Monday AM winter laugh

what?? you don't take your cat to the top of a mountain and sail it down?

Either balls of steel or brains of chick peas. Haven't decided yet.

Love those old vids.

the double monoski right after the Hobie down the mountain was a particularly dangerous piece of equipment!!

At least you don't have to worry about going turtle in the snow on your Hobie 16.
There's that to look forward to...
Seemed easy to sail backward, too.
That's handy at the start line.

I get in nearly 70 days a winter on boards, & several decades ago we used to "gap" roads, & do some things that were destined to break bones.
Years before Sno Blades were invented we cut a set of old skis down to 18", screwed a set of bindings on & went at 'er. The idea was sound, but essentially useless til they came out with parabolics.
I have an old photo, ('70s) of my brother & I skiing with another fool on our shoulders. As in the guy was standing up on his skis, with his ski tips on my brothers shoulders, & his tails on my shoulders. It sort of worked, until we started to pick up a little speed, & had to make turns. The old straight sticks didn't carve like the new ones, & the load was rather top heavy, like 200lbs tied to your masthead. My brother chickened out on turn 3, & bailed. In this instance, "bailing" meant lifting both ski tips up above the level of his head, & chucking the whole lot to one side, as he went the other way. It didn't end well.
I thought the worst of that video was the guy at the end, that didn't quite gap the train, that is really playing with fire. Funny stuff though.

Hmm - had me thinking today. I know the ice boat guys give up when there's too much snow on the ice. What if you had -say- a foot of snow on the ice. I wonder if you could take a dagger-less boat like a H14 or 16 and try to "sail" it. Do you think you could get enough lateral purchase in the snow to convert to forward movement? I think it might just be possible. Have to figure something out with the rudders though. I have a feeling steering with weight and sails would be super important. Underlying chunks of ice might be a bit hard on the fiberglass. Just thinking... :urg:

Why not just add a pair of sleigh runner? and use a set of trailing rudder runners Like a backwards bob sled.

But then I think you would need to have a wider and flatter bottom of the hull to ski across the now and use the runner for the less deep stuff to prevent grounding. perhaps the the runner would provide that lateral purchase.

But then I think in 4 foot of snow you could pitchpole and I realize it's ideas like that that kept me out of the really good schools.

You would be better off to mount a windsurf sail to a snowboard.

At least then you would have some control.

Edited by Quarath on Jan 30, 2012 - 04:11 PM.

these things useually start off with a big jug of liquer...

coastrat wrote: these things useually start off with a big jug of liquer...

and end poorly

You would be better off to mount a windsurf sail to a snowboard.

these things useually start off with a big jug of liquer...

and end poorly

But after enough jugs, something positive has to evolve, if not we would still be paddling dugout canoes. In this case sufficient alcohol was available to create the sport of kitesurfing/kiteboarding, or whatever your locale refers to it as.
I was in Cuba over the New Year & took some lessons. Once you get control of the kite,(I've not mastered it yet), it is a really good ride. Faster than a Cat, airtime of 30+ seconds, & everything packs into a golfbag. Of course it's hard to enjoy a cold one, or take a partner. Upwind is doable with the new rigs, but not as high as a boarded Cat will go, you need to keep enough speed to plane the board you are standing on.
We have one pilot, Winnipeg based who is huge into kite boarding. In the winter he does it on a snowboard, at speeds of 60+ kph. Fences might be a real danger:-X
Here are a few clips
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUV1hahKmEc&feature=endscreen&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDHr7QzosA8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVxj1-JgxQY&feature=related

juggs of liquer = liquid courage...