Kiteboarding, Kitesurf, and Windsurfing boards

Kites have been around for nearly three millennia. First developed in China, the earliest kites used silk as the primary sail material, and bamboo for the framework. They were used for a variety of activities, including measuring distances, communications and military applications as well. While there is evidence that Indonesians were the first to fly kites (in this case, made from leaves), it is the Chinese model that is on which most modern kites are based.

Windsongkite.com is dedicated to the world of kites and kiting enthusiasts. Our website is designed to be a resource of information on all types of kiting, from recreational flying to their use many outdoor sporting activities. Whether you’re a beginning pilot or a seasoned veteran, our hope is that you can use our site as an informational tool.

The kite that is probably most familiar to the general public is the diamond kite. Named because of their shape, they are often the first kites that a beginning pilot will fly. They are exceptionally stable when airborne and are relatively inexpensive to build or purchase. They often incorporate a long tail that winds behind them as they fly.

A sport kite is an extension of the basic kite, but is designed for performing complex tricks and maneuvers. While most basic kites have a single kite string that connects them to the pilot, sport kites use two or more in order to allow the a much higher degree of maneuverability. These kites can take many hours of practice to master, but the learning process can be quite exhilarating. Countries all over the world hold sporting kiting competitions every year which can draw hundreds of participants.

Dragon kites are traditionally flown to celebrate the Chinese New Year. As the name suggests, these kites are designed to look like dragons flying above the spectators. They are often highly decorated and their builders can spend hundreds of hours working to construct these masterpieces.

Modern alternative sports enthusiasts have taken kiting to a whole new level in recent decades. Kiteboarding is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, boasting several hundred thousand active participants. A large kite with multiple lines is attached to a harness worn a rider that stands on a kiteboard and is then pulled across the water by the wind. Kiteboards differ from windsurfing boards in that they are generally smaller in size and shaped more like a wake board.

To kitesurf, one does not necessarily need water. The practice of using a kite as a means of propulsion has been applied to land-based sports as well. A snow kite, for instance, is used to pull a skier or snowboarder through the snow. The kite allows the riders to travel uphill (provided the wind will allow it) and is also used to pull the riders across frozen lakes and fields as well. A windsurf kite can also be used to pull skateboarders, although the boards used are somewhat modified when compared to a standard skateboard.

Kiteboarding is a popular sport that combines windsurfing with either snowboarding, wakeboarding, or skateboarding.
Kiteboarding

Kiteboarding is a relatively new sport that is quickly gaining legions of fans around the world. It is estimated that there are over 200,000 active kiteboarders in countries all around the world, and the numbers increase every year. Contests, magazines and websites that are dedicated to the sport have surged in recent years.

Kiteboarding is, roughly speaking, a combination of wakeboarding and windsurfing. The rider stands atop a kiteboard and is pulled along using wind power and a large kite. The kite is attached to the rider through the use of a harness.

There are three basic categories of kiteboarding; water, land and snow. On water, the sport is commonly called “kite surfing”. On land, a board with wheels is used and it is referred to as “land kiting”. During the winter months, snow kiting is a popular alternative for kiteboarders.

 

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