Thrillseekers tread the boards in drone craze

Winter sports fans using technology to get their kicks in the snows of Latvia

Skirted on all sides by snow-clad pine forests, Latvia's remote Lake Ninieris would be the perfect picture of winter tranquillity - were it not for the huge drone buzzing like a swarm of angry bees as it zooms above the solid ice surface.

The powerful three-meter-long drone, sporting 16 spinning propellers, is fitted with long tow ropes with handles, the kind used in water-skiing.