Snow & Power Kites

Both foil kites and leading-edge inflatable can be used on the snow. Foil kites are often popular because of their high efficiency, durability, and quick setup. Many foils kites come ready-to-fly, meaning the bar and lines are already attached to the kite (due partially to the complex bridle system). Because of this, you’ll want to be very deliberate when putting away your snow kite so the lines don’t get tangled. Inflatable kites work well also, but depending on the temperatures, tinkering with small parts can be insufferable. Also, collisions into ice and hard snow formations are much more likely to cause damage/puncture the bladder.

For most conditions you’ll want to use a kite a few sizes smaller than you would on the water due to less friction. For small riders, a trainer kite will even work well, and on many trainer kites the bar can be modified with a strap to work with a harness (link to harness line fix). Foils will also be more efficient than their LEI counterparts, another important consideration when deciding what kite is right for you. The Apex and Matrixx foil kites are both shop favorites, offering lots of performance while providing ample amounts of depower. The Tensor series works well, but doesn’t offer sheetable depower, which can make longer sessions exhausting on the arms.