Snowboarding with a Wing

Speed down a snow-covered meadow on a snowboard and with a wing

Since late November, snow has had northern Germany firmly in its grip. With temperatures consistently below freezing, the blanket of snow on the meadows grew thicker with every snowfall. After two days, there were 20 centimeters - enough to go snowboarding on the hill behind the house.

The snow, however, was so loose on the meadow that you could have blown it away with a leaf blower. Edge grip? Not a chance! The board’s rails cut through the blades of grass, and numerous molehills put a damper on the fun.

Earn your turn - climbing and setting up your gear are part of it

There wasn't any sign of a really strong wind - it would have been so much fun to zoom across the snow-covered meadows with a wing-powered glider.

On the other hand, the snow conditions improved day by day. Heavy weekend traffic had compacted the bottom layer of snow and flattened the moguls.

Let's hit the slopes with a wing and a snowboard

The first run in switch stance, with the wind blowing from the right across the slope

Last Tuesday, heavy snowfall began again. Since an easterly wind of 15-20 knots was also forecast for that day, Andy and I brought a wing along on the long walk to the slope.

At -5°C, it was snowing constantly, and a 10-centimeter layer of fresh snow settled on top of the old snow, which had become quite firm by then. The conditions were a snowboarder’s dream - albeit typical of northern Germany.

The climb with a wing and a board is exhausting

Yeti-Alarm

Should I inflate the wing now? The light snowflakes were falling almost horizontally, but in terms of wind strength, it was only around 3 on the Beaufort scale. Because of the friction between the board and the snow, that’s not enough to get up to speed with the wind.

Hitting the slopes on a wing and snowboard

The power in the wing was mainly generated by the airflow

However, when flying downhill, the wing glides effortlessly along and can be steered even at low speeds. When flying fast down a slope, enough pressure builds up that you can really let yourself be pulled into a turn.

Somewhere in Schleswig-Holstein - a winter sports paradise in northern Germany (and please, no laughing in the Alps)

There were a few turns to be had on the 100-meter-long slope

Going downhill is a blast, but you have to get back up again. That’s exhausting enough on your own with just a board - without a ski lift - and with a wing in your hand, you really work up a sweat. So, put it aside for now and keep going with just your board to make the most of these pretty much one-of-a-kind conditions.

The downhill run - at least there's snow all the way down to the village

On the way back to the car, Andy managed to let himself be pulled along the dirt road for a few more meters. Pretty slowly, but still. Bottom line: packing a wing for a trip to the snow is only worth it if there’s a storm. It might be different on ice - let’s hope it gets properly cold this winter.

Rider: Adrien Bosson Rider: Andre Ludewig Rider: Andre Ludewig Rider: Jose ’Gollito’ Estredo Rider: Lars Petersen Rider: Olaf Barth Rider: Olaf Barth Rider: Olaf Barth Rider: Olaf Barth Rider: Olaf Barth Rider: Olaf Barth Rider: Philip Köster Rider: Robert Büssow Rider: Robert Büssow Rider: Robert Büssow Rider: Sarah-Quita Offringa Rider: Sarah-Quita Offringa Rider: Thomas Traversa Text: Jürgen Schall Photos/Videos: Andreas Wirtz Photos/Videos: Jürgen Schall DE

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