The Complete Beginner’s Guide About Kitesurfing What Is Kitesurfing? For some, it does not even ring a bell although, for others, it means everything and they build their life around it! Whether you have already witnessed it in person on your last vacation to the beach, maybe over the internet in your news feed or even in pop culture, for sure it made you wonder… What the heck are these guys doing dangling in the air under that big parachute? And how are they even doing it? If we were to talk to someone in the early 1960s about space exploration, let alone landing on the moon they would have thought we were crazy. What if we were to tell someone today that they can have the time of their life by practicing a water sport that involves standing up on a surfboard, strapped in a waist harness while being pulled along by a large kite up 25 meters in the air? That person probably wouldn’t believe it. Well, here we are today with hundreds of thousands of people learning and practicing kiteboarding every year. In this Complete Beginner’s Guide, we will go from the inception of the sport to where it is today and everything in between to understand what kitesurfing is all about. This guide will inform you about the history and origins of kitesurfing, the equipment, the environment, what it takes to become a kiter as well as the benefits of becoming one. Moreover, we will cover everything there is to know about the safety aspects of this action sport and the overall lifestyle and culture that has grown around it. PS. The terms “kitesurfing” and “kiteboarding” are used interchangeably without any distinction and both refer to the exact same thing: the best activity in the world. The History and Evolution Of Kitesurfing To better understand what kitesurfing is, it is important we go back in time to when it began and follow its evolution to where we are today. Now, depending on who you talk to or where you look for your information, kitesurfing might have started “officially/unofficially” somewhere between the 80’s and late 90’s. Within the kiter community, the question of who was the first kiter and when kitesurfing was invented is still up for debate. Truth is there is no definite answer, but what we do know is that the sport has evolved tremendously thanks to many passionate and hardcore kiters who invested time, money and efforts in making this sensational wind-powered activity grow as the exciting sport we know today. Late 20th Century: the inception of a new global action sport So, what do we know? Well, what we do know for sure about kitesurfing is what has been officially documented. In 1977, a patent for kitesurfing was filed by Gijsbertus Adrianus Panhuise from the Netherlands which unfortunately for him did not attract any commercial interest. Seven years later, in November of 1984, the French Legaignoux brothers filed a patent for the first-ever inflatable kite design (pretty forward-looking for their time). That feature enabled the rider to instantly relaunch the kite in the water, a decisive improvement upon which many current kite designs are nowadays still based on. From that moment on, many other kitesurfing enthusiasts began experimenting with the sport. As the community grew, the designs of the kites and the sport as a whole started not only growing, but drastically evolving due to so much research and development in all aspects from safety to performance. The late 20th century is where most of the kitesurfing pioneering has happened. For example, the first kites that were invented did not have a “depower” function which meant that they were always fully powered and subjected to the wind’s will. As soon as you would launch your kite, the action began with no moment to rest and any error could prove catastrophic. Today kites are much more manageable and stable thanks to the 4-lines design and the “depower” function. Start of the 21st Century: the explosive growth of kitesurfing Since the inception of kitesurfing up until the point of you reading this, kitesurfing has drastically changed. The 20th Century has set up a solid foundation for us to build off in the early 21st century. The reason for this insanely quick evolution in equipment efficiency, globalization and safety comes down to seeing more and more individuals taking interest in kitesurfing. Every year there are several thousand newly certified recreational kitesurfers around the world. What is remarkable is not only the growth but the diversity of kiter personas within the sport. Contrary to popular belief, kitesurfing is not only attracting top athletes and adrenaline junkies - kitesurfing most recently has begun attracting people of all ages and all horizons from kids to grown-ups, fathers, mothers, grand parents, lawyers, ex-presidents, dentists, plumbers, fortune 100 company CEOs and pretty much converting anyone who tries it. The 2000s and onwards will not only be the biggest phase of expansion for kitesurfing, but it might also even be the most interesting time period for kitesurfers. This expansion, in the end, is built upon the foundations of organizations that are focused on the education and safety aspect of kitesurfing. The IKO (International Kiteboarding Organization) was founded in 2001 around that mission to foster a safe and sustainable growth of kitesurfing through education, training and the promotion of safe practices all around the world. Around the turn of the century, the original brands such as Wipika, Cabrinha, F-ONE, Naish amongst other brands were at the forefront of evolving the equipment designs. The gear was becoming more efficient and safer in accordance with new research and development. Without such collaboration between the education sector and the commercial sector, the kitesurfing world would not have had the growth it has had so far. In all, those individuals and organizations believing in their favourite sport and investing time and money have helped transition kitesurfing from a highly risky activity to an action sport that everyone can enjoy. What Equipment Do You Need To Kitesurf? As we stated above, kitesurfing would not be possible if it wasn’t for the equipment that we use. Here, we will talk about the different types of kites, harnesses, boards and other pieces of gear one might use. Read on to get further insight on the equipment that enables kitesurfers to ride with the wind and defy the elements! Kites The most obvious piece of kitesurfing equipment is usually the first thing that attracts our attention looking at a beach... the KITE! The kite is the most essential part of kitesurfing (duh!). The kites vary in sizes and shapes depending respectively on the strength of the wind, your weight, your level and the discipline you’re practicing. Any time you see a kite on the water, you can notice a number on the canopy of the kite that indicates its size in square meters. Most kites are between 5 and 18 m2. Types of Kites Since the beginning of kitesurfing, there have been many different variations of kites. Here’s a look at the two main kite categories: LEI and Foil. LEI (C-Shapes, hybrids, SLE/Delta/Bow) A Leading Edge Inflatable (LEI) kite is a single skin kite with inflatable bladders providing structure. LEI kites are flown using a control bar that has either 2 (old school), 4 (most common and modern) or 5 (C-Kites generally) lines. The LEI kites are the most common for kitesurfing since they are great kites for water use. This is because of the inflatable bladders which cause the kite to float on the water surface. Unlike a foil kite, a LEI kite can sit on the water for an indefinite time and still be re-launched with relative ease. Leading Edge Inflatable kites can be broken down into four designs: C-kites, hybrid kites, delta kites, and bow kites. Much of this is thanks to the Legaignoux brothers and their patented invention of the inflatable kites. Compared to foil kites, LEI kites are easier to fly, relaunch more quickly and are more stable in gusty winds. Foil kites (ARC, Bridled) Unlike LEI kites, foil kites have no inflatable bladders and instead work with either open or closed air cells that fill up and take shape with the airflow entering the kite. If the kite is dropped in the water, the air cells can potentially fill up with water and cause the kite to sink. This is the reason why we use foil with valves for water practice. However, foil kites are the most efficient design of kites as they can generate much more power and operate in lighter winds compared to LEI, although their ease of use is lower compared to the LEI. Similar to LEI kites, you use a control bar that is connected by control lines to steer the kite. The easiest and quickest way to distinguish a foil kite from a LEI kite is by the shape. Foil kites have a much higher aspect ratio (the proportion between the surface area of the kite and it’s span) which makes them look thinner and longer in length, very similar to a paragliding wing. Construction Kites are generally made from a material called ripstop polyester (contrary to popular belief, they are not made of ripstop nylon which is more rip and tear-resistant, though less UV resistant). In addition to the ripstop fabric, you have an inflatable plastic bladder that spans the front edge of the kite as well as the smaller struts that are perpendicular to the main bladder.