By Tim Parish
Traction kites first made an appearance way back in the 1970s, when the Flexifoil stunter became available for anyone to buy. This kite had a single flexible spar running the full length of its leading edge. This was a fast kite with plenty of power, and people still fly this design today.
Since the history of traction kites extends back to the 70s, using them to pull you along isn't a new idea. A small number of people soon started experimenting with the Flexifoil for traction. They found several ways to drag themselves along, for example over sand in a small wheeled buggy. Someone might have got the idea when the wind got a bit strong one day, and they found themselves slipping across the wet sand. Just a short step from there to actually sitting in or on something and covering some ground.
Most traction designs are parafoils, that is, flexible ram air inflated 'wings'. Some designs meant for use in water have inflatable spars built into them. Others are single-surface kites, for example some of Peter Lynn's designs.
Types Of Traction Kites
Over the years, designers have made kites for specific sports, so there's a lot of different types. Broadly though, there are just 2 categories - power and traction.
Some people lump all 2, 3, 4 or 5 line flexible kites into one category. Many other people divide these into 2 or 3 line for power and 4 or 5 line for traction. There is a big range of sizes available, and cost depends a lot on size.
Here follows a summary of both types, to help explain the real difference.
Power kites are at the smaller and cheaper end, and are used mainly for stunt flying or just having fun. They are really just another kind of stunter. A small one is pretty fast through the air, which is part of the thrill of flying it.
However, if they are 3 square meters (about 30 square feet) or bigger in area, they pull quite a bit. Naturally, people then think about using them to pull along small land buggies, for example.
Traction kites are bigger and more expensive, and are used mainly for pulling things along. For example, surfboards, snowboards, land kite buggies and so on.
However, depending on wind conditions, there's nothing to stop you flying one of these as a rather expensive and impressive stunter. The extra brake lines let you turn the kite with less arm movement than the 2-line variety. Also, the brake lines are handy for bringing it down onto the ground with a bit more control. With 4 or more lines dragging through the air, and other aerodynamic reasons, traction kites are a bit slower than the smaller power kites.
Some traction designs are built purely for speed, compared to other kites of the same size. These are 'racing kites', and are not as easy to fly as other traction designs.
Traction Kites in Action
How do people fly power kites these days? This type being so popular, the manufacturers have managed to cater for just about everyone. Young children can fly the smallest 2-line power kites under supervision while down at the beach. At the other end, top-notch athletes push the limits doing freestyle tricks over snow or in the surf with other kite boarders, using very expensive traction kites.
At the top end, these kites are more like aircraft than toys. That's not at all surprising when you consider that some are made by paraglider manufacturers! In 2007, the cost of some of these flying wonders exceeded 1000 US dollars.
'Freestyle' kite skiing and boarding have both seen big increases in popularity, as well as kite surfing.
In Conclusion, Safety...
The following list of advice summarizes the safety issues that are relevant to flying modern traction kites.
* choose the right kite, not too big for your experience, skill or wind conditions
* read the product instructions, safety warnings and flying tips on the packaging
* fly it in a large enough area, away from obstacles, including other people
* start flying in light winds, until you are used to it
* wear safety gear if you are getting dragged over the ground, for example in buggying
* a helmet is recommended when going for a kite surf in the ocean
* do a course, or get expert advice, before getting into the more advanced extreme sports
* get good at doing tricks with your power kite before thinking about doing extreme sports
Traction kites first made an appearance way back in the 1970s, when the Flexifoil stunter became available for anyone to buy. This kite had a single flexible spar running the full length of its leading edge. This was a fast kite with plenty of power, and people still fly this design today.
Since the history of traction kites extends back to the 70s, using them to pull you along isn't a new idea. A small number of people soon started experimenting with the Flexifoil for traction. They found several ways to drag themselves along, for example over sand in a small wheeled buggy. Someone might have got the idea when the wind got a bit strong one day, and they found themselves slipping across the wet sand. Just a short step from there to actually sitting in or on something and covering some ground.
Most traction designs are parafoils, that is, flexible ram air inflated 'wings'. Some designs meant for use in water have inflatable spars built into them. Others are single-surface kites, for example some of Peter Lynn's designs.
Types Of Traction Kites
Over the years, designers have made kites for specific sports, so there's a lot of different types. Broadly though, there are just 2 categories - power and traction.
Some people lump all 2, 3, 4 or 5 line flexible kites into one category. Many other people divide these into 2 or 3 line for power and 4 or 5 line for traction. There is a big range of sizes available, and cost depends a lot on size.
Here follows a summary of both types, to help explain the real difference.
Power kites are at the smaller and cheaper end, and are used mainly for stunt flying or just having fun. They are really just another kind of stunter. A small one is pretty fast through the air, which is part of the thrill of flying it.
However, if they are 3 square meters (about 30 square feet) or bigger in area, they pull quite a bit. Naturally, people then think about using them to pull along small land buggies, for example.
Traction kites are bigger and more expensive, and are used mainly for pulling things along. For example, surfboards, snowboards, land kite buggies and so on.
However, depending on wind conditions, there's nothing to stop you flying one of these as a rather expensive and impressive stunter. The extra brake lines let you turn the kite with less arm movement than the 2-line variety. Also, the brake lines are handy for bringing it down onto the ground with a bit more control. With 4 or more lines dragging through the air, and other aerodynamic reasons, traction kites are a bit slower than the smaller power kites.
Some traction designs are built purely for speed, compared to other kites of the same size. These are 'racing kites', and are not as easy to fly as other traction designs.
Traction Kites in Action
How do people fly power kites these days? This type being so popular, the manufacturers have managed to cater for just about everyone. Young children can fly the smallest 2-line power kites under supervision while down at the beach. At the other end, top-notch athletes push the limits doing freestyle tricks over snow or in the surf with other kite boarders, using very expensive traction kites.
At the top end, these kites are more like aircraft than toys. That's not at all surprising when you consider that some are made by paraglider manufacturers! In 2007, the cost of some of these flying wonders exceeded 1000 US dollars.
'Freestyle' kite skiing and boarding have both seen big increases in popularity, as well as kite surfing.
In Conclusion, Safety...
The following list of advice summarizes the safety issues that are relevant to flying modern traction kites.
* choose the right kite, not too big for your experience, skill or wind conditions
* read the product instructions, safety warnings and flying tips on the packaging
* fly it in a large enough area, away from obstacles, including other people
* start flying in light winds, until you are used to it
* wear safety gear if you are getting dragged over the ground, for example in buggying
* a helmet is recommended when going for a kite surf in the ocean
* do a course, or get expert advice, before getting into the more advanced extreme sports
* get good at doing tricks with your power kite before thinking about doing extreme sports
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