Early history of kitesurfing development
We already know about history of surfing: part 1 and part 2. And now we need to understand, when and why kitesurfing appeared in our life. Kitesurfing is relatively new kind of famous sport, it’s only around twenty years old. More and more people every year become fans of this extreme activity.
Although, kitesurfing, or as some people call it kiteboarding, gained its popularity not a long time ago, kite itself has very long history.
First documentation reference about kite is dated 450 BC. Philosopher from China created wooden kite with tied lines, which he could fly with. Later about 200 BC kites were used for defining location and distance to enemies.
In 500 AD Chinese started to use kites as a mean of communication. Kites lifted little red lamps to send signals. Even one of the Emperors in 509 AC used them to deliver messages to his army. There was one interesting story about Korean General, whose army didn’t understand him properly. He sent a kite with a “fireball” to give a signal to his soldiers, that their aim is not too difficult, and they can attack without a big risk. But they misunderstood his message, and decided that falling star is not a good portent to subdue a revolt. Luckily for him, he found solution at the same place as a problem. He sent another bigger kite with attached fireball. When people saw rising star they recovered and fought for the city.
Kites were also very popular in Buddhist ceremonies. In 13th century kite-flying became a sport for rich, noble people. Information about kites came to Europe with Marco Polo, who wrote a book about his trip to China in 1295. He described a man fling on a huge frame with eight strings, who could lift the kite higher pulling on the strings.
Very important person in kite-developing was George Pocock, who spent a lot of time learning kites and their abilities. He studied kite traction with quite selfish aim, to use kite power in order to avoid paying ‘horse tax’. However, results were significant, he became a father of kite traction and proved main principles of it in the beginning of 1800s. Almost one hundred years after that, Samuel Cody designed and created a kite, which could carry a man.
In 1970s there were first attempts to use kite on water. The kite powered catamaran Tornado was created in 1978. For the first time term ‘kitesurfing’ occurred in 1977. Gijsbertus Adrianus Panhuise got a patent for it. But it was just beginning of kiteboarding way.
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