Ridge Soaring with a kitesurfing kite

While most of the east coast of Australia enjoys a cold snap, we thought we'd share a little clip from the sunny hills of Utah, USA to warm you up a little. 

Not! Lately there's been an influx of snow kiting video's hitting the web, and most of them are too cool to miss. This one is a great little insight into what it's like for the guys who can ridge soar using their big kites, like this 17m Best TS. 

Ridge soaring isn't something usually done by kiteboarders or snowkiters, it's more of a paraglider or sailplane thing. They can keep themselves aloft for hours at a time by using the updraft off the cliff or hill face. Basically the wind hits the slope and gets deflected upwards, allowing the rider to float for long periods of time if they stay within the band of rising air. To do it with a kite takes incredible skill, and some pretty hefty kahoonas too. 

Check out the video below, but don't get too many ideas! Before you attempt this, speak to someone who knows how first! And only do it over the snow! 

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