POWDER MOUNTAIN -- For the third straight year, dozens of skiers and snowboarders who like to go for the really big air will descend on Ogden Valley and Powder Mountain this month to showcase the high-flying sport of snowkiting.
The third annual SuperFly Open competition, scheduled for March 11-14 at Powder Mountain, will bring some of the world's top snowkiters to the Top of Utah. Last year's event attracted more than 50 competitors coming from as far away as Norway.
Snowkiting consists of either kiteskiing or kiteboarding, depending on whether a person uses skis or a snowboard. Participants wear a harness attached to a large kite that resembles a parachute, and the wind does the rest, pulling the rider across the snow and into the air. The rider is able to maintain some control by holding onto a bar attached to the kite.
The sport is an outgrowth of kitesurfing, which is a similar and more popular activity done on open water.
This year's event is expected to draw more competitors and spectators than ever, said Lia Feriancek, events coordinator for Best Kiteboarding, the leading equipment brand in the sport and organizer of the annual Powder Mountain competition.
Feriancek said this year's participants are coming from as far away as Russia and Aruba.
She said the event is more than just a competition, however. In addition to the races and freestyle competition, there are free introductory training clinics, a "Big Air Expo" where riders go for maximum height, distance and trickery in the air, and demonstrations of the latest snowkiting gear.
"It's for anybody to come and watch these amazing athletes from all over the world, but also to participate," she said. "It's a fun event for everybody."
The sport lends itself well to spectators because it requires wide, open spaces free of obstacles.
Best, which is based in Florida and sells to snowkiters and kitesurfers around the world, came across Powder Mountain through an employee who is from Utah. Also, a snowkiting instructor who had a school in the area was using Best kites.
The resort's terrain and conditions lend themselves well to the sport, Feriancek said.
"It has a ridge that is known for wind and is above the treeline, so there's not a lot of obstacles, and there's usually a lot of snow," she said. "It's the first resort in the U.S. to have a snowkite area dedicated at the top of the mountain. The combination of good wind and good snow make it a good fit."
Best was already running a snowkiting school at Powder Mountain, so it made sense to come up with an event to promote the sport, she said.
The competition is held in the area near the Hidden Lake lift known as The Towers.
Powder Mountain spokeswoman Carolyn Daniels said the SuperFly Open and presence of the snowkiting school helps the resort set itself apart from others with a unique offering for participants and spectators alike.
"Nobody else around here is doing this," Daniels said.
Snowkiting is a relatively young sport, having started in the 1960s in Europe. In the early days, it was mostly done on frozen lakes or wide-open fields, but more recently has been taken to the mountains.
The sport has seen most of its growth in participation and technological advancement over the last decade. The snowkiting industry began to take shape in the 1990s, and has been growing rapidly ever since.
Feriancek said people don't have to be expert skiers or snowboarders to learn to snowkite, but some experience obviously helps. Aspiring snowkiters start with a smaller kite than what the pros use that gives them a feel for the kite without sweeping them away.
The typical initial investment in snowkiting equipment is in the $1,500 to $2,000 range for the kite, bar and harness. Beginners start with a single kite, and as they gain experience, often acquire different sized kites to adapt to different wind strengths and conditions.
Feriancek said there's no official count of how many people participate today, "but it's definitely in the thousands.
"Most of it is done in the backcountry, and with the price of lift tickets going up, people are seeking alternatives."
In addition to snowkiting, the SuperFly open will feature entertainment throughout the day and into the night, including a DJ, an artist who will be hand-painting skis and boards, and a raffle with some valuable prizes from various sponsors.
Best has rented out the Red Moose Lodge in Eden, and spectators will have the chance to meet competitors and others involved during evening celebrations at the Double Diamond Bar & Grill.
"It's a whole package thing," Feriancek said. "We're making it an all-inclusive weekend for people."
Comments