Power Kite Sports: Intro to Kiteboarding, Kitesurfing, Snowkiting, Landboarding, and Kite Buggying

Kite sports use power kites to pull riders over (or high above!) land and water. Kite sports are wonderfully and insanely addictive and they come in many variations: kiteboarding, kitesurfing, snowkiting, landboarding, and kite buggying. Once you fly your first power kite, it’s hard to stop. Beware, you may well become a wind junkie, constantly on the lookout for good wind to feed your power kite additction.

Power kites (also called traction kites) are used in a variety of sports. If you want to learn more about power kites, read the What are Power Kites hub. If you are ready to take a look at kite sports, read on for an overview of the most popular flavors.

Kiteboarding

Kiteboarding is similar to wakeboarding , except that you use the kite instead of a boat to pull you through the water. And although you can get some air wakeboarding, you can jump sky high when kiteboarding. Check out this hub about 2 guys who jumped over a full sized pier in England.

Kiteboarding is usually done with an LEI kite on open water in the ocean or on a lake. It uses a specialized board – a kiteboard -- that is very similar to a wake board. Kiteboarders use a 4 or 5 line kite with a control bar and a harness.

Kiteboarders, which are technically classified as sailing vessels, can go quite fast. In fact, in 2008 several kiteboarders squeaked past the 50 knot mark (92km/h or 57 mph) and captured the world sailing speed record which was previously held by windsurfers.

However in Sept 2009, the world sailing speed record was broken again and captured by a multi-hulled French sailing hydrofoil called the l’Hydroptère, which managed 51.36 knots. Hopefully it won't be long before the record is recaptured by kiteboarders!

Kitesurfing

The term kitesurfing is often used interchangeably with kiteboarding. While similar to kiteboarding, as the name implies, kitesurfers usually ride in the surf to catch waves or jump. Kitesurfers may use a regular kiteboard, but many use a specialized surfboard that is usually a bit smaller than a true surfboard and often has foot straps. 

Unlike traditional surfing which requires surfers to find prime surf spots where the waves break appropriately, kitesurfers can ride waves almost anywhere because they supplement the wave power with power from the kite. And after each wave they catch, they don’t have to paddle back out and wait for the next wave. They can use the kite to bring them straight to the next wave. On a good day, a kitesurfer can catch an entire summer worth of waves.

Like kiteboarders, kitesurfers typically use LEI kites with 4 or 5 lines and a control bar and harness.

Snowkiting

As you might guess, snowkiters use a power kite to move them on the snow. Typically, they use a 4 or 5 line foil kite with a control bar and a harness. Most snowkiters use regular snowboards, but many also use skis.

Snowkiting happens in a variety of locations. It’s common on frozen lakes or large open fields. Of course, like traditional skiing or snowboarding, it’s also common on mountains. What’s very cool about snowkiting is that you don’t need to pay for ski lift passes, and you can (in fact you must) ski away from the crowds at traditional ski resorts. You can ski almost any mountain that you can access. And, you can ski both downhill and uphill!

Landboarding

These power kite enthusiasts ride on land using a landboard – also called a mountain board – which is like an oversized, all-terrain, off-road skateboard with foot straps and giant pneumatic wheels. Landboarding is usually done with a foil kite, but some riders may use a small LEI kite. Typically, Landboarders will use a harness and control bar, but some riders use control handles.

Landboarding works in almost any open and windy space. Common places to landboard are wide, hard-packed beaches, large fields, and open desert or plain areas.

Kite Buggying

Kite buggying is similar to landboarding, except that instead of using a landboard, riders use a specialized buggy. The kite buggy is typically a simple, light-weight, single-seat, three wheeled all-terrain vehicle with large pneumatic tires – basically a tube frame with three wheels and a seat. Riders steer the buggy with their feet while they fly the kite with their hands.

Like landboarders, riders on a kite buggy often use a foil kite. The kite is not usually attached to the buggy, but instead is held by the rider (using control handles) or attached to the rider (using a control bar and harness). Also like landboarders, kite buggys are found on hard-packed beaches and large open fields, desserts or plains.

Kite buggies can go quite fast, with skilled drivers approaching 70 mph (110 km/h).

Find Out More About Power Kite Sports

For information on Power Kites, read this Hub:

• What are Power Kites?

For even more info, do a google search or check out these Wikipedia pages:

• Power Kiting
• Foil Kites
• Leading Edge Inflatable (LEI) Kites
• Kiteboading and Kitesurfing
• Snowkiting
  
• Landboarding
• Kite Buggying
  
• World Speed Sailing Record

And for some plain old fun, check this Hub and video of 2 kiteboarders jumping over a pier in England.