Yeah I think SPLL is mostly about 2nd hand gear sales. Forum and chat used to be active 5y ago, but now there are WA & Telegram groups everywhere.
I agree that Peak4 is very versatile kite from functioning as trainer kite but also snowkite on fjells and finally water and hydrofoiling. I've 5m of my own which I use on similar purposes to train my family etc and hydrofoil & snowkite myself.
Here is my semi-automatic (mobile phone generated) video from kiteweek 2020 low wind morning people hiking high, and basic course on fjell top (there also other snowkite clips on my YT-channel):
These users thanked the author joriws for the post (total 2):
joriws, that didn't help at all. Now I must go The place is awesome and superb vid. I was once there hiking as a kid in summer time. I have also been skiing a few times in Lappland and I think it would be a great place to kite around.
Safety: Go for a kite marketed for waves rather than racing or jumping, those ones are too fast moving and easier to endanger yourself with when learning.
Up wind ability: Racing/jumping ones are going to be better at heating hard up wind but again, wrong choice for learning on, you can make fantastic up-wind gains with careful board selection. A boots style high-rocker wake board won't get you up wind easily, Go for one like the Ocean Rodeo Mako with it's semi eliptical outline in a big size, it will encourage your wave technique and with it's low/medium rocker and high concave it will get you upwind easily. (disclaimer- I'm not associated with their company but from the moment I saw a youtube of someone riging one, I wanted one and designed my own similar one, If you see someone riding one in waves I'm pretty sure you'll be hooked.)
My largest kite is a switchkites Element late model 14m. They are marketed for both water and snow but others are right, it's a heavy kite and unless you are over 120kg, I wouldn't recommend the weight penalty of the extra durability, I find that it's missing potential in light wind that I can kite in but not water relaunch it in.
These users thanked the author fluidity for the post:
No sure about Alma Arktika if they are still offering snowkite expeditions. No web page update after 2019. Ragnarog is big event but hard to get pass to event.
You could check (if you are long distance) VAKE (At Varanger peninsula, Norway) and TOKE long distance races (you can also race against yourself). Varanger peninsula is also a nice winter kite destination, but so are many Lapland places. Some friends snowkite Lake Inari and also went from Kilpisjärvi to Halti and back. Then there is Extreme Sposts Gathering (EGS) in Sweden. So a lot of snowkiting events if you start searching at events. But naturally you can go just with few friends.
Also Helsinki area has a lot of snowkiting but the season is short on sea. I think people go to Tuusulanjärvi. But this is a lot of "I think" or "I believe" as I live at Tampere so my beliefs are just what seen on FB Kiteboarding Finland and Youtube videos. You could also check Luomuesa channel at Youtube, he has videos on Helsinki "hills" snowkiting, Tuusulanjärvi etc.
These users thanked the author joriws for the post:
I don't snow kite but I do a lot of landboarding on the beach which is a 45 second walk from where I live and even then I often take two kites. If I was snow kiting with peaks or foils I would probably always take at least 2 to cover the huge variety in conditions I would expect to see in the mountains. I would plan on carrying the spare with me on the ride. Of course your local may be a drive to and park but I would have thought it sensible to plan on at least a 2 kite quiver but this will of course depend on your planned conditions.
These users thanked the author Herman for the post:
fluidity, thanks, solid advice. I'll start with a beginner kite or Peak. And a good advice on boards. I might get into kitesurfing later on but I'll start with snowkiting. I have a wide fields starting from my backyard and I think it's easier to learn than kitesurfing.
joriws, thanks also for all additional info, you are the best. I already joined in larukite, seems to be active group - at least for kitesurfing. And I checked out luomuesa and already found some new spots (Kivikko and Vuosaari)! Halti would be something but I guess it's not for a beginner.
Herman, thanks and yes, it's certainly wise to have a game plan before the first purchase. I guess a quiver of two kites would be a minimum given the local conditions and variety of places I would like to ride. I would love to try landboarding but there isn't any good fields or beaches for that nearby. I might try kiting on my off-road skates but I have to check my insurance coverage first
Soul 18 is powerful on 4 knots and I can control him until 4 Boufort easy..
Best Snowkite I ever had..
I pack two Kites when I go up the Mountain.. SOUL 18 and Sonic 6
and every Day..... is a Kite day...
Nice regards..
Plurr...
Joriwis, Keep posting videos of Lapland kiting, looks incredible!
Here is Youri Zoon's 2019 Pallas kiteweek video.. Lapland mountains are rounded tops because of ice age grinding them like that, and we call those fjells (or in Swedish Fjälls or in Finnish tunturi) to separate them from real mountains..
With extensive Scandinavian all-man-rights you can kite everywhere you like except in immediate backyard of someone and naturally not to destroy or leave marks of your visit. Even if "goverment shutdown"-type of events which closes parks/areas in USA, in here nothing cannot limit free movement in the nature.