Ice and Snow Sailing World Championships coming to Russia

The 2014 Olympics open Thursday in Sochi, Russia with qualifying events in skating, skiing, and snowboarding. For 18 days of competition, the 22nd Winter Games should prove to be a suitable opening act for the longest running international competition in the history of windsurfing:

The 2014 World Ice and Snow Sailing Association (WISSA) Ice and Snow Sailing World Championships, to be held March 2-10 in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Actually, 2014 WISSA was supposed to be in Quebec this year, but when they backed out, Russian supporters picked up the short notice mantle and put together a World Championships against all odds.

Against the backdrop of the Putin/ Sochi Games, and in an environment where sponsorship funds are scarce as hen’s teeth, the Russian are saving WISSA and keeping the continuous streak alive.

But the 2014 Worlds isn’t just hard water windsurfing. In fact, when Kite Course World Champions Erika and Johnny Heineken were just getting potty trained, WISSA had the very first “traction kites” on the start line. In fact, the WISSA World Championship is also the longest running competition in the history of the sport of kite and wing sailing!

The WISSA mission is to provide an international racing venue for the three classes:
Open Class: Any sled powered by a windsurfing rig
Hand Held: Any hand held sail such as kite wing or skate sail
Kite Class: all sails tethered with lines

Click here for event details.
Source: William Tuthill, WISSA president