Kite Surfing Dictionary - Kite Surfing Terms and Definitions

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	AIR TIME It is the quantity of time spent in the air while jumping.
	AIRFOIL This refers to a wing, kite, or sail used to generate lift or propulsion.
	ANGLE OF INCIDENCE (AOI) This is the angle which the kite takes compared to the wind direction.
	APPARENT WIND This is the wind felt by the kite or rider as they pass through the air.
	BEAR AWAY/BEAR OFF This means to change your direction of travel to a more downwind direction.
	BEAUFORT This refers to the scale of wind strengths from 0 to 12.
	BLADDER This refers to an inflatable inner tube in a kite used to give the kite shape and floatation.
	BOARD LEASH This is the leash or line connecting the kiter to the board and used to keep the board nearby when the kiter is in the water.
	BODY DRAGGING A movement wherein the body is being pulled through the water without standing on your board.
	BOOST This refers to a push upward or ahead.
	BRAKE LINES These are flying lines attached to a foil kite to slow the kite or reduce its pull in strong winds.
	CHORD This refers to the kite measurement between the leading and trailing edges.
	CONTROL BAR It is a long bar used by the kitesurfer to control the kite.
	DEPOWERING This means letting the kite lines out to release pressure and reduce speed.
	EYE OF THE WIND This refers to the direction that the wind is blowing from.
	FIN It is a small piece of rigid material on the bottom of a kiteboard that tends to guide the board in a forward direction.
	HANDLE PASS This refers to a trick where the kite control bar is passed from one hand to the other behind the kiter’s back.
	HANDLES This is used instead of a control bar to fly the kite.
	HARNESS This is worn by the kitesurfer around the waist.
	HEEL SIDE This is the part of a board on the edge where your heels are. It is the easiest riding position.
	JIBE/GYBE To change direction by turning down wind and then continuing to turn until you are going in the other direction.
	KITE LEASH This is a leash or line connecting the kiter to the kite and used to keep the kite from flying away when the control bar is released.
	KITE LOOP This refers to the kite when it is rotated 360 degrees in the sky.
	KITEMARE This refers to a kite boarding accident or dangerous accident which can be deadly.
	KNOT This is the speed of one nautical mile per hour.
	LEECH LINE This is a line that runs inside the trailing edge of the kite to prevent vibrations and noise.
	LINE SET (LINES) This refers to the flying lines or strings which are used to control the kite.
	LUFF It is the act of sailing closer to the wind.
	NAUTICAL MILE Distance at sea is measured in nautical miles, which is 1852 meters, 6067 feet or 1.15 miles.
	OFFSHORE This is the wind blowing at the water from the shore.
	ONSHORE This refers to winds coming from the sea toward the land.
	POINT OF SAIL This refers to the direction of a kiteboard or sailboat relative to the wind.
	POWER ZONE Downwind from the edge of the window is the power zone.
	PROJECTED AREA This refers to the apparent area of a kite while it is being flown, as opposed to when it is lying flat on the ground.
	PUMP LEASH This is a short line used to hook the air pump onto the nose of the kite during pumping so the kite does not blow away.
	QUICK RELEASE (QR) This refers to a mechanism that will allow a kiter to disconnect something when needed.
	RAIL This is the edge of the board.
	REEL BAR This is a combination winding reel and control bar used to wind up the kite flying lines.
	RELAUNCH This means to start the kite flying again.
	ROCKER This refers to the curve along the bottom of the board.
	SEND IT This refers to moving the kite aggressively up through the power zone.
	SPIN This is a kitesurfing trick where the kiter rotates one or more times during a jump.
	STRUTS This is the term used to refer to the inflatable battens in an inflatable kite.
	TRUE WIND This refers to the wind as felt by something that is not moving.
	UNHOOKED This is the term used to inform when a kite surfer is riding while the chicken loop is not connected to the rider’s harness.
	UPWIND This refers to the direction from which the wind blows.
	WAVE RIDE Term which means to surf a wave like a surfer while kiting.
	WIND WINDOW The wind window is the area of the sky where the kite is able to fly.
	WING A term used sometimes for a kite or any other foil.
	WING SPAN This is the widest measurement of a kite often taken from wingtip to wingtip.
	WRIST LEASH This refers to a safety leash attached to your wrist to allow you to depower the kite when you let go of the control bar.
	ZENITH Zenith is the point on the celestial sphere that is directly above the observer. This is the neutral position where kite surfers can place the kite to stop moving or prior to movement.