Britannia Bay is the home to several kiteboarders when the wind conditions are just right. “There were maybe 12 people in Ottawa when I started and now we’ve got over 900 on our Facebook group.”Ĭampbell has been boarding for 14 years and he’s only gotten more into the winter sport since. He found the hobby mostly by accident, when he happened on a group of boarders who were heading out for some air time. Campbell (left) checks out his snowboard before heading out to Britannia Bay. “Every year, it’s getting bigger,” says Campbell about the sport’s community in Ottawa, as he pulls a black and red board out of the trunk of an over-stuffed car, his face exposed to the wind. On bright days, the few people not cowed by the chill and the wind make their way out to Britannia Bay, where they lay out kites as tall as four people and get ready for a day of high flying. Kiteboarding is a recent winter practice in Ottawa. Campbell carries his gear through the parking lot as he prepares to kiteboard. He says the fastest wind he’s ever ridden in is 40 knots - about 75 km/h. Anything over 16 knots is ideal for jumping, and once it starts hitting over 25 knots, well, Campbell says “you can go to the moon.” Campbell says that the minimum wind speed for snow kiting is eight knots (roughly 15 km/h) if the snow is hard, and 10 if the snow is soft. Often, that adrenaline rush is at the mercy of Mother Nature especially the speed of the wind, which riders check in advance online before going out. It’s a huge adrenaline rush,” says the 36-year old. One of those enthusiasts is Ryan Campbell. When the conditions are good, the area is dotted with kiteboarders. The website gives Britannia four stars out of four as a winter destination. The area has plenty of open space and good wind conditions, according to Ottawa Kiting, a website dedicated to these sports. Summer and winter kite-related sports use the same type of kite to pull riders, and depending on the wind, that can result in some serious speeds, air and tricks.īritannia Bay is one of the most popular destinations in winter. Kiteboarding in winter - or “snow kiting” - is a popular winter sport taking place in open, windy areas. The popular summer sport where you surf pristine waters in the sunshine, pulled by a large parachute-like kite has a winter equivalent. They propel themselves 40 feet in the air. In the winter, though, the frozen shoreline attracts a different group of people. During summer, people flock to Britannia Beach to soak in the sun and take a dip in the Ottawa River.
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