For those who always wondered what it would be like to fly, check out this week's Dillon Snowkite Open presented by Colorado Kiteforce, kicking off today.

The Dillon Reservoir is the place to be for snowkiters from around the country, as well as a few internationals, who are set to compete in a variety of snowkiting events — from freestyle to racing, both skiing and snowboarding.

Founded in 2003, the open is the longest running event of its kind. The contest shifted locations three years ago from Farmer's Korner to Dillon, which has better infrastructure and more consistent wind with the western exposure.

“The wind is a lot more consistent in multiple directions. With that in mind, it helps us get off more racing, more events and improves the spectator viewing,” said the event's organizer Anton Rainold. “We pretty much have been getting kiting in every day for the last three years that we've had the event.”

Calm days can be problematic for a snowkiting competition, so the schedule includes a little wiggle room with a (lack of) wind day on Sunday. Competition kicks off today with the Freestyle Expression Session at 1 p.m.

Rainold designed the event so that kiters of all creeds could enjoy the contest and compete in whatever their specialty might be.

“(Today) is kind of freeride day,” Rainold said. “We've got some ramps and some rails, some fun boxes that will be set up. So the competitors will be learning how to figure those things out with more of a freeride, get-warmed-up day.”

Friday and Saturday are the two primary race days, but the schedule is tentative and will be conditioned on the winds.

“The race is kind of a regatta-style format, like sailing in the summertime,” Rainold said. “The main difference is that we have a really fast start, like NASCAR. We come out to a mark, and then we race downwind. Then we race back upwind and come back to the finish super fast.”

Also a local competitor and snowkite instructor, Rainold said there is significant strategy and technique involved with the shifting winds, which is what has made the sport so popular over the last several years.

“I've seen everything from having only two or three kiters all year long to now having a couple thousand people in the last 10 years, easily,” he said. “We probably have about 40 competitors this weekend, I'm guessing. But we could definitely have as many as 25 locals out there also, so there could be 75 kites up in the air total.”

The weekend is part of the North American Snowkite Tour, which consists of six events throughout the winter in Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Montana and New Mexico.

“These events are really starting to pop up everywhere, and there are a lot of guys who will go compete at all of them,” Rainold said.

In terms of spectating, the best events to check out are the freestyle contests because you can walk out onto the ice. During the race portion of the competition, organizers recommend staying off the ice and watching from the Dillon Marina.

As far as local competitors go, Rainold — having won last year's long distance and taking second in the course racing and third in the freestyle — is probably the guy to watch.

There is a pro division for “sponsored riders and show-offs.” There is also an amateur division for experienced kiters who have never formally competed.

On Sunday, assuming there is sufficient wind throughout the week, the organizers have added a pro-am relay race. Amateurs will be partnered with a random pro to race around the lake. With a mix of skiers, snowboarders, women and men, there will be a single pro-am winner.