Kiting specific Snowboard design and size thoughts?

[Anthonyshopguy]

I'm starting to get very frustrated with snowboarding with my kite. I, like many people could loose some weight. I've always been heavy, very big boned. In my defense i played football and ran track in high school and graduated at 212 pounds. Yesterdays scale 216 4 pounds difference. Also being honest it's moved around a little . My problem is this, and I know some of you will not feel bad for me, POWDER!!! I FALL in and can't stay on top. Everybody on skies seems to have no problems. I've been thinking of making my own snowboard. My biggest is 173 which helps but is still not enough! I also need a split board so I can go further out. This weekend was me watching people go miles away from our starting point with me venturing a little more than a half mile. Every time I hit powder my front end would dig in and down I would go. This is getting ridiculous.

I started on a skate board made of an old board and a split in two metal wheeled roller skate. My first day on a snowboard I was on blue runs. I instruct disabled snowboarding. I know for a fact how rare it is to get going on Blue runs on your first day! My first day wake Boarding, 12 young healthy teenagers nobody got up. Me 43 years old got up and around the lake twice before I dropped with exhaustion. The boat owner thought I had lied about never wakeboarding before. My response, I've never done it before but I love it can we go again

Which brings me back to my original problem, I love boarding! But I'm really struggling to keep up with the Jones's on skies. I can Ski but my knees hate it. I want to board, stay on top at least reasonably and have the capability to walk out (split). I've searched online, the largest standard board is 172cm. I need thoughts and suggestions. Length? Side cut? Camber¿? Kiting specific boards and last but not least foot position. I believe a 10 to 12 degree opposed stance is good for learning on a Ski hill (helps you to go both directions), but I've been rethinking this for snowkiting. I'm going to back that down to about 6 degrees today and give it a whirl.

Any way I believe this is my longest post ever I would love some input. I searched the forum and nobody has touched on this topic. You should check out the thread on twin tips 8 pages long!

See you all in the snow i will still be Knuckle dragging!

[Greenturtle]

Ive started using the relatively new boards that have rocker (in between the bindings, not just at tips) and they float up in deep snow better than my old cambered boards for-sure

And yes I do not feel bad for you at all

[fernmanus]

Hi Anthony,

Your top priority should be safety if you travel far from the launch. We have had kiters spend an entire night just post-holing back to the road. You need to be prepared to get back if the wind dies. You can carry snowshoes, use a split board or a ski touring setup. The snowboard and snowshoes is the least expensive proposition, but be aware that snowshoes while better than postholing are far less efficient than a touring setup. So if you pick that option, I recommend staying within 2 miles of the launch.

There are big boards out there. Rad Air makes long boards. I had a 200cm board a couple years ago. You can find them used if you search around on the web.

Finding a long split board is going to be a challenge and if you do it will not be cheap.

Big fat touring skis are a good option. They get expensive because the package of touring skis, bindings, skins, collapsible poles, and avy gear add up. However, that is the best option if you want to range long and far. Skis are also the best light wind option. When the wind is super light, skis will give you an extra edge.

I carry touring gear and a snowboard. I use the board on powder days and skis for packed conditions or long tours. This year we have had so much powder that is has all been boarding days. Hope to see you out here soon!

[lewmt]

Bigger & wider will definitely be your friend. A split board will be your safety mechanism. Mine has probably saved my life at least once & saved hours of aggravated post holing numerous times. It is really easy to get a kit to make a split board once you've found the board you like. The 1st step is to find a water jet cutting shop near you. They will cut your board in 1/2 perfectly & with the cleanest possible cut you can imagine.....then install the kit. Most factory split boards are pretty directional meaning they'll go 1 direction well but the opposite direction will be short nosed & tend to dive. Reverse camber/reverse rocker twin tip will help in powder but might be squirrely on hardpack. Spectacular though in deep fluff. Don't be afraid to go big on kite size when its deep. You definitely want a centered stance position on your board a true twin tip shape & pretty equal foot position. I've done 3 custom splits from a factory twin tip and by the time you buy the kit & have the water jet cutting done its about the same overall cost as a factory split. I'd also recommend Spark R&D splitboard bindings. They are so simple, light(which also helps in deep powder), hold up really well, and make the transition from board to ski mode as easy & uncomplicated & fast as possible & everything can be done with gloves on.

[Anthonyshopguy]

I'm correcting myself with a bit more research I did find a thread on this topic. Thanks for the hint on spark bindings. And I never thought of water jetting the board. Unfortunately the Rad boards mentioned by Fernmanus are directional. Does any other manufacturers make longer or wider twin tips?

[lewmt]

You may not have to go as long with R. camber/R sidecut. Basically an oval shaped board that is very wide through the center. Lib Tech was making a board called the banana hammock & really not sure of other builders of boards with similar shape. If you see an old Ozone board - they have that shape & a guy in Utah used to make a board under the 3D name with that shape. You might possibly be able to talk to the guys at Never Summer. They do everything by hand on their splits and might possibly do some kind of custom for you.

[Anthonyshopguy]

[quote You might possibly be able to talk to the guys at Never Summer. They do everything by hand on their splits and might possibly do some kind of custom for you.quote]
Funny how things work. I just spent the last two days watching 4 videos on making a board from beginning to end by Never Summer. I'm retired from teaching industrial arts. Never Summer started in a high School mass production class. One of my favorite classes to teach and a favorite story I tell many people. I think it's time to write a letter.

[Slappysan]

Sounds like you need width more than length, consider the Jones Solution 169W splitboard:
https://www.jonessnowboards.com/en-CA/g ... rd.html#01