Kite Powered Landboarding?

vikb · Post by **vikb** » Fri May 01, 2009 9:40 am

I've tried the search function and turned up a ton of unrelated posts!

2009 will be my second time on the playa and I'd like to bring my mtn board and some kites to play with and use for transport. I've seen mtn boards with wind surfer sails on them and some sail powered buggies, but note any power kiters on mtn boards.

I wanted to touch base with other kiters of folks with sails on their mtn boards to see if there was anything special I needed to consider when coming to the burn.

If you have any info or know of someplace online with info I'd love to hear about it.

namaste,

Vik

Post by **AntiM** » Fri May 01, 2009 10:26 am

On the main site, under Mutant Vehicles, kite-powered vehicles are not allowed:

Wind-Powered Vehicles that Do Not Conform to the Wind-Powered Guidelines
Kite-sailing vehicles, land yachts, and wind-powered vehicles that have a fixed mast and weigh more than 50 pounds are not allowed to operate within Black Rock City. You may take your wind-powered vehicle to the Black Rock Airport and operate/store it there.

Now, does that mean your board too? Mebbe. Not a good choice on the streets, just too crowded sometimes. Open playa? Might work, although the surface was atrocious last year, as you know.

vikb · Post by **vikb** » Fri May 01, 2009 10:32 am

[quote="AntiM"]On the main site, under Mutant Vehicles, kite-powered vehicles are not allowed:

[quote]Wind-Powered Vehicles that Do Not Conform to the Wind-Powered Guidelines
[b]Kite-sailing vehicles[/b], land yachts, and wind-powered vehicles that have a fixed mast and weigh more than 50 pounds are not allowed to operate within Black Rock City. You may take your wind-powered vehicle to the Black Rock Airport and operate/store it there. [/quote]

Now, does that mean your board too? Mebbe. Not a good choice on the streets, just too crowded sometimes. Open playa? Might work, although the surface was atrocious last year, as you know.[/quote]

No just on the open playa....too dangerous for use anywhere not open and uncrowded. I wasn't at the burn in 2008. I was there in 2007 for my first time and the playa surface was quite reasonable.

Post by **AntiM** » Fri May 01, 2009 10:41 am

In 2008, the surface was uneven and rutted, many dunes and dustpits. We couldn't even pedal the four-wheeled bike in some areas. Walking sucked.

When you post, there are boxes below. Uncheck the disable BBCode and the quotes function will work for you.

Sail Man · Post by **Sail Man** » Fri May 01, 2009 11:16 am

I saw a guy on a motorized surfboard last year. While I thought it was pretty cool I sure hope he didnt take anybody out with it.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Fri May 01, 2009 11:23 am

Wind-sailing is done. Perhaps you could do that, or at least use the rules as a basis for understanding what you might have to do with the kites.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Fri May 01, 2009 12:03 pm

Landsailers have six inch wheels I think, not sure what kind of tires they use on the playa.

Outside the airport gate you might hit "transient" dunes that may be soft or hard, gravel patches, wheel ruts, potato-chip crusty ground, mud, hardpack, dust, just about anything.

dragonfly Jafe · Post by **dragonfly Jafe** » Fri May 01, 2009 12:11 pm

I don't work for the ORG, but my understanding is that ANY wind vehicle with a rope is not allowed inside BRC due to the risk of injury to bystanders. If you want to kite surf, exit BRC through the airport and hit the open playa (be sure you have your ticket stub to get back in!).

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Fri May 01, 2009 12:56 pm

Read careful kiddies.

Kite-sailing vehicles, ... that have a fixed mast and weigh more than 50 pounds are not allowed to operate within Black Rock City.

vikb · Post by **vikb** » Fri May 01, 2009 1:58 pm

Okay...I understood BRC to be the portion of the burn where people were camped and didn't appreciate it included everything inside the gate. So I'd have to leave the fenced area via the airport to use a kite and board.

Not ideal, but I understand the intent and it's a good detail to know before I get there.

Any idea where the airport will be in 2009? I looked at some maps, but it's not shown.

namaste,

Vik

SnowBlind · Post by **SnowBlind** » Fri May 01, 2009 2:33 pm

vikb wrote:Any idea where the airport will be in 2009? I looked at some maps, but it's not shown.

Its shown on the official 2008 Map, its in the southeast corner, behind the walk in camping. The airport road leads off from 5:00.

PDF of the map: http://www.burningman.com/media/doc/pre ... 08_map.pdf

vikb · Post by **vikb** » Fri May 01, 2009 2:40 pm

SnowBlind wrote:
vikb wrote:Any idea where the airport will be in 2009? I looked at some maps, but it's not shown.
Its shown on the official 2008 Map, its in the southeast corner, behind the walk in camping. The airport road leads off from 5:00.

PDF of the map: http://www.burningman.com/media/doc/pre ... 08_map.pdf

Excellent...

Thanks to everyone for their help...I appreciate it.

namaste,

Vik

chiefdanfox · Post by **chiefdanfox** » Fri May 01, 2009 3:06 pm

Perhaps I missed something, but I thought a large chunk of the playa surrounding the trash fenced area was closed to the public during and a couple of weeks on either side of festival week. I thought I read that on the permit or environmental report...In other words it is my understanding that one cannot use the playa outside of the trash fence (airport obviously excluded). It is a barrier area for the festival, and I think as a barrier it is quite wide, on the order of miles wide.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Fri May 01, 2009 3:32 pm

How much does your rig weigh?

vikb · Post by **vikb** » Fri May 01, 2009 3:41 pm

Ugly Dougly wrote:How much does your rig weigh?

