Kite surfing jargon

Like any sport kite surfing has its jargon - here’s a taster!

• air time: the amount of time spent in the air while jumping. This can be remarkably long; the current record is probably Erik Eck’s 39-second kitemare. Five to ten seconds is not unusual.
• apparent wind: the kite’s speed relative to the surrounding air. When kitesurfing in a straight line, the kite’s apparent wind is a combination of the wind speed and the speed of the kite and rider over the surface, but since the kite is highly steerable apparent wind can vary widely depending on how the kite is being flown. Most ways of increasing power from the kite involve giving it a higher apparent wind somehow, i.e. diving the kite, riding faster, or riding at a greater angle into the wind. Any of these raises the kite’s apparent wind speed.
• body dragging: being pulled through the water without standing on a board. This is an early step in the learning process, and is recommended before trying the board after flying a trainer kite.
• boost: to suddenly become airborne
• chicken loop: a hard rubber loop attached to the middle line which has been fed through the control bar. It is used to attach the control bar to the harness so the kitesurfer can produce tension in the lines using their entire bodyweight instead of using purely arm strength.
• chicken bone/chicken finger: a hard rubber “tongue” attached to the chicken loop which the rider feeds through the spreader bar hook to prevent the rider from becoming “unhooked”.
• de-power: to reduce the kite’s power (pull), generally by adjusting the angle of attack of the kite. Most kites and control bars now allow a rider to rig a kite for a number of different power levels before launching, in addition to powering the kite up and down “on the fly” by moving the bar up and down. Depowerability  (!) makes a kite safer and easier to handle. Some new kite models, especially “bow” kites, can be de-powered to practically zero power, giving them an enormous wind range.
• DP: Dawn patrol; a very early morning session.
• donkey dick: same as “chicken bone”.
• downwind: the direction the wind is blowing towards; to leeward. When a rider is facing downwind the wind is at their back.
• downwinder: a kitesurfing “trip” (could actually be as short as a few minutes) where the rider starts at one point and ends up at another point downwind of their original position.
• edge: tilting the board with its edge into the water. Used to control the direction of travel. Learning to edge properly is critical for learning to tack upwind. Edging is one of the fundamental skills of kitesurfing and is one of the ways kitesurfing is different from windsurfing or wakeboarding. While windsurf boards have daggerboards and/or skegs to steer the board upwind while lift and planing is provided by the board itself, generally kiteboards actually combine both functions and the bottom of the board lifts the rider and steers simultaneously. Kiteboard fins are generally much smaller and are for keeping the board in the water (see “tea-bagging”), but are not essential. Because kite boards have a small rocker, a deep edge can allow the board to act as a large low drag fin. Edging in wakeboarding is used for steering the board; whereas in kite boarding not only does edging steer the kite board, it is essential for kite control and controlling board speed. Riding downwind towards the kite subtracts massively from the kite’s power and helps control board speed as well.
• heel side: the side of a board on the edge where a riders heels are (opposite of toeside). “Riding heelside” is riding with heels down. Heelside is the normal and most comfortable riding position.
• Hindenburg: A reference to the Hindenburg Airship disaster of 1937, which in kitesurfing terminology refers to the kite stalling and falling out of the sky. Hindenburging can be caused either by lack of wind or by the kite advancing to a position upwind of the kitesurfer in the wind window.
• handlepass: while unhooked, passing the control bar behind a riders back while in the air
• kiteloop: is a group of tricks where a rider loops the kite while spinning through the air
• kitemare: a kiteboardsurfing accident or dangerous mishap. Kitemares can be deadly.
• lofted: to get lifted vertically into the air by the kite by a strong gust of wind. A very dangerous occurrence that has resulted in several fatalities when kiters on or near land have been dragged into obstacles. Can be avoided my minimizing time on land with the kite flying directly overhead, and by not kiting in overpowered situations.
• luff: when the air flow stalls around the kite. It may then stall and fall out of the sky. Like sails, a luffing kite has rippling and flapping panels. When launching the kite, if the kite is luffing, the rider should move farther upwind, or the person holding the kite should move downwind.
