First Kite crossing of the Bering Strait

Alaska Kiting

by HainesKiter on Thu Feb 25, 2010 10:11 pm

I came across this interesting item the other day.

First crossing of the Bering Strait on a Kite

Troy Henkels en Geza Scholtz will be the first to cross the Bering Strait on a kite.

The Bering Strait is a 56 mile stretch of water separating North America from Russia. The International Dateline runs down the center of the Bering Strait. This little part of the planet is characterized by high winds and crazy ocean currents which makes this mission extremely dangerous.

http://weather.thisconnect.com/2010/02/first-kite-crossing-of-the-bering-strait/

Re: First Kite crossing of the Bering Strait

by Snowman on Sun Mar 14, 2010 8:53 pm

It looks like Troy Henkel has another kite scheme cooking....http://www.aamexpedition.org/ (a kite-driven antarctic expedition)

Another Article

Submitted by admin on Wed, 12/29/2010 - 14:05.

http://www.kiteboard.com/2117-news-slim-chance-on-the-bering-strait.html

Abandoned

Submitted by admin on Sat, 09/11/2010 - 14:05.

Looks like the weather window did not cooperate:
http://www.waterhound.com/maurice-lacroix-abandons-attempt-to-kiteboard-the-bering-straight.html

Waiting for Wind....

Submitted by admin on Mon, 08/23/2010 - 13:44.

Bering Strait kiteboard crossing waiting for wind
Explorersweb.com

Reprint from the Fairbanks News Miner

Submitted by admin on Thu, 08/05/2010 - 16:20.

CROSSING TO ASIA: The “Maurice Lacroix Bering Strait Expedition” is in Nome, with plans to attempt the first trip to Russia by kiteboard.

Maurice Lacroix is a expensive brand of Swiss watch, introduced in 1975, with prices that could easily surpass what it costs to buy a new economy car with a digital clock.

A kiteboard is similar to a surf board, but it is propelled by a kite. The kiteboarder wears a harness and steers the kite and the board. With good winds, the crossing is expected to take six to eight hours, they say. The theme of the campaign is “Follow Your Convictions.”

The kiteboarders are Geza Scholtz, a 28-year-old Swiss dentist and outdoorsman, and Troy Henkels, who grew up in Iowa and now lives in Eagle River.

Henkels tried to walk across the Bering Strait to Russia in the winter of 2005 and three years later, “he was the first person to kiteboard in the Antarctic and kiteboard Alaska’s infamous bore wave on Turnagain Arm,” the company says.

Both are said to be “extreme athletes.” The plan, according to Henkels’ website, is to get all of their equipment to Wales by Saturday and wait for good weather to attempt the crossing, backed up by a support crew in a Zodiac.

They will be wearing dry suits, helmets, life jackets, etc. They also will have such things as tubes to drink from and containers of goo and Power Bars to eat as they sail along, GPS monitors and, last but not least, Maurice Lacroix watches to keep track of the time.

In a blog entry Wednesday that was probably not written by someone from Iowa, it states: “Today we arrived in Nome. Most of the people here seem very friendly, but some of them look like very curious natures. Sometimes I have the feeling I’m part of a western movie. Or have you ever seen a reindeer before that believes he’s a dog? Crazy!”