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A Kitewing is a wing-shaped sail designed to use wind power to provide speed and lift to riders in outdoor environments. It can be used on a number of different surfaces when paired with the appropriate vehicle, including skis, snowboards, ice skates, and roller skates.
A Kitewing differs from a sports kite or traction kite in that a Kitewing does not have a separate control system (see kite control systems). Instead, a Kitewing is held directly in the hands of the user, which provides control, stability and depower. In addition, a Kitewing does not have lines to tangle, and can be manoeuvred easily to perform a wide variety of tricks, turns and fast speeds.
A Kitewing can be used in varied wind ranges. For initial learning only a small space and low wind speeds are required to allow riders to familiarise themselves with the Kitewing assembly and handling characteristics.
In the correct wind conditions an experienced rider can reach speeds up to 90 km/hour. Some very experienced riders have performed controlled jumps of several hundred meters (on declining terrain) or perform jump turns and other advanced manoeuvres.
A small Kitewing can provide improved manoeuvrability and increased speed in strong wind conditions. It is also better suited to learning. A larger version is preferable for use on sand, grass or other surfaces with high friction.
A Kitewing rider can sustain injuries from a fall so the appropriate safety gear should be worn depending on the terrain. It is important to remember that a Kitewing should always be used with caution, in clear safe areas, and with the proper safety equipment. Typical safety equipment are helmets and safety leash especially designed for Kitewing riders. On land ice or snow, serious riders use a full set of knee and elbow pads, wrist guards and a back harness as well.
The origin of the Finnish Kitewing was a handheld wing developed by Sami Tuurna (born 1949) in 1986. Sami's tests with homemade wing prototypes and downhill skiis on the ice outside Helsinki were mainly inspired by James Drake´s handheld wing for use on water (1981).
Tuurna and Drake have a common background in windsurfing. Drake (1929-2012) is the co-inventor of windsurfing on water, and Sami patented WinterboarD (1981), a surfsled for sailing on ice and snow, using a windsurfing rig. The first World Ice and Snow Surfing Championships were arranged in 1983 by Sami. The races were authorised by the International Windsurfer Class Association -Europe. Races were performed with Windsurfer rigs in these one-design class races, on the ice outside Helsinki.
Tuurna’s wing, originally named SkimBat, was taken in production by Tech Center Ltd in 1988, a consulting enterprise specialized in innovation, established by Carl-Magnus Fogelholm (born 1940). Initial testmarketing of SkimBat led to the establishment of Fogelholm's enterprise Skywings Ltd in 1993. The startup phase was funded by three Finnish state-oriented institutions; The Foundation of Finnish Inventions, Ministry of Trade and Industry and SITRA.
The original SkimBat was re-designed by Carl-Magnus using glassfibre masttubes by a pultrusion manufacturing process (Exel Ltd) and preshaped aluminium battens (quality 7075 T6). An innovative ‘nosejoint’ connects the masttubes to the boom. The wing shape was also modified by adding flexible glassfibre tip antennas (Exel Ltd), which reduces mechanical chock if the wingtip hits the ice. Y-tubes for the forehand and a curved boom for the rear hand were adopted from SkimBat. This rig concept guarantees a balanced control of the wing and an ergonomic and safe handling of the wing in all wind conditions. The new wing was granted an international patent to co-inventors Sami and Carl-Magnus.
SkimBat sails were initially produced by sailmakers in Finland. Sailmaking was outsourced to Neil Pryde in 1995, and later to other sailmakers in China. Skywings Ltd was renamed Kitewing Sports Ltd in 2006, when the wing was renamed Kitewing by an international trademark. SkimBats and Kitewings sized 4, 4,8 and 5.5 sq.m. were successfully produced in Espoo, Finland during the period of 1993-2015.
SkimBat was awarded Best Design prize and approved as a new racing class, handheld wings, by the World Ice and Snow Sailing Association, WISSA, in 1994. The wing was recognized as one of hundred most remarkable Finnish innovations in the 1900-century, by the Technical Research Centre of Finland, in 2011.
Kitewing has been adopted as a winter sport in more than 30 countries. A water-based Kitewing, Wave Warrior (wingsize 7,5 sq.m), was introduced in 2005, together with a Kitewing board. Kitewing industrial rights were taken over by a US-based company, Kitewing Sports LLC, Grantham, New Hampshire in 2015.
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.
Windsurfing is a wind-propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the Californian aerospace and surf culture. Windsurfing gained a popular following across Europe and North America by the late 1970s and had achieved significant global popularity by the 1980s. Windsurfing became an Olympic sport in 1984.
A jibe (US) or gybe (Britain) is a sailing maneuver whereby a sailing craft reaching downwind turns its stern through the wind, which then exerts its force from the opposite side of the vessel. It stands in contrast with tacking, whereby the sailing craft turns its bow through the wind.
A foilboard, also known as a hydrofoil board or foil surfboard, is a type of board used in water sports; it is distinct from surfboards in that it has a hydrofoil rather than fins mounted underneath. This hydrofoil design allows the surfboard and its rider to rise above the water’s surface, allowing for fast speeds and increased maneuverability in a wide range of surf conditions. Foilboards are becoming increasingly popular across many water sports, including surfing, kiteboarding, windsurfing, and wakeboarding. Foilboards have also been used in competitions, with riders reaching speeds of up to 30 km/h while performing acrobatic maneuvers such as flips and twists.
A windsport is any type of sport which involves wind-power, often involving a non-rigid airfoil such as a sail or a power kite. The activities can be land-based, on snow, on ice or on water. Windsport activity may be regulated in some countries by aviation/maritime authorities if they are likely to interfere with other activities. Local authorities may also regulate activity in certain areas, especially on crowded beaches and parks.
