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EXTREME DREAMS SPORTS BLOG

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Power Kiting

August 2001

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When I was a wee boy, my father gave me a wee kite. I can’t remember what it looked like, because it never left the bag it came in.

Now I am a big boy, I have a big one! “Ooo er missus!”

These days they call them “Power Kites”! There is a very good reason for this name. With a good size kite, some wind and a little bit of skill, these kites can take you all over the place.

 

 

Kites normally have a rather relaxed and tame reputation. I am not taking it away from those who are enthusiastic towards stunt kites or even just flying a kite for pleasure, but as you will have noticed from this site, there has to be an edge to it, if I am going to get involved.

Not only do power kites come in different sizes, but they can also be used for all sorts of different sports. These sports include mountainboarding, kite buggying and even kite surfing!

 

 

I don’t know enough about power kites to be able to advise you on which kite is suitable to use for which sport, but you can get more info from the guys at surf-wax. There is a link to them at the bottom of this page.

The kite I use is 3.3 metres across. This is quite a small kite by today’s standards. But it is as big as I need for the moment. This kite has been big enough to lift a friend of mine, who weighs over 100 kg, off of the ground. That takes some power! (Sorry Jason.)

 

 

We do most of our power kiting on local beaches. It is a lot of fun. I have travelled along a beach, at great speed, on a mountainboard being powered by the wind, and that was an amazing buzz. The board was travelling so fast that it started to get speed wobble! I have also leapt into the air and been carried about 7 metres along a beach before landing.

Something else you can do with a power kite is a thing called “scudding”. This is like water-skiing along the beach behind the kite. If you catch a good blast of wind, you can leave a scud mark behind you of over 10 metres long! That is great fun.

 

 

When looking for a place to fly your power kite, please remember that you do need a lot of space, so don’t choose a crowded beach!

If you are thinking about trying a power kite, it would be a good idea to speak to an expert first. As mentioned above, surf-wax have a lot of information about kites. If they can’t help you, come back to us at Extreme Dreams, and we will see who else we can advise you to talk to.

SPONSORS

These sponsors have been a tremendous help in supplying kit and support for my challenges.