Kite Surfing

Kite Surfing

HISTORY

Kiteboarding is a surface water sport combining aspects of wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. A kite boarder harnesses the power of the wind with a large controllable power kite to be propelled across the water on a kiteboard similar to a wakeboard or a small surfboard, with or without foot straps or bindings.

Kite surfers use inflatable kites tethered to harnesses to glide through water and air. Kite surfing is still in its infancy, but is quickly becoming a safer sport due to innovations in kite design and safety systems. Many riding styles have evolved to suit different types of riders.

And it all started in the 1800s, George Pocock used kites of increased size to propel carts on land and ships on the water, using a four-line control system - the same system in common use today. Both carts and boats were able to turn and sail upwind. The kites could be flown for sustained periods. The intention was to establish kite power as an alternative to horsepower, partly to avoid the hated "horse tax" that was levied at that time.

In 1903, aviation pioneer Samuel Cody developed "man-lifting kites" and succeeded in crossing the English Channel in a small collapsible canvas boat powered by a kite.

In the late 1970s, the development of Kevlar then Spectra flying lines and more controllable kites with improved efficiency contributed to practical kite traction. In 1978, Ian Day's "FlexiFoil" kite-powered Tornado catamaran exceeded 40 km/h.

In October 1977 Gijsbertus Adrianus Panhuise (Netherlands) received the first patent for Kitesurfing. The patent covers, specifically, a water sport using a floating board of a surf board type where a pilot standing up on it is pulled by a wind catching device of a parachute type tied to his harness on a trapeze type belt.

In November 1984 two brothers, Bruno Legaignoux and Dominique Legaignoux, from the Atlantic coast of France, developed kites for kitesurfing in the late 1970s and early 1980s and patented an inflatable kite design.In 1990, practical kite buggying was pioneered by Peter Lynn at Argyle Park in Ashburton, New Zealand. Lynn coupled a three-wheeled buggy with a forerunner of the modern parafoil kite. Kite buggying proved to be very popular worldwide, with over 14,000 buggies sold up to 1999.

BASIC TECHNIQUES

But safety first:

Kites can be dangerous. Because of strong forces that can be generated by sudden wind gusts, people can be carried off, dashed against water, buildings, terrain or power lines, resulting in what's termed a "kite-mare" (kite + nightmare).

1. Avoid kite surfing in crowded areas, near rocks, trees, or power lines. In general there should be a minimum of 100 meters of safe distance from all obstructions.
2. Try to ride with side-shore winds. Avoid offshore or directly onshore winds.
3. Pay attention to changing weather and wind conditions. If you feel a static shock from the kite bar, land the kite immediately and seek shelter.
4. Do not remove or disable factory-installed safety equipment or releases.
5. Never use a board leash without wearing a helmet. A helmet is a wise precaution in most circumstances whether you use a board leash or not, but never use a board leash without wearing a helmet.
6. Avoid riding overpowered. Using too large a kite for the wind conditions or your experience level is extremely dangerous. Underpowered riding is preferable to overpowered riding. When in doubt, go to a smaller kite and see how it goes.
7. Be extra careful when landing or launching the kite. Ideally, don't spend any time on shore with the kite in the air; launch the kite and then leave the beach immediately, and when coming in, land as quickly as possible. When on shore, keep the kite low: if it's hit by a gust, it can drag the rider.
8. Carry a knife attached to the harness for cutting tangled lines. Tangles are dangerous because an entangled rider in the water may not be able free themselves quickly enough in the event the kite powers up suddenly. In a crash situation, with the kite in the water, under no circumstances allow a line to encircle a part of the body.

Now techniques:

1. You need about 8 - 10 knots (15 to 19 km/h, approx. 3 Beaufort) on a big kite (16 m²). In 8 - 10 knots (15 to 19 km/h) you can have a lot of fun by doing low jumps and freestyle manoeuvres.
2. 12 - 13 knots (22 to 24 km/h) on a 16 square meter kite will have you jumping high, while 17 - 20 knots (31 to 37 km/h) will have you flying with the birds on a 12 square meter kite.
3. A beginner can turn by going to the shallows or another stopping place, putting the kite up into neutral, and then turning the kite in the opposite direction. A quicker, more skilful turn moves the kite toward the wind, to swing the surfer's path in a half circle, centred on the kite. As the turn ends, the kite is flown over to be in front of the surfer again. Turns away from the wind steal lift.
4. A poorly executed turn will "fly" the surfer, and is often followed by a tumble if the surfer can't put the board down at the right angle. It is important to use safety equipment like a dead-man system where the kite lines can be detached from the surfer's harness quickly because the kite can (unintentionally) power up after tumbles and pull the rider under water or against objects at uncontrollable speeds. Safety knives are a must to quickly cut lines in the event of dangerous entanglements. After a tumble, untangling and re-launching the kite can be difficult. Experienced kite surfers try to keep the kite in the air.
5. If the kite is only turned partially, or is not straightened at the right rate, a turning surfer can swing up and be dragged into the air by the kite, then get hurt when he reconnects the surface. Even in water, flying a power kite can be a brutal contact sport. The kite is usually twenty meters (sixty feet) in the air, and a careless turn in high winds can easily swing one five meters (two stories) into the air and down to an uncontrolled contact.
6. Controlled flying is possible and one of the biggest attractions of the sport, but more difficult and potentially dangerous. Flying occurs when the momentum of the surfer pulls the kite. Before jumping, the surfer builds up as much tension as possible by accelerating and strongly edging the board. Then in controlled, straight flight, the kite is flown quickly (snapped) to an overhead position, usually just as the surfer goes over a wave. The kite must then be quickly turned to glide in the direction of motion, usually into the wind. A large variety of manoeuvres can be performed while jumping such as rotations, taking the board off one's feet etc. However, a kite surfer can also be flown into a nearby building, highway, or power lines if the move is poorly executed. At least 17 people have been killed in kite boarding-related accidents since 2000, according to a safety adviser for one of the sport's governing bodies.
7. Some kite claim to be able to catch a "rotor," a horizontally cyclonic ridge updraft, when flying above large waves or ridges in high wind. This extremely difficult and not recommended technique occurs only in dangerous surf and wind conditions, or above land.
8. To fly the maximum distance, a flyer should reduce aerodynamic drag. Some people recommend laying flat in the air as long as one can't reach the surface. Others claim that attempting this manoeuvre adds more danger to the already dangerous manoeuvre of flying.

