Kite Surfing
Marc at Rush Extreme Sports has been kitesurfing since it first arrived here in the UK. Below he gives an insight into this amazing new sport.

If you've ever given windsurfing, surfing, wakeboarding or snowboarding a go, kitesurfing is quite simply a must. Combining, if not increasing on, the speed and air of each, while cutting down on a fair bit of the kit and energy required, kitesurfing will get the adrenalin rushing through your system.

The Essentials :
Kitesurfing, like most of the great sports, is a simple idea which relies largely on technique.
You'll probably be whizzing along after a couple of days, but the lasting feeling of boosting big jumps and manouevres will keep you coming back for more. And more. And more.

Basically, though, you'll find yourself standing on a board much like you are used to with surfing, etc., but the pull is generated by a huge kite attached to a bar with a familiar harness which takes the strain out of your arms.

Use the bar to steer the kite into the power zone (the arc shaped window downwind of you where the kite picks up power) and you'll be pulled up, the board planing along the water.

Isn't life sweet? Lean back, edge the board and you'll head upwind on a tack
- now you can try some wakeboard tricks or head to a surf beach to find the huge waves. S.Wales has some of the best beaches in the whole of the UK and more importantly it has consistantly good winds!

The obvious attraction for many is the massive jumps you can do with a kite.
Did we say massive?
One of the main events at kitesurf competitions is called hang-time. The times speak for themselves. Robby Nash - 7.2 seconds. Elliot Leboe - 8.6 seconds.
Vertical air of around 20m (60ft) and distance of 120m (350ft) have been measured.
In fact, that's right up there with, if not higher than, highdiving, motorcycling, trampolining, ski aerials, circus trapeze, pole vault, nordic ski jumping, and pretty much any other non-flying activity.

Kitesurfing really is the ultimate big air sport, but is fun even at beginner levels. It's a long way from the kite flying children do on the beach, and is in fact more like holding the bars of a huge motorbike - the power is awesome and the potential for acceleration is obvious. The other dimensions are tricks, which are gradually evolving from wakeboard style, waves, which must be seen to be believed, speed and freeride flexibility.

The sport has recently been made even easier for more beginners to get into as a new second generation of kites have appeared which are almost 100% safe and allow complete depower from the pull of the wind. These kites have also seen the reality of most people only needig one kite instead of 2-3 kites which was accepted as normal before, this is because of the huge increase in wind range they have. This obviously makes it much less expensive too!

Rush Extreme Sports hold many beginner weekends throughout the year for those thinking of getting into the fastest growing watersport to hit these shores.
They also hold regular contests that attract the top competitors from all over the UK. As well as all this they also have BKSA and IKO qualified instructors offering complete lesson packages!

Thanks to the Mark & the Team at RUSH for their help with the editorial on this page