Wind skating
Wind skating (also land surfing ) is the transfer of the sport of windsurfing from the water to the land. In this sport, a surf rig ( sail , mast, boom ) is mounted on a longboard or all-terrain board, which moves on rollers. Standing on the board, the energy of the wind is used with the sail to move.
For a locomotion similar to gliding when windsurfing in the water, significantly less wind is required than on the water, since the rolling resistance is very low. From 3 wind strengths ( Bft ) an ideal sailing with sail sizes of approx. 4.7 m² - 5.5 m² is possible.
Many types of tacking and jibing can be used to change direction . The tricks and maneuvers with the sail are much easier to learn than on the water with windsurfing.
Driving technique
As with windsurfing, depending on the course , you bring the sail into a certain position towards the wind in order to generate propulsion.
The direction can only be changed by foot control, as is usual when riding a longboard . Similar to windsurfing on plane.
Turning and jibing can be done in different ways, whereby the classic turn like on the water with windsurfing is not actually done. Turning and jibing are easier to drive than windsurfing, as the rollers hardly cause you to lose any speed during maneuvers. Many windsurfing maneuvers , such as Duck Jibe, Heli Tack, Push Tack, Duck Tack, Conca Tack, 360 also in variants with Clew First (boom end towards the front), Switch Stance (feet are in the other direction) can be learned very quickly. Some tricks from the skateboard or longboard area with the board are also possible, such as B. Slides or turning the board over the nose, jumps around the mast, jumps on the board while the sail flies in the wind.
Material and accessories
board
Longboards with a center distance of 1 m or longer are suitable for driving on asphalt . The board should be relatively wide at the foot positions in order to be able to steer easily. For some advanced tricks the board needs a nose or tail. These are ends of the board that protrude beyond the axis, possibly slightly bent upwards.
All-terrain boards are used for driving on grass or other rough ground .
axes
The axes determine the steering behavior, the steering radius and, in some cases, the height of the board above the asphalt. They can also be responsible for the lurching at higher speeds. Top mount and drop-through or drop-in axles can be used.
The axes should only be so wide that the rollers hardly protrude over the edge of the board. Otherwise it can happen that you push your rear wheel into your heel when you stop or push. This also happens with all-terrain boards.
roll
The size must be adapted to the construction of the board and the width of the axle so that there is no wheelbite (grinding of the roller on the board with a tight curve). The hardness and shape of the role depends on the preferred driving style. When driving in a straight line at high speeds, "grip rollers" are mostly used; these consist of a softer polyurethane mixture. For tricks with slides you can use slide rollers, these consist of a harder polyurethane mixture, this and the adapted shape of the rollers allow easier gliding over the ground. When sliding, make sure that the rollers keep moving so that no flat spots are ground into the rollers.
Rig
The rig is the complete unit of mast, mast cup or mast extension , boom and sail . This equipment is adopted from windsurfing. Older, robust material is well suited for use on the asphalt.
The rig can either be screwed to the longboard with the mast foot or the power joint is screwed directly to the longboard. In both cases, a hole for an M8 screw must be drilled in the longboard. Preferably directly behind the front axle, so that the screw or nut fits easily behind the axle. Alternatively, a thread can be pressed into the board.