What wind is needed for snowkiting?

Snowkiting doesn't need much introduction; if you're eager to engage in this beautiful sport, be cautious because it's quite different from regular kiteboarding on water. Some aspects are easier, while others are more challenging. You'll also encounter new safety elements, and most importantly, you must know where you can and cannot go, your life and health are at stake.

When we are kiting on the water, we need to have a certain wind that has such a force that it can get us going. Without this power, we would almost immediately sink in the water and not ride at all. But this is not the case with snowkiting, because if we have a reasonable basis for snowkiting, then we need only a little power to get going on the snow. The snowboard or skis have less resistance when riding than a board on water. Therefore, we don't need such wind power to ride. It is also very important to remember, that the wind in the mountains is completely different from the wind on the beach.

Why can be water kiting safer in terms of wind?

The answer is: at sea, we don't have significant wind obstacles that could alter the airflow, whereas in the mountains, we have highly uneven terrain, trees, ridges, valleys, and plateaus. Each of these obstacles disrupts or directly modifies the direction and strength of the wind. For example, in a valley, the wind can blow stronger and more unstable because the air is channeled into a narrow space or there can also be a wind shadow with very little but unstable wind. Conversely, on a plateau, the air will flow more or less evenly everywhere. We also need to be cautious of steep slopes. If the wind flows uphill, causing the wind window to shift to the zenith. In such cases, we must not position the kite at 12 o'clock, as there's a significant risk of unintentional kite flying.

What kind of wind do we need then?

As mentioned earlier, for snowkiting, a weaker wind is sufficient, ideally 3-5 m/s for beginners. The wind range depends on the kiter's experience, equipment, and the mentioned terrain. It's ideal to kite with light kites, as they can stay airborne in weaker winds. Snowkiting is usually done with foil kites, single-skin or hybrid kites. It's better to start with smaller kite sizes, preferably 5.5 - 11. Larger kites aren't very practical for beginner snowkiters. You can learn more about these entirely different kites in this article.

If you're afraid of snowkiting and have reservations, don't hesitate to take a snowkite course. It will save you both money and time, and all uncertainties will be explained to you individually.

Feel free to contact me with any questions. Piškot.