Kiteboating
By Jakob Jelling, Thu Dec 8th

Just when you think that kiting can be for only a board, thinkagain. With the inception of bigger and more powerful kites, theability to speed up or move larger objects became a reality.Enter a new extreme sport Kiteboating. Imagine paddling along ina one – three man craft with kite harnessing the wind andspeeding you along and over huge waves. It can happen withkiteboating.

There are many different models of wave riders that provide theexact same functionality. The fact of the matter is that theyall rely solely on the wind. Some creative kiteboaters havecrafted single and multiple kiteboats. These boats resemblecanoes, kayaks, and even an outrigger. There are professionalraces that are run from time-to-time.

As with any extreme sport you must exercise the utmostcaution and understand how close people are to your boat andwires. You will need to know weather conditions and safetyprocedures should you run into trouble along the way.

Most individual kiteboats start in the $1500 area and go upexponentially. Companies like Naish

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Oxford University
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Cambridge University
Profiles of the Light Blue crew ahead of the 149th Boat Race.
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Images from the Oxford and Cambridge clashes on the River Thames in recent years.
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A look back at the glorious and colourful past of the battles between Oxford and Cambridge dating back to 1829.
University Boat Race 2002
The full story
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Pictures from the weigh-in for the 149th University Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge.
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and Ronstan provide qualityequipment and hardware should you have the urge to gokiteboating. Although this sport is picking up in popularity,there are various places around the globe you can kiteboat onvacation.

If you are just starting out in the paraboating realm, you maywish to get trained by a certified instructor who will teach youhow to harness your kite and how to get it air bound should itfall from the sky. You also should take a water safety courseshould you need the proper training later on. All kiteboatersshould wear a floatation device should their boat sink or theirkite get away from them. They never know how far from shore theymay be.

As with any sport learning to fly your kite first will helplater on when deciding which type to purchase. You may wish topurchase a 2 or 4 line harness. It is strongly suggested thatyou do not attempt to kiteboat without lessons. Make sure toobserve all activity around you should you have more than onekiteboater in your area.

About the author:Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.kitesurfingnow.com.Visit his kitesite for the latest on kitesurfing equipment,kiteboarding lessons, places to surf and much more!