So what’s our favorite extreme sport?
Kiteboarding in Hawaii. Nice!
(We are jealous.)
Kiteboarding!
We are actually a bit embarrassed by this, because sadly kiteboarding is becoming rather mainstream these days. Former Senator and Secretary of State John Kerry does it on Nantucket. And kiteboarding will replace windsurfing at the next Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Cool, but not too extreme if it’s in the Olympics instead of the X Games.
What Is Kiteboarding
Kiteboarding is an awesome combination of wakeboarding, sailing, and flying.
The “kite” is actually like a giant wing. The kite typically has four lines. Two — the power lines — are attached to a harness that you wear around you waist, and two — the control lines — are attached to a control bar.
You steer and control the kite with the control bar. It’s like flying a big wing. As the kite moves through the sky, you are pulled by the power lines.
Most kiteboarders use a kiteboard shaped much like a wakeboard. But some use one that’s more like a surfboard.
As in sailing, you need to judge the wind as you fly the kite. And like a sailboat, you need to tack back and forth to go upwind.
Kiteboarding off the coast of Brazil
So, you need to fly the kite like a wing while riding your board like a wakeboard (or surfboard) while maneuvering through the wind like a sailboat.
Not easy, but insanely addictive and very fun.
Kiteboarding Kite Design
The kites used in kiteboarding are very high tech.
They are made of rip stop nylon and Dacron sail cloth. They’re sewn together with inflatable vinyl “bladders” inside them for the leading edge and structural struts. This design allows you to fold up the kite into a backpack for travel and transportation.
When you hit the beach, you use a hand pump to pump up the bladders. They expand and give the kite its shape: a solid leading edge and struts leading from front to back.
It’s very cool to watch the kite quickly take shape from a flat, colorful pile of nylon.
Feel the Stoke
Kiteboarding will get you totally stoked.
From the first time you what a kite launch into the blue sky, you’ll be intrigued. Once you grab the control bar of your first trainer kite and feel the pull of the wind as you fly it through the sky, they’ll be no going back.
The addiction is strong. Once you get hooked, you’ll never look at another body of water without thinking, “Can I kite there?”
And you’ll also become a wind junkie. You’ll notice the lightest breeze in the leaves of nearby trees and you’ll think, “Is there enough wind to kite?”
Luckily, it’s fun and healthy addiction.
Enjoy.
