In the Scandinavian countries, sailing sledges assembled from three cross-country skis have become widespread. The central ski is much longer than the side ones, which are installed with sliding surfaces inclined at an angle of 25-30 ° to the snow surface (Fig. 60).

If there are large areas covered with ice, then skateboards are used. (Fig. 61).

Winter windsurfing allows you to reduce the time spent on training beginners in the summer. On the water, any mistake by a beginner is accompanied by his fall, after which he must again climb onto the board and raise the sail from the water. In winter, it is enough to take a step to the side in order to maintain balance and try again. For skilful athletes, winter windsurfing will help not to forget the "game" with the sail and the wind, bringing a lot of pleasant minutes.

For the manufacture of a ski version of a winter windsurfer (Fig. 62)

it is necessary to choose a ski of the maximum dimensions: it is important that the specific pressure on sleepg was minimal. The brackets are made from a strip of aluminum alloy 2.5-4 mm thick and 80-100 mm wide. The strip is bent according to the drawing and holes are drilled in it for screws and screws. You can also make brackets from fiberglass by molding them on a wooden punch.

The working platform is made of plywood 10-12 mm thick. At a distance of 1/3 from the bow, a nest is provided for installing the mast. The top surface of the platform is covered with rubber. There are various variations in mast arrangement and platform design, as shown in rice. 63.

Skates are attached to the ski on both sides under the brackets 9 - strips - stainless steel, sharpened at an angle of 90° (see knot I ). Skates serve to increase the stability of movement on ice and dense crust; in addition, they prevent wear of the ski edge in these conditions. On soft snow, the ski goes better without skates, so they can be made removable.

Today it seems to many that winter windsurfing appeared as a continuation of a similar summer look sports. At first glance, this is logical: it seems that those who surf the sea in the summer, in order not to lose shape, go skiing and sailing in their homeland in the winter. However, the appearance winter version in time preceded summer windsurfing.

How winter windsurfing appeared

The first awkward attempts at windsurfing in winter are made in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century. Both today and then, the winter season for a city dweller offers a very limited set of ways to spend time. Everyone, in his own way and adequately to the available opportunities, tries to diversify the monotonous course of life. The Europeans of that time were not in the habit of traveling to tropical resorts. But in the cities such a winter pastime as skating has spread. History has not preserved who had the idea to pick up the sail.

However, the idea fully fit into the trend of that time, which consisted in the conquest of all possible natural forces and in the comprehensive realization of human potential. It was at this time that a person masters flying in the air on airships, paragliders and airplanes, carries out the first transcontinental travels, makes landmark discoveries and inventions. Ordinary city dwellers tried to keep up with the general trend. Simple skating seemed boring to some. The wind blowing in open spaces prompted the idea that its power could be used for one's own movement.

The sails that were used at the beginning were a wooden frame of a trapezoidal shape with a wide bottom and a narrowed top. Fabric was stretched over the frame. The design was not attached to anything and was held by the hands of the rider by the crossbar. In areas where open ice there were few, but mostly it was covered with snow, the skates did not fit. Skis were originally used here for skiing. The presence of a wooden plane prompted to fix the sail on it. At the same time, the mount allowed the sail to rotate around its axis and move in a plane perpendicular to the ski. The quadrangular shape of the sail in this design interfered with the movement: it was replaced by a triangular one. The sail was held by the crossbar with one hand, and the second - with the help of tied to top corner the ropes were maneuvered.

By the middle of the twentieth century. not the most advancing in Europe better times: the war and the post-war restoration impoverished the life and leisure of people: there was no time for skis with sails. However, in the early 1970s. winter windsurfing is flourishing again, quickly acquiring the status of a separate sport. At the same time, it appeared in Russia (in the Leningrad and Arkhangelsk regions), as well as in Estonia. The constantly blowing wind, the presence of large open spaces on the site of the freezing waters of the Gulf of Finland, Onega and Ladoga lakes, as well as the White Sea made this area the center of European winter windsurfing.

Competitions

Under the auspices of International Association ice and snow sailing(WISSA) and the International Winter Windsurfing Association (IWWA) hold annual world championships. The venue, by analogy with other competitions, is changing.

• In 2014, the World Championship was held in St. Petersburg, Russia.

