Snowkiting
Snowkiting is an outdoor winter
boardsport, combining the airfoil and techniques used in
kitesurfing, with the footgear and gliding surface used in
snowboarding. Both Snowboard, alpine skis and Telemark skis can be used during snowkiting. In the early days of snowkiting, foil kites were the most common type; nowadays some kitesurfers use their water gear for snowkiting, and it is not uncommon to see tubekites also. Snowkiting differs from other alpine sports, in that it is possible for the snowkiter to travel uphill with ease when the wind is blowing in the right direction. Like
kitesurfing, snowkiting can be very hazardous, and should be practiced with care. Snowkiting is becoming increasingly popular in places often associated with
skiing and snowboarding, such as
Switzerland,
Austria,
Norway,
Sweden and the western
United States.
Kiteskiing began in the mid 1980s after some alpine skiers used a rebridled square parachute to ski upwind on a frozen bay in Erie, PA. Kiteskiers began kiteskiing on many frozen lakes and fields in the US midwest and east coast. Lee Sedgwick and a group of kiteskiers in Erie, PA were the first known ice/snow kiteskiers. Ted Dougherty began manufacturing 'foils' for kiteskiing and Steve Shapson of Force 10 Foils also began manufacturing 'foils' using two handles to easily control the kite. In the mid 1980's Shapson, while icesailing, took out an old two line kite and tried to ski upwind on a local frozen lake in Wisconsin. Shapson introduced the sport of 'kiteskiing' to Poland, Germany, Switzerland and Finland. Shapson was the first person to use grass skis to kiteski on grassy fields. It's believed that some European or Swiss kiteskiers coined the word 'snowkiting'. Some winter kiteskiers tried to kitesurf on water. Corey Roessler's Kiteski System showed many windsurfers in The Gorge that one could go much faster on a run (downwind) with a kite. The following terms describe the sport of 'Traction Kiting' or some refer to as 'Power Kiting':
Kite buggying, kiteskiing,
kitesurfing,
kiteboarding.
*
KRUNK customBoards - Austria*
snowkiting.com*
www.snowkiten.com | Pure SNOW and WIND - Snowkiten,Snowkite and Snowkiting Portal*
The world's most popular kiting information web site*
legendary Kitesurf discussion group*
Swiss Snowkiting School*
www.snowkiter.info - Information for Snowkiter about spots, schools, kites and more*
AtlanticKiteboarding.com - Kiteboarding lessons and equipment sales - New Jersey, USA*
www.snowkitemasters.info - Video for Snowkiter *
KRUNK customBoards - Fuerteventura*
Kiteboarding*
Kite landboarding*
Windsport*
Snowboarding*
Skiing*
www.snowkitemasters.info
