Beaching it!
An insight into the world of Kite-Surfing
K
itesurfing is a relatively
new
sport,
becoming
a mainstream sport in
1999. It is a surface
water
sport
which
combines elements from
wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing
and paragliding. A kite-surfer uses
the power of the wind with the kite to
propel him/herself across the water,
while also using the waves to be able
to jump higher. It is not a sport for
the faint-hearted, and it is certainly
not a sport to try on your own, as
there could be some serious injuries.
Water-sports have always been a
part of island living, and having so
many beaches to choose from in such
short distances, makes Malta an ideal
location for practicing water-sports.
We spoke to Ralph Vella, company
director of Shortlets Malta Ltd., and
avid kite-surfer, about this fairly new
water-sport.
What drew you to kitesurfing?
R.V.: Back in 2002, when I started
kitesurfing, this sport was very
new, and the only things we knew
about it were what had seen from
the internet. I was very interested
and wanted to try it out, since I had
already been keen on windsurfing.
A small demonstration was set up in
Malta by a kitesurfer from the UK,
and he showed us what to do and we
had some equipment which we could
try out.
Do you need to have a background in
some other type of sport to be able
to kitesurf?
R.V.: It is not particularly necessary;
however, if you have a background in
wakeboarding or in surfing, this will
help you greatly with your board skills.
If you have even flown a stunt kite or
a traction kite, you will have a better
idea of how to handle the kite as well.
I did not have either of the two, which
made it a bit harder for me, and since
the sport was just beginning and the
equipment was still quite primitive, it
took me about 2 years to learn how to
properly practice this sport.
Do you need to take specific lessons
to practice kitesurfing, or can you
learn on your own?
R.V.: Yes, you need to take lessons,
even though I learned on my own.
Today there are IKO (International
Kitesurfing Organisation) Instructors
in Malta, who are certified instructors
specifying in this sport. These
instructor make the sport safer,
and they teach you all you need to
know to feel safe while kitesurfing.
One of the drawbacks of kitesurfing
in Malta is that the wind is always
onshore, so if something goes wrong
while practicing the sport, you can
be dragged on to the beach. It is
important to always know exactly
what you are doing while kitesurfing.
Does this sport require only a kite and
a surfboard?
R.V.: No, these are the two main
pieces of equipment you need,
however there are different types
for different situations. For example
while kitesurfing you will need more
than one kite for different winds; the
stronger the wind, the smaller the
kite has to be. In my case I have
three kites, a 14sqm for light wind, an
11sqm for medium winds and a 7sqm
for strong wind, Force 7 and rough
conditions. There are also different
kinds of boards – usually the most
basic board is a twin-tip, meaning
it can be steered in both directions,
having no front-end or back-end.
Then there are more specialised surf
boards for riding waves, however
these are usually used by more
advanced riders who want to have a
further challenge while kitesurfing to
ride the waves with the kite, which is
a more difficult thing to do.
49