Snowkite Marathon: Riders Compete in Endurance Race in Norway (PHOTOS) | The Weather Channel
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The world's best snowkiters compete in Norway's snowy mountain plains for the 2014 Red Bull Ragnarok race.

ByStephanie ValeraApril 11, 2014


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Participants perform during the Red Bull Ragnarok snowkite race at Hardangervidda near Haugastol, Norway on April 4, 2014. (Sebastian Marko/Red Bull Content Pool)


The ravines, drifts, rocks and hills at Dyranut, part of a Norwegian mountain plateau, served as the natural obstacles for 200 of the world's best snowkiters during the 2014 edition of the toughest snowkite endurance race on the planet – the Red Bull Ragnarok.

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The competitors had to fight to keep their kites in the air during the race, held on April 4-6, with wind that at times was very light. Only 40 of the snowkiters managed to finish the whole race.

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Named after the mythical battle between good and evil Norse gods, the Red Bull Ragnarok lived up to its name as it challenged riders to complete five laps of the 13-kilometer circuit.  While it took the winner only three hours to finish the race, others riders spent five hours just to pass the first round of the hilly track. The toughest part is the start, when all 200 kiters went full-speed toward the first check point, only a few meters wide.

"I really enjoyed the light wind riding and my kite was good for these conditions," said overall winner Dominik Zimmermann. "I think Red Bull Ragnarok is the most interesting race, because it’s not on the flats. There is a good combination of hills and cliffs and you have to be able to play with the terrain."

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This year's winners were Sigve Botnen (Snowboard), Dominik Zimmermann (Men Ski & Overall), and Camilla Ringvold (Women Ski).