The unique lake landscape of the Upper Engadine attracts both spectators and water sports enthusiasts to its shores. On Lake Silvaplana, the second largest and wildest of the lakes, colourful kite boards dominate the afternoon scene. When the famous Maloja wind blows from noon onwards at up to 30 knots, the kite surfers sometimes glide by their hundreds over the lake. A choreography of colourful surf sails that seem to dance against the imposing mountain backdrop.
No sooner had kitesurfing or kiteboarding been invented at the end of the 1990s than this demanding sport conquered the hearts of water sports enthusiasts all over the world. In kitesurfing, the athletes stand on boards that resemble a small surfboard or wakeboard. They are pulled by a kite. The more experienced the sportsperson, the better they can use the wind with their kite to perform loops and jumps. The almost perfect wind conditions in the middle of our high alpine valley make kitesurfing on Lake Silvaplana a mecca for water- sports enthusiasts from home and abroad. The absolute highlight for an experienced kitesurfer are the wind strengths that arise during the rather rare weather conditions with a Julier wind, the strongest wind in the Engadine. Once released, it peaks at up to 40 knots over Lake Silvaplana: a moment for surfers to go into raptures and take off to new heights.
When:
summer season
Where:
Swiss Kitesurf GmbH
Sports Centre Mulets
CH-7513 Silvaplana
9 minutes by car from the Crystal Hotel. 25 minutes by public transport.
