by Hill.Mandy

Created on: July 11, 2009   Last Updated: July 12, 2009

Snow kiting is an outdoor sport done during the winter that is similar to skiing or snowboarding. Foil kites were the most common type of kite until the more recent years when inflatable kites were introduced. Snow kiting differs from skiing in the sense that you are able to travel uphill rather than just downhill.

With snowkitting, you have a snowboard or a pair of skis that you attach to your feet and you where a harness that is connected to a kite so that the wind will blow you across the snowy surface. As with any snow or kite sport, the more practice you have, the better you will be.

Snow kiting is considered an extreme sport. It can also be done in the summer and is better known then as Kite boarding. It's unlike any other snow sport because not only do you have the gravity of going downhill, you also have the wind to allow you to go uphill, and with the wind you can reach increasing speeds.

Snow kiting is best done on frozen lakes as you have no power lines or lift cables around as well as any trees that may be an obstruction. Snow kiting is easy to learn and once you master can be a lot of fun for anyone of any age.

When snow kiting you can experience drops over cliffs, or travel over roads and speed across an open plain, you can sail over drifts, there are endless tricks you can learn to do once you have begun to master the art of snow kiting. And all of this can be done without using a lift or any motors involved.

You can ski over frozen lakes, through open fields or up and down mountains. The possibilities are endless. Snowkiting is also easier to learn than what Kite boarding would be.

In the 1960s, Otto Lilienthal started practicing gliding around and later in 1972 started to parachute ski, later perfecting a kite skiing system using self made para-gliders and a ball and socket swivel to pilot the ski upwind or even uphill.

During the 1980s is when the first foil kite was developed, by a man named Ted Dougherty. Snow kiting really took off in the 21st century, making it a widely popular winter sport. You can find qualified instructors as well as great equipment in most areas to allow people to learn properly and safely.

The sport is enjoyed by everyone of every age group. Just about anyone can learn how to snowkite, or any other kind of kite sport for that matter. Its recommended to spend several hours with an instructor flying a trainer kite before you strap yourself to an actual harness. The trick though actually comes with lots of practice. The more you practice the better you will be.

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