For the week of February 12-18, 2003

Harness the wind

Snowkiting visits Sun Valley

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By GREG STAHL
Express Staff Writer

Add equal parts: rider, skis, snow, wind and a 5 meter-wide stunt kite. Sound interesting? It’s called snowkiting, and several dozen local skiers and snowboarders gave it a whirl last weekend in various snow-swept meadows and fields throughout the Wood River Valley.

Snowkiting and its cousin, kite surfing, are still in their infancies, particularly in the United States, but their appeal appears to be growing. If last weekend’s local enthusiasm was any indication, the Wood River Valley could become one of snowkiting’s new and growing meccas.

"I love it. I’m pretty much sold," said Ketchum resident Dave Robrahn on his second day of snowkiting. "You grow up as a kid with a kite, and this is like a big kid’s kite."

The concept behind snowkiting is simple. Find a snow-swept meadow; strap on skis or a snowboard—or whatever else comes to mind—fly a huge kite into the sky, and hang on. With strong winds, snowkiters can harness enough power to climb mountains or jump unbelievable distances.

Top riders have flown through the air more than 600 feet, with flights lasting more than 30 seconds.

"It’s just fun. You can go for five hours straight without a break," said Ozone Power Kites factory rider Brian Schenck, who is on a nationwide tour promoting the budding sport. "You’ll work every muscle in your body, from your toes to your arms."

Ozone’s colorful kites are built using the same open cell parafoil technology as paragliders, and local paraglider Garth Callaghan, who works for Fly Sun Valley, said the two kinds of "wing" flew similarly.

"The potential for crossover between these two sports is great," Callaghan said.

The kites come in sizes ranging from 1-meter-wide trainers to 12-meter-wide speed mongers. Strings attach the kite to a control bar or control handles, and the bar or handles can be attached to a rider using rigging similar to a windsurfing harness.

Manufacturers of surfing kites use different technology, installing air bladders to keep their kites afloat.

Steering is pretty simple, and the skills required can be honed in an hour or two. When using handles, if the right handle is pulled, the kite circles clockwise. It circles counterclockwise when the left handle is pulled. Combining the two turns, the kite generates the most power as it is pulled out of a dive.

When the natives weren’t flailing around, they were busy watching Schenck, who, despite the soft winds, put on a pretty good show. He cruised on a snowboard Sunday afternoon across a meadow near the base of Durrance Peak and popped free of the rolling surface. He easily jibed and established strong tacks.

"I trust my life completely with these kites," he said. "You can land the jumps like a feather. And the good thing about it is, it’s snow. You can’t really get hurt doing it."

And Schenck said the most exciting aspect of the sport is what it has not yet become. The sport’s potential has yet to be explored to its limits.

"You can turn a field into a terrain park. You can go uphill. You can access the backcountry. Climbers can use them to access big walls in a fraction of the time. The potential is limitless."

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.