Riding the Wind: Kite Boarding

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Photo by Ezekiel Jakub.

Seriously, don't do this at home.

Zebulon Jakub has always loved kites. From the time he was a little kid he flew kites from what he calls his family's "quiver of kites" - quad kites, stunt kites and more. One day he saw a magazine about the sport of kite boarding with pictures of people attached to a kite flying 100 feet off the ground. He was hooked.

Today he flies off ridges and up mountains on kites. "It's a good tool to move in the mountains," he says. "You can go 70 mph behind a kite." In fact, he's flown a kite up Mt. Washington, starting at tree line and getting to the summit in about six minutes. He's also nearly completed a traverse of the Presidential Range.

Yes, that level of kite boarding, also called snow kiting, can be dangerous ("there are horror stories about people who got in over their heads"), but he says with proper training and experience it can be done safely.

That's the job he does at the International Mountain Climbing School in North Conway. He's been a kite boarding instructor there since 2002 (he's also a rock and ice climbing guide and ski mountaineering guide).

Most of his students want to stick to the ground, letting the kite (the size varies according to wind, ground conditions and skill level) pull them across the snow on skis, snowboards, sleds, boots, even in a kayak. They also do it without snow on wheeled conveyances.

Jakub says, "People just cruise around, feeling the power of the kite. It's not a thrill-seeking sport, but it can be."

Kite boarding technology has improved significantly since the days in the early '70s when people used a parachute-like device. Now there is a quick release and braking system.

He's planning a week-long trip for expert kite boarders to navigate Lake Winnipesaukee and/or the Presidential Range. Click here if you're interested in that or in earth-bound lessons.