Sailing In The Snow

As Spring rolls in, many of us are painfully aware of how much we miss sailing.  Sailors know all to well what it’s like to be snow-bound this time of year dreaming of sailing - missing the thrill and excitement of moving on the water and having a good time.  Some people even count the days until the “the boat goes in” the water for the season.  At SailFast we know what it's like to miss sailing.  So, we decided to share a story we hope will perk your interest and may even motivate you to go sailing in the snow...

There is portion of the sailing population who have decided they simply can’t wait for summer to go sailing.  Kiteboarders, have taken to sailing on the snow and the sport of “snowkiting” is growing rapidly.  Strapped to a pair of skis or a snowboard, sailors harness the power in the kite to race as well as perform all kinds of maneuvers.  This sport is experiencing a big growth spurt in the state of Utah where I caught up with pro kitboarder Brandon Scheid. 

When I first sat down with Brandon to talk snowkiting I was immediately struck by his passion for this sport.  This 25 year old man is living a life most of us would dream of.  He was gracious in taking his time to educate our readers about this new winter sailing sport.  Here’s what Brandon had to say.

SF: Why do you love this sport?

BS: “I’ve been looking my whole life for something like this. I have always been interested in very active sports – kite boarding, luging, pushing it further and further until I realized the power of the wind in the kites.  The raw power.  The speed.  Then, on top of that just spending the day on the water is a great experience.  I am addicted to the fact you can jump 30 ft in the air with a kite.  I love the butterflies you get when you show up to your selected kiting spot and its just ripping.  You get to test yourself to find your limits.”

“I’m addicted to the free energy – the wind.  I’m fascinated by it.  No matter whether I’m on a snowboarder or wake board.  When the trees start rustling I start to get excited and everything else in my life gets put on hold when the wind starts blowing.”

“The kiting community is great and it’s another reason I love this sport.  The people in the sport are just awesome people. As a kiter, it gives me a strong sense of belonging to something great.”

“The professional kiting world is actually a very tight group.  The number of people like me committing their lives and making a career out of this sport is small.  You see a lot of the same people around the world and we always share stories.”

SF: What was the first wind sport you ever did?

BS: “Flying a trainer kite -  or any type of kite I could get my hands on.  My dad got into kites after a neighbor turned him on to them.  From age 7 I just started being obsessed with flying kites.”

SF: How did that migrate into kite boarding

BS: “I continued to fly kites into high school and college.  I would fly Traction kites with foils and stuff with more power.  As I discovered the raw power of the wind I started taking it to skateboards, snowboards; whatever I could get my hands on.” 

“I took a summer job in North Carolina as an instructor. Real Water sports in Cape Hatteras gave me my start in this sport.  I returned home after summers in Hatteras but all I could think about was Hatteras.  So one year after the summer ended, I just decided to stay.  Soon after I became sponsored by Liquid Force, Oneill, Dragon Optics, and Dakine.  My training and traveling really started to pick up at that point.  Then I went to the Caribbean and other phenomenal kiting venues.  Now I just travel as much as I can and kite all the time.”

SF: How did that turn into snow kiting?

“Originally, I actually started on the snow.  I grew up snowboarding in Michigan and so I owned a snowboard.  I always continued it over the winters here and then when I could.  But this is my first full time winter focusing on kiting.”

“Spring summer and fall I teach at real water sports in Hatteras – March – November.  Currently taking this winter to focus on kiting.”

 SF: You live a life filled with travel.  Tell us where have you kited in the past 12 months?:

BS: “Colorado, Michigan, cape Hatteras, the Gorge, Michigan, San Diego, Corpus Christi, BVIs, Florida, Park City, San Diego.”

SF: Amongst kites do you share information and help each other with coaching and tips?: 

BS: “In a competition you are more on your own.  But, outside of the competition people are very helpful and this is another unique and great aspect of the sport.  I don’t know how many times another kiter has picked me up after a deflation or some other kind of mishap.  That’s the culture of the sport. People are always helping other kiters launch, land, etc.  Everyone remembers what it was like to be a beginner.  So you kind of pay it forward.”

“To give another example, if I could compare it to something like surfing, which is very territorial - there’s just one wave and a lot of people in the water fighting for it.  Kiting is the total opposite. If someone is kiting 2 miles away from you on the beach and they see you they’ll walk 2 miles just to talk to you.”

SF: How has snowkiting impacted your kiteboarding?

BS: “Riding with a snowboard or skis on a kite transfers right to your kiting in the summer.  Flying the kite is the same in the winter or summer.  It’s all the same so it’s perfect practice. The more you understand how the kite works the better you will be at getting the full power potential out of it. You also keep the muscle memory in your body.   That’s a key benefit of snow kiting.   Finally, there is a big fitness benefit. Instead of taking 3-4 months off in the winter and letting your leg muscles go to jelly after a winter of snowkiting you are ready for the water.”

