Kite Surfing History
Kite surfing one of the latest trends in extreme sports originated in the 1980s. Kite surfing makes use of wind to improve the art of sailing in to new and exciting sports. Historically the idea of using kites, as a means of propulsion, dates back to the 13th century China. Kites were used to move their canoes over water. At the time it was known as kite sailing. There has been some early record of kite sailing in the 12th century.
George Pocock was the first person to take kite sailing to an entirely new level by making this past art a modern dare devil sport. He fixed the sail on glide carts to move on land and to small canoes. The carts and boats performed could sail very well with good wind. The kites are made larger to get more wind to act on the kite. In good winds, enough lift force generated under the kite, helps in raising it from the ground, and keeps the body moving for long distances. Kites were fixed using four lines. Professional kite fliers use four line kites today, as they are more maneuverable though somewhat difficult to get used to it. Amateurs generally use two line kites as they are easy to handle.
Kite surfing nowadays is adapted to suit to various environment and landscapes. Kite skiing refers to the popular sport of doing kite surfing on ice. The kite is dependent on wind. With skills the kite can be taken to the air. Once in air the kite can propel itself forward faster by creating its own wind. The introduction of inflatable kites has made it very popular among kite surfers. Inflatable kites floats on even if it crashes on water.
Earlier kites were mostly deployed from land. Kites that can be used on water were later introduced. Kiteski, fOne, Concept Air, Wipika, C-Quad and Naish were some of the early marketers of water launched kites. These companies came up in the 1990’s.They require good wind conditions to sail. If the kite stopped under low wind it could again sail when the wind begins to pick up.
Kite surfing really didn’t grow until the turn of the century when new safety gears and better sails were made available. Kite surfing had been a dangerous sport. Sometimes surfers were stranded on mid ocean. Some fatal accidents have also occurred. Many surfers have drowned after crashing into water and losing consciousness.
Kite surfing enthusiast’s today travel around the world in search of new and exotic surfing locations. They pack up their gear and go in search of the wildest waves across continents. They flock yearly on many of these locations and organize contests and championships where one can test their kite surfing skills. Maui in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Cape Town, England, Thailand and Wales in Australia are some of the popular locations. Most of these locations are open to surfing at all seasons. Today there are many organizations and magazines dedicated to this sport. It is one of the hottest sports and more and more people are taking on this extreme sport.
