Don’t know how many skiers/snowboarders we have tuning in here at gadling, but my guess is a
few. I’m into both of them myself, though I’m still honing my snowboarding skills and doubt I’ll ever reach the point
now where I hurl myself of of 50 foot cliffs. But the fact is, I’m always eager to give a new winter sport a
try.
Which leads me to this primer on the new sport of
winter kiting. Well, OK, it’s
entirely not new. Matty McNair, who led the first all-women’s trip to the North Pole in 1997, used a kite during
several expeditions in the Arctic. The snow kite provides fast, efficient, free, light-weight transport. In many ways
it can’t be beat. But anyway, snow kiting is new in the sense that the average Joe, regular folk, are now snow
kiting for fun.
So what does it take to learn winter kiting? A
bunch of gear, first of all. The
kite itself, of course, which runs from $98 to $500. Then comes the harness, skis, boots, helmet and goggles. Obviously all this stuff is
going to set you back a pretty penny, but you might just be introduced to your next big winter sport.