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 Marty Hare (left), Tracey Alston (above) and Graham Currie (right) in Perth |
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Marty Hare (left), Tracey Alston (above) and Graham Currie (right) in Perth |
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Kite-surfing is the latest extreme sport sweeping the Western world! Everybody should give this a go, it's not so difficult! There are some obvious advantages to kite-surfing as opposed to existing water sports. You don't need a ski-boat! You get "bigger air" than a windsurfer allowing for much bigger jumps! You don't need a 4WD or a van to carry your gear! The power of the kites used is quite enormous but is no problem for a reasonably fit flier. You can, in some situations, also use your kite for other forms of traction like kite-buggying, sand-skiing, snow skiing etc. What happens when you crash in the water?? They RE-LAUNCH!!!! There are two quite different styles of kite-surf kite: 1 INFLATABLE which has to be hand pumped 2 PARAFOIL which self-inflates INFLATABLE Often called "tube-kites", "sleds" or "LEI" (Leading Edge Inflatable) or "pump-ups", these kites have several built-in latex bladders (tubes) that are pumped up by hand allowing the kite to float and to help re-launch off the water. Most have a large diameter long leading edge bladder inside the fabric strut and also several narrower vertical struts. Inflatables can now be split into 2 groups: the original semi-circular shaped kites with cut-off wingtips that are often now referred to as "C"-kites and the later style which has a flatter curve and rounded off wingtips which is often referred to as a "bow" kite. Although the original C-kites used 4-lines, many now have 5 lines to aid faster re-launch. The design of the bow-kites allows easier re-launch but has bridle lines and pulleys to control the kite's angle of flight. There are now over 40 brands of inflatable kites. Hold The Line stocks the original and reputable "Naish" brand which was the original market innovator (along with inventors Wipika). Other top names are Cabrinha, Slingshot, North etc. Due to being the first style of kitesurfing kite widely available inflatables have the majority market share. PARAFOIL The second type is the more traditional and well tested "ram-air" type parafoil. With a long history of providing traction power for kite buggies and snowboarding these have been successfully re-designed to allow them to hold in air and exclude water. Once again there are two different styles of parafoil. The first is the traditional "multi-bridled" foil which has a large number of long bridle lines which control its shape in the sky and looks a little like a parachute. The most well known brand is the German "Flysurfer". The second style is an innovation of the New Zealand company of "Peter Lynn Kites" which uses their patented rigid tip system to control the kites shape which negates the need for any bridle lines whatsoever. This makes for the most simple and easy to understand kite. The 4 fly lines attach to the four corners which are at the ends of the two wingtip spars which are made from high grade alluminium. The less gadgets and fittings required for a kite and bar setup means much lower risk of gear failure. The Peter Lynn company have been designing power kites for over 15 years and have already solved most of the problems that many others are just discovering. LESSONS For those who intend to get involved in kitesurfing or, who just want to give it a go, you must have some experience with dual-control kites. The kite does not need to be large as it is simply a matter of left and right co-ordination. HTL recommends the Quokka as a perfect trainer kite that can also be used on days where the wind is too high or too low! We also stock trainer kites which are smallish parafoils that give a better feeling of power than the Quokka. The next step is to take lessons. HTL recommends 4 to 6 hours of lessons with Rob Gannon from KiteBoarding Perth. Rob is an IKO level 2 instructor using all the latest instructional techniques and the most up to date 2008 Naish kites. All lessons are conducted one-on-one, there are no group bookings. Lessons start at $110 per/ hour, or you can book a package - 4 hours $420 or 6 Hours $600. The packages are generally broken up into 2 hour sessions over several days, with all equipment provided. Bookings are essential and please be aware that as this is such a popular sport there is generally a two week waiting period. If you would like to enquire about the availability of bookings or would like to make a booking you can email Rob by clicking here . Please feel free to contact us at any time for advice or to just chat about kite-surfing. We always have Naish and Peter Lynn kites in stock and recommend the 12m Naish Cult (for 70-80kg flier) or Synergy 12m for use in the Perth area for summer sea-breezes. Check out the Power Kites page for the Impulse Kitesurf Trainer Kite |