Snowkiting

Snow Kiting is the latest winter sport. Large highly controllable kites are used to blast kite pilots along with just the power of the wind! The 'Big air' jumps that boarders and skiers are pulling under the power and security of power kites are simply breath taking.

"Flatlanders will love it," predicts Charlie Patterson, 31, a professional snowboarder and one of a new cadre of American athletes using kites to grab big winter air. An offshoot of its water bound cousin kiteboarding, snow kiting allows a skier or snowboarder harnessed to the 100-foot-long reins of a power kite to launch upwards of 40 feet off horizontal terrain. Patterson may be worth listening estimated 1.5 million wakeboarders.

In Europe, where the shift from water to snow originated, there's already a snowkiting competition circuit. And if the fledgling sport can take off on such a cramped continent, imagine the possibilities for the Midwest. "The best place for this isn't really a ski resort, but an open field where you could go for miles and days at a time," says Patterson.

Snow Kiting is a lot easier to learn than kiteboarding on the water! It is easy to stand on snow, which makes the whole process easier!

It also takes a lot less wind to drive a board across snow than it does across water.

The whole learning experience is lot less daunting as you need much less power and wind to get you moving.

Finally, holding an edge in snow is much easier than in water making up wind progress much easier to master. All you need is snow and a power kite and you can turn a cold winter's day into a blistering, adrenaline soaked experience!

To Snow Kite you will want a foil type kite since it is completely soft in structure and cannot be damaged easily when the kite is slammed into the ground. Foils are also capable of reverse launching which is very important for re-launching these kites from the snow.

Choosing Your Kite

Unlike water, snow conditions change daily. When you consider a kite size, you must also take into consideration the main style of terrain. It will take more kite power to pull you in fresh powder than it will on packed snow or icy conditions. The most popular size for most winds and and terrain is the 5.0 square meter size. The 5.0 is ideal for the medium winds of 12-18mph. A 3.0 will work in super high winds, over 15mph and a larger 7.0-9.0 foil will be the preferred size for lighter 10-15mph winds. We have a huge selection of snowkite packages and single kites for you. Be sure to pick the right harness for your riding style!

Selecting A Place to Ride

Make sure it is a large area free of all obstacles. Consider what might be under the snow. You don't want to land on a sharp pole, etc. Pay attention to the area directly downwind of the riding area. You don't want to get pulled into a roadway, etc.

Flat land or rolling hills is much preferred over mountains and you must find a place with consistent winds.

Choose a snowboard with a long effective edge to resist against the kite, but is still short enough to keep the swingweight down. Skis work too!