Last month, Finnish skier Ville Mertanen kited 674km in 24 hours across frozen Lake Höytiäinen in southeast Finland. Mertanen was born and lives on the lake’s shore and kites 3,000 to 4,000km each winter.
Mertanen kited with minimal rest, eating on the move, and adapting to changing conditions. The Finn began under moonlight on the evening of April 13 with near-perfect wind and snow, but after 12 hours, the weather deteriorated. Rain melted the snowpack, wind speeds became difficult to manage, and water pooled on the ice.
For several hours, he pushed through ankle-deep water.
“The worst thing was the rising water,” Mertanen said. “For four hours, I kited in 15 centimeters of water on top of the ice. It was just pure waterskiing.”
Later in the day, however, the weather improved.
Mertanen prepares his equipment on the ice. Photo: Risto Takala
Hundreds of 2.4km loops
Mertanen reached top speeds of 70kph while kiting in 2.4km loops between two markers set 1.2km apart on the lake. However, for Guinness World Records to recognize this as a distance record, only the straight-line distance between the markers is counted. As a result, Mertanen lost distance and momentum each time he turned.
The current 24-hour snowkiting distance record stands at 595km, set by Eric McNair-Landry and Sebastian Copeland on June 5, 2010, during a 2,300km expedition across the Greenland Ice Sheet from Narsarsuaq to Qaanaaq.
It is challenging to compare Mertanen’s feat to the existing record, as the two occurred under very different circumstances. One was during a polar expedition in a remote location, the other on a frozen lake on a pre-measured route with witnesses and civilization nearby.
Regardless, covering 674km in 24 hours is impressive in a demanding sport that requires significant skill and carries a risk of injury, especially when kiting at speed over extended periods.
