SUP Skate Sails DEC25

Ice sailing is not all about ice boats.

Its about skate sailing as well. If you can slither, slide or ride, you can use a hand held wing to propel. Skating, skiing or rolling, just a different surface. If you can ski you can skate.

Lightweight down hill ski boots and releasable bindings are recommended.

More about skate sails.

All hand held wings work well. Some rigs are designed to be carried on a pack, some are not.

Inflated rigs require a pump. The pump must be carried if you plan to inflate a rig away from the pit area.

Hard rigs may be more complicated to assemble but they can be portable on a touring pack.

Hard rigs are more durable with a longer service life than inflatables by far. Hard rigs are likely to be more efficient, capable of higher performance.

Traditional Kitewing designs are heavy, they are not portable on a touring pack.

Inflatables are bulkey to carry with all the rest of the gear on a pack, dont forget the pump.

Skate sails built from Dyneema fabric epitomize light weight material designed to perform in the widest range of conditions. Light weight is a quality related to performance. The lighter a wing is, the easier it is to fly at lower wing speeds. Carbon frames and battens are crucial to saving weight.

Portability is important. If you are hiking to a lake or skating a large lake you will want to be able to take your rig apart and carry it on a pack. Set up and take down should take less than a few minutes with gloves on.

Skating and sailing ability make a difference. Sailors will want a hard rig where beginners dont care. Touring sailors will want a rig which is easy to carry, set up and break down.