Kite Landboarding

Channel Trucks incorporate springs and sometimes dampeners allowing you to customise the feel of your board.

This truck is suited for riders who require extra strength and who want to carve, cruise and have a stable feel to their ride.

These are a more robust style of truck which comprise of: Axle, Axle Nuts, Springs and Elastomers.

A pair of trucks can be found on the underside of a Kite Landboard and are positioned where the wheels are fitted.

A board with a channel truck is typically used for flat out speed, rougher terrain or heavier riders.

A trick where the rider rotates backwards away from the kite's position.

The rider continues to rotate backwards , completing a full rotation to continue in the direction from which they were originally travelling.

A) Build up some speed and keep edging with your kite and move your hands to the centre of the bar.

B) Edge hard upwind to start the backward rotation and release your edge, throw the nose of your board upwind and turn your head to look over your front shoulder.

C) Lift your knees up to help you stay balanced in the air. Your body will rotate around your head and shoulders until you come around. 

D) Spot your landing and straighten your legs for impact. Bend your knees slightly as you hit the water to absorb the impact and ride away.

Refers to the component of a landboard / kiteboard that the rider stands on as you would stand on the deck of a boat, snowboard or skateboard.

Elastomer or Egg Shocks can be found inside the springs of a channel style truck system of a landboard.

They work in harmony with the springs to provide dampening as the rider travels along on a particular surface.

A hard elastomer can provide better stability at speed, while a soft elastomer allows for tighter turning at slower speeds.

EPS (Expanded PolyStyrene) is the hard ‘foam like’ material usually found inside safety helmets.

EPS is a great shock absorbing material, but can be permanently compressed when absorbing an impact, even a minor one.

Using multi-impact EPP (Expanded Polypropylene) as your core helmet though will protect your head over and over again and is best used for land based activities such as landboarding, buggying and snowkiting.

Foot straps can either be found on a kite landboard or kitesurfingboard and are designed to hold the riders feet in position whilst riding. They are mounted to the deck of the board and adjusted for foot entry and stance.

A style of trick where the rider rotates forwards (begins by turning away from the direction of travel) and away from the kite's position.

The rider continues to rotate forwards, completing a full rotation to continue in the direction from which they were originally travelling.

A Grab (Rail Grab; Tail Grab) is trick whereby the rider ‘grabs’ the rail or nose of either a Kiteboard or Landboard with his/her hand while in mid air.

In competition, grabs are scored depending on the position of the grab on the board based on their technical difficulty.

Grab Handles are found on the top side of twin tip kiteboards and landboards and primarily are used for carrying the board. On Kitesurfing boards the Grab handle is usually used when the board requires repositioning eg. ready for a water start or to get your feet into bindings.

A handle pass is often a trick performed while airborne and unhooked from your harness.

The rider passes the control bar behind their back while performing a 360 degree rotation in the air.

Hangtime is often referred to the amount of time spent in the air whilst jumping. 

A harness is used to take the strain off your arms, allow you to fly in stronger winds and reduce overall fatigue or be an intergral part of a depower system.

A harness is not essential when you first start out kiting on the land but is essential for kiteboarding.

Harnesses can be used for either 4-line handles or control bar. Depowerable kites require a harness to function correctly.

Waist harnesses fit around the lower back and abdomen giving you freedom of movement for technical manoeuvres.

Seat harnesses fit around the legs and lower back giving you lots of support and hip protection. These harnesses stop any chance of the harness riding up your body when the kite is overhead.

A harness line is often fitted between the top of four line handles to enable the flyer to hook into a harness and take the strain off your arms, it allows you to fly in stronger winds and reduces overall fatigue.

Harness lines can also be used as a fixed position on a depowerable control bar allowing you to hook into the harness at a fixed power position. This allows you to perform no handed manoeuvres at a temporary power position and are often used for downwind expeditions to reduce fatigue on your arms. 

Harness lines are only recommended as a temporary power position as they do override some auto safety mechanisms. Practising hooking in and out is highly recommended.

Heelside is term often used to describe the side of a kiteboard closest to your heels.

This is the correct stance position a rider will adopt whilst stood on a twintip kiteboard in most riding conditions.

A term referred to if the pilots chicken loop is connected to the spreader bar hook on the harness or not.

Being hooked in is often the safest way to kiteboard however many advanced tricks now require you to be hooked out or unhooked from the harness.

This term is often used when explaining tricks and manoeuvres.

An invert is a term given to any type of trick where the rider is upside-down.

A Kiteloop is a term which involves a powered manoeuvre whereby the rider sends the kite in a downwards and upwards loop whilst performing a jump.

The 360 degree rotation of the kite can generate large amounts of power.

A Kite Landboard is similar in appearance to a skateboard, but with a longer, stronger deck, inflatable wheels and with trucks that are designed to allow the board to be ridden over rough terrain.

Using a kite for traction, the Kite Landboard can be manoeuvred around an open space simulating Snow Boarding without snow, or Surfing without water.

With Rider skill, all manner of tricks and manoeuvres are achievable, along with the possibility of reaching speeds of over 40mph!

The ability of a particular vehicle from being moved sideways by the wind.

For example, the Fins on the base of a Kiteboard would be an example of a component that is used to prevent Lateral movement. 

