Let the wind rush and the adrenaline flow…
The
history of windsurfing began in 1948 on the Susquehanna River, Pennsylvania, USA when Newman Darby invented the
sailboard.
Kitesurfing
or Kiteboarding is an adventure surface water sport that has been described as
combining wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into
one extreme sport. Kitesurfing harnesses the power of the wind to propel a
rider across the water on a small surfboard or a kiteboard (similar to a
wakeboard).
Ask any
Wind and Kite Surfer here in Tenerife and they
will tell you, El Medano is the favourite place to be…
Located
on Tenerife’s south east coast, just a few kilometres from the south airport,
El Médano is the island’s ‘coolest’ resort and Tenerife's
kite boarding and wind surfing capital. With approximately 290 days of wind a
year, your accessibility and enjoyment of this sport is guaranteed!
If you
want to learn how to Kite Surf, The Kite Center in El Medano offer lessons and
equipment:
Wetsuit, helmet with
headphones, lifejacket kite equipment included!
3 Hour lessons - 145€
(reduced for groups) and single lesson -
60€
Covers: kite control
theory, exercises on the beach, launching and landing of the Kite, practical training
in the water etc…
For more details
visit www.kitecenter-medano.com
Any type
of extreme sport can be dangerous, therefore taking formal lessons is of utmost
importance.
WIND
SURFING
Windsurfing
or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and
sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the
orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a
free-rotating universal joint and comprises a mast, wishbone boom and sail.
Here are
a few words of Wind Surfing Jargon and basic manoeuvres etc:
Piloting the Kite
Kite
Surfing entails piloting the kite and manoeuvring the board.
Launching the Kite
Know the
different techniques in successfully launching a power kite and releasing a
power kite into the air.
Launching the Kite Alone
Every
kite surfer should have assistance when launching. However, if you dare to try
launching alone, observe the necessary measures in order to have a safe launch.
Landing the Kite
After you
have successfully launched your kite and surfed among the waves, it's now time
to return to the beach. Learn some safety guidelines when landing.
Water Re-launch
There is
always the possibility of crashing into the water even if you have exerted energy
not to.
Depowering
Depowering
can be done either by linking the lines to form different knots or by using a
strap which affects the tension on the center lines.
Body Dragging
Kite
Surfing without a board underneath your feet is not only possible but immensely
popular as well. This technique is called Body Dragging.
Waterstarting
Waterstarting
is all about stabilizing the kite while being attached to a board. A kite
surfer should also know the power of the kite and the amount of traction needed
to pull him onto the board.
Jumping
Jumping
is easy to learn and it is one of the techniques that will make the sport more
exciting.
Toeside
Surfing
toeside enables you to do transitions. It is also similar to riding on the toe
edge in Snowboarding
(all photos from www.windsurfingtenerife.com)
Finals of
the 2011 Tenerife Kite Masters
The finals took place
in El Medano in August where there were five days of
action in which to pick the best male and best female riders who got into the
finals.
Official
Results of the 2011 Tenerife Kite Masters:
Results Men Freestyle:
1. Youri
Zoon (NED, Slingshot)
2. Tom
Hebert (FRA, North)
3. Ariel
Corniel (DOM, Ozone)
Results Women Freestyle:
1. Kari
Schibevaag (NOR, Ozone)
2.
Angela Peral (ESP, North)
3.
Cristina Resinas (ESP, North)
Interesting facts:
Kitesurfing
- French
kitesurfer Sebastien Cattelan became the first sailor to break the 50 knots
barrier by reaching 50.26 knots on 3 October 2008 at the Lüderitz Speed Challenge in Namibia.
On 4 October, Alex Caizergues (also of France) broke this record with a
50.57 knots run.
Kirsty
Jones set a distance record for a kiteboard when she travelled 225 km (140 mi), crossing solo from
Lanzarote in the Canary Islands to Tarfaya, Morocco, in about nine hours on 13
May 2006.
