Kite Surfing History
The idea of using big kites to pull a rider, merchandise, or even a vehicle is not exactly a 20th century invention. Kite Surfing can be traced back to 13th century China where Kite sailing, as it was known then, was used as a means of transportation. Canoes were dragged across the water through the use of kites.
During the 1800s, George Pocock, the father of kite traction, modified the basic kite design by increasing its size. The Kite Surfing Kite, which had a 4-line control system as it is today, were used as sails to facilitate gliding of carts on land, ships on seas, and even man-made vehicles on ice and snow. In 1901, aviation pioneer Samuel Franklin Cody used a kite to sail across the English Channel.
The development of more controllable Kite Surfing Kites and efficient flying lines happened during the 1970s. Ian Day's FlexiFoil kite was used to mobilize a Tornado catamaran which has sped more than 40 km/hr in 1978. During the 1980s, kites were used together to drag canoes and riders using roller skates, snow skis, and ice skates.
It was also in the 1980s that Cory Roeseler started developing his Kiteski system. He made use of a kite with a reel bar attached to water skis. It could be launched by hand, and could be re-launched by reeling in the lines. Together with his father, Roesler patented the kiteski system and it became available in the market in 1994. The ski would later evolve into a single board.
Meanwhile, two brothers named Bruno and Domnique Legagnoix in France also started developing the Wipika, the re-launchable inflatable kite which took 15 years to complete. Composed of inflatable tubes and a bridle system, their kite design significantly improved Water Re-launching. The brothers' kite design was released in the market in 1997.
Kite Surfing became popular in 1996 when Laird Hamilton and Manu Bertin demonstrated it in Maui, Hawaii. They used surf-style boards with foot straps. A year later, Raphael Salles and Laurent Ness developed specialist Kite Surfing Boards. Shortly after, Kite Surfing became increasingly popular that there were schools offering Kite Surfing training. A Kite Surfing competition was also organized.
In 1998, there was an estimated 30 kite surfers around the world. This year, the number has exponentially increased to 150,000-200,000. With developments in Kite Surfing Kite design, instruction, and safety release systems, Kite Surfing is continuously becoming popular among extreme water sport enthusiasts.
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