REGINA – Fields just north of Regina are being billed as the perfect playground for kiteboarding.
“We seemed to have a lot of steady wind in the winter. It’s perfect,” said Tyler Koyl, president of Saskatchewan Windriders.
About 30 racers tested out a course Saturday afternoon for the upcoming Red Bull kite farm endurance race. Saskatchewan’s weather is said to make for the ideal conditions for the lesser-known sport.
“It made it so intriguing for Red Bull to look at Saskatchewan as an option to hold the first ever North American endurance race,” said Aaron Hackel, event director for Red Bull.
February’s endurance race is expected to attract about 80 competitors, making for a challenging and crowded race.
“The fittest of the fittest will win this race as well as the person that has the best kite control and skills,” said Hackel. “We will see tangles, even today.”
Since starting out about fifteen years ago with only six members, Saskatchewan Windriders has grown tenfold.
Depending on whether the wind cooperates, the 50 to 80 kilometre race next month will take riders about four hours to complete.
“It does take some tenaciousness and a lot of frustrating moments, but the payoff is huge and the wind is free,” said Hackel.
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