snowkite, kitesurf and wingfoil spots in Switzerland

A country of lakes

People picture Switzerland without a sea, and therefore without board sports. The opposite is true: relative to its population, the country has one of the largest rider communities in Europe. Every big lake has its spots, clubs and regulars, who go riding after work the way others go for a run. Windsurfing has been established for decades, and wing foiling, which needs little wind and little space, has found ideal ground here.

Kiting has a more eventful history. It was banned on Swiss lakes from 2001 to 2016, and has since been allowed only in zones defined by each canton. That long gap explains a kite scene that is still young on the lakes, and very attached to the rules that gave it back the water.

Winds with names

In Switzerland, people don't say it's windy: they say which wind. The bise, cold and dry, blows down from the northeast between the Jura and the Alps and speeds up towards Geneva. The joran drops from the Jura onto Lakes Neuchâtel and Biel, sometimes within minutes. The föhn, a warm, gusty southerly, climbs the valleys to Lake Uri. And in the Engadine, the Maloja wind picks up every summer afternoon on Lake Silvaplana, as regular as clockwork.

Each lake therefore has its own weather, and every rider learns to read their spot's. That is what makes Swiss riding so rich, and so demanding.

In winter, the snow

When the lowland lakes calm down, the mountains take over. Alpine passes, the high plateaus of the Jura and Lake Silvaplana, frozen for much of the winter, become snowkite terrain renowned far beyond the borders. Switzerland is one of the few countries where you can ride all year without ever seeing the sea.

• Cantonal zones: since 2016, kiting on the lakes is only allowed in zones set by the cantons, often marked with yellow buoys. Some windsurf zones ban kiting, as at Silvaplana.
• Storm warning lights: around the big lakes, orange lights flash to warn riders. 40 flashes a minute: caution. 90 flashes a minute: storm, head back to shore.
• Joran, bise and föhn: the joran can rise within minutes, and the bise and föhn are often gusty. Watch the sky, not just the forecast.
• Nature reserves: the southern shore of Lake Neuchâtel is home to the Grande Cariçaie, several sectors of which are closed to riding.
• Cold water: the lakes stay cool for much of the year, and Silvaplana is icy even in summer. A wetsuit is essential.
• Snowkite: in the mountains, check the avalanche risk, stay away from ski areas, and on frozen lakes follow the local authorities' instructions.