Tacking or coming about is a sailing maneuver by which a sailing craft, whose next destination is into the wind, turns its bow toward and through the wind so that the direction from which the wind blows changes from one side of the boat to the other, allowing progress in the desired direction. Sailing vessels are unable to sail higher than a certain angle towards the wind, so "beating to windward" in a zig-zag fashion with a series of tacking maneuvers, allows a vessel to sail towards a destination that is closer to the wind than the vessel can sail directly.
Snowkiting or kite skiing is an outdoor winter sport where people use kite power to glide on snow or ice. The skier uses a kite to give them power over large jumps. The sport is similar to water-based kiteboarding, but with the footwear used in snowboarding or skiing. The principles of using the kite are the same, but in different terrain. In the early days of snowkiting, foil kites were the most common type; nowadays many kiteboarders use inflatable kites. However, since 2013, newly developed racing foil kites seem to dominate speed races and expedition races, like Red Bull Ragnarok and the Vake mini-expedition race. Snowkiting differs from other alpine sports in that it is possible for the snowkiter to travel uphill and downhill with any wind direction. Like kiteboarding, snowkiting can be very hazardous and should be learned and practiced with care. Snowkiting has become more popular in places often associated with skiing and snowboarding, such as Russia, Canada, Iceland, France, Switzerland, Austria, Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Northern and Central United States. The sport has become more diverse as adventurers use kites to travel great distances and sports enthusiasts push the boundaries of freestyle, big air, speed and back country exploration.
Sidney Newman Darby Jr. was an American inventor best known as the inventor of the sailboard.
Speed sailing is the art of sailing a craft as fast as possible over a predetermined route, and having its overall or peak speed recorded and accredited by a regulatory body. The term usually refers to sailing on water, even though sailing on land and ice is progressively faster because of the lower friction involved. The World Sailing Speed Record Council is the body authorized by the World Sailing to confirm speed records of sailing craft on water.
A kite buggy is a light, purpose-built vehicle powered by a traction kite. It is single-seated and has one steerable front wheel and two fixed rear wheels. The driver sits in the seat located in the middle of the vehicle and accelerates and slows down by applying steering manoeuvres in coordination with flying manoeuvres of the kite. This activity is called kite buggying. The speed achieved in kite buggies by skilled drivers can range up to around 110 km/h (70 mph), hence protective clothing, including a safety helmet, is commonly worn.
Tubing, also known as inner tubing, bumper tubing, towed tubing, biscuiting, or kite tubing, is a recreational activity where an individual rides on top of an inner tube, either on water, snow, or through the air. The tubes themselves are also known as "donuts" or "biscuits" due to their shape.
Land sailing, also known as sand yachting, land yachting or dirtboating, entails overland travel with a sail-powered vehicle, similar to sailing on water. Originally, a form of transportation or recreation, it has evolved primarily into a racing sport since the 1950s.
A boom, in the context of windsurfing, is a piece of equipment that attaches to the mast, providing structural support for the sail. It completely encircles the sail, and is designed to be gripped, allowing the sailor to control the sail for normal sailing, and also for almost any type of maneuver. Early pre RAF/cambered booms were tied on to the mast using rope, but newer booms use a clamp mechanism for attachment.
A sailing hydrofoil, hydrofoil sailboat, or hydrosail is a sailboat with wing-like foils mounted under the hull. As the craft increases its speed the hydrofoils lift the hull up and out of the water, greatly reducing wetted area, resulting in decreased drag and increased speed. A sailing hydrofoil can achieve speeds exceeding double and in some cases triple the wind speed.
Michael William "Gebi" Gebhardt is a former professional and Olympic windsurfer from the United States, who competed in five consecutive Summer Olympics, in the Olympic sailing discipline/event of windsurfing. He was born in Columbus, Ohio.
Jim Drake was an American aeronautical engineer who is widely credited with the invention of the sport of Windsurfing. He patented his windsurfing concept in 1968. Drake conceptualized, designed and hand built the first board and articulating sail rig prototype in his garage. He started the sport's first company, Windsurfing International. He produced multiple championship winning windsurfing board designs throughout his career, as well as created a popular offshoot of windsurfing with the world's first un-masted wing sail. Drake would go on to become an altruistic figure head for the sport he pioneered over the course of his lifetime.
Crosswind kite power is power derived from airborne wind-energy conversion systems or crosswind kite power systems (CWKPS). The kite system is characterized by energy-harvesting parts flying transversely to the direction of the ambient wind, i.e., to crosswind mode; sometimes the entire wing set and tether set are flown in crosswind mode. From toy to power-grid-feeding sizes, these systems may be used as high-altitude wind power (HAWP) devices or low-altitude wind power (LAWP) devices without having to use towers. Flexible wings or rigid wings may be used in the kite system. A tethered wing, flying in crosswind at many times wind speed, harvests wind power from an area that exceeds the wing's total area by many times.
Kaep is a traditional type of double-ended Proa sailboat native to Palau. Some of the essential design elements have also been adopted as a modern smaller multihull prototype variant.
Wing foiling or wing surfing or winging is a wind propelled water sport that developed from kitesurfing, windsurfing and surfing. The sailor, standing on a board, holds directly onto a wing. It generates both upward force and sideways propulsion and thus moves the board across the water. The recent development of foilboards, which plane very early on a hydrofoil fin and thereby lift off the water producing low friction, represent the ideal complementary hydrodynamic platform for wings.
