The event organized by the World Ice and Snow Sailing Association (WISSA) was held at the Kuybyshev Reservoir, in Togliatti, Russia, and attracted more than 180 snow sailors.[more]
The sailing conditions were not perfect because of the shifting winds and mild temperatures which resulted in wet snow, and icy tracks.
However, the contest had everything a rider needs to feel ready for action, and there were plenty of activities being held day and night.
As always, winter sailors competed in snowkiting, windsurfing, and handheld sail (wings) classes, in course race, marathon, and short track slalom formats.
The only non-Russian to break the local winning formula was Felix Kersten, from Germany, who won the kite skiing marathon and finished third in the races.
“It was crazy! Conditions were more like waterskiing! We had 20 centimeters of wet snow and, in many places, you had just water up to 15 centimeters. I got one of the ‘Russian kites with more power. Paraavis was so kind and lend me an 18 meter. Thank you very much! This was the key for the win,” explained Kersten.
The 2018 World Ice and Snow Sailing Championships will take place in Lahti, Finland.
2017 World Ice and Snow Sailing Championships | Top 3
Marathon
Windsurfing
1. Valentin Drobyshevskij (RUS)
1. Valentin Drobyshevskij (RUS)
2. Grigorij Kokus (RUS)
3. Evgenij Mitrofanov (RUS)
Kite Skiing
1. Felix Kersten (DEU)
2. Pavel Kolabin (RUS)
3. Arkadij Panjukov (RUS)
Kiteboard
1. Gennady Shelyganov (RUS)
2. Nikita Sokolov (RUS)
3. Denys Gerashchenko (RUS)
Course Race
Windsurfing
1. Aleksandr Trofimenko (RUS)
2. Evgeniy Mitrofanov (RUS)
3. Vadim Volotskoy (RUS)
Kite Skiing
1. Dmitri Nikulichev (RUS)
2. Andrei Balyakin (RUS)
3. Felix Kersten (DEU)
Kiteboard
1. Denys Gerashchenko (RUS)
2. Igor Domantovich (RUS)
3. Gennadiy Shelyganov (RUS)
Short Track Slalom
Windsurfing
1. Feodor Gurvits (FIN)