I noticed a new snow kiteboarding magazine while in Switzerland last week. I almost bought a copy but the price of almost $28 USD (in Switzerland, it is less costly in other countries), the fact that I live in Florida and the appearance of a side release snap shackle as a QR option changed my mind. The magazine had a lot of good intro content (apparently, as it was in German in which I have next to no linguistic skills), illustrations, comparison of kites, etc. If I snow kiteboarded I would subscribe to this mag as a matter of course.
Side release snap shackles and the consensus of opinion about their unsuitability as a quick release for kiteboarding is fairly well known in water kiteboarding circles.
Side Release Snap Shackle - MOST RIDERS AGREE, DON'T USE THIS FOR KITEBOARDING as it may not release in an emergency particularly if under load.
The fact that the rider is on frozen water, snow and/or ice is irrelavent as you can be just as easily dragged or lofted into a nasty impact. I am not sure if the word has been circulated all that extensively in snow kiteboarding circles about the problems with this type of snap shackle design or not. More about problems related to side release snap shackles appear at:
phpBB/viewtopic.php?topic=5219&forum=1