Development of skis for snowy conditions

My beloved kitebuggy is not very useful in snow. To fix this problem, I decided to make a set of skis to replace the usual wheelbarrow wheels.

In the closeup, you can see my new front axle retention system (Illustrated below). Right click and "view image" for higher resolution.

I decided to develop a new front axle retention system. Previously, the front axle was lashed into place with 1/8" cord.

The new axle retention system allows for a quick change from skis to wheels.

For a first test, the rear skis were setup with 0 degrees of camber (not ideal).

Further tests revealed that 15 deg camber provided superior lateral stability.

Testing on the local sledding hill

Unfortunately I finished the skis on a zero wind day (typical). 

Concluding Remarks:

Performance: This solution allows for kiting in a narrow range of snow conditions. I have found that these skis tend to act as snowplows in powder. The ideal conditions for this rig seem to be firmly packed wet snow (typically found after a few weeks of letting powder compact). This machine is truly awesome as a sled! Unsurpassed stability (thanks to a 48" rear axle).

Possible improvements: Although this initial design isn't the most beautiful, it allowed me to quickly test the viability of kite buggy skis. The performance of the front ski could be dramatically improved through the addition of a central "keel" (possibly a teflon strip 3/8" X 3/8"). No matter what improvements I make, nothing can match the versatility of kiteskiing.

References/ Previous Attempts

To the South Pole with kites

Popeye the Welder's collection of snow buggies

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