The history of kitesurfing

Also called kiteboarding or flysurfing, kitesurfing is an extremely young sport with a very recent history. Kitesurfing involves standing on a surfboard in the water while holding and steering a multi-line kite in the air, which propels the surfer across the water. Although the sport originated from the advent of windsurfing and the kite itself, kitesurfing didn't truly emerge until the late 1990s and wasn't popular until the beginning of the 21st Century. Still, the brief history of kitesurfing is rich with scientific ingenuity and smart inventions. ORIGIN Although kites have been in existence for nearly 2,500 years and multi-line kites were invented back in 1826, the advent of kitesurfing is very recent, according to the Kitesurfing School. Kitesurfing has its design origins in traction kites, which were used to propel a vehicle over land, as well as snow, ice and water. The function of traction kites relies on the kite's ability to create its own "apparent wind," which essentially doubles the wind power from the actual wind. Although traction kites could provide better propelling power than traditional wind sails used in windsurfing, the materials and designs of kites couldn't allow launch from water. The birth of kitesurfing was dependent on the ability to launch and re-launch the kite directly from the water. The new sport also depended on design modifications of both windsurfing sails and various types of kites, notes South Coast Kitesurfing. Bahamas Kiteboarding 10hrs kiteboarding lessons, accommodation, transport: $1685 www.ExumaKitesurfing.com Sponsored Links DEVELOPMENT French brothers Bruno and Dominique Legaignoux were the first inventors to patent a curved-wing, inflatable kite for kitesurfing, notes South Coast Kitesurfing. Roland Le Bail then patented the delta wing kite called the "Bird Sail" in 1982, which enabled windsurfers to achieve higher jumps than standard windsurfing sails and boards. The Legaignoux brothers then tried a stack of 12 kites reinforced using fiberglass laths and boards, but the stack kites were too powerful and too difficult to launch. The brothers tried but failed to persuade manufacturers to test their new kitesurfing designs during the 1985 Speed Week in Brittany, France. Manufacturers weren't interested, because windsurfing was at its peak of popularity. As the Legaignoux brothers continued to work on better kite and board designs, other inventors also contributed to the birth of modern kitesurfing. During the 1980s, Bill and Cory Roeseler introduced the Kite Ski frame kite, according to the Kitesurfing School. In the late 1990s, closed cell foil kites were SIGNIFICANCE People who enjoy windsailing, flying stunt kites and traction kites or surfing are often attracted to the sport of kitesurfing. The first official kitesurfing World Cup was held in Hawaii in 1998, but the competition didn't draw many kitesurfers, notes the Kitesurfing School. Now there are multiple kitesurfing competitions on the local, regional, national and even international level. The International Kiteboarding Association is the world governing body of the sport, and many countries and regions have their own kitesurfing associations as well. MODERN DAY Today, there are hundreds of thousands of kitesurfers throughout the world, and that number is growing rapidly each year, according to the Kitesurfing School. Despite the sport's recent history, kitesurfing continues to grow rapidly in popularity throughout the world. All types of kitesurfing equipment and accessories are widely-available today, including kitesurfing kites, kiteboards, kite control devices, harnesses, wet suits, helmets and safety release systems. References: http://www.southcoastkitesurfing.org/history_of_kitesurfing.shtml http://kitesurfingschool.org/faqs.htm#How%20did%20it%20all%20start http://www.internationalkiteboarding.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=81&Itemid=54 http://www.internationalkiteboarding.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=81&Itemid=54