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Cortina d’Ampezzo, 27 January 2021_ Back in the sky. Follow the flow and let yourself be carried away by the kite's sail, jumps and spin in the air by grabbing your snowboard’s edges, and become one with the sky and the fresh snow.
The greatest international snowkite champions are getting ready to put on a show at the CSC-Cortina Snowkite Contest on the slopes of Passo Giau. The contest has been reconfirmed as the final stage of the SnowKite World Cup, the most important world circuit, organized by the IKA, International Kiteboarding Association. And, as if to reward this long wait, there is an important novelty: for the first time two world titles will be awarded, the Big Air and the Freestyle titles.
The announcement of the 6th edition, scheduled from March 18 to 21 March, 2021, has galvanized the spirits, after the false start in 2020 due to the suspension of the race because of the pandemic. A race that offers an unmissable spectacle: Passo Giau, between Cortina d'Ampezzo, San Vito di Cadore and Colle Santa Lucia, is a land of choice for snowkiters. Here, athletes can choose very creative trajectories thanks to the traction of the wind, and surf on flat surfaces, uphill and downhill, without the need of sky-lifts. They can extend their jumps and perform tricks that would otherwise be impossible, rising towards the sky.
The founder and director of the CSC since its first edition in 2007 is Michele Alì, pioneer of Italian snowkiting. In Cortina, together with a team of instructors, he opened one of the first Italian schools, Kite4Freedom. “We are happy to host the best snowkite specialists, about forty athletes from all over the world, who will charm the audience with their evolutions”, he explains. "The award of two world titles confirms the path of growth achieved in terms of organization and sport’s popularity. And thanks to this event, many were able to discover the potential of a place like Passo Giau, ideal for snowkiting: a vast flat and windy area". A magical place, surrounded by the Dolomites, perfect for hosting a strictly eco-friendly and zero impact race.
In Passo Giau, from one edition to the next, a real tradition was born, that brings together an entire community of enthusiasts. The winners of the race earn the title of “King of Giau” and have their name engraved at the base of the pinewood crown handmade by a local craftsman. A passing of the baton.
“We are proud to hold here in Cortina, at Passo Giau, the snowkite world championship for both the Freestyle and Big Air titles, an extreme expression of freedom that blends perfectly into the fabulous context that only Giau can offer”, adds Mirco Babini, president of IKA (International Kiteboarding Association). “We are sure that the best athletes from many parts of the world will do their best to attend the event, despite the problems we all know too well. The organization, led by Michele, is well tried-and-tested and the IKA is confident that this partnership will continue in the coming years. We will give all the necessary support”.
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