• mobe: This term has two meanings. It can either be used to describe a class of wakestyle tricks: any invert with a 360 degree spin is considered a “mobe.” Also, this term can denote a specific trick: a back roll with a frontside 360 handlepass (while keeping the kite below 45 degrees); this specific trick is also known as “the mobe.” The term “mobe” (as a class of tricks) is historically rooted in the fact that the mobe (the specific trick) was the first type of mobe to ever be landed. Other types of mobes include: mobe 540, mobe 720, slim chance, KGB, crow mobe, moby dick, Pete Rose, blind pete, crow mobe 540, etc.
• nuking: wind blowing at great speeds(30-40 knots). These conditions are very extreme and dangerous for most riders.
• offshore: wind blowing at the water from the shore. Never ride in offshore winds without some means of recovery, i.e. a chase boat. This is somewhat less important in smaller bodies of water, of course.
• onshore: wind blowing perpendicular to and directly at the shore from the water. A challenging condition for beginners, especially if waves are present.
• O-Shit Loop: Two loops on either ends of the bar that are attached to the kite lines and run through rings attached to the bar. A standard leash attachment point.
• overhead waves: waves two or more meters (6 ft) from trough to crest;
• overpowered: the condition of having too much power from the kite. Can be a result of an increase in wind, incorrect kite choice (too large for the conditions), incorrect adjustment, simply going too fast, etc. Interestingly, experienced riders who are overpowered can switch to a smaller board to compensate, to a degree, although it’s common to have just one board.
• pop: height gained above the water using only the board and tension in the lines to get lift, with the kite usually positioned at 45 degrees. Lower kite angles are possible for more experienced riders. Used as a basis for many tricks and regarded as an essential skill for progressing.
• power up: when the kite’s power increases (suddenly), because of wind gusts or the kite’s movement.
• power zone: is the area in the sky where the kite generates the most lift (pull), this is generally between 0 to 60 degrees arc from the center of the downwind direction.
• send it: To move the kite aggressively up through the power zone.
• schlogging: This is riding extremely underpowered. A rider has no power to plane and definitely not enough to jump. A rider and their board bounce from planing on the surface to being dragged in the water.
• Shit Hot: The art of stylish smooth moves.
• side shore: winds blowing parallel to the shore. Usually the most desirable direction for kitesurfing.
• side onshore: wind blowing between sideshore and at a 45 degree angle towards the shore.
• spreader bar: A stainless steel bar that attaches to the rider’s harness. It has a hook that holds the “chicken loop” when riding hooked in.
• tack: The direction which is being sailed, normally either starboard tack or port tack. In a starboard tack the wind is coming in from the rider’s starboard (right-hand) side, similar to sailing a boat. In normal riding, the kitesurfer takes a heading which is as close to into the wind as possible, and in any event leads at some angle slightly upwind, sometimes as much as 45 degrees; jumping or wave riding usually results in traveling downwind, so the net result is to maintain relative position. Alternately, see “downwinder”.
• tea-bagging: popping out of and falling back into the water intermittently due to light or gusty wind, poor flying skills, twisted lines etc.
• toe side: the side of a board on the edge where a riders toes are (opposite of heel side). “Riding toe side” is riding with toes down.
• underpowered: the condition of having insufficient power from the kite. Can be a result of insufficient wind, choosing a kite that is too small for the current wind, rigging incorrectly, board too small, water current in the same direction as the wind, not riding fast enough, etc. A rider who is continuously diving the kite and sending it back up in a sine-wave pattern is usually underpowered.
• unhooked: is a term used to describe when a kitesurfer is riding while the chicken loop is not attached to the rider’s harness.
• upwind: the direction from which the wind is blowing; windward; into the wind.
• VaS conditions: Victory at Sea; very rough sea conditions, generally with overhead wind waves causing severe shore break.
• wind window: is the 120-180 degree arc of the sky downwind of the rider in which the kite can be flown. Roughly one fourth of a sphere’s surface. If the rider is facing downwind on a flat surface, like the ocean, the wind window consists of roughly all the area the rider can see, from the rider’s peripheral vision on one side, along the horizon to the other side, and then directly overhead back to the first side. If the rider somehow puts the kite out of the window — for example, by riding downwind very quickly and sending the kite directly overhead and behind — the kite will stall and frequently fall out of the sky.
• zenith: the location in the wind window directly over the kiter’s head. This is the neutral position where kitesurfers can place the kite to stop moving or prior to movement. This places the kite in a more vulnerable “Hindenburgs” position than any other.

