Snow Sailing

Snow sailing is a form of sledding developed by the Stenza involving an oblong metal board and tests of skill and speed.

History

The first snow sailing boards were sheets of crystal pane or ice, and required a lot more care to stay atop of. The origins of the sport are somewhat shrouded, but it is said that one of the youths of one clan challenged one of the youths of another to a race down a hill on these particular boards. The winner of the race varies from telling to telling, and each clan says the winner is one of theirs, but it is widely agreed that the entire thing looked like a very grand time and more and more people got in on the action.
Over time, boards specially designed for use in snow sailing began to be developed and improved upon. There was a controversy about adding straps to keep riders on their boards, but by the present that has mostly been settled in favor of "the goal is to reach the finish line before anyone else, so stay on your board". However, some still lament the sense of lost skills or the "current generation" being "soft". This is not as popular a tradition to "paleo" (or practice in the ancient way) as Migration.

Execution

Snow sailers gather at the tops of the shorter mountains (carefully avoiding the Mountain Peaks set aside for religious and ceremonial use), typically the easier to climb ones, and slide down the slope on their boards. Often this is a race, who can get down the hill the fastest, but sometimes the test is of one's ability to stay on one's board (hence the aforementioned controversy), or a demonstration of skill in terms of flips, jumps, and other tricks. For the latter, the slope chosen is pocked with obstacles one must navigate during the race or challenge, and successful completion of the course earns one bragging rights.

Components and tools

One cannot snow sail without the board, these days made of metal and sometimes fitted with pedals or straps for the feet (in order to keep the rider in place and to help steer the board, the latter especially useful during obstacle courses and trick demonstrations). Protective gear is optional.

Primary Related Location

Mudewei