Latest winter sports trend
Many winter sports enthusiasts want something different sooner or later. Well, you can! There is plenty to do in icy snow areas. How about snow kiting, for example?
If you ever get on winter sports you will continue to feel the longing each winter to return to the snowy peaks and powdery slopes. Winter sports are addictive. And yet, even snowboarding gets boring one day. Then cling to a snow kite!
Where can you kite?
When you go snowkiting you are whizzing over the snow plain of a glacier. In the Netherlands we have our own variant of snowkiting: kitesurfing. Kitesurfers stand on a surfboard and let the wind pull them over the water with the help of a gigantic, partially inflatable kite.
When the wind is right and strong enough, you will see colorful kites and kiters everywhere racing over the water and making spectacular jumps. The craze is growing explosively and is comparable to the previous madness around windsurfing. Kiting is also possible on land and in the snow. Snowkiting is the newest and most exciting variant.
The technique
The technique of all forms of kiting is almost the same. So if you can already kitesurfing, you have an advantage in snow kiting. Depending on how hard the wind blows, kites are flown with a surface of 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 or 18 square meters.
When snowkiting, you stand on regular snowboards or skis. Snowkiting usually takes place on the snow of frozen mountain lakes, glaciers or higher snow plateaus. You will not encounter many snow kiters on a normal ski slope, because you need a horizontal surface for this sport.
The speeds achieved on ice and snow are staggering. They are even more astonishing than the speeds achieved on the water. Because of the sliding power, a snowkiter needs much less wind to speed over the snow.
Sensation
Whizzing across an endless white plain is an addictive feeling. The jumps made with the help of snow jumps also exceed the ‘normal’ kitesurf jumps. Jumps ten meters high and fifty meters far are very normal.
While jumping, the kiter gets the feeling that he is flying. But be careful! You will not quickly get a wet suit when snowkiting, but you can bruise or break. A helmet and body protectors are therefore absolutely recommended when you go snowkiting.
Do you also want to go kiting? Kitesurf and snowkite schools around the world can be found at www.kite-schools.com.
