Hotel Travel Yahoo

Hotel Travel Yahoo

Hotel Travel Yahoo

Winter sports enthusiasts looking for an alternative to skiing and snowboarding – and maybe something a bit more exciting – are impressed with the freedom and exhilaration that snowkiting offers. Imagine carving turns and flying over powdery snow in the windswept backcountry of south-central Idaho without having to take a chair lift or share the terrain with numerous other skiers or boarders.

What Is Snowkiting?

One of the newest extreme winter sports, snowkiting combines skiing and snowboarding with kite flying. Snowkiting utilizes a large, controllable kite that pulls the skier and lifts them into the air. Good wind conditions and flat, open space are necessary for launching and landing. Snowkiters can travel up and down hills as their kite harnesses wind power to traverse the snowy terrain.

Not unlike kite surfing, snowkiting is done with a board (in this case, a snowboard) or skis and boots. Snowkiting equipment is safe, economical and doesn’t require massive strength. Foil and inflatable kites are used in this winter sport. Snowmobiles are sometimes used to transport snowkiters into the backcountry to take advantage of the best snowy terrain.