Talk about taking winter sports to the next level . Hundreds of daredevil snow kite boarders , and their brightly-coloured array of kites , recently descended on Novosibirsk , Siberia , Russia , for the World Snow Kiting Championships . The extreme athletes lit up the cloudy sky as they carved their way through the snow , making for a highly unusual , but stunning winter sight . Hundreds of daredevil snow kite boarders recently descended on Siberia , Russia , for the World Snow Kiting Championships . The brightly swirling foil kites lit up the cloudy winter sky as the extreme athletes created a stunning visual display against the stark snow . The sport sees the boarders perform stunts and tricks by utilising the strong winter winds to help them glide along snow or ice . This year , the competition was held on the frozen waters of the Obskoye Water Reserve , where Russian photographer , Ilnar Salakhiev , 40 , managed to capture the riders in action as their bold foil kites garnered dangerously high speeds . Participant Andrew Muse , a 26-year-old extreme sports enthusiast from Utah , was on hand on for the spectacular visual display . 'The ability to go up hills or mountains and snowboard down or just legitimately fly off them is the most amazing feeling , ' he said . ' I have had an incredible amount of adventures and small world experiences , ' he continued . ' I 'm 26 and doing my best to live the happiest , most adventurous life possible . ' And competing in such an extreme activity is just one such way that Muse ensures he lives life to the fullest . He first began snow kiting in 2011 when , rather than driving or catching the bus , Muse decided to hitchhike his way to the canyons in his native Utah . The sport sees the boarders perform stunts and tricks by utilising the strong winter winds to help them glide along the snow or ice . Champion snow kite boarder , Mila Poliakova , knows a thing or two about gathering high speeds with the help of the kite . This year , the competition was held on the frozen waters of the Obskoye Water Reserve , where a Russian photographer captured it all . Among the participants was 26-year-old Andrew Muse , an extreme sports enthusiast , from Utah in the United States . For Muse , his introduction to the sport began in his home state , back in 2011 , when he asked to hitchhike a ride to a local mountain . The daredevil athlete wound up meeting a surfer from Maui who introduced him to the weird and wonderful world of snow kite boarding . Muse describes the feeling of being able to go up mountains and legitimately 'fly ' off of them as 'the most amazing feeling ' ' I was just looking for an adventure when this kid from Maui picked me up as he was headed to the same mountain . 'We ended up riding together for the day . Later in the afternoon , he asked if I wanted to try kiteboarding . ' Though Muse had only seen the sport on the internet , he thought it just might be something that he would love . 'From that day on , I knew it was something I was going to pursue with a passion . ' Andrew 's passion for the mountains has not only fueled his love for the extreme sport , but also has helped repair family ties . After taking a ski patrol course the following summer , Muse took his mother , a former drug addict and alcoholic , rock climbing . 'This showed her that she could experience happiness without being high , ' he explained . 'She got sober and I went to New Hampshire to ski patrol . ' Ever since 2011 , Muse has been pursuing snowkiting with a passion , even going so far as to become qualified in ski patrol . Among some of the stranger sights captured by Russian photographer , Ilnar Salakhiev , was a snow kite boarder in full bear costume . While Muse - and the other competitors - love the rush associated with snowkiting , they do admit that the sport can be dangerous . Snow kites are n't designed for heights of more than about 300 feet , so competitors must remain be aware of how high they 'fly ' into the air . At high altitudes , there is always a possibility that the kites may fail - but Muse still does n't regret any part of his snowkiting journey . Poliakova , who hails from Moscow , shows off her massive , lightweight kite , which sticks out noticeably among the expanse of white snow . Eight competitors , pictured here , move in impressive sync as they hold on to the brightly coloured contraptions supporting them . After seeing his family life turn around , Andrew 's focus is now on his snowkiting career fueled by an overriding ambition to compete professionally . 'The last snowkiting trip I went on has to be the most dangerous thing I 've ever done , ' he recalled . 'At some points , I was over 300 feet off the ground and kites are n't really designed for that kind of height , so if one part of the system failed I could have died . ' Still , he does n't regret a moment . 'It 's what I love . I 'd really like to compete and take my snowkiting career to the next level , ' he added . 'It 's just a matter of getting to a competition and having the funding to do so . '
Eight of daredevil snow boarders , and their bright array of kites , recently descended on Siberia , Russia . The athletes were on hand to compete in the World Snow Kiting Championships at the Obskoye Water Reserve . Russian photographer , Ilnar Salakhiev , managed to capture the riders , and their bold foil kites , in action .