How much of an annoyance are hourglass skis?

[artificialname]

I understand the recommendation to avoid parabolic/hourglass skis, because you need to course correct often when going up wind.

Is this really such a major annoyance? On a snowboard, i am constantly changing course to go slightly downwind to gather speed then carve slightly more upwind. Isn’t it the same on skis? So are hourglass skis really much of an annoyance at all?

[jyka]

Normal snowboard is also bad on hard surface. Nobile kitesnowboard with less side cut has much better grip on icy surface and it makes it much more stable.
It's the same with skis. Long and straight skis have better grip. There is no need to hourglass shape because you'll go straight most of the time. If there is plenty of powder snow, bigger sidecut/hourglass shape isn't a problem.
I have 200 cm 35 year old blizzards skis and they work great

[artificialname]

Normal snowboard is also bad on hard surface.
I have 200 cm 35 year old blizzards skis and they work great

What would you recommend:

1) Brand new skis and bindings, Salomon, standard resort skis, parabolic, 10cm too short for me

Or

2) 30 year old skis and bindings, not in great condition

[br44]

Normal snowboard is also bad on hard surface.
I have 200 cm 35 year old blizzards skis and they work great

What would you recommend:

1) Brand new skis and bindings, Salomon, standard resort skis, parabolic, 10cm too short for me

Or

2) 30 year old skis and bindings, not in great condition

The old skis, but change the bindings. You can do it yourself (not too hard), or have a shop do it.

[fernmanus]

They don’t have to be 30 years old. I have a pair of Atomic that are 10 years old that are straight. Should not be too hard to find an older pair of skis in decent shape if you live in a ski town.

[Sceotend]

I got carving (hourglass) skis already for the slopes. I was surprised how well they have behaved for kiting as well, I have used on hard ice without much difficulties. I have maxed out a bit more than about 50 km/h, beyond that longer and less shaped pair would probably be more convenient.

[bragnouff]

Normal snowboard is also bad on hard surface. Nobile kitesnowboard with less side cut has much better grip on icy surface and it makes it much more stable.
(...)

Well... really it depends what you do. I have one of those snowkite specific snowboards from ABoards, and while it's great for tracking upwind in a straight line, I absolutely hate it once you start carving down a face with the kite just drifting. To me that's what snowkiting is about, and I'd rather compromise my tracking upwind and grip, than have a board that doesn't fuckin turn smoothly and properly like you'd expect from a snowboard. I'm sure it's a fantastic board for frozen lakes/ flat / freestyle, like a freestyle twin tip kind of riding, always edging, but I'm more after a rail to rail surfy feeling, and that board was a big let down on that front.
I'm sure it's the same for skiers, depends if you want to privilege the tracking against the kite or the actual freeriding.

[JTKiter]

I've used all kinds of skis and snowboards for snowkiting. In my experience, it simply doesn't matter that much. Yes, you might have to adjust your angles a little here and there but it's not a big deal. I'd say use what you have.

[Windigo1]

Normal snowboard is also bad on hard surface.
I have 200 cm 35 year old blizzards skis and they work great

What would you recommend:

1) Brand new skis and bindings, Salomon, standard resort skis, parabolic, 10cm too short for me

Or

2) 30 year old skis and bindings, not in great condition

I have several pairs of 30 year old skis that I use for kiting with old bindings. A lot of people I know use them too. We test them and adjust them. I have never seen any old bindings yet that didn't work as intended and didn't release when they are supposed to. This is more of a myth propagated by ski shops to sell new bindings. If you test them and they release with a reasonable force when twisting the boot there's no reasons they won't work in the field it's a rather simple mechanism.

[Da Yoda]

This is more of a myth propagated by ski shops to sell new bindings.

I've worked in the snowsports industry for decades and it has NOTHING to do with the ski shops (aka authorized retailers) or some kind of myth.
It's the binding manufacture that dictates that a binding is NOT SAFE for use. Annually the manufactures issue a list to their dealers of what they have indemnified. It's the shop's discretion to test a non-indemnified binding, but generally they will not take on the liability. That's where trying to sell you new bindings comes in... it's about keeping you safe/uninjured.