With the wind at your back.

With the wind at your back.

Cross Country Skier Magazine / November 1, 2003 / Lou Dzierzak

Dan Clausen has been sailing for several years. After hours and hours of practice, he's learned to judge the direction and speed of the wind and adjust his sails accordingly In the best conditions he can reach 40 miles per hour. No need to flip the magazine closed and check the cover, you are reading Cross Country Skier. It's true. Clausen has mastered the art of sailing across snow covered meadows and frozen lakes on a pair of cross country skis.

Ski sailing started in Norway as an ingenuous way to cover long distances over the snow.

Modern explorers Ann Bancroft and Liv Arnesen used the same Norwegian made ski sails to move them across the Antarctic as Clausen uses on Midwestern flatlands.

"It's the purest form of sailing, "Clausen said, "it's so very fast." All the equipment needed to sail on skis comes stored in a medium sized daypack. The pack includes a harness, telescoping boom, sails and the control lines. The harness is similar to a climbing harness with webbing wrapping around legs and across the chest. A quick release buckle separates the sail from you in case you fall. Weighing just a few pounds there's room for a water bottle, extra gloves or goggles. Small fasteners on the pack can be used to carry your poles when you are skiing.

Constructed of fine sailcloth, the sails range from four-meter rectangles for beginners, eight meter for all around use and a large 11-meter sail for use in the lightest wind conditions. A series of 21 lines connect the sail to the boom. Prices range from $200 to $700 depending on the size of the sail.

As a PSIA Nordic Team member, examiner for the PSIA Central Division and Director of the Minocqua Winter Park, Clausen is also a ski sailing instructor.

"People are surprised that it's easy to learn even if you haven't had any sailing experience," Clausen said. "It is relatively easy to learn and less aggressive than kite-boarding with a snowboard." For most skiers, ski sailing will always be something to watch someone else try, but almost 100 interested skiers have signed up for Clausen's sailing lessons at the Minocqua Winter Park center in Wisconsin.

"Ski sailing is easier to learn than other wind powered sports like sailboarding or kite-surfing since edging skis on the ground is much easier than in the water," Clausen explained.

Classes begin with Clausen introducing the class to the equipment. Students fly the sails first without skis and learn how to jib or turn downwind. Walking or running behind the sail holding on to the boom helps students get the feel of flying the sail.

Ski sailing lessons include a refresher on controlling ankle and knee flex and a reminder to keep your body mass centered. When the time is right, the students put on their harness and skis and prepare for take-off. The instructors hand the boom and sail to you."

Clausen describes the first timer's experience," the sails billow, skiers lean back, pick up speed and fly away." Novices use four meter sails to start and move to larger eight meter size with more experience.

Downwind sailing requires practice and training in turning. Wind speed and sail size determine the turning radius in jibbing. "Sailing is fun but it requires hours of practice to gain the experience and technical agility to control your skis, boom and sail and the wind speed, angle and height," Clausen said.

When the wind is howling, Clausen recommends goggles to protect your eyes and heavier gloves to keep your hands warm. "I like to go out in windy conditions, then I use metal edged telemark skis," he said. A helmet should also be considered in high wind conditions.