Mar 10, 2008 3:47 pm US/Mountain
Georgetown Lake Offers Unusual Sport: Ice Sailing
Reporting
Paul Day
GEORGETOWN, Colo. (CBS4) ―
Despite being landlocked, Coloradans are known for loving their water sports from boating to scuba diving, even ice sailing in the winter.
Georgetown Lake is one of the most popular spots for ice sailing. The winds on the lake might be troublesome for the ice fishermen, but the sailors love the wind, which pushes them across the lake on three-bladed rides.
"It's designed to keep a guy warm and manage high speed impacts," said Dave Kerschen, one of the sailors. They also wear protective gear, including helmets, and the boats include seatbelts.
The seatbelts are an important feature because the ice can be rough, meaning the sailboats often flip over at high speeds. After a few runs, the sailors can usually avoid the roughest patches on the lake.
Iceboats do not have brakes; sailors stop by pointing the boats into the wind.
Ice sailing is a relatively obscure sport, with a reason. "Colorado is a good place to sail, although it's kind of frustrating because it's hard to find clean ice, a windy day and time to go sailing," Kerschen said.
Another thing that makes ice sailing attractive is the ease with which most are able to pick up the skills, meaning they quickly find themselves flying just inches above the ice at 30 mph.
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