Atlantica - 01.06.2004, Side 39

36 A T L A N T I C A
NOT AS EASY AS IT LOOKS
On beaches across southern Europe, bright sails colour the blue
sky as sexy women and studly men race back and forth, effort-
lessly skimming the surface of the water. They catch the currents
of air like a hawk soaring overhead. With a flick of the sail, they
propel themselves skyward.
Lounging on the beach, soaking up my share of Vitamin D, I
think to myself, “I could do that.”
Back in Iceland, they cruise over glaciers at 65 m per hour. Slide
into a thick wetsuit, and they own the sea. At the moment, Einar
is skiing back and forth over this airstrip, slowed only by the lack
of a healthy breeze.
Hey, I’ve been skiing since I was five years old. I should be able
to do that.
But my hands are cold, my feet are wet, and I still can’t manage
the sail.
“It only takes an hour to learn how to control the sail,” Einar
insists. After that, he implies, it’s time to strap on the skis and har-
vest the wind, the “ultimate freedom.”
Unfortunately, it takes more than one afternoon to learn to reap
the harvest. I don’t feel too badly, though. The Frenchman’s been
having trouble standing up. Today, there’s not enough wind. A
rarity in Iceland.
For more information, log onto www.vindsport.is
Harvesting the Wind
IN
S
E
R
TS
B
Y
P
Á
LL
S
TE
FÁ
N
S
S
O
N
,L
A
R
G
E
P
H
O
TO
B
Y
F
R
E
D
P
A
TT
O
U
F
O
R
O
ZO
N
E
033 Kites Atl304 21.4.2004 11:09 Page 36