Landboarding

I've managed to get out a few times last week at lunch and enjoy some relatively good conditions (well for winter anyway).

I'm going to do some more experimentation with camera angles the next time the wind turns good.

Bob

Bob thats a wicked video!!
Was the cam on your helmet?
Why was there such a solid looking table in the middle of the footy field?? Lol's
What was your rail made from?

Really like the pace and the number and variety of tricks you are trying, cool. Will be good to see what you are doing in 12 months time!!!

Thanks Steve

I would have liked to get more airs into it but the one day it was windy enough, it started to rain hard and I had to pack up fast.

I shot most of the video from my helmet using the basic wide angle GoPro and I'm pretty happy with the picture quality. I also did one handed riding to get some hand held footage. You can get some good angles that way. I just need to improve my one handed flying to get some better shots.

I think all ovals should come with picnic tables, but until local authorities see the light, I'll have to bring my own. I'd love for there to be a whole park of combination kickers and rails like they have at snow parks. The trick and fun potential would be amazing.

The low rail in the video was from BigW. It set me back a big $40.00. It's perfect for learning tricks on. It's very stable and can be adjusted to three height settings. I've got two, which I use to do combination grinds, slides etc between gaps. For this to work, I need lots more wind.

Bring on the good winds.

Bob

Some good enterainment there Bob, you're lucky to have some wind over there. Just down hill runs for us Victorians at the moment, no wind.

Looked like you were spending more time in the air than on the ground. Keep the vids coming.

Norman.

thanks Norman

I can't complain about getting inconsistent wind when there are people starved of wind.

That's just plain old bad manners.

Mind you, I did see that indoor skate park that you guys have access to. Now that looks like it would provide a good alternative to those no wind days.

Bob

nice! your definatly keen. lots of action.
old school frenzy too. what year? 2006?

i need to get a gopro but funds don't allow at this stage.

Yep

It's an old school 2006 Frenzy and it works a treat - the gopro if a super unit as well. I'm like you and presently going through my garage to find things to sell to get myself a Manta. I can only dream about the extra boost and float that a Manta will provide. In the mean time, surfboards, kayaks... it all has to go.

Bob

That makes me laugh Bob, it reminds me of my garage, racing push bike (1982 vintage, goes fast), mountain bike, kayaks (all home made in the late 1970's still go great), surf board (I'm itching for summer to clock round), boggie board, then come the kites and landboards. My wife has a go at me every once in while, .... why don't you sell some of that stuff ..... .

Norman.

well i'm going to buy a gopro hd. heading off to the french alps in 3 weeks to do a week of solid mountain biking. need to document that,,,..
any negatives to the gopro?

what size frenzy? 10m.?

Be aware that the manta will not get you higher unless theres more wind. square meter for squater meter the older frnezies are more powerful and liftier in light winds.

However the old frenzies are slow indeed and brutal in the gusts.

Manta requires more initial ground speed and kite speed to get big air time.

But..... it will glide you and the glide is supreme.

So you if you like the park and ride style of the frenzy you may not like the wang it around style of the manta.

Hi Plummet

The only problem I've had with my gopro are as follows:

1) that if I leave it on for the whole time without breaking the filming, the file is very big and causes my computer problems. My solution, I stop and start the recording every 10 minutes or so.

2) at first I thought I was filming and I wasn't. You just have to be careful that you are recording (look for the flashing red light).

3) Batteries. Always start filming with new batteries. I use rechargable. There is nothing more disappointing in thinking you got a great bit of footage only to find that the camera had shut down and you have nothing.

In short, these are not really problems, but just things I've learnt over the last few weeks.

The up side, they are small, simple and enable you to capture footage anywhere. They help determine where your tricks are going wrong and what you could do to make things better. And the biggest benefit, they are fun and really easy to upload and edit.

HD will be amazing.

In regards to my Frenzy, it's 12m and turns like a tank. I've managed to do a few uphooked and hooked in kite loops with it but only in lightish winds. Half the time it doesn't make the whole loop and the sideways pull is just plain scary. I'd love a smaller faster kite to loop without the fear of death.

In terms of the manta, do you need much space to get the power out of it. The oval I use would only be about 100m wide (at best). Will this give me enough space to get the speed and power up. I love parking and riding my Frenzy but I'm willing to work the kite and have to when the wind is low.

Bob

yeah a 12m 06 frenzy would be liek a tank. i bouight a 14m for light wind and it was so tank like i sold it straight away.

i haven't flown the 12m 06 fenzy so i can't give a direct comparison. but if i compare 10m 05 frenzy to 10m manta.

the manta has way more lift but less pop. so it wont lift as high as easily. but if you wang it correctly it will lift and glide higher.

I found while the frenzy would hoik me up high straight up then float me down wind the manta would glide me up and then along more cross wind than down. for me much more fun that hoik and downwind.

The other big advantage i found on the manta is that it did drag me downwind when powered anywhere as much as the old frenzy. when it was powered it as hard to hold the edge and pop. not so on the manta you can easily hold an upwind line load and pop.

mantas loops are way powered. a 12m manta's will be more powerful that your slow 12m. imagine your thing wanging at twice the speed that where the manta will be at.

100m is doable easily in (10m size) 16+knots more diffecult sub 15. sub 15 and i have to haul at about 40kph and wang the kite for decent air. 25 knots on the 10m manta and you just need to fart and your gliding for ages.

So.... it makes for a kite with a massive wind range combared to the old frenzies that get over powered easily.


Initially was disappointed with the manta. it felt gutless and i could get anywhere near as much air out of it compared to the raw power of the frenzy. But that is because i was flying it liek a frenzy onec i leanrt to wang it an trust it i didn't look back. the dauys of slow kites are dead to me now. infact this manta is feeling slow compared to my leis!

Hi Plummet

thanks for the comments on the Manta.

It sounds like a super kite. The idea of gliding and not getting overpowered all the time would be a remarkable change. I think with a whole lot of glide time there is potential to learn a whole lot of old school tricks and get a lot of combinations happening and save the knees from hard landings.

My garage is emptying fast of unwanted bits and pieces so hopefully I will shortly be experiencing the glide power of a manta first hand.

I'd love to see some footage with your new gopro and manta.

Bob

yeah the lack of "frenzy death run" when a gust hits is very nice. mind you newer frenzies i'm told are very good and rivaling the manta! some say they are better!!

have the gopro..... now need to figure out how to edit and upload to u-tube/vimeo.

you wont see any footage for a month or so as i'm off to the french alps for some hard core mountain biking!!!! yeha!!!.

psss you wont see anyt stylee freestyle from me either. i'm all about speed and jumping distance/ stuff.

got this big boulder filled pool on the beach i'm eyeing up jumping. its about 8-10 meters across with boulders anywhere from head height to swiss ball size. should be a cool vid if i can capture that.

Lucky you Plummet

Rock, pool jumping and speed is all good. I just want to see a kite doing its thing. The bigger the better. Mind you, if there's a lot of hang time, why not tweek a grap just because you can.


Bob

i've been known to throw a grab every now and then. usually there some form of board tweeking going on.

but really freestyle isn't my thing.... none the less never say never.