Kiteboarding event Saturday a qualifier for international competition
It's a qualifier for a world championship meet in Norway.
In the sport, snowboarders and skiers manipulate a giant kite to propel themselves along. A skilled kiteboarder, with some wind, can reach ground speeds of nearly 100 km/hour.
A groomed farm field three kilometres north of Regina, off Highway 11, will be the site of Saturday's event.
"Saskatchewan's an ideal spot," event organizer Victor Labar says. "We've got a few hills. We've got wide open terrain. But best of all we've got wind."
Didier Godbout travelled from Quebec to compete and agrees Saskatchewan is an ideal spot for kiteboarding.
"Because it's flat, it's windy ... and because they have snow," he said.
The weekend event is expecting about 100 competitors. They will race on a 10-kilometre course.
The winning skier and the winning snowboarder will advance to a world class event in Norway, with all expenses paid.
Labar, who is also competing, said with strong winds the event could generate some fast times.
"If we're getting 50 kilometre winds like they're predicting, it could be skiers as high as 80 to 100 kilometres an hour — if they have the right equipment — and snowboarders in the neighbourhood of 60 kilometres an hour."
The start of the race, around 11 a.m. CST, is expected to be very exciting and colourful as the group assembles.