Kitesurfing…the low down….

From riding waves to catching big air or ripping it up on flat water, kitesurfing puts together all the most exhilarating parts of other watersports. Also known in different parts of the world as kiteboarding or even by some weird Europeans as flysurfing, it’s a fusion of wakeboarding, surfing and kite flying It was developed in Maui and France in the 90’s, mainly by pro windsurfers like the legendary Robbie Naish, and only went mainstream around 1999. From around 12 UK kitesurfers in the early days, around 7000 people now pump up, put on the neoprene (wetsuits) and get out on our cold water.

The great leap forward for kitesurfing was the development of an inflatable, floating (and therefore re-launchable) kite…until then if it got soggy, it
stayed that way and no way was it going to fly…..Now the equipment is changing fast and kites are easier to launch, control and pull stunts with, but
with all that power, the sport can be very dangerous,so proper instruction’s a must.

The best place to see the pros doing their stuff is the Kiteboard Pro World Tour for events in Europe and worldwide,(www.kiteboardpro.com) or in the UK at events like the Animal Poole Windfest or White Air 06 (www.whiteair.co.uk) Check out the British Kitesurfing Association website for more details.

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