PRESS RELEASE 7.1.2002

Wingsurfing has become the latest sport to reach the young generation and enthusiasts of action sports. Wingsurfing which has been developed in Finland since 1987, combines traditional sailing and windsurfing techniques with principles of  hanggliding, downhill skiing and snowboarding.

Wingsurfing with SKIMBAT is like windsurfing on ice or snow, but you use skis, skates or a snowboard instead of a board. And when the snow melts you can use the wingsail with your in-line roller blades or with a montain board. Sailing for the first time on your own skis or snowboard is usually all you need to get addicted. The mere technical simplicity of the SKIMBAT wingsail is enough to prove that this is not a difficult sport, as windsurfing on water with a surfboard is.

The SKIMBAT wingsail can be used in the mountains, on snow-covered open spaces, or on frozen ponds and lakes, with as little as 4-5 m/s of wind. You can even go uphill with it. In optimum conditions, you can reach speeds between 60-80 km/h. The speed record on ice is 107 km/h.

The wing-like Skimbat wingsail is a lightweight, easy-to-manouvre sail. It is made from traditional sail cloth, and a specially designed hangglider-like frame. Sail options are bright dacron and transparent monofilm materials. The glassfibre and aluminium alloy frame and sail folds up into a standard sized ski bag for easy transportation. The sail area of SKIMBAT is 4,8 m² and total weight only 5,5 kg. The latest product launched by Skywings Ltd. is the 3,5 m² SNOWBAT which has been designed for the youngest generation.

SKIMBAT has already made a signifiant breakthrough in international competition. It has been approved as a new and official competition category “hand held sails” in the Ice and Snow sailing World Championships. Next World Championship Races in winter sailing will take place in Lago di Resia, Italy in January 2002.

The latest trend in this new sport is to use the wing’s flying properties to get airborne. Skillful wingsurfers can make huge jumps upon reaching enough speed with the wing. When flying or ’hovering’ at a few meters above a ski slope, the ‘ground effect’ supports the wing on an air cushion. The same effect is also experienced in aviation when an airplane nears the ground when landing.

The SKIMBAT sails designed by Skywings Ltd. are OEM -produced by Neil Pryde Ltd., known as one of the leading manufacturers of surf sails. The product is patent and trade mark protected worldwide.

For more information, please contact: Carl-Magnus Fogelholm, managing director.