Kiteboarding or kitesurfing is a sport that involves using wind power with a large power kite to pull a rider across a water, land, snow, sand, or other surface. It combines the aspects of paragliding, surfing, windsurfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, and wakeboarding. Kiteboarding is among the less expensive and more convenient sailing sports.
The International Kiteboarding Association (IKA), is the only kiteboarding class inside the International Sailing Federation (ISAF). The IKA class rules fall in the category of a development class.
Robert "Rob" Douglas is an American professional sailor known for using a kiteboard in speed sailing records attempts. In 2008 Douglas broke the world speed sailing record on a kiteboard, hitting a top speed of 49.84 knots. Douglas again became the holder of the speed record in October 2010 when he was clocked at 55.65 knots. In 2019 while competing in La Palme France Rob set another world record in kitesurfing by sailing an average speed of 39.04 kts over 1 nautical mile.
The Nacra 17 is a performance catamaran used for sailing. It was designed in 2011, went into production in 2012 and has been the focus of multihull sailing at the Olympic Games since its conception.
iQFoil is a windsurfing class selected by World Sailing to replace the RS:X for the 2024 Summer Olympics. The discipline has similarities to Formula Windsurfing, however a notable difference is that sailors only use one sail. The sail size is 9m² for the men and 8m² for the women. The rider has a choice between using a hydrofoil or a conventional 68 cm fin.
Sailing competitions at the 2024 Summer Olympics were held from July 28th to August 8th at Marseille Marina. The number of sailors competing across ten different events at these Games has been reduced from 350 to 330, with an equal distribution between men and women. Furthermore, several significant changes are instituted in the sailing program for Paris 2024 to reinforce gender equality and vast diversity among the nations in the qualifying process.
Maximilian Maeder is a Singaporean Formula Kite professional athlete. He is the reigning Formula Kite World, Asiad, Asian and European champion. He holds the distinction of being the youngest winner in any Olympic sailing class competition, achieving this at the age of 16.
Poema Newland is a French sailor and kitefoiler. She was the European Formula Kite champion in 2021.
Breiana Whitehead is an Olympic kitesurfer from Australia. She was the first athlete selected for the Australian team for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Eleanor Aldridge is a British sailor from Dorset who competes in women's kite foiling. She won the 2023 Formula Kite European Championships and took the silver that year in the World Championships. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Aldridge won a gold medal in the women's Formula Kite event.
Daniela Moroz is an American sailor who became the World champion at Formula Kite six times between 2016 and 2022.
Jessie Kampman is a French Formula Kite surfer. She has won silver medals at the European championships and in 2024 she won a world bronze medal.
Stephanie "Steph" Bridge is a British kitesurfer who became the World Formula Kite champion five times between 2009 and 2016. She is the leading figure in the "Team Bridge" family.
Elena Kalinina is a Russian World champion at Formula Kite where competitors use kites to propel small hydrofoils. Kalinina first became a World Champion in 2014 when she was seventeen.
Julia Damasiewicz is a Polish formula kitesurfer. She was the European champion in 2020.
Benyapa "Fawn" Jantawan is a real estate agent and an Olympic kite surfer from Thailand. She was the silver medallist at the 19th Asian Games in 2023.
Annelous Lammerts is a Dutch Formula Kite competitor and designated Olympian. She won the 2022 Hempel World Cup Allianz Regatta and the silver medal at the 2023 Formula Kite European Championships. Lammerts won a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the inaugural women's Formula Kite event.
Gal Zukerman is an Israeli kite foiler. She won the Youth Sailing World Championships in 2022. Zukerman competed for Israel at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the Women's Formula Kite in Marseille, France, and came in eighth.
Emily Claire Bugeja is a Canadian kitefoiler who was sixth in the Pan American Games in 2023. She was nominated to compete for Canada at the 2024 Olympics.
Huang Qibin is a Chinese Formula Kite professional sailing athlete. He became the Asian & Oceania champion In 2023.
