Archive for the 'Snow Kiting' Category

Two All-Time Favorite SnowKiting Videos

Published on September 1, 2008 in Snow Kiting. 0 Comments Tags: .

This video of three Norwegian punks shredding Greenland is one of my all time favorite kiting videos and also one of all time favorite expeditions for that matter.  These guys did a vast amount of research on the project beforehand and are excellent skiers and kiters.  In the end, they annihilated the old crossing record by covering 2400km (1,491 miles) in 21 days and also set a 24 hour kiting record of 442.7km (275.1 miles).  They had no intention of man-hauling heavy sleds, so they waited for the wind, then got after it with kites. Afterward, they thanked all of their doubting detractors for the additional motivation, made a YouTube video and called it good.

At the other end of the snow kiting spectrum is the Phrench Phenomena known as Chasta (Guillaume Chastagnol).  There’s so much good kiting in this video it’s hard to pick out any one moment, but right at the 1:00 mark he loops the kite, sticks a perfect landing then seamlessly head back up for more.  What the hell – why not?  I would if could.  :) 

________________________________
Help support StraightChuter.com and fly like a bird with a Best Kiteboarding Waroo Kite from Backcountry.com! Click on the photo below…

Powered Up – Build Your Own NASA Wing Kite

Published on August 29, 2008 in Snow Kiting. 12 Comments Tags: .
Few topics on earth get people more fired than debating which snow kite is the best.  I should know, as for years I was NASA wing evangelist and still am to a large degree.  DEATH BEFORE FOIL KITES.  Yeah, well, then I tried an Ozone foil, and, uhmmm, well, it was totally bitchin’.  And so were the inflatables.  Kiters are passionate about their sport and a large part of your kiting preference depends on what you learned on and what kind of kiting you like to do.  As with backcountry skiing, the sport has many avenues ranging from strictly transportation across ice caps to floating monster air across road gaps.  Kiting is a quiver sport.
 
Using kites for Big Game chute hunting in Baffin Island.
Using NASA Wing kites for Big Game chute hunting in Baffin Island.

I learned how to kite on a NASA wing in Antarctica and couldn’t wait to get home and sew up a few kites on my own.  Since then I’ve made roughly 20 NASA wings ranging from 2.3m speed demons to 30m monster trucks.   My quiver has expanded into foil kites and hopefully an inflatable for next season, but for expeditions, NASA wings are still my workhorse of choice as they are light, simple, cheap and generate a huge amount of power.

I’ve resurrected an old “How to Build a NASA Wing” website which I just moved over to StraightChuter.com. Click here to see how it is done.

NASA wing kites - small enough to fit in your pocket, yet strong enough to rip your arms off.
NASA wing kites – small enough to fit in your pocket, yet strong enough to rip your arms off.

 ________________________________
Help support StraightChuter.com and get boosted into the stratosphere with a Best Kiteboarding Yarga Kite on sale now at Backcountry.com! click on the photo below…