• In 2015, it was held in American Wisconsin on Lake Winnebago in the town of Fond du Lac.

• In 2016, the competition will return to Europe again and will be held in Estonia in the town of Haapsalu on the shores of the Haapsalu-Lakht Bay on February 8-13.

In Russia, national championships are held annually in the first days of March:

• 2014 - Monchegorsk, Murmansk region.

• 2015 - Konakovo, Tver region.

• 2016 - Solnechnogorsk, Moscow region.

In addition, every winter-early spring, club and regional windsurfing competitions are organized:

• Christmas regatta (Arkhangelsk, mid-December);

• White Sea Games (Ibid., February or March);

• Regional championships of the Arkhangelsk, Vologda, Leningrad regions.

Technical equipment

The key element of windsurfing is, in sports terminology, a projectile, i.e. what the windsurfer stands on. When the sport was in its infancy, skis, a few skis bound together, snowboards, and even sleds were used. An active search for new solutions continues today. However, the market has established the main models that are mass-produced.

1. Iceboard: Iceboard "Hiberna"

Produced by a Latvian company. It is a board covered with fiberglass, approximately 1.6 m long, depending on the model. Two pairs of steel skids are fixed to it: one in front, the other in the back. Simply put, this skateboard is a modern take on the original idea of ​​a winter form of windsurfing based on the skateboard principle. The platform on which the iceboarder's legs are located, when performing maneuvers and tilts, creates a roll, deviating from the horizontal plane.

Iceboards are designed for skiing on smooth, clean ice. The device, under favorable conditions, is capable of developing a very decent speed - up to 60 km / h.

The cost is from 720 euros.

2. Windboard: Windboard "SWIFT Sport"

The Czech company produces a board for windsurfing on a snowy surface. Made of wood, covered with fiberglass. It is an improved snowboard: larger, more durable. Supplied with a mast for attaching the sail. Calculated sailing area from 3.5 to 7.5 m²; Board length - from 168 to 176 cm.

In addition to the mast, a deck with special fastenings for the surfer's legs is attached to the board. Deca, depending on the task, can be fixed in three positions. In addition, it comes unfastened, performing a protective function in the event of a fall.

The cost is from 660 euros.

Projectile of domestic design, manufactured by a group of enthusiasts "Must". It consists of two skis (2.35-2.75 m), connected by a common platform made of laminated plywood (1.2 x 1 m), covered with an anti-slip layer of polyethylene foam.

The design is bulky, but provides good stability under sail. Ideal for beginners.

The cost is from 380 euros.

For iceboard and domestic sledges, a mast and a sail are additionally required. For the Czech windboard - only a sail.

Riding Features

The riding technique is generally similar to water windsurfing. Only in winter, due to the hardness of the coating under the board, the center of gravity of the surfer is shifted down, which leads to the need for a greater roll. The windsurfer is often in a position close to horizontal.

Naturally, good physical training: sailing in the wind requires strength and dexterity. At first, falls and demolitions are not uncommon, but with the acquisition of experience, failures recede.

Winter windsurfing is a sailing sport that is able to find a large number of its admirers during the cold season. The basis of activity is skiing on frozen water. Ideally, skating is done on clear ice or a very thin layer of snow. Only experienced athletes who understand can safely ride in deep snow.

History of windsurfing

How did people understand that winter windsurfing has its right to exist? Everything began to actively develop in Europe immediately after the onset of the 20th century. In those years, people had limited opportunities for an exciting pastime, so serious attempts were made to diversify their leisure time.

Europeans in the 20th century did not travel along. But they were ready to enjoy skating, which they managed to upgrade into windsurfing. Unfortunately, history has not preserved the name of the one who allowed the use of the sail even in winter. The idea of ​​sports fully corresponded to the trend of that era, because people tried to successfully conquer any trials (snow, strong gusts of wind, cold) and effectively realize the forces that every healthy and active person possesses.

It was in those years that people tested themselves in the following ways:

• mastering flights in the air on various;
• carrying out transcontinental trips;
• making numerous discoveries and inventions.

It is not surprising that people began to learn about windsurfing on ice, which initially meant the opportunity to test the inherent potential and find ways to manifest physical abilities.

