Make a handheld skating and snowboarding sail !

These unique portable folding sails are used in conjunction with skates and boards of all types by kids and adults of all ages. From summer In-line skate sailing to winter Snowboard sailing, discover the fun of using the power of the wind for free, ecological (green) energy. Other possible modes of transport include Skateboards, Mountainboards, Skate shoes, Snow skates, Ice skates, the possibilities are endless. Other skate sails cost hundreds of dollars and are rigid. This sail design folds down in seconds and weighs only a few pounds.

Step 1 Snowboard sailing on lake

Comments

[ilpug]

this is awesome, but in my experience, tent poles are always breaking. would it be ok if i used broom handles, PVC, or rope handles?

[evindrews]

I'm just asking, but how do you stop if the wind is blowing really hard? This looks very fun, I'll try it with my long board, but i'm afraid of falling off and losing the sail
>.<

[darknessfalls]

haha a few of my friends and i did this with tarps and broomsticks a year or so ago with longboards, was a ton of fun!

[aden breems]

You could never do that with a power kite!!!

[DoctorOfAwesome]

you can also use old tent poles, connect and duct tape.

[Raydoom]

Where did you get your skateboard wheels from?

[lerickson]

It is not a skate board it is a mountainboard- but for onthe road stuff search for a longboard ( it is meant for cruising on and going long distences) longboard can also make turns compared to skateboards

[Dreistein]

 could this make me go into the air

[cheeze1125]

why do u put the windows on it just makes 1 part weaker but this is a awesome ifdea

[shammallamaman]

it is for visibility, you will be facing the tarp, i can not believe how many people ask this

[THE WELDERMAN]

Let them find out the hard way as that is usually the best way to learn LOL!!

[SirBrittanicvs]

Haha, I got really bored one windy night last November so I grabbed a bedsheet, a bamboo stick and some other random stick and tried doing this down the Boston Commons. XD

[nelelr]

Has anyone seen instructions on making a "paraglider" sail on the cheap out of tarp and other materials similar to the ones this guy has shown? I read an article about guys in africa where people go paragliding sitting underneath a sail they run off of grass hills and glide to the bottom and sometimes can even catch a thermal and stay afloat for hours. apparently the locals were so intrigued that they made their own working parasails out of garbage bags and tarps etc i'd love to see some instructions for those sails they made. I guess its the same process as above just probably a different shape and probably a stacked tubular chute rather than a single sail? I really dont know enough about this can someone provide a link or type some info to give me a clue?!

[zleebme]

When it comes to paragliding i wouldn't trust a tarp to hold me a couple hundred feet in the air.

[zvillesurfer]

agreed.

[bneboys]

I did this with a big sign that people were giving out at a protest... same principle people were looking at me real weird (the sign said "drop Bush not bombs"

[NZbomber]

Hey, If i were to make a makeshift mountain board and have one of these how fast would this pull me. also would it work better if you modified one of these to use as a kite for land boarding or similar? Thanks

[Owenmon]

man if i made this today i would've been flying :D the wind was like 60 mph

[KNEX BUILDING IS FUN]

if u want, it may be helpful to the veiwers if u made a video of u making one of the ones that ur about to sell maybe with some tips on doing it that u learned throgh out all the ones u ahv made, just a thot nothin else lol thanks again for ur answers j man

[pmac93]

don't the tent poles come apart when the sail pulls on them?

[dguillot]

That is the best question I have received yet. Very 3-D and intuitively thought out. The idea is that the friction that occurs when the wind pulls and bends the poles attached by ferrules actually keeps the poles tightly in place. Ever try the Chinese finger torture device? The harder you pull, the stronger it gets. BTW this instructable is available on E-Bay under "skate sail" and will be showcased in Vegas at the 2008 International Inventor's Exposition in October.

[KNEX BUILDING IS FUN]

i coodnt find it on ebay?

[dguillot]

sry, I sold two last week and didn't re-list another. Try it now and good luck! David

[KNEX BUILDING IS FUN]

oooh i see it thanks. sorry but 50 or so is to much for me to save up, but thanks anyways, your insturctable explains it great so ill just make it myself, and then i gues post a video on youtube.com if you'd like thanks J Man

[KNEX BUILDING IS FUN]

and codnt u also put felixable plastic tubing on the betweens( in between of the sectoins) of the poles?

[KNEX BUILDING IS FUN]

how do i buy the onse available to the public? or is it free? either way is it free or how much does it cost dgulliot( the public ones )?

[cheeze1125]

what are the windows for

[shammallamaman]

you are going to be facing the tarp, so you need to see where you are going

[dguillot]

Generally the sail is in front of you so yes, They are there so you don't crash into cars and trees.

[XI3]

have you thought about making a kite version of this? mabey using a wake board handle with a rope hooked to each corner. this could get you faster (because higher up more wind.) and it would solve the visibility issue.

[gameboy7oa]

you could just probly use a tent fly alot easier then all of that work

[PYROMan1]

put a lot of rain guard on the tent fly and it works realy well

[Teh_Fluff]

try it with a ripstik/wave board/blade board

[dguillot]

FYI, first edition of these are available real cheap on E-bay. Seller even offers money for pics and vids back.

[Rye2121]

how do u get your instructables to be "featured"?

[trebuchet03]

You need to make something awesome... That includes a lot of your own (high quality) pictures. Have clear instructions, credits and applicable warnings... Novel (or seemingly novel) projects are a big bonus ;) Then, a staff member has to also think it's awesome. And then that staff member will feature it ;)

[jeffconnelly]

When I saw this instructable, I was thinking about how costly a tarp and the poles could be. I have a big roll of heavy duty plastic , and an old tent. do you think you could tell me how long your poles are? I might try this though, but with just the plastic, as the visibility would be better

[dguillot]

Great idea. I have tried that. The only thing is that you'll need to put in your own grommets. As a rule of thumb each of your poles should be a few inches less than the material sides they are attached to. Also, tarps with grommets shouldn't cost more than $5. Good Luck! Send pictures.

[The Rocketizer]

Oh. Is There a way you can put up instructions on how to make our own? Or where to get them. Looks like a cool thing

[dguillot]

Yop, sorry I just switly put it up. It is basically two fiberglass poles that are shock-chorded attached to a 8x 10' tarp with some windows cut out of it. pics and vids at www.sailskating.com