Kitesurfing in Cornwall
Kitesurfing or kiteboarding as it is sometimes known, has become a hugely popular extreme sport in Cornwall. The best kitesurfing locations in the UK are found in Cornwall.
Cornwall has the ideal facilities for every kitesurfer whether you are trying kitesurfing for the first time and just need a taster session or if you are an experienced competition kitesurfer.
Locations in Cornwall which are well known for kitesurfing include, Marazion, Pentewan and Par on the South Coast and Widemouth Bay, Daymer Bay, Perranporth, Gwithian Bay and Hayle Towans on the North Coast.
Watergate Bay in Cornwall, hosts an event in the BKSA kite surfing series annually and has done since the first European Kitesurfing Championships in September 2002. For detailed information on all the kitesurfing locations in Cornwall click on the links above and see the map below.
The terms kitesurfing and kiteboarding are often used fairly interchangeably but technically kitesurfing emphasises the wave riding style while kiteboarding uses freestyle or wake-style techniques.
Kitesurfing has around seven styles dependant on your personal taste, choice of kitesurfing location, board and kite.
Kitesurfing styles include:
- freestyle, technical kitesurfing for intermediate to advanced kitesurfers with many moves including jumps, board offs and twists
- wave riding uses the kite and board like a surf board to ride waves
- hangtime or big air is when the kitesurfers achieve massive jumps, trying to remain airborne for as long as possible
- boardercross, a new and dangerous style only for advanced kitesurfers, involves racing against other competitors around a course of buoys and often jumping over obstacles to complete the course in the fastest time
- speed kiting involves achieving the highest speed in a straight line with the current record being over 40 knots
- kickers and sliders is a new element in kitesurfing for advanced kitesurfers only which involves jumping and sliding along ramps fixed in the water
- freeride is the final style and probably the most popular kitesurfing style as it involves doing anything that you want to.
Board types are various and depend on what style you plan to use but the best all round kiteboard and for those new to the sport is a twin-tip board. As these boards have straps you can also use a twin-tip for hangtime jumps and other tricks. In addition to standard twin types there are also light wind twin tip boards for when the wind conditions are very light.
When you become more experienced in kitesurfing you may wish to try other boards; wave boards; wakeboards, skimboards or wakeskates.
Many of the kitesurfing locations around Cornwall have Kitesurfing Training Schools based nearby.
Marazion
For further information:
British Kite Surfing Association (BKSA)
Books:
Books can be purchased online by clicking on the links below :
For other books of surfing interest please click on the following link:
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Map of Kitesurfing locations in Cornwall Use the + scale on the left of the map to zoom in on an area. Click on a marker to see the name of the location and click the box to go to the information about that place. To zoom out click - on the scale. (Map integration by www.choughmountain.design) |