Then a special sail appeared, allowing you to enjoy riding in the cold season. It was possible to use a frame made of natural wood, which had a wide bottom and tapered top. A special fabric was stretched over the frame, made in a verified trapezoidal shape. The structure was not attached to anything, so the rider had to hold it by a special crossbar. It is important to note that many Europeans initially loved skiing, but then they successfully obeyed the novelty of the sport and switched to windsurfing. For easy movement, the original shape of the sail was changed to a triangular design, and the athlete could hold and control his direction without problems.

In the middle of the 20th century, a period of trials began in Europe: the war, the post-war period. People had to give up skis with sails. Despite this, winter windsurfing returned to the list of leisure activities in the early 1970s. In addition, windsurfing quickly became separate view sports. The end of the 20th century brought a revival of the beloved sport.

The following regions turned out to be the most popular corners:

• Leningrad region;
• Arhangelsk region;
• The Gulf of Finland;
• Ladoga lake;
• Lake Onega;
• Estonia;
• White Sea.

It is not surprising that winter windsurfing gained particular fame in Europe, whose inhabitants clearly understood the benefits of such sports activities.

Currently, there are annual championships dedicated to windsurfing and contributing to its popularity.

Getting ready for self-study: choose a board

Which winter windsurf board is suitable for solo practice?

One of the most interesting options is an iceboard, which is as close as possible to. In this case, a skating structure with a reinforced mast is provided. It is important to note that the iceboard appears even in international sports competitions, and numerous varieties of design deserve special attention. Iceboard is ideal even for training:

• stability;
• easy control;
• the possibility of easy sliding in wind speeds above three meters per second;

Iceboard is a worthy offer for beginners who only plan to test their potential.

What to do if the ice is covered with a layer of snow and iceboarding becomes more difficult? In this case, only a 2-ski design is suitable. It will require a pendant, edging long skiing. If you take care of reliable crepes and boots, you can easily start active skiing. In this case, ice skating acquires additional features, as the requirement for wind strength becomes more pronounced. In addition, it will not be possible to develop very high speed. But fortunately, you can experience high-speed trips on the snow, and not just on the ice surface.

Knowing which winter windsurf board is best suited for practice, it is extremely important to take care to understand clear safety rules.

Features of the upcoming winter skiing

Windsurfing involves high speeds and amazing dynamism. Of course, windsurfing in winter can be spectacular. But at the same time, you need to understand what safety rules it is desirable to take into account.

Windsurfing is a high-speed and dynamic sport

Weather conditions in winter are not always acceptable, so safety requirements become serious. Be sure to take care of:

• helmet;
• knee pads;
• glasses.

In some cases, it is necessary to additionally protect the elbows and back. No less important is a warm ski suit, which allows you to forget about any frosts.

It is desirable to conduct classes in windy weather and on an ice surface with a thin layer of snow, since only in this case it is possible to successfully control the sail and the direction of the path. It is important to note that the 2-ski design, which has been successfully used for winter sailing, is similar to summer windsurfing: athletes can put their feet behind the articulated part. On a monoski it was impossible!

Windsurfing, which falls in the winter, deserves attention. But it must be known, comprehended!

Despite the apparent fragility and low stability of the structure, sliding on snow is almost perfect. On the other hand, handling is also at its best, and not only professional windsurfers can work on such equipment, but also those who are going to try to catch the wind on the “board” for the first time. In general, on this moment two-ski equipment is ideal for skiing in the snow.

For many years, experts will easily tell you what are the strengths and weaknesses of a monoski for wind. Let's start with the pros: excellent glide, regardless of the snow, low cost, light riding in light wind, easy to transport. On the other side of the coin is low handling, especially if you ride in very strong winds on dense snow.

The most progressive monoski design for winter wind uses a light platform that can be quickly removed, extreme supports for better glide, a two-type mast hinge, which allows you to minimize the load on the skis.

The most common monoski variant is a compilation of 2.5-meter jump and 2.2-meter edge skis. Most athletes use non-standard, most often self-sewn sails, which, first of all, differ from summer options in their angular position relative to the surface - winter sails, when mounted on monoskis, are significantly shifted forward.

Another popular type of equipment for sailing in winter is skating boards. At their core, four-skate skateboards are not much different from ordinary skateboards, if we talk about the principles of operation. The suspensions are the same, only, of course, the wheels are replaced with skates familiar to winter.

