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| Mar. 14, 2003. 01:00 AM |
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NICHOLAS KEUNG STAFF REPORTER You don't have to wait until summer to sail on Lake Simcoe. Grant Fitz never thought of sailing and surfing on ice, but now the Toronto man is poised to kick off the inaugural Lake Simcoe Winter Wind Sports Festival this weekend. "A lot of people only think of skiing or hibernating in winter, but it's quite a different experience to be powered by wind on your skis and snowboards," said Fitz, 40, a kite skier for nine years. "This is a great way to get exercise in the fresh air." The two-day festival starts tomorrow at De La Salle Park on the shores of Lake Simcoe, in Georgina. It's expected to attract winter wind sports enthusiasts from across Greater Toronto. But more important, Fitz said, the festival hopes to give the general public a chance to get a taste of kite skiing, kite snowboarding, and snow and ice windsurfing, among other activities. Winter wind sports have been around for 20 years but are popular among only a small group of athletes. The festival is designed to highlight the variety of winter wind sports and showcase the latest equipment on the market. The ice on the lake must be at least 20 centimetres thick, and right now it's just under a metre. The ideal wind speed is 10 km/h. "People look at it as an extreme sport, but it's not," Fitz said. "It is not that cold, either. All you need is some warm clothes that you would wear to go skiing. But helmet, elbow and arm pads are necessary for safety reasons." The festival runs tomorrow and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There's no admission and visitors can stay overnight at resorts in the Town of Georgina. For information, call 416-736-9731, ext. 182370, or visit the event's Web site at http://www.geocities.com/fitzgr/events. |
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