Kiteboarding zone

When you’ve got your kite skills dialed, you may want to progress into one of the many kite traction sports that are practiced today. One of these sports is kiteboarding (also refered to as kitesurfing) It’s not the easiest of disciplines to get into and it’s highly recommended to get yourself a lesson for safe and fast learning. Not only kite control, but also swimming and boardriding and control come into play and you won’t be able to walk back when you crash your kite far out on the water. But don’t be scared off, good (certified) kite schools will teach you within 3 lessons how to kite safely and independently. And the investment will be worth it. Kiteboarding is an awesome sport! Beach, water, sun, surf, kite power, adrenaline… yeah!

Kiteboarding vs kitesurfing vs flysurfing

Kiteboarding aka kitesurfing

Both terms apply for this kite driven boardsport. Over time the naming has changed, it started out as kitesurfing, when the boards were like small windsurf directional boards. When boards got smaller, more similar to wakeboarding and snowboarding. People started calling the sport kiteboarding. Lately, with growing popularity for the wavesurfing discipline, those who ride waves prefer to call the sport kitesurfing again. Some tend to call the freestyle and wakestyle part of the sport kiteboarding and the waveside kitesurfing. But really… it’s all the same. Flysurfing is a term that is used in some countries also meaning kiteboarding… or kitesurfing… Peter Lynn kitesports has chosen to call it Kiteboarding.

Kiteboarding disciplines

Going big

Kiteboarding can be divided in different disciplines. The biggest is Freeriding and this discipline covers what most recreational kiteboarders do, it’s all about having fun, jumping, big airs, catching a wave here and there or just mowing the lawn going back and forth. For the more dedicated pilots there are different disciplines that require a lot of practice and perseverance. The first and most common is Freestyle kiteboarding where it is all about doing tricks, technical moves, being powered up and styling tricks just above the water surface (also referred to as Wakestyle) or far from the water: big jumps, highflying, board-off’s, kitelooping freestyle (referred to as Old School). Then there is Wave. Kiteboarding in waves, surfing swell and doing some jumps of those natural ramps. Although it’s more about getting barreled than those lofty jumps, especially when riding on a surfboard and strapless (Riding without footstraps). A new and strongly upcoming style is Courseracing. Get round a set course the quickest and get across the finish line first to take the first price. Sounds simple? There is a lot more to it. Last but not least… Speedrecord chasing… speedkiteboarding. A very specialised discipline, that will take big balls and an all or nothing attitude! Currently kitesurfers hold the world speed sailing record at just above 100 km/h!!!

As you can see, kiteboarding has something for all, get into it and choose your discipline. Get into it and feel the natural high it will give you, you’ll be addicted before you know it.