So there you have it, it may seem like double dutch if you are new to the kite surfing world but it will be a useful reference to check up on what your instructor has said something in class which you did not understand. On the point of instruction it is a must - get yourself along to a qualified and certified instructor before taking to the oceans and causing either yourself or someone else some mischief.

My thanks again to Adventure Escapades for this insight into the world of kite surfing jargon.

Kite surfing safety tips

Power kites can be dangerous… read on!

Because of strong forces that can be generated by sudden wind gusts, people can be lofted, carried off, dashed against water, buildings, terrain or power lines, resulting in what’s termed a “kitemare”.
Most kiteboarding fatalities are the result of being lofted or dragged out of control, resulting in a collision with hard objects including sand.

It is possible to be seriously injured simply by hitting the water surface at speed or from a height. Jumping and being airborne at inappropriate places (such as shallow water or near fixed or floating objects) can be a contributing factor.

To maximize safety, basic safety guidelines should always be followed, some of which follow:

• Always check the weather forecast, color radar, real-time wind reports on the Internet for indications of storms/squalls and excessively gusty winds, wind direction changes and lightning hazards. Do not launch or ride in or near squalls or storms.
• Avoid kite surfing in crowded areas, near rocks, trees, or power lines. In general there should be a minimum of 100 meters of safe distance from all obstructions.
• Try to ride with side-shore winds. Avoid offshore or directly onshore winds.
• Pay attention to changing weather and wind conditions. Particularly dangerous are storm fronts, which are often preceded by strong, variable wind gusts and sometimes involve lightning. If a rider feels a static shock from the kite bar, they should land the kite immediately and seek shelter.
• Helmets and impact vests can save lives and add substantial convenience if a rider wears them.
• Wear appropriate exposure clothing for conditions and a reasonable period of time in the water, should you become disabled.
• Do not remove or disable factory-installed safety equipment or releases.

Harness Safety:

The most basic is a quick-release harness safety system. Harness safety systems come in different configurations; most allow the kite surfer to release the kite with one tug or push, leaving only one line which is attached to a kite leash. This one line ideally will cause the kite to lose its shape and fall from the sky, without power. Redundant safety releases are even better; do not remove your kite release because you assume you can simply unhook. “Safety equipment” also includes the bar floats, the foam floats on the outside lines of most kite bars; most kite lines sink, and without bar floats sunk lines are more likely to tangle around an underwater obstruction. This could even happen with the bar floats, but they do help. With the kite in the water, a tangle like this could drag you underwater and hold you there.

