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If youve ever been to the beach, youll know that water sports are very popular. You will have
probably seen surfers riding the waves on their boards; jet-skiers speeding across the water; and
perhaps even the occasional wind-surfer.
You may have also noticed a few people riding waves on boards similar to surfboards, holding on
tightly to an unusually big kite. This is called Kitesurfing.
Kitesurfing is an extreme water sport, a cross between windsurfing and wave surfing, that requires
the use of, you guessed it, a kite.
Even to the untrained eye, kitesurfing looks extremely fun and exhilarating because it is. Beach goers
often find their eyes drawn the sight of the kitesurfer, weaving up and down on the waves, with the
wind propelling them along.
Its a great sport, and people often find themselves stopping to wonder who they have to thank for
the existence of kitesurfing.
demonstration, they filed their first patent. Today, they are recognised for inventing the worlds first
inflatable kite.
Meanwhile, in Oregon, USA, Cory Roeseler was building a KiteSki system. He enlisted the help of his
father Bill, an Aerodynamicist, and they built and patented the KiteSki together. Comprised of a pair
of water skis, powered by a 2-line delta-style kite, the system they built was controlled by a winchbrake combo system. Roeselers KiteSki was a success it had a simple water relaunch system, and its
kite could fly upwind. In 1994 the KiteSki became available to the public.
In the latter half of the 1990s, the KiteSki evolved into a single-board and kite system. The board was
similar to a regular surf board, much like the ones we use today.
Kitesurfing didnt become greatly popular until 1996, when Manu Bertin and Laird Hamilton
demonstrated the sport along the Hawaiian coast of Maui. The two surfer were instrumental in the
popularisation of the sport. Soon after this, the name of the sport, which was referred to as flysurfing,
changed to kitesurfing.
A MAINSTREAM SPORT
Kitesurfing became a recognized mainstream sport in 1998, after Joe Keuhl held the first kitesurfing
competition. Humorously called the Kitesurfing World Championships, the competition had only
twenty-five competitors in total.
Public interest in the sport started to steadily grow after that.
Today, kitesurfing is very popular. The sport has its own star athletes and enthusiasts who travel all
over the world to countries like Egypt, South Africa, Philippines, Croatia and Sri Lanka in order to catch
some choice waves.