Kite = 5lbs
Board = 10-15lbs

...say 25lbs max.

Here is what we are talking about for clarity:

chiefdanfox · Post by **chiefdanfox** » Fri May 01, 2009 3:43 pm

Follow up on the federal closure orders:
http://www.nv.blm.gov/Winnemucca/NEPA/b ... ndices.pdf
I got some of it mixed up, but I don't think you can leave via the airport and get onto the open playa, and the area of closure to all public uses varies every year, around the airport, ticket area and entrance. I still recall seeing a map that displayed a rather wide closure area. Maybe that was just to firearms and motorized vehicles (hot lead and dust control measures).

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Fri May 01, 2009 4:33 pm

So going back to the rulebook, I think that it says anything under 50 pounds is permitted.
Or is my puny barbaric brain missing something?

bdeywoo · Post by **bdeywoo** » Fri May 01, 2009 4:49 pm

Ugly Dougly wrote:So going back to the rulebook, I think that it says anything under 50 pounds is permitted.
Or is my puny barbaric brain missing something?

Under 50lbs is OK, I see them every year outside the last streeet on the 9 O Clock side between the event and the highway on the event side of the trash fence.

dragonfly Jafe · Post by **dragonfly Jafe** » Fri May 01, 2009 7:00 pm

remember, Eplaya is a social bulletin board.

http://www.burningman.com/on_the_playa/ ... index.html

What Vehicles Are Verboten (Like, Totally Forbidden)?

The following vehicles are not allowed, under any circumstances, to drive in Black Rock City. Be aware that operating these vehicles at Burning Man can result in your vehicle being impounded, and you being fined by law enforcement and/or ejected from the event...Wind-Powered Vehicles that Do Not Conform to the Wind-Powered Guidelines; Kite-sailing vehicles, land yachts, and wind-powered vehicles that have a fixed mast and weigh more than 50 pounds are not allowed to operate within Black Rock City. You may take your wind-powered vehicle to the Black Rock Airport and operate/store it there.

so NO kite powered vehicles (or land yachts, or wind powered vehicles that way over 50 lbs.)

Post by **mdmf007** » Fri May 01, 2009 7:03 pm

What about my patchouli powered dream machine?

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Fri May 01, 2009 11:45 pm

The issue would be braking -- you can't stop a landsailer or a kite buggy on a dime to avoid dirt-camouflaged hippies.

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Sat May 02, 2009 2:47 am

Bob wrote:The issue would be braking -- you can't stop a landsailer or a kite buggy on a dime to avoid dirt-camouflaged hippies.

I'm thinking, after almost getting run down twice last year by "land sailing board riders" of carrying a mace.........
goes with the barbarian camp, and, feels good to hit with........

Sail Man · Post by **Sail Man** » Sat May 02, 2009 11:32 am

ygmir wrote:
Bob wrote:The issue would be braking -- you can't stop a landsailer or a kite buggy on a dime to avoid dirt-camouflaged hippies.
I'm thinking, after almost getting run down twice last year by "land sailing board riders" of carrying a mace.........
goes with the barbarian camp, and, feels good to hit with........

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Sat May 02, 2009 1:41 pm

Sail Man wrote:
ygmir wrote:
Bob wrote:The issue would be braking -- you can't stop a landsailer or a kite buggy on a dime to avoid dirt-camouflaged hippies.
I'm thinking, after almost getting run down twice last year by "land sailing board riders" of carrying a mace.........
goes with the barbarian camp, and, feels good to hit with........

vikb · Post by **vikb** » Sat May 02, 2009 4:14 pm

It sounds like folks are kite boarding inside the fence, but out on the playa away from installations & people.

I'll bring my gear and talk to the DMV and a few rangers before I do any boarding. From what I understand I can fly my kites in a static location as long as I am away from anything I could damage. That's lots of fun even without a board.

Thanks again for the replies....

namaste,

Vik

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Sun May 03, 2009 12:27 am

Um, no. You're supposed to do it outside the fucking fence. Can't you fucking read?

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Sun May 03, 2009 12:29 am

Sorry, your fucking smarmy "namaste" PISSED ME THE FUCK OFF.

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Sun May 03, 2009 5:09 am

*chuckling*

mrzuka · Post by **mrzuka** » Sun May 03, 2009 12:18 pm

I was searching for the same info and it looks like you can't
No kite- powered vehicles
at the bottom of the page under:
What Vehicles Are Verboten (Like, Totally Forbidden)?
http://www.burningman.com/on_the_playa/ ... index.html

vikb · Post by **vikb** » Mon May 04, 2009 6:54 am

Bob wrote:Sorry, your fucking smarmy "namaste" PISSED ME THE FUCK OFF.

No worries...

If that word causes you to freak out than you've got enough problems to deal with without me getting pissed off at you. Good luck!

namaste,

Vik

Kite Powered Landboarding?

Kite Powered Landboarding?

It looks like No