Other key Pointers:

• Never use a board leash without wearing a helmet. Under certain circumstances, a board leash can cause the board to strike the rider in the head. Alternatively, don’t use a board leash. A helmet is a wise precaution in most circumstances whether you use a board leash or not, but never use a board leash without wearing a helmet. NOTE: board leashes have propelled boards through helmets in the past. The best course is normally to not use a board leash and practice body dragging upwind to regain your board.
• Avoid riding overpowered. Using too large a kite for the wind conditions or your experience level is extremely dangerous. Underpowered riding is preferable to overpowered riding. When in doubt, go to a smaller kite and see how it goes. Always stay within the wind range specified by the manufacturer for the kite.
• Be extra careful when landing or launching the kite. Most accidents occur on shore or while a rider is entering or leaving the water. It’s advisable to either un-hitch your kite from your harness while on-shore, holding onto it with only your arms, so you can release if necessary, or simply be ready to operate the quick-release mechanism. Ideally, don’t spend any time on shore with the kite in the air; launch the kite and then leave the beach immediately, and when coming in, land as quickly as possible. When on shore, keep the kite low: if it’s hit by a gust, it can drag the rider, but may prevent lofting.
• Carry a safety knife attached to the harness for cutting tangled lines. Tangles are dangerous because an entangled rider in the water may not be able to free themselves quickly enough in the event the kite powers up suddenly (catches a wind gust, suddenly accelerates, or, if it’s in the water, gets hit by a wave). The tangled lines around a rider’s body can cut and sever a rider’s fingers, toes, or limbs or cause serious and deep lacerations. In a crash situation, with the kite in the water, do not allow a line to encircle a part of the body.
• Notify the coast guard if you lose a board or kite at sea.
• At wind speeds of 50 km/h (a typical speed for a skillful kite surfer), one can easily get tired, and then get farther from shore than an easy swim, which is the primary reason kite surfing in directly offshore winds is discouraged. Other general marine hazards include sharks, jellyfish, sea otters, dolphins, and even crocodiles, depending on the location.
• Collisions with wind surfers, other kite boarders or water craft are significant hazards, particularly at busy locations.
• Some kite designs from late 2005 and onwards have incorporated immediate and full depower mechanisms with the control bar and improved quick release mechanisms, both of which are making the sport much safer.
• Weather planning and awareness are key to safe kiteboarding.

When practised safely, with the proper training and gear, kiteboarding is an enjoyable, addictive sport. Like any other sport, respecting nature, paying attention to the weather and staying within the limits of the riders ability will provide the safest and most enjoyable experience.

Depending on where you are in the world you should be aware of the local laws about flying kites and kite surfing.

My thanks again go out to Adventure Escapades of South Africa for these useful safety tips; the only other advice I have to offer at this time is having read this article is to go back to the top of the page and read it again!!

Air racing - another extreme sport

Like we’ve been saying there seems to be no end to the kind of sports that folk will get up to for their adrenaline rush and today I want to bring you some news and a video clip of air racing which is proving very popular.

Pilots take turns flying flat out and at very low altitude around a course of inflatable pylons, known as “air gates,” reaching speeds of 250 mph. As they traverse the path, the pilots must make quick turns, sometimes sideways, to pass through the gates. While in flight, a pilot burns about 1,000 calories per hour and feels a force of up to 10 G-forces, which is more than three times the force felt by astronauts at liftoff. One mistake could cost them their lives. Red Bull representatives said there have been no serious crashes or fatalities since the series’ inception.

San Diego, Caliornia was the host this weekend for the Red Bull World Series which started in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates in April and concludes in Perth, Australia in November. The races take place on four continents and nine countries. Official estimates show that more than 120,000 people attended the two-day race in San Diego. Unofficial estimates put the number at 200,000.The race was won by Brit Paul Bonhomme who extended his winning streak to two races. Bonhomme did not have a run through the course above 79 seconds and flew all weekend without being assessed a penalty.

Although the video below was shot in Istanbul, Turkey last year and shows Mike Mangold from the USA, who was second in San Diego at the weekend, I felt it was a better reflection of the twists and turns the pilots have to make in their planes and better demonstrates the G force to which they are subjected.

Fly Like A Bird

So you want to learn to fly a wingsuit?

Well, they say the path to that is a full and fun one. We have talked about it before and mentioned The Brothers Gray in Orange, Virginia as some of the instructors available to teach you the how’s and wherefore’s, but here’s another little drop in the ocean to think about. A quick a - z of what you are taking on.

