November/December • 2021 • GASPARILLA MAGAZINE A No Nove ve v mb m er e /D Dec ec ecem em e be b r r 20 2021 21 2 GA GASP SP S AR ARIL IL ILLA LA LAMAG AG A AZ A IN INE A
Any time you see a kite on the water you can
notice a number on the canopy which indicates
its size in square meters. Most kites are between
fi ve and 18 m² (a measure of size for the kite).
Kites are generally made from a material called
ripstop polyester. In addition to the ripstop
fabric, there is an infl atable plastic bladder that
spans the front edge of the kite and smaller
struts that are perpendicular to the main
bladder. When you infl ate the bladders, it gives
form and rigidity to the shape of the kite. Teijin
Frontier Co. Ltd., a Japanese textile company, is
the leading supplier of fabrics to the kitesurfi ng
industry, with its “techno force formula” found in
over 90 percent of the world’s kites.
You are probably thinking to
yourself, “Do you need to be
really strong and have a lot of
upper body strength to do it?” The
answer is no. The harness you wear
takes most of the brunt of the force
while your arms are free to steer the
kite quite effortlessly.
The two types of harnesses that are used
in kitesurfi ng determine where you feel the
pressure. A waist harness sits along your lower
back and a seat harness is strapped around
your legs and buttocks. The harness hooks into
the control bar on your kite and you
lean back into it as the kite is fi lled
with wind.
“A two-hour ride with an instructor
will give you a taste test of the general
sensations, but if you really want to rip the
water, a four-hour lesson is what I typically
suggest,” offered Aaron McClearon at Elite
Water Sports in St. Petersburg.
The pull that you feel with kiteboarding does
not originate in the controls. If you feel an
extreme pull in the handles, it is likely that you
have too much pressure to steer the kite. This
is precisely where the harness comes into play;
this is the moment where you will be propelled
through the water, making it easier to stay
stable and on your board.
Other sports, such as wakeboarding, require
that you hang onto the bar with all your might in
order to perform your tricks and ride.
“I began kitesurfi ng 10 years ago, after I broke
my foot. The kite allowed me to ‘body drag’ and
not worry about any weight bearing,” shared
Tami.
In kiteboarding, the power of the kite is
directed straight to the hook on your harness.
This is near your center of gravity and allows
for you to use your body as leverage against
the kite. This enables the load to be taken
off your arms, which are used for steering,
powering up and de-powering the kite,
the harness does amazing
feats all its own. When you pull
the bar towards you it adds
power, when you push
the bar away, power
is decreased.
Kites have a special construction including
a neutral zone where the wind will pass above
and below the kite. Aerodynamics are the main
aspect of kiteboarding that make it easy for the
average person to control a kite. Mastering the
“wind window,” ensuring that you can control
the kite and maintain your balance on the
board, is the ultimate goal of the kitesurfi ng
experience.
Using different sized kites is an important
aspect of equipment adjustment so that
kitesurfers can ride in different conditions. A
larger kitewill help larger people move through
the water or ride in less windy conditions.