What is snowkiting

Imagine being able to ride fresh powder all day long. Imagine the feeling of cruising up a hill, instead of down it. Imagine turning a flat powder field into your own freestyle park.

Stop imagining, this is real. Snowkiting is here to give you all this and more… When a skier, snowboarder or kitesurfer sees Snowkiting for the first time, there is just one possible response –

“I’ve just GOT to try that”.

And that’s the reason Snowkiting has exploded in popularity recently and is now the fastest growing winter sport across the globe.

Whether you ski or snowboard, it’s time to enter a whole new world, so take your existing snow skills into a new dimension and get ready for the most exciting sport you’ll ever experience!

Currently in Australia there are over 10,000 Kitesurfers (water) but in most areas there is only a 6 month season.

Now though, we have made Mt Hotham ski resort their home in winter to kite, compete and enjoy their sport year round.

Where does Snowkiting take me?

It’s simple really, combine your existing skiing or snowboarding skills with a power kite and there you have it. Combining skis or snowboards with a specific style of kite, enables the boarder or skier to be propelled by wind power across flat ground or uphill.

What Snowkiting really does is add a new dimension to your winter experience.

The opportunities are endless and the best news is it’s easy to learn and amazing fun. Depending on what takes your fancy, Snowkiting has it all; take your pick from the options for you and your kite:

• Cruiser. Unused flat snow covered fields now become your playground; you can either just cruise around enjoying that unique feeling of harnessing the elements or get some big air.

• Big Air Freestlyer. If airtime is what you’re after, then look no further.  Some of the jumps that boarders and skiers are pulling under the power and security of power kites are simply breathtaking.

• Backcountry Powder Junkie.  Fancy getting to those hard to reach spots? Snowkiting can open up endless backcountry potential.

Let the kite power you up the hill, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of being powered uphill by the wind. When you’re at the top, just pack the kite away and head back down through untracked snow.

• Cross Country Explorer. Polar expeditions for years have used Snowkites as they use the kites to pull the skier and gear sleds across miles of frozen ground and sea. With Snowkiting, the possibilities are endless…

How do I start?

Most people can learn the basics of Snowkiting their first day, with many learning to go upwind as well as downwind directions. After a few days of practicing your kite-flying skills, you’ll be ready to ride uphill using the kite to pull you and then the fun really begins!

Is it easy to learn?

Yes! Snowkiting is the easiest form of Powerkiting to master. Most students can grasp all of the skills easily and since the snow offers little friction resistance, you’re able to ride small, easily controlled kites.

Do I have to be able to ski or snowboard?

You need to be comfortable skiing or snowboarding to a beginner/intermediate level. The better you are at either of these, the quicker you’ll pick up kiting and the more you’ll be able to push it.

What are best, skis or boards?

Choose whichever equipment you are most comfortable on. Skis offer the advantage of being able to walk around, letting you walk back to launch your kite. Snowboards can offer simplicity to someone who has never been on the snow before or is crossing over from kitesurfing.

For Snowboards, the best type of bindings to use for Snowkiting are the quick entry ones, such as Flow.

For Skis, twin-tips work best but start with what you already have because anything will work.

Where do I go?

Any open terrain that’s snow covered and has consistent winds. There are many factors to consider when selecting a Snowkiting location and we’ll cover this as part of your training.

Ultimately you should choose a safe spot and away you go!!!

How long can I ride for?

For as long as the wind blows! Riders have been out non-stop for hours, coming in only to rest and refuel. The beauty of Snowkiting is being in control, going where you want to head and exploring the world from a new point of view.

Is snow kiting easier than kite surfing?

Yes, it’s a lot easier to stand up on snow than water, which makes the whole process much easier. This means it’s easy to get to grips with the kite and the techniques required to ride.

It also takes a lot less wind to drive a board across snow than it does across water. With a snow kite, the whole learning experience is a 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 therefore making up-wind progress much easier to master.

Why are open cell foils better than inflatables and closed cell foils for Snowkiting?

In simple terms Safety and Simplicity are the key words.

Open cell kites do not require pre-inflation. Straight away that's 15 minutes more fun a day than the inflatable owner is getting. Also problems such as frozen valves aren’t an issue for foils. Simply take your foil out of the bag and you’re away riding in minutes.

Finally, at the end of your day you can pack a parafoil in to a tiny pack and be on your way home in minutes.

An open cell kite can be stalled in to a lifeless piece of cloth just by pulling the brakes. This is an enormous safety feature when you are in trouble, as you can kill all the power in the kite. Inflatables and closed cell foils always maintain their rigid shape and surface area, even on the ground.

In strong winds this can be very dangerous as these kites can still produce unwanted power and traction.

Do I want handles or a bar?

Manufacturers such as FTR, Air-Evolution, Gin and Peter Lynn produce foil kites that can be flown and depowered on a bar. The bar makes it easy to control the kite and the de-power feature brings you a wide, usable wind range and security.

Otherwise non-depowerable foils can be flown on a simple bar or on handles. The only disadvantage is that you do not have the ability to de-power the kite.

Where do I go?

With our Mountain Boards you can go to any open park or hard packed sandy beach.

On the snow, any open terrain that’s snow covered and has consistent winds. There are many factors to consider when selecting a Snowkiting location and we’ll cover this as part of your training.

Falls Creek, Mt Hotham, Dinner Plain, Bogong High Plains and the Main Range in NSW are all great for Snowkiting; choose a safe spot and you’re away.