You must first learn to skydive and to do this you need to find a drop zone. Depending on how much time you have, how much money you’ve got to spend, and how brave you are, you have three options for what method of skydiving you’ll use for your first jump:

• tandem (where you are strapped to the front of your instructor),
• static line (where a cord attached from the plane to your parachute pulls the parachute open almost immediately after you jump out), and
• accelerated freefall (AFF) (you pull your own rip cord and you float to the ground solo). These offer varying levels of airborne freedom and varying levels of training time.

Then you must go through levels 1 - 7 of the AFF course which will teach you, in 7 jumps, how to belly fly and how to land a parachute. ‘Belly fly’ is the most basic style of free fall body control.

Follow the AFF up with a few coached jumps where you are jumping on your own. By the end of 25 jumps you will know how to pack a parachute, airplane protocol, belly flight body control and various landing patterns and what to do in an emergency. Both the Accelerated Freefall and the Advanced licence can be done in a week. You can of course take longer to do them but constant repetition makes you feel far more confident and it is important to be confident if you are going to continue your skydiving into wingsuit flying!

From Skdiving to Wingsuit Flying

Wingsuit flying is more regulated and also potentially far more dangerous than skydiving as there are a lot of things that can go wrong when your arms and legs are zipped up into the wings of the suit. It is highly unlikely that you will be allowed to progress to wingsuit lessons if you do not already have at least 200 skydives - we have discussed this before in an earlier blog.

By becoming an adept skydiver you will learn the various types of skydiving such as the above mentioned belly flying (the most basic), free flying, tracking (where you use your body to choose the direction of your flight) and relative work where you join with other people in the air. Learning how to do tracking is a very useful exercise as you learn to fly your body as if you are in a wingsuit.

It should also be said at this point that mistakes in judgment and procedure are the cause of 92% of skydiving fatalities. What does that mean? It means that if you do everything you’re supposed to do during that exhilarating 60 second drop to the ground, you’ll be fine, but if you don’t…

You will finally be ready to progress to wingsuit flying and when you do this you will understand why skydivers are so regulatory about the learning process. A wingsuit instructor will teach you everything from how to connect the wingsuit to your skydiving rig, to how to exit the plane and throw your pilot chute, and what flight pattern to take.

You need to imagine yourself as an aeroplane during the jump! So the more you know and understand the actual flight of a plane the more you will understand your own flight in a wingsuit - talk to the pilots! Your first jumps are likely to be scary as you will be working hard just to stay stable in the air, but you will soon be ‘flocking’ with your friends. Don’t fly ‘blind’ - which means landing miles away from the landing area!

Wingsuits or Squirrel Suits

There are various types of wing SUITS to use and they all sound like they come out of a Harry Potter novel! How about this one…Phoenix Fly Vampire 2 !!! However this particular suit is large and difficult to manage as a novice. It would be much better to start off with a small, intuitive, simple suit like the Birdman Classic or the Phoenix Fly Prodigy. When you are learning in these suits you will be able to do jumps out of helicopters, flips and barrel rolls, plus flying relative with other people. When you have built-up your confidence you can move on to the Phoenix Fly Vampire 2. It will take some getting used to as it is a very big, high performance suit and not easy to fly, but when you get used to it it is, apparently, perfect!

Obviously learning how to wingsuit fly is expensive, and costly on time too, but if you can afford to, it is recommended that you keep the lessons tightly packed so you create a habit not a hobby - skydivers call it ‘being current’. You cannot afford to be cocky in this sport - one small slip could end everything. Not a nice thought.

Don’t take my word for it though. Go to a skydive club and do everything by the book. Listen to and learn from your instructors. You are a braver person than I am! This is what Steph Potter (wife of Dean Potter the amazing mountain climber, baseliner, etc etc etc) has to say:

“Flying like a bird, with my friends, is perhaps the most amazing experience a human being can have. The more you fly, the more natural it becomes, and it just gets better and better”.

