WHAT IS KITESURFING
Kitesurfing is the natural evolution of extreme wind-powered watersports.
Combining traits of windsurf and wakeboard, the powerful air-foils and lightweight boards give the
kiteboarder higher performance capabilities than ever before.
In its short but exciting history kitesurfing has brought together the most exciting
components of other extreme sports. The simplicity of the kite-board concept allows
every rider the ability to create their own ride styles that reflect their creative
imagination and personal expression. With every new move the definitions are changed
and the sport continues to expand in possibility. Nobody knows what kiteboarding
will look like in the future. But already at the present time kiteboarding has
expanded into snow-kiteboarding and has taken new directions into foil-boarding and land-boarding.
"The kitesurfer, flies forty
feet in the air above huge bone crunching waves in Hawaii's famous surf.
He approaches the wave at blistering speed and launches himself from the
crest of the oncoming wave. He leaps high into the air where he hangs effortlessly
suspended from his wing and dances as gracefully as a bird, soaring and
looping, he defies gravity until he softly descends, and challenges the
next wave. Returning to shore he rides the wave with the agility of a surfer.
This aerial ballet is the manifestation of the new
water sport of Kitesurfing. Kitesurfing is the synergistic offspring of windsurfing, wake boarding
and paragliding. Kitesurfers control a wing of lightweight fabric, which
pulls them across the water or above it. The sport is fast becoming the
center of attention on the world water sports stage as pre-conceived limitations
are regularly being shattered." |
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THE BEGINNING
Kitesurfing can trace its roots back to its ancestors,
"kite-skiing" and "flysurfing" which first appeared back in the early '1980's. Cory Roeseler
from Oregon began to develop his Kiteski system using a rigid framed kite with a
reel-bar & water-skis. The kite-skier launched the kite by hand and let out line
from the reel to begin riding. When the kite crashed, the pilot reeled in the
lines to re-launch. At about the
same time in France the Legaignoux brothers were working on their early
prototypes for their inflatable kites. These they tested on water-skis and a
variety of other watercraft. The Legaignoux brothers called their sport "Flysurfing",
and their kites eventually became the basis for the original Wipika system. The
modern era of kitesurfing began mid 90's
when Laird Hamilton and Manu Bertin gained recognition by kite-surfing on Maui's
north shore. Riding surf style boards with footstraps, they captured the
imagination of the water sport community.
EARLY EQUIPMENT
The Wipika/Flysurfer (Legaignoux) and the Kiteski
(Roeseler) were the two original marine traction systems. The Kiteski was the
first commercially available product and was awarded patents for its unique
design. It was first released around 1986. The Legaignoux inflatable kite, took
15 years of development before becoming commercially available as the Wipika
kite, released around 1997. The Wipika, was an instant success and quickly
became the most popular system. The Wipika System
came with fixed length lines, however reel-bar systems were sometimes used.
The Legaignouxs were given several patents for their spherical kite, and bridal
system. Now the vast majority of kites produced are manufactured under license,
and derive from the Legaignoux concept.
Kitesurfing popularity has exploded in recent years and the equipment is now
widely available and more sophisticated than ever. Kitesurfing now has
well-organized events such as the Kitesurfing World Titles, and the World Cup of
Kitesurfing. Kitesurfing instruction is also widely available through several
networks of accredited schools. Kitesurfing associations, Internet newsgroups,
and web-sites are growing. There are many good kitesurfing instructional videos
and DVD's available and a plethora of kitesurfing magazines too.
NAMES IN THE GAME
Kitesurfing pioneers include: Cory Roeseler from Oregon. Lou Waiman, a wake-boarder
from Florida who now lives on Maui. Eliot Leboe a professional windsurfer
turned hardcore kitesurfer. Marcus "Flash" Austin, another former Floridian
who began kitesurfing with his skim-board and Sierra Emory a professional
windsurfer and waterman who has turned his talents toward kitesurfing.
Sail designer Joe Koehl has been largely responsible for getting kitesurfing
up and running as a sport. Joe has introduced many of us to the sport and
helped organize the events and promotion. Windsurfing legend Robby Naish
has been converted. Rush Randle is also an accomplished kitesurfer.
GOING UPWIND
Most beginners will usually travel downwind until
they develop the skills for going upwind. For some light-wind riders using
larger boards it may be possible to go upwind on their first day, but there
is usually a learning period of about three weeks, where you will have to "schlep" your gear up
the beach between runs. Eventually you can travel upwind
as well as a windsurfer. Downwind riding is still very popular way to
sail. Kitesurfers often do downwind coast runs and hitch a ride back upwind
to do it again. (restrictions apply in some areas).
