Re: Looking to get into Snowkiting/Kiteboarding
Hey Hoff, welcome to snowkiting!!
I'm a partial moderator here on the forum, and the president of the UND Snowkite Club. I'll do my best to help ya out.
Alot of questions, and I have some answers for ya. The path your trying to take is common. Rest assured it can be done. Let me know if I forget anything or if stuff is unclear.
There are a few kite schools around lake michigan. You can take formal lessons, demo kites, and pick up gear from these locations. I am based in Grand Forks, ND which is a drive for you, there is a big kite school in duluth affiliated with the university there. Closer to you, MAC kiteboarding (
http://www.mackiteboarding.com/) runs out of a place near grand rapids.
For more schools around the lake, check out this link, there are alot listed
http://michigan.kiteus.com/schools.htmRegarding getting started, skim through this article I wrote for the site here
http://www.snowkiting.com/component/con ... udget.htmlKeep in mind this is the bare minimum, and also snowkiting only based. We can speak about various kite sizes and brands after you scroll through.
Water sports do require a different style of kite. Its like a one-way valve though, you can use water kites on land, but you shouldnt use land kites on water. So yes, you could definitely start with one kite that could be your crossover for both seasons
Water kites use "LEI" or leading edge inflatable kites. Sole land users usually ride "foil" kites. Type in foil and lei kite in a google image and you will see the difference in how they are shaped/designed.
It is possible to learn on something a little larger than a "trainer" kite which are only around 1-4m. m meaning square meters in size. I learned on a 5m HQ apex, and things went suprisingly well. The only time I got banged up was if I was doing something stupid haha.
If it is possible to find a lesson center, I do strongly recommend you try out a lesson. If you can't make it out to one, I can do my best to walk you through setups and stuff. If at anytime you feel unsure about what you're doing STOP. guessing is not a good technique in this sport when you're starting. I have to say that you are dealing with an extreme sport, so safety is the absolute number one priority.
If you can find someone with a trainer that would be great. visit the forums and see if anyone is in your area. Like you said trainers don't last long. Your first kite, considering you will be on the water too, will be in the 7m range in my opinion. Start looking into LEI kites in that range and let me know what you find.
Good luck with your hunting and training. Let me know if you have any questions at all. I highly recommend the how to snowkite DVD volume 1 from this site. Its the most comprehensive how to film I've seen for the snow so far.
Matt