Extreme mountain biking

Well if you were not into the instructional video about how to ride your bike over a table top I thought, as I was feeling generous, to post a rather more extreme example of what folk get up to when they come down a mountain on their bikes. Don’t worry there will be plenty of examples of both categories to follow. Enjoy!

Some basic biking skills

OK this may not be so extreme but don’t forget we all have to start sometime and starting means taking the first steps - so you pros may want to move on but if you are a beginner watch this video - good practical advice.

Kite surfing - leading edge inflatables versus foil

I have decided to restrict this morning’s entry on kite surfing to talk about the type of kites that are available today. Being a relatively young sport the design of the kite is changing with some regularity . You are therefore advised to use equipment provided by your kite surfing instructor/school before rushing out and spending a considerable amount of money on purchasing a kite. You need to get familiar with all the jargon of kite surfing world so you can talk from a position of knowledge when it comes to making a purchase and this is a topic I will be addressing over the next couple of days. The power kite is available in two major forms: leading edge inflatables and foil kites.

Leading edge inflatables
Leading edge inflatable kites, known also as inflatables, LEI kites or C-shaped kites, are typically made from ripstop nylon with inflatable plastic bladders. The inflated bladders give the kite its shape and also keep the kite floating once dropped in the water. LEIs are the most popular choice among most kitesurfers thanks to their quicker and more direct response to the rider’s inputs, easy relaunchability once crashed into the water, and resillient nature. If a LEI kite hits the water/ground too hard or is subjected on water to substantial wave activity, bladders can burst or it can be torn apart.
In 2005 Bow kites (also known as flat LEI kites) were developed with features including a concave trailing edge, a shallower arc in planform, and frequently a bridle along the leading edge. These features allow the kite’s angle of attack to be altered more and thus adjust the amount and range of power being generated to a much greater degree than previous LEIs. These kites can be fully depowered, which is a significant safety feature. They can also cover a wider wind range than a comparable C-shaped kite. The ability to adjust the angle of attack also makes them easier to re-launch when lying front first on the water. Bow kites are popular with riders from beginner to advanced levels. Most LEI kite manufacturers developed a variation of the bow kite by 2006.

However, early bow kites had the following disadvantages compared to classic LEI kites:
* They can get inverted and not fly properly
* They are a bit twitchy and not as stable
* Heavier bar pressure makes them more tiring to fly
* More difficult to relaunch
* Lack of “sled boosting” effect when jumping

In 2006 second generation flat LEI kites were developed which combine 100% depower and easy, safe relaunch with higher performance, no performance penalties and reduced bar pressure. These kites are suitable for both beginners and experts.

Foil kites
Foil kites are also mostly fabric (ripstop nylon) with air pockets (air cells) to provide it with lift and a fixed bridle to maintain the kite’s arc-shape, similar to a paraglider. Foil kites are designed with either an open or closed cell configuration; open cell foils rely on a constant airflow against the inlet valves to stay inflated, but are generally impossible to relaunch if they hit the water, since they have no means of avoiding deflation, and quickly become soaked.
Closed cell foils are almost identical to open cell foils except they are equipped with inlet valves to hold air in the chambers, thus keeping the kite inflated (or, at least, making the deflation extremely slow) even once in the water. Water relaunches with closed cell foil kites are simpler; a steady tug on the power lines typically allows them to take off again.
Foil kites are more popular for land or snow, where getting the kite wet is not a factor. A depowerable foil kite can cover about the same wind range as two traditional C-shape LEI kite sizes, so the rider can use a smaller kite, giving a wider depower range, although the new LEI “bow” kites have a comparable wide range. Foil kites have the advantage of not needing to have bladders manually inflated, a process which, with a LEI, can take up to ten minutes.

