Contact   Imprint   Advertising   Guidelines

Snow Kite Flying - Too Dangerous or Safe Enough?

Forum for snow- and landkiters
Thor SFBay
Medium Poster
Posts: 146
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 2:54 am
Local Beach: 3rd Ave, California
Favorite Beaches: Bolinas, CA
Style: freeride
Gear: Naish Park kites, Naish Haze board
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Snow Kite Flying - Too Dangerous or Safe Enough?

Postby Thor SFBay » Tue Jan 07, 2014 2:21 am

There are a lot of videos of snowkiters at Jackson Hole, Wyoming getting some serious hang time and basically using their kites a lot like paragliders. (Like this one: http://vimeo.com/83399030) But I just can't help but wonder if that's such a good idea - if anything breaks they are in serious trouble. Trees, rocks, and ice are a lot harder than water.

I know the chance of a line, chicken loop, harness failure or canopy rip are small. But is that chance small enough to risk such a deadly fall? I can't imagine trusting my life to the tiny little metal loop that attaches my chicken loop to the QR mechanism. And then there was that time my canopy unexpectedly ripped apart...

What do you guys think? Is the high (literal and figurative) worth the risk? Or is it just a matter of time before one of these guys gets killed? This looks a lot like BASE jumping or wingsuit flying to me - super rad, but way too risky. Sure looks like fun though...


User avatar
edt
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 7316
Joined: Fri Jul 16, 2010 6:27 am
Kiting since: 2010
Local Beach: Michigan
Gear: ride hard, no regrets
Has thanked: 530 times
Been thanked: 663 times

Re: Snow Kite Flying - Too Dangerous or Safe Enough?

Postby edt » Tue Jan 07, 2014 3:04 am

I haven't heard of any serious injuries so maybe it is safer than it looks. I would rig paraglide if I wanted to go gliding, not a kite.

User avatar
downunder
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 2814
Joined: Mon Jul 01, 2013 7:16 am
Gear: building my own
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Perth, Australia
Has thanked: 153 times
Been thanked: 160 times

Re: Snow Kite Flying - Too Dangerous or Safe Enough?

Postby downunder » Tue Jan 07, 2014 3:40 am

No jumping with a paraglider:) Unless you jump off a cliff:)

They might have a reserve chute somehow attached to the harness?! Didn't look a vid..

But this days do you guys have a lot of fresh powder anyway? Awesome!

User avatar
Toby
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 50343
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2001 1:00 am
Kiting since: 2000
Weight: 95 kg
Local Beach: Cumbuco, Brazil
Barra do Cauipe, Brazil
Favorite Beaches: same
Style: Airstyle
Gear: Rebel 2015 18
Brand Affiliation: None.
Location: World (KF Admin)
Has thanked: 831 times
Been thanked: 2365 times
Contact:

Re: Snow Kite Flying - Too Dangerous or Safe Enough?

Postby Toby » Tue Jan 07, 2014 3:57 am

I always wonder why so little happens. I had so many things breaking on me, plus I read all those accidents and failures on here...I will not go snowkiting! Respect to those guys who go flying big...you got balls! And lots of luck!

User avatar
downunder
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 2814
Joined: Mon Jul 01, 2013 7:16 am
Gear: building my own
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Perth, Australia
Has thanked: 153 times
Been thanked: 160 times

Re: Snow Kite Flying - Too Dangerous or Safe Enough?

Postby downunder » Tue Jan 07, 2014 4:13 am

True.

If is a fresh powder it might be softer than water tho:) Some extreme snow boarders would be in a deep s..t otherwise crashing big times:)
Having a kite might save you of one thing tho: avalanche

I've seen some snow kiters on 3000m Les Duex Alpes and Rizol in France. Was 25-30kn, freezing cold.

waynepjh
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 998
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2005 5:17 pm
Gear: Ozone edges and c4
Brand Affiliation: Ozone team rider
Location: jackson WY
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 2 times

Re: Snow Kite Flying - Too Dangerous or Safe Enough?

Postby waynepjh » Tue Jan 07, 2014 4:47 am

I believe it can be done relatively safely. In the beginning of my gliding career I flew pretty high off the ground but have learned a different style that keeps me close to the ground. Do you think the forward glide in this video is dangerous?


User avatar
Djoubs
Medium Poster
Posts: 75
Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2005 9:12 pm
Local Beach: Jackson beach
Favorite Beaches: French Alpes, Alaska
Style: Big air & Back country
Gear: Chrono, Edge & Summit
Brand Affiliation: Ozone
Location: Jackson Wy
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0
Contact:

Re: Snow Kite Flying - Too Dangerous or Safe Enough?

Postby Djoubs » Wed Jan 08, 2014 1:03 am

I think it can be done safely, it's what i've been doing for 14 y now, but i learned slowly step after step.
I fly with brand new kite, bar and lines every seasons.
I check my gear (preflight check) line, connexion, attachment points etc ... every session.
I Role my line every time i stop on the spot to avoid any possibility of somebody skiing on them.
I take a really good care of my equipment.
I'm attached directly to a climbing harness.
I don't fly in any wind i test it first by riding where i'm going to fly to see if i like it or not, i also pick my spot.
It still something dangerous to do for sure, but less than some riders doing some megaloops at 100 feet over flat water or piles of rocks.
Flying with a kite is not a fashion if you think it's too dangerous then don't do it .
Just my point of view. :jump:

knot_moving
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 542
Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2009 5:13 am
Kiting since: 2009
Gear: kites: OR Flites & Cabrinha Velocity
Underground FLX 138, Slingshot foil, Mako Duke, Jimmy Lewis Flight Deck
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: NW Florida
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 23 times

Re: Snow Kite Flying - Too Dangerous or Safe Enough?

Postby knot_moving » Wed Jan 08, 2014 3:39 am

I've wondered if anyone doubles there lines?

Tiago1973
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 778
Joined: Mon Jun 28, 2010 6:58 pm
Local Beach: Portugal
Style: Freeriding
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Snow Kite Flying - Too Dangerous or Safe Enough?

Postby Tiago1973 » Wed Jan 08, 2014 11:12 pm

no fresh powder here

madman
Rare Poster
Posts: 15
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2011 5:55 pm
Style: SNOW!
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Snow Kite Flying - Too Dangerous or Safe Enough?

Postby madman » Thu Jan 09, 2014 5:01 pm

Pal, the guy in the above video, is pretty much the best in the world when it comes to dynamic paragliding maneuvers. Comparatively he is looking a little dicey with his kite skills. After 15 years of paragliding I'm naturally trying to draw comparisons to kite flying/gliding. For me I think paragliding experience has NOT help me to progress with kite gliding at all. Anyone else have similar or different experience with paragliding vs kite gliding?

Matt


Return to “Snow / Land”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 110 guests