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SNOWKITING | ZURICH<br />
SNOW-COVERED SILVAPLANA LAKE,<br />
in Engadin, St Moritz, Switzerland is fast<br />
becoming the destination of choice for<br />
winter thrill-seekers craving more out of<br />
their ski experience. It’s arguably the best<br />
place in Europe to try snowkiting, or skiing<br />
with the aid of a kite. This fast-paced,<br />
fusion sport uses powerful kites to pull<br />
skiers and snowboarders across snowcovered<br />
ground, along vast, fl at expanses<br />
or even uphill. It’s no wonder adrenaline<br />
junkies are attracted by the freestyle<br />
element – the impressive kites provide<br />
extra oomph for those experienced enough<br />
to tackle tricks and jumps.<br />
Snowkiting requires entirely different<br />
terrain to normal skiing, which is why you<br />
84 | TRAVELLER | DECEMBER 09<br />
won’t see many of the vibrant, coloured<br />
kites punctuating the white backdrops of<br />
resorts in the Alps – the pistes in Europe<br />
don’t lend themselves to this sport.<br />
Silvaplana is ideal because of the lake’s<br />
frozen, fl at surface, and because the local<br />
Maloja wind helps zip kiters along or up<br />
steep slopes. The area also hosts the annual<br />
Kitestyle competition, held next year from<br />
4–6 March (snowkitetour.ch).<br />
You don’t need to be an experienced<br />
skier to have a go, though on my fi rst<br />
attempt, I found myself struggling just<br />
to get the tiny trainer kite up in the air<br />
– before I’d even put on my skis. My hopes<br />
of joining the somewhat exotic-sounding<br />
snowkiting safaris that see snowkiters<br />
crossing lakes and then traversing down<br />
into villages seemed impossible.<br />
Cajoled by a bunch of fanatical<br />
snowkiting friends, I had signed up for<br />
a day’s training with the Swiss Kitesurf<br />
School in Silvaplana (kitesailing.ch), one of<br />
the largest schools in the world. Beginners<br />
spend the fi rst two hours attempting<br />
to master the kite-fl ying technique<br />
before donning skis for an afternoon<br />
of snowkiting. The expert instructors<br />
run through the safety rules, teaching<br />
students how to judge the wind direction,<br />
how to start, drive and land the kite. A<br />
harness and bar gives the skier control<br />
over the kite, which requires only gentle<br />
movements; easier said than done.
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