The 28-year-old from Lake Constance will be riding the C4 for freestyle and the Edge for race. “The C4 is really a great kite, which I get on very well even at the gusty Lake Constance. I am sure that I can much increase my level with these kites. I am also particularly pleased to be sponsored by a company that deals with issues such as social responsibility for its workers. This is an issue that unfortunately in the kitesurf industry so far is paid far too little attention.“

This summer Inga will be touring Europe and Morocco in a VW bus, exploring many spots and provide us with travel stories and photos. She also organizes the KB4girls chapter South Germany where she shares her passion for kitesurfing with other girls. Find out more about Inga at www.inga-wobker.de

Check out the video below…

Cheers
The Ozone Team

here is a quick and short edit to show a short part of one day filming with the Ride Up team last winter…

Be patient, the teaser of the 2012 Ride Up movie is coming soon.

The freeride aspect is pushed again, but also the combination between freeride and freestyle. The movie was shot in the South Alps near Sere Chevalier.

See you,
Johann

The Summit is an all out performance snowkite for dedicated snowkite riders. The Summit will fill the legacy of the well loved Manta.

The Summit is here; The Summit is for riders with experience and who are looking for a kite to explore the limits of what we think is possible. The high aspect design, clean sail, de-power range and handling will allow the adventurous to push the boundaries of the sport even further. The Summit has so much potential due to its amazing power generation in light winds but also its de-power in strong winds. Combine that with fast direct handling and you have the ultimate combination for progressive riders.

The design of this kite has been maximized to deliver as much all round performance as possible. Each aspect has been calculated using the latest development techniques to produce a kite that pushes the limit of performance design. With our new software and our years of experience we have put together a unique combination of aspect ratio, cell width, profile and sail tension. We have incorporated technology from our class leading paraglider designs to dramatically improve stability.

The total flag out option is extremely useful when landing the kite at the top of a mountain or in extreme conditions. It allows you to completely kill the power to pack up safely. We still recommend that you land the Summit using the webbing brake handle to cleanly stall the kite if conditions permit i.e. when taking a break or finished for the day.

The Summit is constructed from top quality materials and features a double pulley speed-system, utilising the latest high spec Ronstan Orbit Block Series 20 pulleys. Unique blow-out-valves on the under surface allow the internal volume of air to be released when the kite is crashed into the ground.

MORE INFO HERE
DOWNLOAD PDF HERE

The Frenzy is the ultimate snowkite for intermediate to advanced freestylers and back country exploring.

The next generation of Frenzy is here and the design has been maximized to deliver our most versatile kite so far. Every aspect had been recalculated using the latest development techniques. Handling, performance and stability have been at the root of these calculations. With the aid of our new software and our years of experience we have put together an ideal combination of aspect ratio, cell width, profile and sail tension. We have also incorporated technology from our class leading paraglider designs to improve stability.

The Frenzy has a compact feel and faster handling which makes it easy to generate power even in light winds. The new sail tension calculations have dramatically improved the stability throughout its flight window and in turbulent conditions. This all makes for a kite that is more fun to ride and fly.

The total flag out option is extremely useful when landing the kite at the top of a mountain or in extreme conditions. It allows you to completely kill the power to pack up in safety. We still recommend that you land the Frenzy using the webbing brake handle to cleanly stall the kite if conditions permit i.e. when taking a break or finished for the day.

The Frenzy is constructed from top quality materials and features a double pulley speed-system, utilising the latest high spec Ronstan Orbit Block Series 20 pulleys. Unique blow-out-valves on the under surface allow the internal volume of air to be released when the kite is crashed into the ground.

MORE INFO HERE
DOWNLOAD PDF HERE

The European snow season is just around the corner, so I thought it would be a good time for a little post about snowkiting. As with other kiting disciplines, snowkiting is now a much more refined experience than it used to be. Modern kites are now extremely user-friendly, can be launched and landed by yourself, have heaps of depower so you don’t get jerked all over the place and are also a fine replacement for a chair lift.

There are lots of snowkiters in the USA that take advantage of the enourmous, lush, powdery snowfields in places like Utah and Colorado, but it’s in the steep and challenging European mountain ranges that riders are broadening our understanding of how more and more people will use kites in the future.

Ski resorts and areas with chair lift access make up only a very small percentage of areas with good potential for skiing/snowboarding. Kites are beginning to allow us to start to be able to reach the rest.