The board in this case should be much longer than the skate, and the suspension is tightened by the athletes as much as possible. In this way, you can maximize the controllability of the board and speed it up significantly.

Many athletes go further, lengthening the skates as well. But, really professional winter windsurfers who know exactly their capabilities can manage such a design. It is better for beginners to limit themselves to the simplest design in order to understand the principle of sail and skate board control on snow.

The second type of winter board for windsurfing is 3-skate boards, which do not differ too much from skis in principle. The main feature of such boards put on skates is stability and speed. They accelerate quickly, even in light winds, while not becoming uncontrollable - you can maneuver quite simply, having at least a little riding experience behind you.

It's no secret that the winter wind is still much less popular than the traditional one - on the ocean with a rest under the shade of palm branches. On the other hand, today a lot of people are interested in winter wind. There are several reasons. Firstly, catching the wind on the snow in Russia is much easier than on the waves - you can ride literally anywhere where it snows. Secondly, the cost of winter windsurfing is very different from its summer counterpart.

As we wrote above, you can ride anywhere where it snows. It is customary to choose several types of terrain: mountain slopes, frozen rivers and lakes, snowy steppes.

On the slopes of snow-capped mountains, sailing is no less cool than snowboarding or skiing, especially considering that the board, in fact, is not much different from the above-mentioned projectile for winter views sports. However, the sail accelerates you even more, which allows you to achieve really high speeds.

The most popular form of winter windsurfing is riding on frozen lakes. For this, ridge structures are most often used. The sails are the same as for summer windsurfing. What will you get from ice skating? High and very high speed. At the moment, there are a lot of places where you can go windsurfing in winter in Russia. Only in Moscow about 35 spots operate every season.

The third option is snow skiing on spacious plains and steppes. Not the most developed type of windsurfing, because not everyone and not always can achieve high speeds under sail on dense snow. But, if you are looking for a new extreme hobby for yourself, then you should definitely try it - you will gain impressions for a lifetime!

Now there is an interesting trend of expanding interest from funboarding to other extreme sports sports such as kitesurfing, wakeboarding, snowboarding. The reasons for this phenomenon are not the subject of this article. Interest has increased not only in these, I would say, bright sports, but also in winter windsurfing, which was rather closed until that time. Articles on this topic were published not only in Boats and Yachts, but also in the Vertical World, and now even in Men's Health.

Unlike such types, where equipment can, without problems, but for money, be bought in a store, in winter windsurfing one must either assemble a snow apparatus from existing skis, or completely design and order the manufacture of iron in the case of an ice apparatus. Moreover, there is a complete lack of information in this area. If the information is still there, then it looks like "... this is cooler than everything that was invented before - buy it from us ....". So, I won't discuss constructions like "snakes", "skimbats" and "snowers" here.

General review.

According to the rules of the WISSA (Ice and Snow Sail Association), two types of shells are raced: sleds - sleds and kites - devices with a free sail. There are no more inventory restrictions. To the proposal of kiters to create separate rules for kite racing, the president of this association, William Tuthil, replied that this is welcome, but the text of the rules should fit on an A4 page! This attitude to the rules has its drawbacks, but it allows you to compare often completely incompatible projectiles at the same distance.

Of course, it often happens that the outcome wrestling it is not the skill of the athlete that affects, and not even the quality of the assembly of his projectile, but the weather conditions. Of course, you can be offended if at the next competition the type of road did not suit your device at all, and, despite the time and money spent, you have to leave them, but everyone is on an equal footing and plays this lottery. The above also applies to free skating on these apparatuses: narrowly directed structures such as skating ones can often turn out to be completely unsuitable in “not their own” conditions, and universal ones can lose to them in driving performance in some cases. For example, the Polish team (skating apparatus) left the World Championships in Estonia when it snowed, and vice versa, the French, performing on two-ski structures, left with pure ice in Poland.

Constructions.

I'll make a reservation right away - we will only talk about "sledges" - kites are a separate topic.

Jibe on iceboard

Skate equipment.

4-skate - repeat the principle of a skateboard: the same suspension, only skates are placed instead of wheels. It is advisable to make the board longer than that of the skateboard, and tighten the suspension to the limit, then the board will not turn so sharply and ride faster.

