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Snowkiting
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Snowkiting is an outdoor winter boardsport, combining the airfoil and techniques used in kitesurfing, with the footgear and gliding surface used in snowboarding. Either a snowboard, alpine skis or 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.[citation needed] 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 Canada, Iceland, France, 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.[citation needed] 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, kite skiing, kitesurfing, kiteboarding.