It's all about the wind!

For sailors and kiters Fond du Lac Wisconsin is the ideal base-camp and Lake Winnebago is a windy destination not to be missed!

Fond du Lac is located at the foot of Lake Winnebago one of the largest lakes in the U.S. The lake and our community are also at the base of a geological formation called the Niagara Escarpment. This is a nearly 1,000-mile-long cliff that begins near Lake Winnebago, runs through Canada and ends in Upstate New York. The Niagara Escarpment is responsible for the Niagara Falls in New York; it is also responsible for the incredible nearly constant flow of wind that blows down onto Lake Winnebago.

Recently featured as one of the best windkiting destinations in the U.S. by TRAVEL+ LEISURE Magazine, Fond du Lac Wisconsin is a favorite for many in the kiting community.

In addition to being a great kiting destination, visitors will also find plenty of restaurants, bars, shops and very friendly people. Our charming town is centrally located in the heart of the US’s Midwest and is easy to reach by auto or by air. Fond du Lac is just under an hour’s drive away from Milwaukee Wisconsin’s Mitchell International Airport and two hours away from Chicago Illinois’ O'Hare International Airport...

For more information on the Niagara Escarpment please visit: http://onmilwaukee.com/visitors/articles/niagaraescarpment.html?page=1

For more information on kiting in the Fond du Lac Wisconsin area please visit: http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/americas-best-lake-vacations/4

For more information on Milwaukee's Mitchell International Airport please visit: http://www.mitchellairport.com/

For more information on Chicago Illinois’ O'Hare International Airport please visit: http://www.flychicago.com/pages/landingpage.aspx

For more information on Fond du Lac Wisconsin U.S.A. please visit: http://www.fdl.com/

In Fond du Lac at Wind Power Windsurfing & Kiting Center, one of the Midwest’s best known Kiting businesses.

Also serving as the race headquarters and located at the entry point to the WISSA events, Wind Power Windsurfing & Kiting Center is a supplier for all kiting and sailing gear and the place for all spare parts.

Wind Power Windsurfing & Kiting Center is no stranger to the needs of athletes competing in sanctioned windkiting events as it is the host of the annual Wind Power Championships in September which brings the nation’s top wind sport racers to the mighty Lake Winnebago.

For more information on Wind Power Windsurfing & Kiting Center in Fond du Lac Wisconsin please visit: http://www.windpowerwindsurfing.com/

Cold and very windy!

In short, the weather conditions should be absolutely ideal for the World Ice and Snow Sailing Association’s 2015 World Championships!

For more information on current live weather conditions please visit: http://www.windpowerweather.com/

This is an extremely important question and one that must be addressed in a timely matter for those competitors visiting from abroad.

Many non-U.S. citizens need a VISA to enter the United States to visit. A VISA allows a foreign citizen to travel to a U.S. port-of-entry (generally an airport) and request permission to enter the United States. A VISA does not guarantee entry into the United States. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials at the port-of-entry have authority to permit or deny admission to the United States.

United States of America Visa

Fond du Lac is just under an hour’s drive away from Milwaukee Wisconsin’s Mitchell International Airport and two hours away from Chicago Illinois’ O'Hare International Airport.

There are also several very well served regional airports in the area all within a short drive of Fond du Lac. These include: Chicago Illinois’ Midway International; Appleton Wisconsin’s Outagamie County Regional; Green Bay Wisconsin’s Austin Straubel International and Madison Wisconsin’s Dane County Regional.

For more information on Milwaukee Wisconsin’s Mitchell International Airport please visit: http://www.mitchellairport.com/

For more information on Chicago Illinois’ O'Hare International Airport please visit: http://www.flychicago.com/pages/landingpage.aspx

For more information on Chicago Illinois’ Midway International Airport please visit: http://www.flychicago.com/midway/en/home/Pages/default.aspx

For more information on Appleton Wisconsin’s Outagamie County Regional Airport please visit: http://www.atwairport.com/

For more information on Green Bay Wisconsin’s Austin Straubel International Airport please visit: http://www.flygrb.com/

For more information on Madison Wisconsin’s Dane County Regional Airport please visit: http://www.msnairport.com/

Registration for the 2015 competition will be easier than ever! Simply visit LINK_NEEDED

Not only is your registration a couple of mouse clicks away there is also a substantial discount being offered to all participants that sign up on line prior to race day.

