With all the snow, wind and power outages, the situation may be difficult, but as it turns out, it can be propitious for adrenaline buffs. Todor Deliev is just such a thrill-seeker, who, inspired by the snow-clad meadows above Dobrogled village near Varna, has taken to snowkiting.

As it travelled to the villages in Northeastern Bulgaria that were hit hardest by snow and hurricane-force winds, the BNR-Varna team encountered a man in a meadow, pumping up his equipment:

“This is a kite, it is used when there is wind to ski or snowboard when conditions are right,” Todor explains. “Now, the conditions are great, there is snow, I have found a superb meadow, so I am going to kitesurf. In summer I kitesurf on water,” he says and goes on:

“Last year there was no snow anywhere, I didn’t know where to surf, so now I was pleasantly surprised to see snow as early as November. Here, around Varna, it is a fairytale.”

Sun, snow and the right kind of wind are the three things you need for a snowkiting adventure, Todor explains further, buckling up to face the wind. There are a great many places in Bulgaria where this comparatively new sport can be practiced. There is a Facebook community of people practicing kitesurfing - which does have its risks:

“There is a slim risk as to how the kite is going to go up – because I am still a beginner, I am not a professional. But the moment it is up in the air and there is a good wind, I start “riding the wind” and – surfing,” Todor explains.

Kitesurfers are not an unusual sight in the meadows around the village of Dobrogled. There is wind there, and the land is flat which makes them a good place for snowboarding with a kite. What you need is good equipment, and a passion for the sport, Todor says. And of course – adrenaline.

Interview by Nina Milosevic, BNR-Varna

Editing by Elena Karkalanova

Translated and posted by Milena Daynova

Photos: Rumen Sarandev, BNR-Varna