Kiteboarding News

Kiteboarders may be able to surf the waters of the Moss Landing harbor provided they keep their speeds below 5 mph in the Elkhorn Slough and the Salinas River.

Although a formal decision has not been made, the Harbor District's Board of Commissioners have directed Harbor Master Linda McIntyre to add kiteboarding to an existing ordinance that already prohibits motorized vessels from traveling at more than 5 mph, said Russ Jeffries, chairman of the board."

Labels: board

"Fuss over kitesurfing could soon blow over
Many at Kailua Beach say surfing enthusiasts police themselves"

It was both sunny and windy at Kailua Beach Park yesterday -- good weather for kitesurfing, windsurfing, kayaking or hanging out at the beach.

But some Kailua residents think there's too much activity at the beach, and are asking the Kailua Neighborhood Board to curb kitesurfing, which with its giant inflated kites and 100-foot-long strings take up the most room on the beach.

Labels: board

Moss Landing to consider banning kiteboards from its waters :

MOSS LANDING — The old channels of the Salinas River and the Elkhorn Slough are not the first place one would think about for kiteboarding.

But when the tide rolls in and the wind picks up just outside the boat-clogged harbor in the shadows of the power plant's twin towers, Perry Shoemake and Eric Nelson have been known to take a break from their nearby jobs. They don their wetsuits, strap large kites to their waists with 100-foot long cords and let it ride in the often overlooked bodies of water.

Now their activities are coming under scrutiny by the Moss Landing Harbor District Board of Commissioners, which will convene tonight to consider whether the wind-generated water sport should be outlawed in the nearby Elkhorn Slough and Salinas River."

Labels: board

For all the aspiring snow kiters out there Best will also be releasing it's interactive snow-kiting simulator, just like a computer game, this allows you to choose from several of the kites in the BestKiteboarding product range and teaches you how to handle the kite interactively within a real time 3D computer simulation, pop by the stand to get your first real taste of snow kiting on DVD or download the simulator from:

Snowkite Simulator!

Labels: Best Kiteboarding, snowkite

"Despite his extensive experience, Stoil Popow had no business kiteboarding in the frigid Long Island Sound over the weekend, say those who know the sport best.

Popow was reported missing around 5 p.m. Saturday. His body was pulled from the Sound by the Coast Guard shortly before noon Sunday."

Labels: Best Kiteboarding

Download the new issue here.

Tampa Bay Kite Masters Race: "The Inaugural TAMPABAY KITEMASTERS RACE kicks off in early February as 20 of the top kitesurfers attempt to conquer the blustery waters of Tampa Bay, Florida. Riders will navigate a tricky 20 mile downwind course from the Gandy Causeway to the South Skyway rest area. The race will be followed the next day by the TAMPABAY BORDERCROSS at the North Skyway riding area.
"

Labels: North

"Bestkiteboarding is coming to the Snowboarding Industries of America annual trade snow at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV January 23- 26th.

Located on booth C1201 BestKiteboarding will be introducing it's new 06 snow-kite, the Waroo, and exclusive, snow-kite specific, snowboard designs to the 17,000 attendees anticipated at this sell out event. Bests expertise and experience in producing the Best performing product in the kitesurf market translates directly into increasing the stoke available from any day spent on the snow. Best is focussed on promoting the crossover aspects of kitesurfing to the more mainstream snowboard and skiing markets and will be handing out snow-kiting instructional DVDs throughout the show."

Labels: Best Kiteboarding, snowkite

Kitesurfer lost at sea:

Helicopters and police and fire boats searched Long Island Sound on Saturday for a kiteboarder who lost control of his craft and tumbled into the frigid water.

Rescue workers from the Stratford Fire Department have recovered only the kiteboard and the parachute sail that ripped away from it.

Labels: accidents

Surfers finally beat the giant wave of Moher
Richard Oakley
SURFERS say they have found and conquered the largest wave in Ireland and one of the biggest in the world beneath the Cliffs of Moher in Clare.

Local fishermen in Lahinch and Doolin, the west Clare villages best known for golfing and traditional music, have known of Aill na Searrach for years, but until recently nobody had attempted to surf it. The swell shares its name with a nearby headland and can deliver waves of more than 35ft."

Snowkite Freestyle Winter Tour Results.

MEN SNOWBOARD :
1° : Remi Meum (No) / Slingshot
2° : Claes Lundin (Sw) / EH CABARETE
3° : Romain Fabretti (Fr) / Air Evolution.

MEN SKI :
1°: Bjorn Kaupang (No) / Naish
2°: Arne Georg Eide Dokken (No) / Ozone
3°: Guillaume Coyon (Fr) / Air Evolution

WOMEN SNOWBOARD :
1°: Agnès Fontenay (Fr) / Air Evolution
2°: Estelle Lambelet (Fr) / Ozone
3°: Heidi Neerbye (No) / E.H Cabarete

WOMEN SKI :
1°: Kari Anne Tragethon (No) / E.H Cabarete
2°: Kari Schibevaag (No) / E.H Cabarete

Labels: Naish, snowkite

Some seriously fun kiting going on in the wilds of Norway. 300 snowkiters are gathering at Finse in Norway this weekend. Finse, is small village in the middle of nowhere and you can only get there by train. As Snow kiter extraordinaire Remi Meum has to say: No contest or any compulsory at all... just realax and have a god time together. That`s why this is one of my favorite events of the year!! www.snowjam.no

Labels: Contest, snowkite

The Great Downwinder is an epic kitesurfing roadtrip which will take place every year. The aim is to celebrate the diverse range of people who are drawn together by their common passion for kitesurfing and desire for adventure. It will involve a number of riders, from all over the world, undertaking a long downwind adventure.

