Mountainboarding on sand is a practice that can take many forms and shapes, some of which are particularly creative.

If you think you can’t practice windsurfing on land, think again –sand kitesurfing (a.k.a.sand kiting) is a thing and it’s here to stay.

Unlikeregular sand dune surfing, this new sport is hardly recognized, despite the fact that it can be practiced virtually anywhere there is soft sand and a windy weather, without the need for steep dunes.

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What is sand kiting

Sand kitingis to kitesurfing whatsandboarding is to snowboarding.

It was a matter of time before extreme sports enthusiasts would attempt to harness the power of wind to surf on sand dunes using a power kite.

Sand kiteboarding can be practiced by attaching a really long and wide deck to alandboard (i.e. an all-terrain mountain board) or akite buggy (also called aparakart).

The practice of kiteboarding on land is also calledlandboarding, with sand kiting being a subniche of landboarding practiced specifically on sand terrains.

Confused? Yet another variant of sand kiting involves the use ofsand skis instead of a mountainboard, and takes the name ofsandkite skiing.

And wait until I tell you aboutgrassboarding andvolcanoboarding…

Where can you practice sand kiting

There are no specific sites dedicated to sand kiting, and it’s the boarder responsibility to assess whether a location is suitable for practicing this sport.

The “SHOE” rule of landboarding applies:

• Surface – Is the terrain suitable for landboarding? Hard sand is a great surface to landboard on.
• Hazards – Are you in a big open space away from downwind hazards?
• Other People – Are you on a quiet beach or field? Give other beach users space and keep them safe.
• Environment – How windy is it? How does the tide affect you? Are you using the correct equipment?

Landboarding on sand is commonly practiced in parks, sports fields, hard-packed sandy beaches and dry lake beds.

Kite surfing tricks on sand

Ramp jumping,air flips,spinning,sliding andmid-air rotations are all possiblesand kiting stunts you can perform.

Virtually any trick you can perform on water, you can perform on land with your sandkite, although it won’t be as easy.

• ramp jumping;
• air rotations, such as 180 or 360 degrees;
• forward and backward flips;
• grabbing the board’s front or back when in the air;
• ‘Board off’ movements includetossing or flipping the board in the air without the rider’s feet touching it;
• Sliding, doing ‘wheelies,’ or riding away from the kite

Sand kiteboarding equipment

Amountain board orkite buggy is generally used for kiteboarding on sand, with the kite making use of the power of wind to stretch the athlete through a series of strings while riding on sand.

Other necessary gear involves elbow andknee pads,helmets, andgoggles– depending on location, one may be more important than the other.

Landboards

As far as boards go, anall-terrain mountainboard works best.

Make sure it’s got bindings and is not too heavy, theMBS Core 94 is possibly the best performer currently on the market.

You can modify any lightweight mountainboard to have bigger and even lighter wheels in order to ride more smoothly on soft sand.

MBS Core 94

Lightweight board that will perform greatly on any terrain, from grass to dirt.

It’s good value for money, has strong bindings and makes an overall great kiting landboard.

[Check Price] [MBS Store]

Kites

The best type of kite for kitesurfing on sand are depowerableram-air foil kites, like theOcean Rodeo Flite Kitesurfing Kite.

A depower kite allows you to tie a depower control bar to the kite and change the power while riding it.

To increase power, pull the bar towards your body; to increase your flying pace, pull it further away from you.

Ocean Rodeo Flite Kitesurfing Kite

This is a pricey kite but you won’t find anything else like it performance-wise.

It’s extremely lightweight and rides well on light wind conditions.

The bridle system allows you to turn this into a depower kite by attaching a control bar.

If you are a real kiting enthusiast it is well worth the money!

[Check Price] [Control Bar] [Ocean Rodeo Store]

Kite Landboarding Competitions

Intrigued? Have a look at the followingKiteboarding Race (“Rally dos Ventos”) organized by RedBull across the Brazilian Desert in 2014, and let us know your experiences and opinions about this emerging sport.

Sandsports

Sandboarding Sand Sledding Volcano boarding

Sand Skiing Sand Kiting

Desert Racing Dune Bashing

Desert Travel Desert Camping Desert Running

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Your n°1 source of information on the world of sandsports and desert adventure travel. Our articles are the result of extensive research, personal experience, and knowledge-sharing within the global sandboarding community.