Banana Hammocks - The Kiteboarder Magazine

It’s Snowing…
THINK
Well, winter is fully upon us and for most kiteboarding spots around North
America, the kiteboarding season has either slowed way down or completely
stopped. For those still riding in the water, the 5/4s have been brought out
of the closet and sessions usually begin with that first rude gush of freezing
water down the neck of your wetsuit. Many of us are now counting the days
until spring, when the water begins to warm up and the days get longer and
we cannot wait for winter to be over. However, there is a growing number of
kiteboarders whose season of choice has finally arrived: The snowkiters.
Chances are you already own the gear you need
to do this. Photo Pascal Boulgakow
Island Riders
Winter 2011
-bvi & Bahamas
-January-March
-Reserving Now
While the temperatures drop as winter approaches, most of us are trying to get
as much time on the water before the season is over while the snowkiters start
drooling over the thought of their season starting. The 2010/2011 season looks
like it’s off to an early start. With a few early season storms we were getting
reports of great snowkiting conditions in different places as early as November.
For most riders in North America there are two choices for having great sessions
in winter: Get on an airplane and go somewhere warm or pack the car and head
up to the snow.
8/19/09 7:52:32 AM
This year is looking like as good a year as ever to give snowkiting a try. If you
already own skis or a snowboard, then you probably already have all the gear
you need to head up to the mountains for the first time. If you are already a
competent rider on the water, then you also probably already have most of the
skills you need to ride on the snow. There are a few important things to know
about snowkiting before you go and this month’s instructional (starting on page
70) gives you all of the info you need to know before you pack your gear and
head up to the mountains.
For the 2010/2011 snow season, the newly formed American Snowkite
Association has lined up four events (see page 14 for the schedule) around the
country that will help snowkiting get more exposure while letting snowkiters
test their skills against each other. It’s time to stop pouting about the end of the
kiteboarding season and get excited about the start of the snowkiting season!
islandriders.us
For a list of some of the top US snowkiting destinations, go to
www.thekiteboarder.com/2010/03/snow-place-like-home-domesticsnowkiting-travel-destinations/
8 thekiteboarder.com thekiteboarder.com 9