How does kiteboarding work?
Modern kites use 4 or 5 lines to steer and adjust the power of the kite in flight. The lines are attached to the kite at one end and a control bar at the flier’s end. The flier wears a harness which allows him to “hook in” to the control bar; this transfers the kite’s power to the flier’s hips, allowing him to rest his arms and still be able to steer and adjust the kite’s power. For more details, please stop into the shop and we will happily show you firsthand how this all works.
Kiteboarding was invented by 2 Frenchmen in the 1980s, and has evolved from simple 2 line kites with no depower ability, to today’s kites with full depower, safety release systems and the ability to water relaunch. The kite pulls you along while you ride on a wakeboard style board with footstraps. Kiteboarding uses the same engineering principals as flying. The kite acts as a foil, and the wind creates “lift” in the kite that makes you glide along the water. The more wind in the kite, the faster you go. Turning is accomplished by pulling on one side of the control bar. If you want to turn the kite to the left, you pull in on the left side. If you want to turn the kite to the right, you pull in on the right side of the bar. The sport is very versatile and can be enjoyed in light winds (10mph) on flat water, or high winds and waves (and everything in between). Kiting can also be enjoyed on land (land boarding on a skate board with footstraps) or on snow (snow kiting with skiis or snowboa