RECORDS:

• Fastest speed kite surfing by a woman:The fastest speed kite surfing by a woman was 50.43 knots (93 km/h; 58 mph) achieved by Charlotte Consorti (France) at the 2010 Luderitz Speed Challenge in Luderitz, Namibia, on 28 October 2010
• Fastest speed kite surfing by a man:The fastest speed kite surfing was 55.65 knots (103 km/h; 64 mph) achieved by Rob Douglas (USA) at the 2010 Luderitz Speed Challenge in Luderitz, Namibia, on 28 October 2010
• Extraordinary winds at the Speed Challenge helped aid this record in falling multiple times during the event. Douglas, in fact, broke the previous record of 55.49 knots that was set only 14 minutes earlier.
• Longest journey kite surfing (male):The longest kite surfing journey is 199.63 nautical miles (369.71 km; 229.73 statute miles) and was achieved by Phillip McCoy Midler (USA) who travelled from South Padre Island, Texas to Matagorda, Texas, USA, from 10 to 11 May 2010.
• Longest journey kite surfing (female):The longest continuous kitesurfing journey by a woman is 135.16 nautical miles (250.32 km or 155.54 miles), achieved by Anke Brandt (Germany) between Amwaj Marina and Al Dar Island, Bahrain, on 1 March 2014.
• Most kite surfing world championships (female):The most kite surfing world championships won by a woman is nine and was achieved by Kristin Boese (Germany) between 2005 to 2008.This record includes both the PKRA and KPWT federations. A breakdown of Kristin's titles are as follows: 2005 PKRA Freestyle World Champion, 2005 PKRA Wave World Champion, 2006 PKRA Freestyle World Champion, 2006 PKRA Slider & Kicker World Champion, 2007 PKRA Boardercross World Champion, 2007 KPWT Overall World Champion, 2007 KPWT Wave World Champion, 2007 KPWT Course Racing World Champion, and 2008 KPWT Course Racing World Champion.
• Longest distance kite surfing in 24 hours:The longest distance kitesurfing in 24 hours is 645.6 km (401.2 miles) and was achieved by Rimas Kinka (Lithuania), off the coast of Islamorada, Florida, USA, on 26 February 2012.Kinka was also the previous holder for this category, he broke his own record.
• Youngest kite surfing world champion (female):The youngest kitesurfing world champion (female) is Gisela Pulido (b.14 January 1994, Spain) who won her first Kiteboard Pro World Tour (KPWT) world championship, on 4 November 2004 aged 10 years and 294 days. She also won her first Professional Kiteboard Riders Association (PKRA) championship on 26 August 2007 aged 13 years 224 days.
• Gisela Pulido is also the youngest athlete to be nominated for the Laureus Awards and four times Kitesurfing world champion, three in the KPWT series and one in the PKRA

Top kite surfing locations:

1. Maui, Hawaii
2. Dominican Republic
3. Tarifa, Spain
4. Cape Hatteras, NC, US
5. Jericoacoara, CE, Brazil
6. Safaga Bay , Egypt
7. Chumpon , Thailand
8. South Padre Island, TX, US
9. Santa Cruz, CAUS
10. Hood River, OR, US
11. Australia (various)
12. Tranque Puclaro, Chile
13. Costa Calma/Sotavento, Fuerteventura, Canary Isles, Spain
14. Corralejo, Fuerteventura, Canary Isles, Spain
15. Nitinat Lake, British Columbia, Canada
16. Western Cape, South Africa
17. Traverse City, Michigan
18. Jupiter, Florida, US
19. Bonaire, Dutch Antilles
20. Noordwijk Beach, The Netherlands
21. Sea of Galilee (Kineret), Israel.

some important links to look for more:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitesurfing
• http://www.kitesurfatlas.com/kitesurf-handbook/kitesurfing-techniques