Categories: General
      Date: Mar  9, 2008
     Title: To Cross the Moon: mission accomplished

The three snowkiters who left Feb. 11 from Crosby, N.D., on a 390-mile mission to cross western North Dakota to Keldron, S.D., using only wind, have achieved their goal.

Sam Salwei, Paul Cassady and Jason Magness reached their destination Feb. 28, marking the first-ever trans-state crossing via kite in history. The To Cross the Moon expedition is an effort to raise awareness of North Dakota’s wind energy potential, ranked first in the nation.

To snowkite, a person is strapped into a harness attached to a large kite. The athletes can use skis or a snowboard to cruise across the plains being pulled by the wind, eliminating the need for a slope.

The first attempt was last winter, but was cut short because it was the second warmest winter in the past 100 years.

This year’s trip didn’t come without complications, though. Salwei dislocated his shoulder a week into the trip and had to take a break from the journey to heal. Vehicle problems plagued the crew for almost the entire trip, with blown tires and fluid leaks because of the cold temperatures.

The kiters experienced a lack of snow this year as well, forcing them to use a mountain board and buggies with kites instead of snow equipment. The three-wheeled buggies are somewhat like a go-cart with no engine. The kite pulls the buggy while the athlete sits in a small chair made of rope and steers the front wheel with his feet. A mountain board is like a skateboard with wheels.

While the kiters were on their trail, the education crew visited more than 30 communities throughout the state and spoke to more than 7,000 people. The kiters stayed out in the cold, braving the elements, while the education crew got to experience North Dakota’s generosity firsthand, staying with families along the way.

A professional videographer and three professional photographers documented the trip across the state. The crew hopes a documentary film can come of the footage, to be released at the Banff festival and also to the Discovery and National Geographic cable channels.

Reach Gibson at (701) 787-6754; (800) 477-6752, ext. 754; or lgibson@gfherald.com.