Kiteboarding Magazine

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2007-03-07 14:33:06 | 180 views | 0 Comments

Skyline, Utah
March 2-4, 2007

Three perfect days of bluebird skies, steady wind, big air and course racing

Each year a new trend in snowkiting presents itself. This year there were two. Kite gliding and course racing seemed to be this event's flavors of the week. Big-air specialists like Guillaume Chastagnol and Alex Peterson set the stage for the weekend with top-to-bottom flights off the 300-foot Bosco Hill. With air time over a minute and dynamic flying across the hill, it was obvious the level of flying has risen. The difference this year was the 10 other riders enjoying similar flights. Even intermediate riders showed interest and were taking the proper steps, getting advice from those who know how to fly and taking their first flights from down low and working their way up the hill for safe glides five feet over the snow. Even though freestyle was not the main event this year, Chasta and the Norwegians still pulled off their arsenal of unhooked handle passes, showing that the same tricks on water can be pulled on skis and snowboards.

Another exciting development at this event was the first course race to be held on mountainous terrain. This was similar to the course racing that you would see on the water, but the difference was the element of sloped terrain. The races were separated between skiers and snowboarders, with as many as eight riders racing at a time. As many as 60 snowkiters registered for the races. The top two finishers in each heat then went on to qualify for the finals. What made this race interesting was the light wind, so on the uphill leg of the course, kite loops were necessary to power up the hill. Now imagine eight kites at once, kite looping in a fairly small area, heading for the same marker. Several times heats were rerun due to massive tangle-ups involving more than half the kiters on the starting line.

Once there was a good start, the race to first gate was all about speed, power and the technique used to power up the hill. Everyone had his own style, but it seemed the strategy that won the races was to get off the starting line fast and not look back so the only kite you had to worry about was your own. Once you reached the first gate it was a three-quarter-mile broad reach across the ridge, where you then turned downhill at the final gate for a fast reach to the finish line, where many riders threw their best trick for the spectators. Some racers were hoping for more wind, but in the end the conditions were the same for all competitors, making it an even playing field.

With countries represented including France, Norway, Canada and the United States, the Skyline Masters is truly becoming an event that brings international icons of snowkiting together. Blue skies and ideal conditions brought out not only the pros but close to 100 other riders from Utah, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Montana and even a few East Coasters. Brian and Heather Schenk, the organizers of the event, did an amazing job of hosting, running the competitions and putting nearly 50 beginner riders on the mountain through their demo program.

This event proves snowkiting is getting bigger and evolving in so many ways, from flying to speed to backcountry riding to aggressive freestyle. If you were lucky enough to attend this event you know that Skyline, at 10,000 feet, is the premier park-and-ride location, offering insane riding conditions for all levels.

Thanks to Ozone Kites, Zeal Optics, Dakine, Predator Helmets and Ska Brewing for supporting an event that is destined to become bigger and better every year.

Race Results

Snowboarding (Men's)
1- Aaron Sales (Hood River, Oregon)
2- Guillaume Chastagnol (France)
3- Paul “Motz” Macaj (Denver, Colorado)

Skiing (Men's)
1- Lorne Glick (Salt Lake City, Utah)
2- Alex Peterson (Leavenworth, Washington)
3- Patrick Nedele ( Winter Park, Colorado)

Snowboarding (Women's)
1- Heather Schenk (Salt Lake City, Utah)
2- Maria Wirth (Helena, Montana)

Skiing (Women's)
1- Monica Bassett (Hood River, Oregon)

Juniors
1-Kris Hasbrouck (Colorado)