2025 Ice and Snow Sailing World Championships - A triumphant return to the ice for IKA
by International Kiteboarding Association 15 Feb 2025 08:41 PST
3-8 February 2025
2025 Ice and Snow Sailing World Championships © International Kiteboarding Association
After a two-year hiatus, the International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) made a spectacular return to the ice at the 2025 World Ice and Snow Sailing Championships, held jointly with the World Ice and Snow Sailing Association (WISSA) for the first time.
This exciting event took place on the beautiful Lake Mendota in Madison, Wisconsin, USA, from February 3 to 8, and was the highlight of the 2025 Frozen Assets festival.
A landmark event
This year marked the first time an IKA snow kite event was held on the American continent. The Edgewater Hotel served as the base of the event, providing spectators with a unique vantage point from the hotel's viewing deck to witness the action up close.
Thrilling competitions and spectacular sights
The event featured all three 'hard-water' expressions of board sailing: windsurfing, wingfoiling, and kiteboarding, with 73 entries from 10 countries competing over five days. The competition included course racing, short track racing, a speed competition, and concluded with a thrilling one-hour marathon race around the frozen Lake Mendota.
Participants used kites similar to those used in KiteFoil racing, but with skis or snowboards, creating a spectacular sight as large, colorful kites gracefully moved across the frozen lake at speeds exceeding 60 knots.
Community support and sustainability efforts
The 2025 World Ice and Snow Sailing Championships received tremendous support from the local community. As the highlight of the beloved Frozen Assets festival, organized by the Clean Lakes Alliance, the event showcased the beauty and recreational opportunities of Madison's lakes during winter. Thousands of people were brought closer to the sport of hard-water sailing through parallel events over the weekend, including a 5km run on the frozen lake.
In line with IKA's commitment to sustainability, the event was a registered Clean Regatta [pending event level certification], while IKA held a very well attended race officiating clinic prior to the event, to share information and views with the local race officials community.
Pursuing Winter Olympics inclusion
Snow kiting combines the thrill of kiteboarding with the unique challenges of winter sports. Following the successful inclusion of kiteboarding in the Paris 2024 Olympics, the community is now openly pursuing the possibility of snow kiting being included in the Winter Olympics. This inclusion would not only further elevate the sport's profile, but more importantly, it would highlight the innovative spirit of winter sports and captivate audiences worldwide.
Mirco Babini, IKA president, said: "The world needs a new generation of sports disciplines that are thrilling, nature-connected, spectacular, and media-friendly. Snow kiting, with its established legacy and numerous participants across continents, perfectly fits this vision. Now is the right time to aspire for inclusion in the Winter Olympic Games."
Champions crowned
Estonian Ranno Rumm emerged victorious in the skis division, while Canadian Christian Labbe took the top spot in the snowboard division. Swede Andreas Gustafson was the first kite to finish the marathon, capping off an unforgettable week of competition.
Course Racing Results Skis
1. Renno Rumm, EST
2. Frank Kroenert, SWE
3. Andreas Gustafsson SWE
Course Racing Results Snowboards
1. Christian Labbe, CAN
2. David Gilbert, CAN
3. Jeremy Jones, USA
Marathon Results
1. Andreas Gustafsson, SWE
2. Connor McElroy, USA
3. Dimitri Chirkin, USA