If snowboarding seems like an extreme sport, try strapping on a kite and skidding across a frozen lake. That’s what Bob Cook, Kite-Riders owner and instructor, did two years ago when he first tried kite-boarding.
“I caught on pretty easily,” said Cook, who has already been kite-skiing and -boarding on the water for a year. “I think it’s easier to learn on the ice.”
Cook is one of Madison’s most experienced kite-boarders and -skiers.
“Right now there’s a small group of us,” Cook said. “But the word is getting out very quickly.”
Kite-skiing and -boarding is a relatively new sport that has gained most of its attention when done on the water. With its long winters, abundance of snow and many frozen lakes, Madison offers the perfect place for trying this sport on ice.
The sport, which seems relatively simple, involves being pulled by a kite while skiing or snowboarding. However, Cook warns that it is not for the faint of heart.
“It can be very physically demanding,” Cook said. “I can usually catch at least 10 feet of air while pulling some basic tricks. But that’s only half of what you could do.”
Although kite-skiers and -boarders can reach speeds of up to 45 mph, Cook says that it’s not all about the speed.
“It’s not really a speed sport. It’s more about the tricks and transitions that you can do,” Cook said. “It’s an amazing feeling — like getting shot out of a slingshot.”
An excellent perk of the sport is that normal skis, snowboards or wakeboards can be used. Used kites can be bought for less than $300, while top-of-the-line kites can run as high as $1500.
Hoofers Ski and Snowboard Club marketing director Marissa Picl said that there is definitely an interest in kite-boarding among skiers and boarders.
“We have a lot of guys who would love to try something like that,” Picl said. “We haven’t really talked about starting a club for it. If we did, it would start out as part of the Ski and Snowboard Club — kind of like our freestyle team.”
With a bit of promotion, Cook thinks the sport could really take off in this area. “I think it’ll be huge,” Cook said. “It would be a perfect complement to the Hoofers Ski and Snowboard Club.”
