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Tomtom

I don't think these set ups are pumpable in the sense you mean. My daily-ish skate is a small car park with gentle slope. A mate can pump his basic carver up the slope from a gentle push, I can not come close. However pumping on my gear can generate extra speed down the slope and sustain speed for longer up the slope so I am learning various ways to transfer energy into the board.

I am happy to push at the moment and it took me a while to be able to push equally well with either foot, I even do a bit of mongo pushing and interchanging just to get used to different ways of getting on and off etc. Both boards are ok for foot changes and I have learned a lot about C of G control and axis of rotation. Different from riding with a rig because there is nothing to counter balance and so I think it is better cross training for kitesurfing. Shame I am not, 50 years younger.

You make a good point about wedges. I decided not to buy any with my initial gear purchase in order to wait and see how things turned out and had not brought them back to mind since. So thanks for the reminder. It will be a while before I climb the next chunk of the learning curve.

Regards Herman.

Never thought of using kite with skateboard, but this year I got hooked on carving boards. I tried Carver and then I did my own build, which is better than Carver, but also got more expensive..

This board feels like a surfboard on the street and you can pump it from 0 km/h to 16 km/h. You can sustain effortlessly 12-13kmh speed with good 80mm wheels

So basically you need:

- a deck (I got 32" 9t6t from longboarding.de - very nice value) that you maybe already have
- surf-skate trucks like carver CX7 or you can just buy waterbourne surf adapter with a back rail adapter (give more high speed stability and levels out the board so its same height) that will convert any trucks to surfskate. Pretty much doesnt matter what front truck you have, but better get some classical pumping truck like Benett or RTS.
- 78-80A wheels.

If you have some sort of cruiserboard or any longboard already, you can convert it for like 100$.

Kash

That looks like a sweet build. As you say you have to spend a few bucks but the return you get for it in hours of fun and exercise is really good value imho, particularly if you compare to things like carbon bikes or even an essentials like a kite bar!

Thanks for all the info very useful.

Regards Herman

Just an update as requested:

Having had a couple of months of flatland skating on Paris trucks, at 34in axle to axle wheel base, I am now able to give it pretty much full gas with pumping action and would also be happy to kite with them. Decided to get some Mindless surfskate trucks as they seem really good value here in UK. (I am guessing that they perform similarly to the Carver Cx but have no proof of this!) Currenly mounted them at 27in wheel base for starters but expect to reduce this at a later date. I am really chuffed with these trucks!

After 2 sessions I have been pleasantly surprised how easy it was to convert. Already able to give my natural stance close to full gas and my switch is not far behind. Even with top mounted deck it is not too uncomfortable to scoot if required. I will prefer these for kiting as the tight turning means you need less room to have fun and the ability to pump for speed will be useful. I will keep/relegate the Paris set up for my version of longboard dance and practicing foot changes etc

Specs:. Mindless Surfskate trucks:. Height 85mm, Hangar 159mm, Front weight 430gm, Rear weight 450gm,
Rear KP 73°, Front KP 90°, Bushing 2 sets - 78A & 82A.


Regards Herman

PS: If you ride them backwards they feel vunerable to speed wobble but not felt any problems going in their proper direction!
I still feel it was a good idea to work up to a surfskate rather than go straight for it, particularly if you are the more mature type or at least more mature age wise!

Carver Point Break surfskate y ejes CX.



Tunnel longboard y ejes Bennett

Thanks Telamaco, that is pretty much what I am working towards, hope I get there! (Given the chance I would even put blades on and have a go on ice.). Truck performance of the Carver Cx certainly looked similar to what I am getting from the Mindless. Noticed that you are not riding them backwards, guessing this might back my observation that this type of set up gets twitchy if ridden backwards!

Regards Herman

PS Just come in from a third session, love the way the asymmetric trucks give you a tighter turn by weighting the backfoot and more open turn on the front foot!