Jason Unrau
Northern News Services
Wednesday, April 4, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Last Friday afternoon was pretty swell for three Yellowknife kite-skiers who carved up the snow on Great Slave Lake.

Wearing skis and harnesses and tethered to kites, which look very similar to parachutes, Greg Robertson, Mark Peer and Bob Stephen use the wind to propel them and on good days, soaking up some rays is an added bonus.

"Today is perfect, we've got a steady wind... look at the playground out there," said Robertson during a break.

Similar to windsurfing, kite-skiing requires balance and the ability to manipulate a sail, or in this case kite, to harness the wind.

Robertson said that one could usually get going about three times the wind speed, "And sometimes faster."

In addition to the harness and kite, alpine ski or snowboard equipment is required. While it is possible to become airborne, some participants carry knives in the event they get tangled in the ropes on the kite tether.

Robertson, who Peer and Stephen refer to as "the godfather" of Yellowknife kite-skiers, said he first started doing the sport eight years ago after meeting a British explorer who traversed much of Antarctica using this method of travel.

"The technology has improved since then," Robertson said. "Back then we used very small kites with very simple designs."

Today, practitioners have an array of kite designs to choose from. While Peer and Stephen were using 13-square metre "fly surfers" built for speed, Robertson said he feels more comfortable with the "Sabre," an 11-square metre kite that gives him more control.

On top of the ski equipment, this trio's rigs (harnesses and kites) ranged from between $1,100 and $1,700. Though not a cheap hobby, once you have the gear there's no need to jet off to the Alps and pay for pricey lift tickets.

"That's the best part about it," said Stephen, adding that since taking up kite skiing, he rarely hits the slopes. "Why go there when I've got everything I need right here?"