Kite On The Bay Or Throw A Stone

Dec. 7, 2014

Offbeat winter sports gaining traction in the northern snow and ice

Beyond the popular trifecta of skiing, snowboarding and skating, northern Michigan is home to several niche and emerging winter sports. Such as...

SNOWKITING

Last winter’s brutal weather conditions discouraged many outdoor enthusiasts from hitting the slopes and trails on subzero days. But one sport flourished during the bitter wind and cold: snowkiting, also known as kite snowboarding.

"Last year was the mecca of kite snowboarding," says Nate Farran, director of operations for M22 in Traverse City. "Everything – every inland lake, even the bay – was frozen. It was phenomenal."

Farran is part of a group of roughly 30 regular snowkiters who can be seen gliding across icy fields and frozen bodies of waters in Grand Traverse and Leelanau county every winter on skis or snowboards under colorful kites. Like the summer version of the sport, kite snowboarding involves harnessing the wind to gain speed and perform trick jumps or aerial maneuvers. But there are some key differences between the two seasonal activities.

"You don’t need as much wind in the winter, because the wind is denser in the cold," explains Farran. "It’s also easier to learn (the sport) in the winter. When you’re learning kiteboarding fundamentals in the summer and you have waves crashing over you and you can’t stand up, that’s a huge hurdle. If something happens to your board in the winter, you just walk over to it – you don’t have to swim."

Speed is another advantage in the winter. With flat, open terrain in place of waves, snowkiters can reach much higher top speeds. But there are some safety risks. "Coming down on ice and snow is more harmful than crashing in water," says Farran. "You also have to watch out for hyopthermia, and the possibility of cracking through the ice."

Farran and the M22 team offer oneon-one lessons and day camps to introduce newbies to the sport. Equipment can be expensive – a complete kiting package can cost $2,000 and upwards – so using the company’s included equipment during lessons can be a good way to gauge whether your interest is high enough to make the investment. Farran says having a background in skiing or snowboarding makes it easier to pick up snowkiting, but isn’t necessary for those interested in learning the sport.

In addition to teaching technical skills, the company also imparts common-sense practices like evaluating environmental conditions, gauging wind direction and identifying safe locations to kite. (Farran recommends looking for nearby ice shanties to determine if ice is thick enough to venture out on, and to make sure to always get permission from property owners before kiting on open fields.)

The close-knit community of local kite snowboarders can also provide a welcoming – as well as safe – environment in which to practice the sport. "Everybody is there to help," says Farran. "We all watch out for each other."’’

CURLING

Before this past spring, Traverse City’s Don Piche had never tried curling – a me dieval Scottish game in which two teams of four players slide granite stones across ice into circular targets. But Piche was intrigued by curling competitions televised during the Winter Olympics. When he found himself setting his alarm clock for 5am to watch the Russians play, "I knew something was happening," he laughs.

Piche approached Centre Ice Arena about partnering to offer the sport to local players. Sensing a potential market, the facility agreed to purchase the costly curling equipment upfront and let the group pay back the investment over time. With that arrangement in place, the TC Curling Club – featuring Piche as president of a board of six directors – was born. An April 2014 curling open house that attracted over 500 people confirmed Piche was on to something.

"It’s a very social game," says Piche of the sport’s appeal. "It also takes very little time to pick up. There have been very few people who’ve tried it and said, "˜No, this isn’t for me.’ There’s a lot of fun and camaraderie involved." Those familiar with shuffleboard and bocce will quickly pick up on the strategy and scoring of curling, which employs team sweepers with brooms to help shape the ice in front of the stones as they make their way down to the house, or 12-foot scoring circle. Points are scored for stones that land closest to the house’s center.

A broad range of ages and abilities can play the sport; Piche says a sense of balance and "a clean pair of tennis shoes" are all most people need. Players with disabilities or in wheelchairs have also been able to participate using modified equipment. The TC Curling Club hosts regular league games, open curling sessions and "learn-to-curl" lessons at Centre Ice to help encourage participation in the sport.