Johann Civel is one of snowkiting’s leading freeriders. A vastly experienced ski-guide based in the southern Alps, he says of snowkiting, “Flying a kite on the snow is as simple as on the water or land and anyone can do it with a little practice. In fact, the better you are on skis or a snowboard, the easier you’ll find it.”

In just a couple of hours an average skier/snowboarder will be enjoying the pull up some gentle slopes and within a few days will be ready to take on their first proper free runs, which Johann says will “help you understand the endless possibilities of snowkiting.”

Each season experienced snowkiters are finding new playgrounds that are opening up to them as they reach and explore new summits. Enjoying first tracks all day long and through till sunset, they ride couloirs that would otherwise remain untouched. As more playgrounds open up, more kiting centres are opening and more guides are safely helping people through their first experiences in suitable, open terrain as venturing into the backcountry can be dangerous without sufficient experience.

Kite manufacturer, Ozone, have done more than most to push the sport of snowkiting, and I can always remember a story that one of the company owners, Matt Taggart, told me about a session he had in New Zealand. They were up early to reach one of their favourite peaks as usual and were happily playing in the soft powder at the top when a helicopter appeared packed with snowboarders who’d forked out lots of money for the experience of getting to the top and having all the powder to themselves. They looked astonished to find Matt and his team already up top and tracking the place out for free before packing away their kites and freeriding back down themselves, satisfied grins etched across their faces.

The snowkite season starts with the first snow and runs till the end of June in the Alps. Using a kite can extend the regular snow season by a couple of months or more.
An understanding of safety, wind and its direction obviously plays its part, but it may surprise you to know that you can even tack your way up a mountain face when the wind is blowing down it. It may take longer than heading straight up – chair-lift style – which you can in a cross or up slope wind, but it sure beats hiking.

Johann’s biggest climbs in altitude have been in Pakistan and Argentina, where he scaled 5,000 metres in each country. He says, “Snowkiting is definitely all about a feeling of freedom; of being in harmony with the mountains and the wind. It’s pure freeriding.”

Here is a video of Johann and his friends who make the ‘Ride Up’ series of videos enjoying a day riding up and riding down another untracked face they have all to themselves.

But snowkiting isn’t all about scaling mountains. There are vast areas of more gently rolling terrain, such as the Hardangavidda Plateau in Norway, where it’s also windy much of the time. A core group of freestyle riders who are also heavily influenced by wakeboarding show you another side to this freesport in a trailer for the excellent Something Stronger DVD, by Morten Gjerstad.

If you want to see more stunning snowkite images click here for an interview with ace snowkite photographer, Pascal Boulgakow, in the Kiteworld Magazine Lens Master gallery section.

Find many more videos made by Johann and the ‘Ride Up’ team on their site by clicking here.

WARNING: Johann and his friends are vastly experienced professionals. Snowkiting is a dangerous sport and should only be practiced after professional instruction by a qualified instructor/guide. The mountains can be treacherous and weather conditions can change quickly, and although kites are now much safer than they were, they can still be dangerous in inexperienced hands.

PHOTOS – Boulgakow.com

The Access has been designed for riders looking for an incredibly versatile and easy kite to fly. For riders new to the sport the Access is the benchmark, from your first lessons on the snow to learning how to jump, the Access is the perfect tool for all new comers to snow kiting. More experienced riders will find it is perfect to have in your quiver when the conditions or terrain get more demanding.

It’s important for an all round kite to have excellent stability, it must be easy to control, deliver smooth constant power and have good safety. The Access features our total flag out safety for those emergency situations. We still recommend that you land the Access using the webbing brake handle to cleanly stall the kite if conditions permit i.e. when taking a break or finished for the day.

The Access is constructed from top quality materials and features a double pulley speed-system, utilising the latest high spec Ronstan Orbit Block Series 20 pulleys. Four unique blow-out-valves on the under surface allow the internal volume of air to be released when the kite is crashed into the ground which reduces the potential to get blow outs.

MORE INFO HERE
DOWNLOAD PDF HERE

The footage is inspiring on many levels - the natural vistas of the NZ coast, the tranquil glides over green landscapes, and the convenience of taking off and landing from home without being at the mercy of thermals

Fly alongside Rob as he soars above New Zealand’s West Coast with his Paramotor, in search of a little soul satisfaction. White Cloud Productions NZ joined forces with Rob to capture stunning images of Raglan and the surrounding area…presenting Surreal Perspectives.

Enjoy
Team Ozone

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