#1 will be in Australia from The Gold Coast in QLD to Sydney NSW - covering over 1000km of coastline!

This inaugural Great Downwinder is being held from January 1st 2006 with it's departure from the Gold Coast to it's completion on Jan 14 2006 at Collaroy in Sydney's Northern Beaches.

We have more planned in the future in a number of locations and will open a call for entries each July.

Take a vote on possible future locations for The Great Downwinder on our Poll.

Labels: adventures

"Most Soldiers play video games, watch movies, or read on their down time here at Forward Operating Base Speicher, but one Soldier has a unique way to relax.

Army Sgt. Todd Keenan, a Nutrition Specialist with the 47th Combat Support Hospital, likes to catch some air with his traction kite.

The old soccer stadium at FOB Speicher provides plenty of room for Keenan to catch a breeze and cruise around the field on what looks like a four-wheel drive skateboard. Kite Surfing is a combination of skateboarding and windsurfing. The whole set-up packs into a small back-pack and weighs just over 20 pounds. It can be done on the snow, land or water. "

Labels: snowkite, Video

Mombasa will play host to the MEAK Charity Kitesurf Cup from the 25th January till 5th Feb 2006, which supports medical aid and assistance to Kenya. Visiting riders will aim to help raise awareness for the charity globally through the extreme sport of kitesurfing- which has become very popular on the Kenya Coast, where the trade winds create perfect kite conditions.

MEAK (Medical and Educational Aid to Kenya) are a charity providing amazing support to many children and people needing eye surgery, heart operations, and also helping supply hospitals with much needed medical equipment, and specific schools with educational tools.

The 2006 Freestyle National Championships of the Australian Kitesurfing Association opens Jan. 19 in Melbourne, Victoria and St. Kilda Beach, Australia. Kite surfing–sometimes referred to as “flysurfing” in Europe, involves using a kite that pulls a small surfboard over water until the wind picks the kite up and the real surfing begins. A good wind can pull the kite-riding surfer up to 30 mph. Surfers can turn and jump by maneuvering the contraption. However, poor moves can result in surfers being thrown into nearby buildings, highways or power lines. The Australian championship is open to any age or sex, and holds division categories such as “Legends” for those 45 years of age and older

Buy any 2005 Cabrinha kite, get 40% off, Two or more 2005 Kites, 50% off. C02's and Nitro's available. Seems like a good deal.

Labels: Cabrinha

iterboarder David Trewern unofficially broke the World Speed Record in kiteboarding yesterday, according to his post on NWKite.com. The details of the crossing are:

Best 500 meter average: 44.81 knots (3.02 knots faster than WR)

Max speed (1 second interval) = 48.599 knots

Max speed (2 second interval) = 47.099 knots

(From GPS-Results)

The average of Trewern's five best 500 meter runs was 42.91 knots. He says, "I convincingly beat the world record on 4 out of my 7 runs. As you can see this is a very convincing margin."

Trewern rode a prototype speed, his first time on it, in only 22-28 knots of wind. It was high tide at Sandy Point, where he was riding. Not ideal, but "the angle was good."

Andrew Daff, a local speed sailor, was on hand as a witness, recording Trewern's tracks on his computer.

Labels: Best Kiteboarding, Speed

NEW for 2006 Slingshot introduces the patent pending Wave Grenade. The Wave Grenade is a stock feature on all Slingshot 5 Line Profire Performance Bars. What is the Wave Grenade and why do you need it? In short when deployed it prevents 5th line "bow-ties" and subsequent kite damage.

Slingshot recognized the need for a solution to the "bow-tie" effect and designed the Wave Grenade for use with all its 5 line kites. If your kite becomes "bow-tied" deploy the Wave Grenade. This releases the 5th line and transforms your kite into a 4 line kite allowing you to traditionally relaunch and getting you back to shore safely with you and your kite in one piece. Note that by clipping your Quick Release Surefire Bungee and deployed Wave Grenade pin to either Oh-Shit loop available on the Profire Performance 5 Line Bar, you don't have to sacrifice safety. Now that you're back on shore you can reboot the Wave Grenade and get on the water.

The News-Press: South Fort Myers

When the wind is blowing and the waves are foaming, Bonita Beach is the place to be if you are a kiteboarder.

The hook of Naples to the south, and curve of the beach during a south wind lures people like Nick Shirghio to Bonita Springs. Shirghio, of Naples has been kiteboarding for five years. He has several sails and boards to use depending on the strength of wind.

Shirghio said the sport is less about boating and more about knowing the wind.

Kiteboarding complaints resurface at Kailua Beach - The Honolulu Advertiser - Hawaii's Newspaper

KAILUA — Kiteboarding's growing popularity has become a thorn in the side of some Kailua Beach Park users, who recently complained to the Kailua Neighborhood Board and the O'ahu Kite Club that the activity is taking up too much beach space and the problem has to be resolved.

Labels: board

WFTV.com - News - Kiteboarder Swept Off Shore, Into Building By Wind Gust

Kiteboarder Swept Off Shore, Into Building By Wind Gust

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A bizarre accident sent a kiteboarder in Brevard County to the hospital Tuesday afternoon. A big gust of wind carried the man attached to his kite right into a building.

Labels: accidents

SignOnSanDiego.com > Sports -- The Flip Side: Gusts and glory (PDF)

Local kiteboarders are on constant wind-alert, standing by to hitch the wild, wild waves, Great article with link to PDF file of original article.