Hey ya'll- first off let me thank you for all the replies and the replies to the replies... I think that made sense. Anyways, I appreciate hearing the cons as well- makes me feel like I am getting bigger picture on the Bow vs. Leading edge debate (which I can only imagine gets heated). So from what I gather so far, for LE (which is also a C kite right?) look for a Waroo and for Bow look for..... (I thought there was a recommendation but upon re-reading I see none).
Alright, to make things a little clearer about me and what I am looking for. I am 6'4", 195 lbs and have no experience with a kite and a solid background in skiing/snowboarding... just learning how to wakeboard. What I am looking for in a kite would be something stable, able to go upwind, something that is relatively easy to learn on but can still hold its own when my skills progress. It also needs to be both land, snow, water (both frozen and liquid). Sturdy is definetly a bonus. Ohh yea, and the average wind speed is around 10-11 mph.
Thanks again,
Nick

At the risk of sounding like the know it all jerk I talked of earlier, I'll give this a stab. All kites have a leading edge, even the foils which have "open" cells to trap wind. However the difference is, an inflatable kite has a solid leading edge, Im only coming into my 2nd year so take it for what its worth. Nobody here will probably tell you what kite to get or not to get, cuz in most "OTHER" forums, it tends to cause flame wars where everyone, starts of talkin what they like, then next thing you know, its F*(^K this kite cuz this and F that kite cuz of that. This forum trying to stay away from that scene, so that we can have one huge kite army to dominate action sports!! Sorry, got a little OT there. Anyway the best thing to do is try and hit up an event, and demo as many kites as you can,if a possibility, I grabbed the first guy I found on Myspace for snowkiting, Triplethreat! .Who thank god steered me in the right direction and hooked me up. Last thing, I know there is a few MN guys that come out for the Montana Kite Rodeo in Feb in MT, maybe you could hitch a ride. Thats always worth a roadtrip. Good luck

All Brands are created EQUAL. Try them all don't take anyones word for it. The differences between the different styles vary greatly as you can see. Welcome to the forum. Lets start with the basics. How about some lessons and Places for you to try things out.

Nice icon Craz!! Good stuff. What? too much pimpin and flamin goin on here!?

No everyone gets to excited quickly lets not blow his mind with crazy stuff. How about getting him hooked up with someone to fly with? Maybe someone that can let him try some things and maybe learn to walk before he can fly. You know the begining.

Ok, heres at least one spot to start, sorry bout that Craz is kinda right. Heres the link to TripleThreats post of one tour, Feb 22-24th in MN. But theres more out there also like Craz says and they all will rock! Im sure. But you should still make the trip to the rodeo!

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=99

I agree with everyone else. Try out different kites before sinking too much money. Try going to a demo or buying a used kite first. I personally like the LEI hybrids like the NORTH Vegas but I do also fly and sell other kites. What you are going to be using the kite for most is the main factor to look at. Land, water, snow. Then look at the typical wind conditions at your main riding areas. This can help you narrow down your search for the right kite.

Let me explain the terminology just a little bit. I'm a water guy - so these are descriptions for kites mainly designed for the water.

LEI - stands for leading edge inflatable. This covers Bow Kites and C Kites.
SLE - Supported Leading Edge. This is pretty similar to a bow kite. Its basically an LEI with a bridle. Waroos and Rhinos are a good example of these.
Hybrids - there are a ton of hybrids between C and Bow kites - too many to explain. But basically there are bow kites trying to get the advantages of C kites and C kites trying to get the advantages of bow kites.

Bow kites - Have a wide wind range, more power meter for meter, and have the awesome ability to depower. So when you are learning and you over correct you don't get chucked (yarded - launched) - you just let the bar out and the vast majority of the power is let out.

C Kites - traditional kite - shaped like a C - hence the name. These kites are known for their stability. However, they have less wind range than the bow kites and not as much depower. If you hear people talk about the shock factor when you first get the kite - C kites do have a shock factor - meaning if you over correct (which is normal when learning) you will probably get yarded - lauched down wind. (It can be fun though - but sort of dangersous )

OK - I agree that checking out kites is the absolute best thing - because kites are like cars - There is no one car for everyone, different people have different experiences with the same kite, and you need to figure out what your preference is.

If you are going to flying in light winds - 10 to 11 mph you are going to want to get a light wind specific kite. If you can - check out the 16M vegas. That would be a good size for someone your weight and the vegas has a lot of low end power - thats what a lot of guys use out here in the North West when kiting in light winds. Also, check out the Sling Shot machine - 17.5M would be a good size for you. SS quit making these in 06. These are light wind specific kites and you can find these pretty cheap. Complete for less than $300.

Keep in mind - bigger does not necessarily mean better. If you have a choice between a 16 and a 19 meter vegas - the 16 would probably work better - its going to turn much faster and have a better wind range. Someone your size really wouldn't need something so large.

So I will qualify my statements - these are my experiences only based on three years of water kiting. There are many, many great kites out there - check out as many as you possibly can.

By the way - both the vegas and the SS Machine are C kites. Just an FYI.

Thanks for all the great advise ya'll. Based on all the recommendations, I will be keeping my eyes out for a nice used bow kite. I like the depower aspect and the wide wind range. Up here in Minneapolis, we have many a day were the wind blows steady at 10-15 and gusts around the 20mph range so the one bow kite should work out to begin with.
So yea, if any of ya'll are riding around the Minneapolis area- be expecting me to wander on over and ask some advise of ya. Also, if you stumble on a good deal for said bow kite let me know. I would be most appreciative.

Cheers,
Nick