Kite land boarding (a.k.a kite boarding; kite mountain boarding; or land kite boarding) is based on the ever growing sport of kite surfing, where the rider on a surf- style board is pulled over water by a kite. Kite land boarding involves the use of a mountain land board which essentially is an oversized skateboard with large wheels and foot straps. If you have a mountain board, and you already kite surf, making the transition to land kite boarding should not be too difficult for you.

While we were waiting for the rest of the land kite boarding group to arrive at the Mall of Asia to shoot for the week’s episode, we spotted what we were told was a kite buggy. I have never seen or heard of kite buggying, but I was not at all surprised to learn that kite buggies were first built and used in the early 1990s in New Zealand.

Kiwis are known to have the knack for creating cool and unique adventure toys just like this one. It was such a trip riding it.

The closest sport I can identify kite buggying with that I have tried is probably windsurfing. I know the kite buggy could be described as cute, but don't let this cuteness fool you. Since it gets its power source from a power kite and the wind, speeds on this buggy can exceed 50 miles per hour. If there is one thing I've learned, it's that you don't wear a helmet for nothing.

In kite buggying, the power of the wind is transferred through the pilot. This heightens the physical sensation you get when kite buggying, which makes the kite buggy very exciting to ride.

When just learning, you'll want to fly your kite in light or moderate winds before you attempt to get on your board. My partner Marc is already an intermediate kite surfer.

He goes kite surfing in Boracay every chance he gets. He was thrilled to find out that even if he did not go to the beach, he could still do something that involved flying a kite, and that all you needed was a large open space.

Even without getting on the board and was just kiting, Marc was already enjoying himself immensely.

If you don't feel like getting on a board, kiting alone can be a fun and challenging thing to do.

Unlike Marc, I am very new at flying these kites, so he was passing on to me some of his kiting knowledge. The first skill you need to learn is how to control a kite.

These types of kites are very sensitive so you have to be mindful of not pulling left or right too hard. If you pull too hard to the right or left, the kite falls towards that direction.

You need to be stirring steadily at all times. Kiting becomes difficult when the wind blows harder. You need a lot of upper body strength to resist the pull of the kite. To help you resist the pull of the kite, there are harnesses available that are specially built for land kite boarding.

Take note that when kite land boarding, use one or two kites that are smaller because on grass you will roll more easily so getting going is easier than kite surfing on water.

After learning the basics of kiting, it's time to learn to ride the landboard. The board you use in land kite boarding is a skateboard-like board. When it comes to your land board, the best choice would be one that is short enough to keep the swing weight down, yet it has a long effective edge to resist the pull of the kite.

I don't skateboard so I had to learn the basics from scratch. The skills you will need to stay on the board are pretty much the same as skateboarding. Maintaining your balance on the board in grass is not that easy. The grass is not even which causes to board to jump around a lot more.

Practicing your kiting and board skills is a must to be able to enjoy land kite boarding to the fullest.

Both the kiting and riding the board was fun and new. After we learned with the basics, it was time to put both skills into practice simultaneously.

We used a motorized pulley looking machine that pulls you on the grass. It was really awesome. There’s only one thing I can say about this machine “Filipino Ingenuity”.

Oops, safety first. If you are going to try this make sure you get geared up before you get going. This machine is a really great tool for land kite boarders. You may not be able to fly your kite due to lack of wind but you can sure be on your board 24/7 and practice your boarding skills to your hearts content.

If the wind is blowing you can reach high speeds. Even when the sunwas going down, the land kite boarders were multiplying. When all the sails were up, it looked like a circus in the sky.

One suggestion, when you are land kite boarding you need to start off by getting the kite into the neutral position overhead. Once you are strapped onto the board you can get the kite to pull you across the ground by moving the kite in either direction.

Marc seems to be struggling a bit with the kite but I will bet you my last peso… he is having a heck of a time.

I have to say that land kite boarding was difficult but the fun and the challenge make it a whole lot of fun. Oh by the way, I had a fantastic time. Next time you come to the Mall of Asia check out the open spaces. There could be kite boarders who are more than welcome to lend you their kites.