GRAND FORKS (AP) - Three men crossing the state in a snowkiting expedition to demonstrate the potential for wind energy are switching to buggies instead of skis and snowboards because of a lack of snow.

The expedition, called "To Cross the Moon," takes snowkiters Sam Salwei, Paul Cassady and Jason Magness across western North Dakota, from the Canadian border to the South Dakota border, camping along the way.

Snowkiting is a wind power sport that couples skiing or snowboarding with large kites, eliminating the need for a slope. The kiter is strapped into a harness and can snowboard or ski across the plains, relying on the wind.

Since there's not enough snow, the group is using a mountain board and three-wheeled buggies powered by wind.

Cassady will be using a mountain board, which is like a skateboard with big wheels. To use the buggies, Salwei and Magness will steer the front wheel with their feet and control the kite with their hands. The wind will pull both contraptions by kite.

"None of us have ever actually used a buggy," Salwei said. "It's going to be an adventure."

The men took off from Crosby, on Feb. 11 on their second attempt to make the 390-mile trip. The first one, last winter, ended early because of warm weather.

The three faced another set of setbacks this year. Salwei dislocated his shoulder about a week into the trip, taking him out of the expedition for a few days.

"I slipped on the ice with a 60-pound backpack on," he said.

Salwei had been riding with other expedition organizers and helpers in a vehicle a few miles behind the kiters while trying to heal. A tire was damaged on his rental car Saturday while he was trying to catch up and he was stranded on a country road "somewhere in western North Dakota," he said.

The men have eight days left in the expedition plan and a long way to go.

"Things go wrong," Salwei said. "We adapt and keep going."