Astonishing facts about the kitesurf sport. !!!

surfer.kite · Since 15 Apr 2012 2 Posts Barcelona, Spain New Member

Hello,

For my school Project I’m looking for interesting facts about kitesurfing.
What are the most important events and facts in kiteboardhistory ???
I would really appreciate if you would help me to find the milestones events in kitesurf history.
Once I have an interesting number I will create a small post resuming the most outstandingpoints with some pics and videos. I’m sure all kitesurf freaks will love it.
It’s really hard to find information in the web even Wikipedia does not really have actual information.

Example events are:
- Bruno Legaignoux and Dominique Legaignoux,patented an inflatable kite design in November 1984,
- 24 Mar 2012 Robert Douglas reached 49.84 knots (92.30 km/h) and gets the world record in speed sailing, competing against windsurf, trimaran and other wind driven vehicles.
- Kirsty Jones set the long distance record for a kitesurfing journey when she travelled 225 km (140 mi). She crossed solo from Lanzarote(Canary Islands) to Tarfaya, Morocco, in about nine hours on 13 May 2006
Facts that I would like to know
- Which is the biggest wave that has been wave kited?
- How many handle passes are the maximum that have been made.
- How many kites are sold in a year

Please always give me the source as I have to mention it in my presentation about kiteboarding. I will also put the results in my kitesurfing blog that I just started.

Thank you so much.
Keep in touch

Best
Vinz

consumer · Since 28 Nov 2010 406 Posts banned Obsessed

More impressive in my opinion than biggest wave ever: Manu Bertin back in the day on some jankie rig at Jaws:

http://youtu.be/Q0GgQ0AxZAg?t=5m58s

mute the terrible music.

Benjamin Franklin did it:

"
You will not be displeased if I conclude these hasty remarks by informing you, that as the ordinary method of swimming is reduced to the act of rowing with the arms and legs, and is consequently a laborious and fatiguing operation when the space of water to be crossed is considerable, there is a method in which a swimmer may pass to great distances with much facility, by means of a sail:- This discovery I fortunately made by accident, and in the following manner :

When I was a boy I amused myself one day with flying a paper kite ; and approaching the bank of a pond which was near a mile broad, the weather being very warm, I tied the string to a stake, and the kite ascended to a very considerable height above the pond, while I was swimming. In a little time, beign desirous of amusing myself with my kite, and enjoying at the same time the pleasure of swimming, I returned ; and loosing from the stake the string with the little stick which was fastened to it, I went again into the water, where I found that lying on my back and holding the stick in my hands, I was drawn along the surface of the water in a very agreeable manner. Having then engaged another boy to carry my clothes round the pond, to a place which I pointed out to him on the other side, I began to cross the pond with my kite , which carried me quite over without the least fatigue, and with the greatest pleasure imaginable. I was only obliged, occasionally to halt a little in my course, and resist its progress when it appeared that by following too quick I lowered the kite too much, by doing which occasionally I made it rise again. - I have never since that time practised this singular mode of swimming, though I think it not impossible to cross in this manner from Dover to Calais. The packet-boat, however, is still preferable."

There is a theory that the obelisks of ancient egypt were lifted upright by using kites:

http://www.philipcoppens.com/kite_obel.html

you might find a video of them doing it somewhere.

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4911 Posts Portland Unstrapped

The pioneers!

Link

lewmt · Since 04 Aug 2010 182 Posts MT Stoked

May be worthwhile looking into some snowkite info if you're hurting for content. Seems like a couple of guys did some amazing distance thing during a Greenland crossing a couple of years ago. Also highest elevations acheived, 1st Antarctic crossing, highest speeds on snow/ice....don't know exactly where you locate these tidbits but maybe topic searches on kiteforum.com or here could get things going.

surfer.kite · Since 15 Apr 2012 2 Posts Barcelona, Spain New Member

Thanks for the good ideas so far.

hoodkiter · Since 10 Jul 2010 95 Posts Hood River, OR

- Billy Roeseler (a former aerospace engineer at Boeing) patented the Kiteski kite (pictured below)

-a kiteski setup included:
1. a bar (a 4ft aluminum pipe with a reel and disc brake on it)
2. A kite (windsurf sail material with carbon fiber batons, flown on 2 lines in at least 25knots of wind)
3. a pair of waterskis

-Cory Roeseler (Billy's son, and avid waterskier) tested the system, and won the kiteski world championships 3 years in a row, beating out 4 or 5 competitors. His wife Terese won the women's division 3 years in a row, but was largely uncontested.

-Contrary to popular belief, Roeseler is pronounced (Ray-slur). the "Roe" in proper english makes a "Ray" sound.

-My name is Levi Roeseler. Cory is my dad.

-Lou Wainman rode 5m wipika kites with 2 lines, and was the first to use a wakeboard with a kite. He pioneered wakestyle riding, and landed the first backmobe and kgb with a kite.

-Wainman now has his own kite company, and although his kites are sick, they are still too damn expensive.

good luck with your project man.

hoodkiter · Since 10 Jul 2010 95 Posts Hood River, OR

oops, forgot the picture. This is Cory:

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4911 Posts Portland Unstrapped

Awesome shot Thumb's Up

Sella · Wed Apr 18, 12 9:30 am

The write-up by Levi is legit. Can you imagine what people thought on the beach when Cory was rigging the kiteski?

What I would be curious to know is growth and what has happened in total kiteboarder and kite sales in the past 5 years. Per wiki you can find 2006 data compliments of SBC kiteboard industry survey; In 2006, the number of kitesurfers has been estimated at around 150,000 to 210,000, with 114,465 inflatable kites sold that same year.[2]

There was a time when kiting was the fastest growing water sport worldwide. I wonder if that still holds true? Knowing 2011 final global production numbers would exponentially tell the story since 2006 is really when kite safety improvements began to make the sport more mainstream. Marina Chang might know? Maybe Tekko or Shy? Somebody has to know just how big the slice of kite pie is.

Gorgegezzer · Since 14 Jan 2007 67 Posts

I used to windsurf off the rocky point at the Hatchery. Some days it was very crowded. Tricky to walk your rig down the rocks and over other rigs. When the kiters, Cory and friends?, would set up it got really tight. I had to become aware of the kiter, usually in black wetsuit, with thin, hard to see lines and then where the kite was. Whereas it was easy to pass other windsurfers, the kites could take up a lot of space, if the kite was low. I remember thinking, it wasn't enough to watch out for sailers doing flips in front of me, barges and boats, now I had to watch out for the kiters too. It looked way too difficult to ever want to do. Hoo wuda thought..