KITESURFING – UNCONVENTIONAL SPORTS HYBRID

What would you call gliding on water, flying a kite and pulling cords? Kitesurfing, by any other of its names, ‘kiteboarding’ or ‘fly-surf’, remains the most challenging extreme sport in fashion. Kitesurfing makes use of an inflatable wing-shaped kite and a special board. Feet strapped onto the board, the surfer handles the kite in such a way as to float on water.

People are tempted to say it is a new exciting sport, but the truth is that the electrifying kiteboarding feeling was enjoyed by anonymous forefathers. As early as the 12th century, Chinese boatmen used to tie their canoes in such a way that wind currents would drive them in one direction or the other, in order to easier cross water stretches. The indigenous inhabitants of Indonesia have always used their particularly big tree leaves stitched together with fishing line in order to glide on the waters surrounding their islands. In the 18th century Benjamin Franklin felt like rushing over water, so he used a kite tied to one of his feet to glide across a lake lying on his back. All these anonymous predecessors contributed to the discovery of kitesurfing as an official sport.

However, what gave kiteboarding a genuine chance at developing into the riot it now represents were several milestones in the 20th century:
a. In the 1970s people attempted living between the sky and the water by surfboarding with paragliders.
b. In 1977 the Dutch Gijsbertus Panhuise obtains a patent for a peculiar sports item: standing on a board, a man is pulled away by a parachute.
c. In the early 1800 George Pocock manages to lift from the ground and sail upwind by using a 4-line kite.
d. Around 1980 the Swiss Andreas Kuhn impresses his audience by flying a paraglider on wakeboards.
e. 1984 is essential for kitedoarding history as the Legaignoux brother, Dominique and Bruno, patent a new discovery: the Wipika Kite, more precisely an inflatable structure in the shape of a curved wing. Earlier attempts consisted of a stack of 7 or 10 kites bound by fiberglass.
f.  In 1990 it is presented as a refreshing new sport in Hawaii and since then it becomes widely promoted and acknowledged.
g. In 2007, world championships are organized: contests are sponsored by Fiat – Italy and competitions take place in France (Dunkerque, in August) and in Brazil (Ceara, in October) for the greatest prizes, of $40 000. “FIAT Freestyle Kiteboard World Cup 2007” becomes the most famous kitesurfing competition, comprising of several sessions held in different locations and having as main disciplines: Freestyle Kiteboarding, Kitesurfing Hang-times, Speed Crossing, Slider, Wave Masters and Course Racing. Depending on the area and period of the year, each competition focuses on merely a few of these disciplines.

Believe it or not, in just a few decades, kiteboarding has evolved into a well-loved sport advertised on hundreds of websites, taught by thousands of schools, discussed on a dozen forums, enjoyed by tens of champions and photographed by millions of watchers and adepts.

Fly-surfing has also developed its own industrial branch, addressing its own target audience and it is now being promoted by manufacturers, schools, instructors and trainees alike. Equipment has become available for the average person and online dedicated stores offer a wide range of kites, harnesses, boards, etc. High-performance gear and good training is said to ensure all the prerequisites of kiteboarding. Most schools also put on the market additional services, such as rental options, second-hand equipment and level courses, even for instructors.

Kitesurfing is now an official sport, with public handbooks and rules, bearing international standards and respecting certain norms. Always look for IKO certified instructors when taking up kitesurfing. Freedom-crazy, adrenaline-addicted surfers have the privilege of flying of their own design, still – in a sense – keeping their feet on the ground. Why not join their ranks and go kitesurfing instead of daydreaming?