It is possible to further improve this idea, for example, by lengthening the skates or providing vibration dampening in some way. But, in my opinion, this projectile has a fundamental difference from funboarding, which insidiously manifests itself with the growth of skill and speed. It is caused by a sailing effect that occurs at speed, and inevitably turns active turns through the jibe into tacks. When entering a turn at a speed faster than the wind speed and guiding the arc without losing that speed, which is perfectly normal on smooth ice, the wind line does not cross with the wind, but against it! You can perfectly do a “360” with the sail lying along the surface, you can do this maneuver twice in a row, but in order to make a “duck” or a regular “jib”, you must first slow down

3-skate (popularly nicknamed “cockroaches”) - have grown over several years of use in racing from a design with a fixed skate in front, made of a tube, to devices with a steering principle approaching a skateboard.

These designs are more speed oriented and more stable.

Here, only one pair of skates must be precisely set “to parallelism” - this greatly affects the speed. At the World Championships in 1997. the first two places were taken by guys from Canada, performing on three-skating. There was crooked and rough ice and a strong wind. No one expected such an advantage of skates in these conditions.

The Canadians had devices that I really liked. The device consists of a rather light T-shaped aluminum profile frame with a 10mm platform attached on top. plywood. The basic idea is that the platform is cut across at the back; it turns out that its front half is attached only to the longitudinal beam and when stepping on its side parts, it elastically bends. This movement is used to control the front skate. Two cables are attached to a fixed platform from both sides, and through the blocks installed on the edge of the movable platform are stretched crosswise to the steering skate. On straight courses, the athlete stands on one of the side skates - on the hard part of the site, and on turns - presses on one of the sides.

Ski equipment.

Two-ski designs are used mainly in Finland - many athletes have been chasing them for a long time, and their design has become, in my opinion, perfect. In dense and uneven snow and strong winds, “two-skis” have a clear advantage over other designs.

Two-ski

The projectile is arranged very simply: two long (240 cm) edge skis are fastened with a narrow platform, and they glide over the snow with their outer edges. The angle of inclination is adjusted by screws or lanyards - (it varies depending on the rigidity of the road and is approximately 30 degrees). The term “two-ski” is not literal, since often a short jump ski is placed between the skis instead of a plywood platform, and a “three-ski” is obtained.

My feelings about this projectile are very contradictory. On the one hand, skis placed on the snow with different edges should, due to their tightness, tend to move in different directions and the whole apparatus should slow down a lot. But when I tried to ride on skis taken from the Finns, I was surprised at the ease of gliding. Carved turns are obtained only on devices with a platform placed behind the skis, but the Finnish three-ski version, nevertheless, seems to me more effective.

Three-ski

Insert 2001. The World Championships last winter showed that Finns can really go fast on two skis. Juha Manerma won this competition in fairly light winds.

Monoskis. This is a Russian invention, more precisely an Estonian one, as they say, but all the same, a Soviet one, this does not change things. The mono-ski is very simply arranged, besides, it has become a monotype for racing for a very long time. This greatly raised the level of training of our athletes, and at world competitions they have long been considered virtuosos.

Monoski

The strong and weak sides this projectile. The monoski has a very high quality slip on very different types snow, which means it starts to move with very little wind, it is very cheap to manufacture, easy to transport and carry. But: it requires very good handling technique, especially in strong winds and on difficult surfaces.

Here are the latest technical solutions used in mono-skiing: a quick-release platform that allows you to change skis right at the start; edge supports sliding in the longitudinal direction to improve the performance of the ski on uneven surfaces; mast joint cushioning to reduce the transfer of shock loads to the ski edge; polyurethane mast hinge.

For mono-skis, two types of skis are usually used - for snow - jumping 250cm, for ice and nasa - long (220cm) edge. Many athletes even sew special sails for racing, which differ from summer sails mainly in the shape in plan - the normal position of the sail on the move in monoskis is strongly shifted forward.

FAQ

Can foil sails be used in winter?

Film sails (like coal masts) can be used without fear in winter. Much more dangerous for sails - ultraviolet, and for masts - local heating and impacts. Geeks are the opposite. The thermoplastic fittings of branded booms become brittle already at -10 degrees.