Ready for the 7th SNOWKITEMASTERS.

Last week free before the super over busy SKM week for me.
This year, I will have to do the photos for the mythical event here at Lautaret Pass, Serre-Chevalier Valley.
And as well a daily report for the web.
May be a short movie but I don't think to be free enough for it.
Let's wait and see.
The forecast announces huge snowfall for the further days.
So perfect conditions for the event next week.
I hope to meet you all there.
Here is the poster below and you can reconize one of my watercolors mountain paintings.
I was asked by Régis and Wareck to draw some kiters into the frame.
Drawing people is definitely not within my skills, sorry for the not super good kiter doodles on the poster...
Anyway, let's pray for a super event, like we spent all of them since the first one in 2005.
:)

Lucky new year !!!!

Yes, I wish you the most important thing in our life, LUCK.
Think that the passengers on the Titanic were all in a good health...
;-)

Here is a bacic shot to start the 2011 new year the right way :




One of these super super super super light wind blowing days here at Lautaret Pass on 2010 december.
At least it was blowing...
With so many other ones with no wind at all.
Let's hope that 2011 will bring better conditions.

Cheers all.

Pascal


:)

Hard december conditions.

Here is a short message about the snowkiting conditions here in the south-eastern Alpes.
After a very cool snowfall end of november we were so happy with so many cool spots around for huge sessions.
But a super warm south wind was blowing for one week.
All the snow disappeared under 2.000m.
Now, for one month the only one spot remains the Lautaret Pass.
It is 2h30 driving from my home...
That means 5h00 hours driving every session I plan to do up-there.
It's already hard but came harder when I drive so long road and meet wrong conditions so no kiting session.
What a pitty.
The forecast was quite every day wrong.
So I went for no kiting at least 8 times...
I missed some pretty good sessions when the very bad weather was announced and the conditions were OK though.
Anyway, here are some facts :
-We never get to the mythical spot Les 3 Evêchés since end of october, when the snow came here in our mountains. This is near incredible, we need the south-east wind and we can say that it never blows this direction for two monthes and half.
-Chasta came from Tahiti on the 6th december, and since this date, I made a short movie, but no photo at all. Because we never got any session for at least a basic picture. So many super stormy days, foggy, or sometimes blue sky with no wind at all for the whole day.
-We didn't go kiting the usual spot called "Le grand virage" for more than one month, I mean for all december month. This is as well really incredible as this good spot is normaly the main area for snowkiting here at Lautaret Pass.
-We are loosing now the Combeynod area, very good spot and the only one when the north-west wind is blowing. The rangers from the Natural Park came and told that they won't allow us to go kiting this area any more. They were pretty cool during the end of last season but now they will fine us if we go kiting there.

So, even when we are free to go snowkiting every day, it's not sure we'll get the perfect conditions for cool videos and photos promoting our sport.
That's wat it is.
:-(


I made this picture yesterday, we were waiting all the day long without any breeze, speaking around near the car park, then we could feel the air starting to move very very very very slow. We set up our gear and I could have a 20meters run for this pic. Then the wind stopped.

Vosges Snowkiting Cup. Open distance.

My friends from the event in the northern country of France set up a snowkiting race Open distance in the mountains of Vosges.
I was asked for a painting due to illustrate the tee-shirt of the event.
Here is the painting, watercolors, from a picture of the real spot, photo from J.B. Foliguet :




And then, here is the tee-shirt picture :



:)

Autrans

A super warm wind was blowing for one week, all the snow was melting under 2.000m elevation.
It was such a pitty as we got huge snowpack around there, enough for snowkiting near 1.000m which allows us for lot of super cool spots about only one hour driving from home.
Then the cold north wind came, bringing -20°c temperature and a very small amount of fresh powder due to the special icy fog.
So, no more snowkiting here, as all the spots had grass ground and stones everywhere.
Very surprising was the plateau near Autrans, a little ski-resort in the Vercors Natural Park.
It seems that the warm wind didn't reach this area, and a good snowpack was still covering the fields.
Autrans remains for few weeks the only one spot near Grenoble, avoiding the 2h30 driving to the Lautaret Pass.
Here is a short movie below about the session and you will see a part introducing how to fly softly with a kite.


The AUTRANS video


:)

KITESURF mag France.

Chasta crossing a river in Thompson Pass, Valdez.


Cool december issue of the magazine KITESURF France.
A complet subject about how to start snowkiting, text & photos from my friend Bertrand Boone.
And as well a 10 pages report about the ALASKA session during 2010 april with Chasta.
If you can check it out while coming to France, don't miss it :


This is a self-shot on the Sargent Glacier, Chughachs Mountains. I use the remote control on my EOS Canon camera and a tripod.



I can't explane my feeling when I made this picture of Chasta kiting up with the unforgettable background of huge alaskan glaciers.

:)

Kailea snow towing.

What a great day when you can go snowkiting with your children.
Not old enough for kiting, they can go for a skiing session.
Just bring them to the top of the hill while towing with a rope and a custom bar.
Then, let your child skiing downhill.
You can do it again, and again.
It seems this is a perfect way to spend super session with the family.
Here is a short movie showing our friend Chasta and daughter Kailea :

KAILEA SNOW TOWING VIDEO

:)

Pascal