THE COST OF KITESURFING
New kites range in price from $600- to $1500-(USD).
A complete beginner setup including board will cost between $1500- to $2000-. Some
equipment is sold as a "complete package" for a discounted price.
A complete setup includes the control bar, lines, harness and a board. You
may also want to buy a good buoyancy jacket (life vest), helmet and wetsuit. If you want to
save money you can convert an old surfboard into a kiteboard by adding
footstraps, this will be a good learning board but will probably be inadequate when you begin to get bigger jumps.
Used kites are an option and buying a last years model may save you 30-40% off the new price.
Always take care to inspect any piece of equipment before purchasing it. A good
SAFETY system is a must.
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KITESURFING QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Direct from ACTION BEACH...notes from
Kiteboarding Instructor trainers Dave Dorn & John Holzhall.
Choosing the best Kitesurfing Equipment for your
style..
Here are some guidelines for choosing the right
equipment based on the most common questions we get at Action Beach. Selecting
the right gear is a crucial part of successful kiteboarding.
Two-line or Four Line
?
Two-line kites are were the cornerstone of
kitesurfing. They are were
much simpler to operate than four-line and they are were
more reliable because they will would relaunch from
more wipeouts than a four-line. We used to suggest that all kitesurfers
start out with the two-line setup. Don't think for a minute that two-line
kites are for beginners only. There are used to be
about half of the professional kitesurfing community on two-line kites and
about half on four-line. Two-line kites could survive crashes in the
waves and can be rolled over and over and will usually relaunch. Two-line
kites are were
available from 1.0m up to 11.0meters. All of the larger kites are
generally four-line.
Four-line kites are able to
depower and can be used in a wider wind range. The four-line setup requires more
time to lay out and untangle. Four-lines would be are no
longer a frustration for someone who
drops the kite often because they may not relaunch correctly and
don't require
swimming in. We generally used to advise new kitesurfers to start out on the two-line
for about a year than they can have the option to go four-line. This strategy
plays played to the strengths of each kite style and
gives gave the new kitesurfer the best
chance of rapid progress. The exception is was when a new kitesurfer
requires required a
larger kite to ride their local area. Then the best option
is was to have a
"smaller" two line, say 9.0m2 that they can could train on and use in the higher wind
later on , and they will would usually purchase a 13.5m2 or 15.5m2 four-line for their
regular kite. When purchasing a four-line kite and bar system it is crucial that
you have the retailer thoroughly explain the function of the safety systems.
Have the retailer setup the bar completely for you and pre-stretch the lines and
check the adjustments. Most of our students at Action Beach bring their
equipment to us and get it checked out, and usually take at least one four-line
lesson before they take their new four-line kites home. (Some corrections
have been made to update this section!)UPDATE:
2005
90% of all kites sold these days are 4-Line.
Improvements in safety systems, kite design, and teaching techniques, have
made 4-line kites much safer and easier to use. People are learning faster
these days, so Manufacturers are now producing 4-line kites for entry level
riders that are much easier to relaunch. These will be low-aspect, or
moderate-aspect-ratio kites. Now most beginners are starting out on 4-lines.
The four-line
kite you learn with, will keep up with your rapid progress.
Also in 2005, there are several brands producing a five-line
kite. The "Fifth Line" is designed to give the kite more stability and assist
with relaunching. Usually the safety line is attached to the center-line (5th)
and allows for a symmetrical depower. In some cases it may be possible to
relaunch the kite after completely dropping the bar. The addition of an extra
line increases the kite's setup time, and may take longer to untangle. However
as the standard of the average rider improves each year, we will see more riders
adopting the five line. In the near future we could see the five-line becoming
the new standard in kite control systems.
Inflatable or Ram-Air?
When kitesurfing was evolving around the world,
the pioneers used existing power kites (or traction kites) that were
already available. these early traction kites were designed for sport flying and
in some cases for para-carting (a buggy). While the designs were efficient,
they were not designed for use on watercraft. They would not float and they
did not relaunch very well. Newer designs have included water exclusion devices
that make the kites float and are able to be relaunched more easily than before.