Registration Fees:

$175 (USD) for early-bird registrations online by January 1, 2015

$200 (USD) for registration after January 1, 2015

$75 (USD) junior participants (under 20 years old as of February 20, 2015) for early-bird registration online by January 1, 2015

$100 (USD) junior participants for registration after January 1, 2015

$70 (USD) any 3 days for registrations online by January 1, 2015

$90 (USD) any 3 days for registration after January 1, 2015

* Fees are listed in US Dollars

Registration services are being provided by ACTIVE.com is the leader in online event registrations. Active.com hosts the world's largest directory of sports and recreational activities, facilities, venues and classes, which includes more than 66,000 races, leagues, tournaments, camps and other recreational listings in over 80 sports and 5,000 cities in the U.S.

For more information or to register on line for the 2015 WISSA World Ice and Snow Sailing Championship please visit: LINK_NEEDED

There are number hotels in the community of Fond du Lac. Competitors will find friendly innkeepers and very affordable accommodations.

The official host hotel for the 2015 WISSA World Ice and Snow Sailing Championship the Retlaw Plaza Hotel is in Fond du Lac’s Downtown District; a vibrant area in our community in the heart of our downtown which is teaming with restaurants and taverns. The Retlaw Plaza Hotel has created a number of very inexpensive competitor’s lodging packages that include a morning and evening meal.

Many of the lodging properties, including the official host hotel the Retlaw Plaza Hotel, will provide shuttle service to the WISSA events.

Visitors to Fond du Lac will find a large selection of dining options and drinking establishments to fit all tastes and budgets.

The Fond du Lac Wisconsin area was settled years ago by immigrants from Central and Eastern Europe and certainly some of our restaurants reflect this in the style of food served. But more recently the culture and dining options have diversified greatly. Visitors will find a variety of dining options including what we in Wisconsin call “Supper Clubs”; American Bistros; Mexican and Japanese fare just to name a few.

The WISSA host hotel, The Retlaw Plaza Hotel, is a full service hotel with restaurant and bar service. The Retlaw Plaza Hotel is in the center of Fond du Lac’s resurging Downtown District that at night comes alive, as folks enjoy the many dining and drinking establishments packed within a few blocks of the Hotel.

A special note on this topic: The Retlaw Plaza Hotel has created great dining and lodging packages for the WISSA competitors making food and lodging affordable for all. Additionally one of the proud WISSA sponsors Sunset on the Water Grill & Bar is a very popular restaurant located right at the race entrance on the Shores of Lake Winnebago.

For more information on dining in Fond du Lac Wisconsin area please visit: http://www.fdl.com/where-to-eat.html

For more information on the Retlaw Plaza Hotel in Fond du Lac Wisconsin please visit: http://www.retlawhotel.com/

For more information on Sunset on the Water Grill & Bar in the Fond du Lac Wisconsin area please visit: http://sunsetonthewater.jimdo.com/

All are welcome! There are no qualifiers and there are several classes of racers, from young to mature. Men, women, old and young all enjoy this sport and all are encouraged to join in the World Championship events.

Additionally the race headquarters – Wind Power Windsurfing & Kiting Center – will have rentals available so if you are interested in racing but need equipment you can simply rent your gear on site and hit the ice.

For those windsurfers that are “ice curious,” now is the time to check out what fun it is to use your kiting skills in the winter.

For more information on rentals please visit: http://www.windpowerwindsurfing.com/

If you are interested in learning more about the similarities in summer and winter kiting activities please contact:

• Kevin Gratton - WISSA Race Director
• mobile - (920) 251-1002
• email - [email protected]

Or

• Dan Deuster - Winnebago Association of Kiteboarders (WAK) President
• mobile - (920) 960-9676
• email - [email protected]

The best source for information will always be the Notice of Race, also known as the NOR.

The NOR is the WISSA 2015 governing document.