Ben Hill - Landboarding

Hi all! well what can i say!....... I have been flying kites since i was 21 when i got a bart simpson stunt kite that was designed for kids(so suitable for me!) I had a friend that had a flexifoil super 10 which was great fun and i did like it but i wanted to progress in the stunt kite direction. i proceeded to buy a flexifoil carl robertshaw stunt kite which i flew for about a year. after that i got bored and needed more, then somebody introduced me to power kites!

Well this was a hell of a shock!! i didnt think a kite would be capable of pulling me across the floor! i treated myself to a 2.5m flexifoil bullet which i agian flew for about a year before i felt i needed more but before i got a bigger kite i saw a guy on a board thingy on his feet! i thought to myself 'that looks fun' so i got a board which to todays standards was pretty much a stable door with flat tyres! after realising i needed to be out in hurricanes to get anywhere on the kite i had i went to get a new kite which was a 5.5m flexifoil bullet (can you see a patern forming here 'flexifoil') which was a big jump for me i had a few scary moments but soon learnt that there was safer ways to fly! i kept this set up for about again a year i learnt to jump and tried to learn to spin but the kite was not giving me enough lift!

This is when i got introduced to depower kites so i sold my 5.5m and decided to bite the 'bullet' (see what i did there) and get some i went to see andy and he had these second hand wait for it................. Cabrinha accesses (haha got you not flexifoil anymore) 9&12m which i then learnt how to jump high and hang for longer which helped the progression! i was a bit of a loner in the sport then! again i kept this set up for quite a while i bought a new board at this time which which is an mbs comp 90 which is lighter so easier to jump higher!

After this i decided to upgrade my kites to something a little more ME!! so i got bow kites which are a lot more stable and poppier! i got a 10m and 16m best bularoo which i love to bits they suit my style really well and we get on well! after getting these i joined a forum called Racekites.com which i started to meet more people down the beaches. so i started to socialise in my local spot Blackheath,i met Owen Bishop who is the camera guy who has a fantastic eye for the sport likes to fly but there is NEVER ANY WIND!!! also hates the warrior bugs! Simon Harwood (aka superman ask the pavement) i met next who i helped along the way and has come along very well! and then Ross Rix 'the other psycho' who is a very competant flyer whom i enjoy nothing but big air sessions with! All in All this sport is not for the faint heated at this level but early stages anybody can enjoy it if you ever see any of us dont be afraid to come say hi we dont bite.......... well i might!

Anyway thanks for reading this take care and fly safe!!

Double-B