Welcome to California Kiteboarding.
Recognize any of California's greatest Premier Kiteboarding Locations?
Pismo Beach, Morro Bay, Oceano, San Simeon, and Cayucos, Waddell, Scott Creek, Crissy Field, Cresent City, Rio Vista, C-Street, Mission Bay, Seal Beach, Jalama, and some other spots we have yet to kite!
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There is a brand new sport that is like surfing, wakeboarding, and flying all at once. If you’ve ever been to Pismo Beach on a windy day, you will see over two dozen kiteboarders in the water or doing tricks high above it. Most of these riders are ordinary people that are simply addicted to this amazing extreme sport called kiteboarding.
Kiteboarding uses the wind to combine the aspects of surfing, snowboarding, wakeboarding, and windsurfing into one extreme ocean sport. The kite, anywhere from 6-20 square meters, powers the rider through the water. The kite will have either 4 or 5 lines up to 27 meters long that connect to a control bar, which the rider pushes and pulls to control the kite in any direction. The bar hooks into the rider’s harness, which is most often worn around the waist. A board similar to a wakeboard or surfboard enables the rider to fly over the water. Check out our kites, boards, and harnesses here
Professional kiteboarder Jason Lee reminds us that the key to this sport is wind. You will need at least 12 knots of wind blowing onshore or sideshore for the kite to have enough power to have you up and riding. The size of the kite you use depends on your weight and the wind speed. There are also several types of kites you can choose from based on wind speed, maneuverability, and riding style. Check the local weather conditions here
According to www.kitesurfingnow.com, the concept of the kite as a mode of transportation has been around since 12th century China, when it was known as kite sailing. The Ancient Chinese used kites to propel their canoes through the water to get to the marketplace. In the 1800s the kite was enlarged to be able to propel boats and also carts on land. It was not until the late 1980s that this concept became a sport, with kites propelling riders on boards. At this time, several now-popular kiting companies such as Naish Kites developed and marketed water-launch kites. In 1987, Bruno Legaignoux invented the inflatable kite. This type of kite has a leading edge, which is the top of the kite when it is flown, that can be filled with air, giving increased lift. After this invention, kiteboarding became a legitimate sport. However, it did not become popular until the late 1990s when pro-surfer Laird Hamilton promoted kiteboarding in Maui, Hawaii. Since the year 2000 kiteboarding has exploded into a worldwide craze, complete with its own culture and competitions. Kiting companies continue to refine their equipment to make kiteboarding a much safer sport than when it was first started.
Today’s kiteboarding is much different than it was even six years ago. The sport now has two world tours, several magazines, and has attracted a huge following of women as well. Kiteboarding has evolved into many distinct styles, with different types of kites made for each style. In wake style, the rider flies the kite low to simulate the pull of a boat. A favorite trick in this style is the handle pass, which involves unhooking the kite from the harness to pass the bar behind your back. Freestyle is all about tricks and big airs. The amazing power of the kite enables riders to boost 30 feet with several seconds of hang time. Waveriding, or kitesurfing, is much like tow surfing and uses a surfboard to enable kiters to surf huge waves. The most recent style that has developed is snowkiting, which uses a snowboard to kite on the snow. Snowkiting has become nearly a separate sport with its very own competitions around the world. Since snowkiters can boost over 100 feet and stay in the air for over a minute, it has been compared to flying.
Like surfing, kiteboarding has become a sport for travelers. As Kiteboard magazine says, “Kiteboarding is quite possibly the best travel sport in existence” because all kiteboarders need is wind and water, making “scoring ideal conditions anywhere on the planet a certainty”! So get out there and kite the world! - By Natalie Lee
Links:
2008 Pismo Beach Kite Expo