When selecting a ram-air you should only chose ones that have all the modern
features. Ram-airs are lighter than inflatables because they don't
carry PVC bladders, they have a very efficient shape with a flat profile
which makes them very powerful for their size. They are often cheaper than
inflatables. They are popular in some areas probably due to availability and
marketing rather than performance. However at Action Beach Maui you may only see
one or two ram-air kites amongst 30-40 inflatable kites. This is because in
stronger winds, efficiency is measured less by power-to-size and more by
relaunch-ability and stability. The ram-air shape relies on a steady wind to
maintain its shape and is therefore susceptible to micro gusts and will invert
and distort with very little provocation. For this reason Maui Kitesurfers
overwhelmingly prefer Inflatable style kites. Ram-air design is converging with
inflatable performance and may ultimately be the kite we prefer to use in
extreme light air like on a mountain lake at high altitude. But for crash
and burn in the surf give me my inflatable!.
Directional or
Bi-directional?
These days the kite board type
you chose is usually determined by your previous boarding experience rather than
the wind-range in your local riding area. The advent of larger bi-directional
boards has extended their wind range into the lightest breezes and the
development and availability of smaller more efficient directional boards gives
them a virtually unlimited high-wind potential. Kitesurfers with wake-boarding
and snow-boarding backgrounds will tend to gravitate toward the bi-directional
style. Beginners can use footstraps and slipper style bindings on bi-directional
boards. Bi-directional doesn't mean that you have to have the full wake-board
style bindings. Directional boards come in so many production sizes and
constructions that there is a board for every body type and size. Directional
boards are usually preferred by people with a surfing or windsurfing background.
Directional boards require you to change your feet when jibing. Directionals use
foot-straps in an inline or "Y" configuration, depending on their
width. All boards should be used with a leash while learning, and when you
use a leash, you should always use a helmet.
Using Short Lines?
One of the most important choices for a kiteboarder is what length
of kite lines to use. Using shorter lines when learning will create a much safer
and easer system when learning. Shorter lines will give the kite less
maximum power by reducing the distance it can travel. Also shorter lines allow
the kite to steer faster with less lag-time, an give the rider a more responsive
kite. This also gives better feedback to the rider. Short lines are easier to
untangle, and need less room to maneuver. When using shorter lines, you can use
a larger kite size. All the teaching systems recommend using short lines to
their students. Generally a new kiteboarder will start on the shortest length,
and then gradually increase their line-length as they become more proficient.
Short line sets are available in 4m, 7m, 10m, 12m, 15m.
Multiple Line Lengths?
Most kites are supplied with
one set of lines of generic length, usually about 25 meters (75 feet).
Additional lines sets can be purchased from kite stores. Line sets are also available in; 17m, 20m, 22m, 25m, 27m,
30m. Lines can be combined for a variety of lengths to give the rider a greater
range. Using shorter lines in strong wind will help reduce the kite's power.
This gives the rider a greater wind range with one kite size. The shorter the
lines, the less power from the kite. Longer lines give the kite more potential
power.

.
If you want more information about equipment types and equipment selection you
can download and read the Online
Kitesurfing Handbook
Safe Kitesurfing,
John & Dave
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KITEBOARDING ASSOCIATIONS
The Maui Kiteboarding Association
The United States Kitesurfing Association
FOR MORE KITEBOARDING SAFETY INFO
Safety
Equipment info Page.
K.I.T.E.S. Learning DVD.
KiteBooks Online Bookstore.
KITESURFING LESSONS/SCHOOLS
Kiteboarding
FAQ, Q&A Page.
KISS Kitesurfing International Safety System info Page.
IKO International Kiteboarding Organization info Page.
PASA Professional Air Sports Association info Page.
KITESURFING VACATIONS
Kitesurfing Holidays - Search for kitesurfing schools, holidays and vacations in kitesurfing destinations worldwide.
FOR MORE INFO ON EQUIPMENT
NAISH LITEWAVE WIPIKA TAKOON CABRINHA SLINGSHOT GLOBERIDER BEST
GAASTRA NORTH AIRUSH F-ONE FLEXIFOIL LIQUID FORCE OCEAN RODEO RRD
WARNING, Kitesurfing is an extreme sport that requires
a high degree of water confidence and a good understanding of kite flying skills.
The lightweight foils are extremely powerful and often overwhelm the novice and may place
them in dangerous situations that can also endanger onlookers and innocent bystanders.
A responsible attitude and Kitesurfing Training is essential for a safe entry
into this sport.
I just updated this
page. Be aware that safety systems are changing all the time.
You should consult your user manual for proper safety system function for
your brand of bar. For the latest safety systems and protocols. Please read my
online manual.
No promises are made for the accuracy of the information in this page, or for any error or omission.
Things change,
Get training from a certified kiteboarding instructor. Read a lot.
Practice using your safety systems (carefully) in non-critical situations. Ride Safe!
First posted 1997, Copyright ©
David Dorn, all rights reserved
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