Expedition to Southern Pole

Date: January 19, 2007 • Location: Pole of Inaccessibility research station, International

A four-man team, using only skis and kites, completed a 1,093-mile (1,759 km) trek to reach the Southern Pole of Inaccessibility, the first people to get there since 1967, and the first to do so on foot. Snowkiting is an outdoor winter sport in which a skier or snowboarder uses the power generated by a kite to propel them over snow or sometimes ice. With proper wind and terrain conditions, the kite can be used for jumps as well. The kite handling is similar to water-based kiteboarding. The kites used in snowboarding are identical or similar to the ones used on water, with a slight preference for foil kites, especially single skin foil kites. Since 2013, newly developed racing foil kites dominate speed races and expedition races, like Red Bull Ragnarok and the Vake mini-expedition race. Snowkiting differs from other alpine sports in that it is possible for the snowkiter to travel uphill and downhill with any wind direction. Like kiteboarding, snowkiting can be very hazardous and should be learned and practiced with care.