Kitewing in Stockholm

The beat goes on

1. Congratulations to Kite Class winners in the Coupe de Quebec!
   
   The results from WISSA 2010 were quite similar in the final results for the Coupe de Quebec.
   Big props to the organizers and participants in the CdQ- it is truly an extraordinary organization. Congratulations to - not just the winners- but ALL who took part. Good job! We look forward to seeing you in Finland 2011.
   Read more here.
   
   
2. Finnish competitor and organizer for WISSA 2011 Feodor Gurvits checked in to say that he is safely at the WWEC race site in Kalajoki, Finland. His gear, however is not. Using borrowed gear, he plans to compete. He is fired up and ready to work together to make the largest WISSA event ever next year in Finland.
   To see the race site for WISSA 2011:
   Saimaa Gardens
   Cooler Windsurfing
   

William Tuthill

2010: Aftermath: 2

The first in a series of images from WISSA 2010:

This is next year's organizer Feodor Gurvits with friend Anna Arosilta sailing at sunset on the very beautiful Lac Saint Jean.
photo by Charles Meding [USA]

William Tuthill

2010: Aftermath: 1

Here is a photo by Joho Salo of Rauma, Finland. It shows how some people [namely light weight, strong, and expert teen-aged windsurfers from Poland] can sail in almost no wind. They are on sleds with jumping skis using top quality sails. Now that the maximum sail size for WISSA competition has been raised from 7.5 meters to 9.5 meters, we can go in even LESS wind :-)



Notice that the shore is not visible. That is because Lac saint Jean is so big that you can sail away and lose sight of shore. The snow conditions at WISSA 2010 were perfect. The brief period of light winds during the event were not normal. Regular winds from the west in the 30- 50 kph range came right back as soon as the event was over.

William Tuthill

WISSA 2010: add on: RACING

by William Tuthill

“Ain’t it always the way?” Plan an event and everything will go wrong. Not only were we forced to relocate an event that was two years in the making because of ice conditions that no one had ever encountered before, but, when we did relocate, the wind chose not to blow!

The real action was in the kite class with 19 meter and larger kites. The windsurfing and wing classes did a lot of waiting. We somehow managed to get off five races that were handily won by lightweight teenagers from Poland. Sleds with 250 cm jumping skis and large race sails have a way of gliding in the lightest of breezes.

Winter windsurfing is alive and growing. The irony of the WISSA Ice and Snow Sailing World Championships being the oldest international race in the history of windsurfing is not lost. I thought that windsurfing was a water sport!

More here.

2010: Results

Wings - Sailboards

Kite - Overall

Kite - Divisions

Government of Canada Invests $60,958 in 30th Ice and Snow Sailing World Championship

Not bad, eh?

SAINT-GÉDÉON, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - March 2, 2010) − The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of State for Canada Economic Development, today announced the awarding of $60,958 in non-repayable funding to Zone Turbulence for the 30th edition of the World Ice and Snow Sailing Association's (WISSA) Ice and Snow Sailing World Championship in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean. Granted through the Community Futures program, this financial assistance will serve to help the organization promote the competition on foreign markets.

"Saint-Gédéon can be rightfully proud of playing host to the 30th Ice and Snow Sailing World Championship. This prestigious event—which draws a wide following—is an ideal opportunity to showcase the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region beyond our borders. This Zone Turbulence project is sure to further the development of winter tourism in the region, which is why Canada Economic Development is pleased to lend its financial support to the event," explained the Minister of State.

Hundreds of spectators and visitors, many of them from outside the province, are expected to attend the competition, generating an increase in winter tourism traffic that will benefit the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean economy as a whole.

Established in April 2009, Zone Turbulence is a non-profit organization that groups together several regional associations active in the wind sports sector. The organization's mission is to promote wind-powered sports. This year marks the first time that the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region will be hosting the world championship, which runs from February 26 to March 7 in Saint-Gédéon.

Minister of State Lebel wishes the best of luck to all participants of the 30th Ice and Snow Sailing World Championship and is hopeful that the event will be held again in the region. "This competition is a great opportunity for our young ice surfers to take on an exciting new challenge and stretch their limits," he concluded.

WISSA 2010: Photo and Video Coverage

Hey, I just found this link...

http://www.fotofocus.ca/kite/

Do not expect much from the photos because copyright is important.