Dirt sailing: From runners to wheels

Renowned iceboating administer Deb Whitehouse reports from the notable landsailing venue of Ivanpah, Nevada:

I spent a few days as a tourist at the 2024 America’s Landsailing Cup where competitors remarked that the playa was in the best condition they had seen in many years, comparable to our black ice – smooth and hard with very few humps or cupping. I’ll be back on the playa for another exciting event, the 2024 Blokart World Championship.

Recent rains on the playa have left the Blokart regatta organizers in an eerily familiar position, reminiscent of the same uncertainties often faced by ice sailors. The Federal Bureau of Land Management, responsible for overseeing the playa, has enforced gate closures during rainy periods to safeguard the integrity of the dry lake bed.

Unlike snow on a lake, the arid conditions of the high desert typically facilitate the rapid evaporation of moisture. With a sunny forecast ahead, regatta organizers are hoping that the playa will soon be accessible once again for the Blokart regatta. Racing is scheduled from Saturday, April 6, through Friday, April 12.