To resist lateral pull, the pilot of a kite buggy would use its wheels as a traction tool in order to reduce the sideways pull that the kite creates; this is also true of how a kite landboarder would prevent him or herself from being pulled sideways.

Locked in describes the position of a kite that is being flown keeping it in one position.

A locked in position would typically be at about 10 o’clock or approximately a 45 degree angle from the ground / water.

Pop is often referred to the height gained above the water using only the board and tension in the lines to get lift, with the kite usually positioned at 45 degrees.

Lower kite angles are possible for more experienced riders.

Used as a basis for many tricks and regarded as an essential skill for progressing to unhooked manoeuvres.

.

A Raley is a trick term where a kitesurfer jumps in the air and extends their body and swings the board behind them up over the level of their head.

Every kiter knows it is inevitable at some point the upwind tack is just too hard or sometimes the wind just drops off completely, in both cases you will have to walk back to your original location rather than riding.

This is known as a walk of shame.

As you resist against the pull of the kite - the force is transmitted to the wheels of your board. 

By manoeuvring the kite and board it will enable you to pick up speed, stop, perform tricks and with practice get airs even in low winds. 

Because the kite can provide so much lift it will actually help you balance on the board and allow a skilled pilots to easily achieve big airs if you're that way inclined. 

Once rolling you can quickly pick up speed. 

Once you've learnt where to position the kite in the sky and how to balance on the board, you’re away and can travel in any direction, even upwind.

We are all different, heavier or stronger pilots may require a heavier, stronger and more stable board. 

Lighter weight pilots require lighter, thinner more agile or manouverable boards.

Taller pilots often benefit from a longer board

Steering and suspension set ups often have some form of modification or adjustment available for control, comfort or enhancement. 

For people with previous kite flying experience and looking to get involved in Kite Landboarding - check out our range here >>

Four Line Handles are safe, precise and easy to use and give you the maximum manoeuvrability over your kite.

Four line handles allow you to slow the kite down, stop it in mid-air, reverse the kite, park it on the ground and if it crashes on it's nose - reverse launch the kite back into the air.

This makes them ideal for Land Boarding, Buggying, Snow Kiting or flying recreationally.

When using four line handles, the top lines are the stronger power lines. By using these it is possible to fly and steer the kite.

The lower lines are the brake lines and allow speed change by altering drag. The brake lines also allow more responsive steering and enable easier controlled landings and reverse take-offs.

Four line control bars usually have built-in safety systems enabling you to launch and land your kite on your own. 

The power of the kite is distributed across both arms for easier flying but at the same time, less control is available due to their overall setup. 

Providing your control bar has a connecting loop, you can also use a harness.

Check out our range of 4-Line Handles and Control Bars here >>

As a general rule, the longer the board usually the more stable it is. 

This helps tall people balance easier and allows the rider to reach higher speeds giving increased confidence and a smoother ride.

These boards are often considered ideal for carving, speed and are ideal for stronger or heavier riders. 

Check out our range of Speed / Safari Landboards >>

The shorter boards are usually more responsive and require quicker input from the rider. 

The advantage is they are lighter in weight and therefore more capable of being used for tricks and airs. 

They are often not ideal for simple high speed runs but unbeatable for manoeuvrability. 

For advice on selection call Telephone + 44 (0) 0121 544 9514 

Check out our range of Freestyle Kite Landboards >>

Favoured by most, intermediate length kitelandboards allow confident higher speeds with a lightness in the board to allow tricks, airs and manoeuvrability. 

For advice on selection call Telephone + 44 (0) 0121 544 9514 

Check out our range of Kite Landboards >>

The larger the wheel and tyre diameter - the less the initial rolling resistance will be. 

This may become important if the terrain is soft, rough or uneven.

Rolling resistance becomes less of a problem at speed however, greater speed usually is easier with larger diameter wheels. 

The normal 200mm (8”) diameter tyre is ideal for most terrain. 

Click here for our range of Landboard Accessories >>

Some Kite Landboards are kite specific and have a heel-side bias that is of benefit to kiters but not to downhillers. 

There is nothing to stop you grabbing your current symmetrical mountainboard and using your kite to power you down the hill or even up it! 

Both types of boards work best with a kite on smooth level ground. 

For advice on selection call Telephone + 44 (0) 0121 544 9514 

Check out our range of Kiteboard Landboards >>

Channel Trucks: 
Channel Trucks are usually stronger, heavier and incorporate coil springs. 

Steering dampening can be changed by altering spring settings and elastomer hardness. 

For advice on selection call Telephone + 44 (0) 0121 544 9514 

Click here for our range of Kite Landboard Accessories >> 

Skate Trucks: 
The skate trucks are much lighter reducing overall weight on a kitelandboard significantly.

Minimal adjustment is required with just one nut stiffening or softening steering control. 

Alternative dampening bushes can be fitted. 

For advice on selection call Telephone + 44 (0) 0121 544 9514 

Click here for our range of Kite Landboard Accessories >>

Kitelandboarding is a great way to learn the principles of Kiteboarding without spending a huge amount on inflatable kites and beginner boards. 

Even when you have bought all the Kiteboarding gear - they offer a great light wind alternative to Kiteboarding. 

If the wind drops or goes offshore - get onto the beach, grab your Landboard and practice some light wind tricks. 

For advice on selection call Telephone + 44 (0) 0121 544 9514

Click here for our range of Kiteboards  >>