Another group – the Lewiston Curling Club, which is about to celebrate its 55th anniversary – also offers league games, skill development and special events in its own facility on County Road 612 in Lewiston. Piche says acquiring a dedicated curling facility is a longterm goal for his organization as well. "We’re talking about that now as a board," he says. "We’re the new kids on the block, but ultimately we’d love to grow to that point."

In the meantime, the TC Curling Club is focused on promoting this season’s events and a spring 2015 Cherry Bonspiel (or curling tournament), a three-day competition April 24-26 featuring 32 teams from across the U.S. "We’re excited to get a chance to showcase the special things about Traverse City to players from across the country," says Piche.

UNIQUE WINTER SPORTS FESTIVALS

Looking for more creative outdoor activities? Several regional winter festivals offer unique sporting events designed to celebrate the cold, snowy season.

Indian River WinterFest, January 23-25: Several hundred people flock each year to Indian River’s Cooperation Park for the annual three-day WinterFest, presented by the Indian River Chamber of Commerce. The event roster is packed with clever, family-friendly winter competitions, including ice bowling, kayak on ice derby, snowball softball tournament, cardboard sledding contest, snow sculpting art competition and the annual firemen’s broomball game. For more info, visit www.irchamber.com.

Boyne City Winterfest, January 24: The Boyne Area Chamber of Commerce transforms the community into a winter wonderland every year during Winterfest, which pairs live music, wine tasting and downtown shopping specials with a day-long lineup of competitions and athletic events. New this year is Fat  Bike the North, a fat bike race on groomed trails at The Hill Nature Preserve featuring beginner, sport and expert classes. The $40 registration fee provides entrants a chance to win cash and prizes as well as an after-party at Boyne City Lanes.

The festival will also feature free sledding, ice skating and cross-country skiing at Avalanche Preserve Recreation Area, as well as unique kids events including a frozen fish toss and frozen turkey bowling at Old City Park. For more info, visit www.boynechamber.com.

Labatt Blue UP Pond Hockey Championship, February 12-15: The St. Ignace Visitors Bureau is no stranger to innovative winter events (see the organization’s U.P. Ice Golf Scramble & Glow Ball Challenge in February), but for sheer size alone, the annual pond hockey championship takes the cake. The event – which attracted 191 teams from northern Michigan and beyond in 2014 – is played on the frozen ice of Moran Bay, Lake Huron in thirty 75’x150’ rinks. Over 250 games take place throughout the weekend in a four-on-four format featuring men’s, women’s and novice divisions. Plenty of extracurricular activities including pub crawls, exhibition games and Detroit Red Wings Alumni Team meet-and-greets make the event a must-attend for hockey fans – both on and off the ice. For more info, visit www.stignace.com.

Shanty Creek Resorts Slush Cup, March 7: By the time March rolls around, most Michiganders are in the full throes of cabin fever. Perhaps that’s what inspired the zany hijinks that ensue at Shanty Creek Resorts’ annual Slush Cup, a 40-year tradition that pits skiers and snowboarders against a 40’ icy pond in Schuss Village. 50 competitors – many decked out head-to-toe in costume – attempt to cross the pond from increasingly lower levels of the ski hill, eventually losing speed and facing elimination (and freezing waters) as they fail to make it across.

"The crash is what everybody wants," laughs Shanty Creek Resorts’ Vice President Chris Hale. "Everybody gets soaked eventually. It’s an awesome time."

While competitor slots get snapped up "immediately" every year, says Hale, there is plenty for spectators to do. In addition to taking in the thrilling victories and agonizing defeats in the Slush Cup, attendees can participate in snow shovel racing, a frozen fish toss and a seal slide (which involves donning a trash bag and sliding down the slope on your belly). Intrigued yet? Check out www. shantycreek.com for more details.