Kite sizes
Kites come in various sizes ranging from 7 square meters to 21 square meters, or even larger. In general, the larger the surface area, the more power the kite has, although kite power is also directly linked to speed, and smaller kites can be flown faster; a tapering curve results, where going to a larger kite to reach lower wind ranges becomes futile at a wind speed of around eight knots. Kites come in a variety of designs. Some kites are more rectangular in shape; others have more tapered ends; each design determines the kites flying characteristics. ‘Aspect ratio’ is the ratio of span to length. Wider shorter (ribbon-like) kites have less drag because the wing-tip vortices are smaller. High aspect ratios (ribbon-like kites) develop more power in lower wind speeds.
Seasoned kiteboarders will likely have 3 or more kite sizes which are needed to accommodate various wind levels, although bow kites may change this, as they present an enormous wind range; some advanced kiters use only one bow kite. Smaller kites are used by light riders, or in strong wind conditions; larger kites are used by heavier riders or in light wind conditions. Larger and smaller kiteboards have the same effect: with more available power a given rider can ride a smaller board. In general, however, most kiteboarders only need one board and one to three kites.

So there you have it - leading edge inflatables certainly seem to have it over on the foil kites, particularly when it comes to kite surfing on the water but as I said earlier do not rush into making a decision before you have some proficiency and understanding of what your requirements are - I would hate to hear that you had been ripped off by some overly aggressive salesman and ended up with the wrong kite. My thanks go out again to Adventure Escapades of South Africa for their useful input to this article.

Kite surfing information

After some of the rather gloomy news I have brought to you I thought to give you some practical information on the extreme sport of kite surfing - today I will lead off with a little history of the sport and tomorrow I will talk about equipment, techniques, safety and some of the more interesting facts about the sport. After all I don’t want to keep you off the water for too long! Many thanks to Adventure Escapades from South Africa for much of this information.

The Chinese are credited with using kites for propulsion in the 13th century.In the 1800s George Pocock used kites of increased size to propel carts on land and ships on the water, using a 4-line control system - the same system in common use today. Both carts and boats were able to turn and sail upwind. The kites could be flown for sustained periods. The intention was to establish kitepower as an alternative to horsepower, partly to avoid the hated “horse tax” that was levied at that time. In 1903, aviation pioneer Samuel Cody developed “man-lifting kites” and succeeded in crossing the English channel in a small collapsible canvas boat powered by a kite.
In the late 1970s the development of Kevlar then Spectra flying lines and more controllable kites with improved efficiency contributed to practical kite traction. In 1978, Ian Day’s “FlexiFoil” kite-powered Tornado catamaran exceeded 40 km/h.Through the 1980s there were sporadic and occasionally successful attempts to combine kites with canoes, ice skates, snow skis, water skis and roller skates.
Two brothers, Bruno Legaignoux and Dominique Legaignoux, from the Atlantic coast of France, developed some kite designs for kitesurfing in the late 1970s early 1980s and patented the first inflatable kite design in November 1984, which has since been used by many companies to develop their own products.
In 1990, a  kite buggying was pioneered by Peter Lynn at Argyle Park in Ashburton, New Zealand. Lynn coupled a three-wheeled buggy with a forerunner of the modern parafoil kite. Kite buggying proved to be very popular worldwide, with over 14,000 buggies sold up to 1999.
The development of modern day kitesurfing by the Roeselers in the USA and the Legaignoux in France carried on in parallel to buggying. Bill Roeseler, a Boeing aerodynamicist, and his son Corey Roeseler patented the “KiteSki” system which consisted of water skis powered by a two line delta style kite controlled via a bar mounted combined winch/brake. The KiteSki was commercially available in 1994. The kite had a rudimentary water launch capability and could go upwind. In 1995, Corey Roeseler visited Peter Lynn at New Zealand’s Lake Clearwater in the Ashburton Alpine Lakes area, demonstrating speed, balance and upwind angle on his ’ski’. In the late 1990s, Corey’s ski evolved to a single board similar to a surfboard.
In 1996 Laird Hamilton and Manu Bertin were instrumental in demonstrating and popularising kitesurfing off the Hawaiian coast of Maui.
In 1997 the Legaignoux brothers developed and sold the breakthrough “Wipika” kite design which had a structure of preformed inflatable tubes and a simple bridle system to the wingtips, both of which greatly assisted water re-launch. Bruno Legaignoux has continued to improve kite designs, including developing the bow kite design, which has been licensed to many kite manufacturers.
In 1997, specialist kiteboards were developed by Raphaël Salles and Laurent Ness. By 1998 kitesurfing had become a mainstream sport, and several schools were teaching kitesurfing. The first competition was held on Maui in September 1998 and won by Flash Austin.
By 1999 single direction boards derived from windsurfing and surfing designs became the dominant form of kiteboard. From 2001 onwards, wakeboard style bi-directional boards became more popular.

