The 2009 French SnowKite Masters (SKM) are set to take place in January of next year at Col du Lautaret, Hautes-Alpes, France, and will match up the best French snowkite freestyle champions with the top British snowkite freestyle riders and a host of other snowkiters from around the globe.

Snowkiting, a relatively new discipline, is kind of like a combination between snowboarding and kiteboarding. By introducing kites and thus additional elements like wind force, spectators can expect massive boosts, big airs and a handful of radical tricks never seen before.

In the spirit of snowkiting, the Serre Chevalier SnowKite Masters Championships have been organised to help promote and share the growing stoke this alternative sport provides. Serre Chevalier is renowned for it’s popular snowkiting area, the Col du Lautaret, and sees heaps of kiters throughout the winter months, throwing down their new tricks, teaching beginners and having a good time.

Three times world champ, Guillaume Chastagnol will go into the event with a title to keep, but will have to prove himself worthy, once again, as the influx of new and upcoming riders is increasing daily. He will have a chance to prove his skills however, in the new Best Line Event, created for only the most adventurous and daring. In this event, snowkiters are expected to climb a mountain with a kite, pack the kite up once at the top and then pull the best line back down without the kite. Time, difficulty, altitude and the ride down will be judged. The nature of an event like this is underground, core and extreme – not one for the faint-hearted.

To have a look at the action-packed programme, go to mmv-snowkitemasters.com.

Words: Bryony Mccormick