Land Surfing... Anyone have any tips on Boards?

[whitevan01]

[neverboard]

Indeed safety is paramount. I always wear a helmet and recently got padded hockey shorts. Good high top shoes as well are key. I'm a life long skateboarder and still ride parks in my mid-40s and every time there's some shredders usually in low teens in a 5-10 foot cement bowls with no helmet or padding. I met a guy who a week later died, he was wearing a helmet but did not strap it and fell in a 10 foot bowl.

Pavement should be for low winds, around 8-12 is ideal and 15 max with a small sail such as a 4.0.

Soft wheels such as long board wheels - 78a-87a(durometer) even for a short board work well. Small rocks can cause you to fall but soft wheels help and going at least 5mph helps to bounce out the small rocks.

[judd7925]

We did this 25 years ago with extended axles on skateboard trucks and wheel barrow wheels. The deck was traced from the back end of an AHD wave board. The park where we sail had a large beach and a field of mowed grass.
Lay downs and duck gybes at speed were very easy.

I would like to get back into this sailing again. It will not be used on asphalt. Any web sites that sell these boards for wind surfing gear? Any specific recommendations for mountain boards that can be modified? Can I get the axles/wheels and make my own deck?

[fox]

I would part with 1 or 2 Norblan Speedsails. PM me if you are interested.

[DelCarpenter]

Fox, I'm curious about the Norblan Speedsails. Is that the board or the sail?

Has anyone tried a Turf de Ville mountain board for land sailing? I'm concerned about the 9.5" height of the deck, and the narrowness of the axles, but intrigued by the 57.5" deck length. I'm buying a used one through Craigslist.

[fox]

The speedsail is the board or "deck". 15" front trucks, 25" rear trucks, sealed bearing wheels, 12 1/2" x 2 1/4" tires. The deck is just a 6 1/2' slab of teak.

Pictures here https://www.facebook.com/128280257191921/photos/ms.c.eJw9zskJADEQA8GMljk8h~;JPbMHCehY0SF7uQJhXdyM~;p8~;1Qj4wswh5IzOrnov9yuxdZn~_em~;3I7E1mrz~;Dvp~;39q69Za89sNce2M8PquIwXQ~-~-.bps.a.151199034900043.26245.128280257191921/151199254900021/?type=3&theater

[DelCarpenter]

Another land sailing tip: In slower wind I find starting to move is easier if I reduce the weight over the front wheels.

Norblan Speedsail: Looks like they are even higher off the ground than the Turf de Ville, so I shouldn't be concerned about that.

Fox, A friend using a quite long longboard skateboard has his mast base far enough behind the front wheels to do tacks. One of the attractions to me of the Norblan Speedsail is the extra length of the deck potentially allowing tacks. Do you have your Speedsail boards set with mast bases far enough back to allow tacks? Are your Speedsail boards from the French company or from the California company?

I'm interested in buying a Speedsail, but I live in IA so transportation would be a problem. Eventually I'll travel to Maine to visit friends, but not this year.

[isobars]

I wore full motocross gear* even on grass (e.g., corporate lawns, public parks, campus), and still quit because of the carnage among our group. Even the guys who escaped fractures still sprained ankles (which heal more slowly and often never completely compared to broken bones).

Don't forget that Stretzel was killed at a walking pace as Ken Winner strolled alongside. Pavement is unforgiving at any speed.

* Many pieces of which were added after an injury, as Joe stated. I ended up wearing -- and benefiting from -- several pieces of pro football armor. (Some of my buds laughed ... all the way to the ER.)

Enjoy.

[judd7925]

Norbian speedsail does not show up on the web. Terrasail has a board but the deck appears to be small (41 in x 18 in). Too narrow to gybe? Any others?

[fox]

My speedsails are from France. The deck is ~ 8" off the ground accounting for the truck height and half the wheel diameter. The decks came with the mast foot ~ 16" back from the nose of the deck. We all drilled a new hole ~ 24" back to facilitate high speed tacks, monkey jibes, etc.

The boards top out at ~ 20 mph in the sand. The worst falls I've had are when you hit the sand and don't roll, but rather stick. I don't go near pavement. The helmet depends on wind speed, but I always where a helmet on the water and the ice.

Everything about the board makes it behave a lot like a windsurfer. I have practiced transitions on the beach and taken them right to the water.

PM me if you want pictures/videos or more info. I will figure out what it would cost to ship one. I'm guessing ~ $45