be a split kiteboard.

So if I get into snowkiting proper I'll be in the market for a factory produced split snowkiteboard, hopefully they'll exist before too long!

Sorry Christie that it looks like I'll be stomping around in the snow while you're whizzing around on your split-skates - as much as it's possible to whiz on splits with skins on...

[2dads]

theres a prior splitty the guys from boarder patrol (snow farm) NZ run called the AMF that they make as a true twin camber between feet but rockered tips.

from my experience rockered tips are the way to go as you can adjust your upwind angle by changing you front foot pressure and is way less tiring on long tacks.

if you go the snow shoe route you can borrow/have/buy a 2007 nobile board of mine that's too big for me in a 163.

0438462667

also sp-united make a new "pervert" or rearentry binding that is sweet. ticks all the boxes.

tough

reliable

toe strap

has a sheer pin release that it'll break not you ankle and the dealer will sell you them for about 80c each.

[2dads]

ps if you buy the amf 159 they have on their specials page before I get my tax return I'll be upset.

[2dads]

plus the cornice store in Victoria(I think?) can order prior boards but as it's under 1k Aus if you buy direct you don't pay gst. but the corice store do stock some really trick (much lighter) spark r&d bindings and crampons and skins to pimp out voille/prior split boards if you have the cash and has your thing.