20-26
FEBRUARY
2017
TOGLIATTI

WISSA is the World Ice and Snow Sailing Association. Before 2015 they held the World Championship only, and since 2015 they have taken part in organization of the international kite enduro competition.

The main feature of the World Cup version WISSA is to bring together all kinds of structures, using wind power to move, excluding gliders (ice yacht).
As a result of the long-term evolution (WISSA held since 1980) the main program of the event currently includes:
Open Class: Any sled powered by a windsurfing rig
Hand Held: Any hand held sail such as kite wing or skate sail
Kite Class: all sails tethered with lines
The main competition of the WISSA World Championship is a course-race (Race riding with the wind and against the wind). Course-race is held for all classes with racing series (7 - 15 races in the series). Additional types of program are the marathon race and the race for speed. Recently the WISSA World Championship has included kite freestyle as well.

There is ne more features of the WISSA World Championship organization. Choosing a host country, they change a continent every year.
One year the Championship takes place in Europe, and another one – in America.
These are the host countries of the WISSA World Championship in different years:
Finland, Sweden, USA, Canada, Germany, Italy, Estonia, Poland, Latvia and Russia.
Besides, representatives of other countries take part in the race.
These are sportsmen from France, Norway, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Switzerland and Austria.
Usually about 100 or 150 participants start in all classes.
As a rule, the racing distances are on the ice of natural water bodies and not far from towns or cities where participants
and guests can find comfortable accommodation.
The race lasts for a week and includes not only sports activities, but a wide entertainment program, too.

Russian sportsmen first took part in the WISSA World Championship in 1991 in Kabli, Estonia. Since then Russian sportsmen have won the race many times and there is no doubt they are the leaders of WISSA.
In 2014 the WISSA World Championship took place in St Petersburg, Russia, for the first time.

The right to host the World Championship was deserved by the organizing committee of «Marathon «Zhiguli Sea», Togliatti. The Marathon has taken place since 2006 and become an event of a global scale.