High as a kite
Couple harness the winter winds while para-skiing in Summerside
Soaring across Summerside's frozen harbour under kites on Saturday were two hardy souls.
The couple from Fredericton came bundled and ready to harness the high wind and feel a sense of freedom as they floated over the snow and ice.
"It's paradise here, and more people should be para-skiing (Paraski Flex) in Summerside. It has the gusts, the open playground, and it's the best way to have fun and make the winter go quick," said Janice Butler, 57, who acknowledged the winter sport is not the same as kite surfing.
"Our kite is smaller than the one used for kite surfing. The kite won't tear on the ice if you crash, and we use downhill skies instead of a surfboard. You buy one kite, and it lasts 15 years. You don't have to visit a ski hill and pay for a lift. You can do this on a flat, frozen surface for free," she said.
"There are about 15 feet of string, so there's not a lot of drag like you would expect with kite surfing to pull the person out the water," added her husband Allain Albert, aged 59.
The couple tunes out from the noise of society, with their portable music, while soaring across the ice and mastering aerial manoeuvres in the sky.
"We always said we should come to P.E.I. in the winter, so we made it a goal to para-ski this week. It's a passion that's easy to get hooked on when you feel the pull of the wind. The freedom of flying on the snow, with no noise except jazz or any music, is wonderful," Butler said and motioned to her earphones.
having skis than a snowboard, and we purchased our skis at the pawnshop for $15,” said Albert.
The couple came dressed for the occasion with helmets and warm winter gear to protect their skin.
“Summerside’s harbour is shallow, and the ice is thick, but we always carry ice picks just in case we ever fell through,” said Butler, who para-skis through winter on the Saint John River in New Brunswick near Mactaquac Dam.
“Everyone is talking about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) when they could be out enjoying the moment and making the most of life. Look what you have on your doorstep,” said Albert, who has been paraskiing in the area for over a week. “We’ve been windsurfing for 30 years, and there was a guy that introduced me to this winter sport, and I just loved it. It’s like windsurfing, but on ice. You are more stable