The current speed record over a 500 meter (1,640 ft) course, held by Olaf Marting, is 77.4 kilometers per hour (41.79 knots). Sjoukje Bredenkamp from South Africa holds the female record at 37.26 knots.

I think that’s enough for today, hope you can come back for tomorrow’s installment

Bad week for extreme sports enthusiasts

Three deaths in the past few days have emphasised the need for extreme caution and understanding of the dangers and safety measures required if you are going to participate in extreme sports.

Emily Jordan, 21, was drowned in rapids in the Kawarau river gorge on Tuesday when she became trapped between rocks. Guides struggled to free her for 20 minutes before attempting resuscitation on the banks of the river near Queens-town on New Zealand’s South Island.The father of the British backpacker called for companies that offer extreme sports to review whether they were pushing the limits of danger too far.

In Andalucia, Southern Spain a British Army officer has been killed in a paragliding accident during an adventure training exercise in southern Spain.Major Alexander Blake, 35, who was secretary of the Army Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, died when he lost control of his paragliding canopy and smashed into a tree at high speed, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range near Granada.
The tragedy is thought to have happened as he attempted a risky manoeuvre known as a spiral dive to lose height rapidly.

Meanwhile the death of a 40 year old woman who was scuba diving in the Atlantic off the coast of Florida has been reported.The woman, whose name was not released, died at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach, the U.S. Coast Guard said. People from the dive boat called the Coast Guard to follow them to shore after the woman came back from a dive unresponsive. Coast guard officials said it was unclear what had led to her death but the woman had apparently started to have difficulty after just ten minutes into the dive.

These tragedies underscore the dangers in these sports - please take every precaution possible but I suspect that by definition the extremities of these activities will continue to lead to accidents.

Rock Climbing Knots - Alpine Butterfly Knot

A few days ago (you might remember) I did a blog on climbing knots. Here is another ‘thank you’ to ABC of rock climbing for linking the following comment to our site. It is such a clear guide on how to tie the Alpine Butterfly Knot that I felt I had to pass it on. However, their descriptive video would not copy so I have put another one on. To see theirs you must go to their site…

The Alpine Butterfly is generally considered to be one of the strongest and most secure loop knots. It is strong, secure, and easily tied. It can be tied in the middle of a rope when you don’t have access to the ends. It can be pulled in two or three directions without distorting, and it can be used to strengthen a damaged rope by isolating the damaged area. These things make the Alpine Butterfly a very versatile and valuable knot to know.

If you are tying the Alpine Butterfly at the end of a rope, you can tie a Stopper Knot to the free end of the rope for added security.

Step 1:
Twist the rope to form a loop.

Step 2:
Form another loop by twisting the loop that you made earlier. This creates two loops which resemble the number 8.

Step 3:
Bring the second loop (the one at the top) down and underneath the rope.

Step 4:
Pass the second loop through the first one.

Step 5:
Pull the two ends of the rope in opposite directions.