SF: Where do you snow kite? 

BS: “Skyline Dr (mt pleasant/ Fairview), Park City: Strawberry Reservoir, Desperations, “The Home Depot Spot”, Powder Mt. (kite dedicated area), Michigan (random park near home)”

SF: Skyline is your favorite venue for snow kiting.  Tell us why you love it?

BS: “You are at 10,000’ of elevation and there’s just great wind up there.   You can pretty much count on at least 12 – 14 but it can get up to 40kts.   We have the most fun in anywhere from 14 to 22 kts.  Skyline is above the tree line so its really open and so it has a ton of varied terrain: steeps, rolling hills, flats, you name it.  There is also and amazing ridgeline that looks down on the valley some 6,000’ below.  It’s just amazingly beautiful.  The one downside is you are very high up there so you get tired quickly.  Plus, it’s just a parking lot so there are no facilities.  But it’s a great place.”

SF: How does the snow quality impact the kiting?

BS: “It definitely effects what happens. The deeper and heavier the snow is, the more power you are going to need to get through the snow.  That means you will need to fly a bigger kite.  Hard pack is easier but it will be more tiring and will ware your legs out as you absorb all the terrain bumps.”

“I have found this winter that wet snow is better for tricks because it holds below the board better then dry snow. I can do a lot more tricks in the wetter stuff.  But, of course I do love the powder.    Ripping around with endless power – it’s just magic.  When you hit a flat spot and you never slow down because you have all the power in the kite - It’s great.”

SF: Is the stance for snowkiting different then for on a water-bound kite board?

BS: “Kite board in the water is a little less ducked out and about a half inch wider on the snowboard But other then that exactly the same.”

SF: How has snow kiting grown in popularity?

BS: “It’s starting to pick up. The people that are into it are really into it.  At the Skyline Masters event there were 70 people in the middle of nowhere just for that event. Kitboarding as a whole has seen a lot of growth as the gear has gotten safer and people have understood that it’s a sport they can do.  People in flat areas can pick up a kite and go have a blast.  So kiting has something to offer lots of different types of people.”

“In Park City every time it’s been windy and we show up at a kiting spot there are always people already there – I think that’s a great sign.  It makes me happy to see people being excited about the trying the sport.”

SF: Where do you see the sport going in 3 years?

BS: “I can see it becoming more main “stream at existing ski resorts, like Powder Mountain who has a designated area for snowkiting.  People are going to take to it. I would like the see it grow safely and in the right way.

“It’s extremely important that as the sport of kiting grows, newcomers understand the need to be taught correctly from day #1.  It’s imperative that people start this sport with a respect for the wind and the power it contains.  You have to be safe and learn correctly. Compare kiting to skydiving.  Would you jump out of an airplane without any training?  No.  That’s too risky.  Well, if you harness the power of the wind in the wrong way you can get hurt.  It’s important that people practice responsible kiting.”

“When accidents happen things go wrong for the whole kiting community:  beaches get shut down and people loose access. That would be a terrible thing to happen. I know for a fact that In Chicago kiters used to have 5 different spots and now they can only kite in one spot.  There’s a lesson there for all kiters.”

SF: You mentioned you have been teaching kiteboard to the public with Real Watersports in NC.  What’s unique about your program?

BS: “First of all Real Watersports gave me my start.  They took me in as an instructor and over the years that I’ve taught there my own teaching skills have improved greatly. What stands out about the program there in North Carolina is the amount of effort the school puts into creating the perfect learning environment.  This isn’t a place with a bunch of kites and some kids who know how to kite.   It’s a full on experience. The equipment is top notch and the school has taken many steps to figure out how to safely teach this sport in a short amount of time.  We typically do half-day segments with a student/coach ratio of 2/1.  The school also has a fleet of PWC to insure students have the most success on the water receiving active coaching.  Many of my students make a vacation out of it and come for a week.  By the end of that week my students are usually hooked on the sport and prepared to safely take on their home waters.  ”

SF: What will your future schedule be once the snow melts?

BS: “I am coaching in NC where I will be training new instructors and teaching lessons.  My first contest “XXX” in Hatteras, which is a week-long Invitational. I am headed to the Columbia River Gorge in July.  Then off to Peru in August: Lo Abidos (wave kiting spot) longest waves in the world, and finally the BVI’s in January.  I will probably return to Park City next winter.

SF: Where can we follow your progress?

BS: People can see what I'm up to by reading my blog http://brandonscheid.blogspot.com/.

We hope this story motivates you to go sailing as soon as possible.  

SailFast