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FeaturesYou are in: Cumbria > Places > Features > Making Waves - it beats sitting in a deck chair!  Helen and Gary looking rather wet! Making Waves - it beats sitting in a deck chair!Helen Skelton I went, I conquered (in a fashion) and although I left with a belly full of sea water and arms stiffer than cardboard, there's something addictive about the highly colourful, high speed sport of kite surfing. Kite SurfingKite surfers use a power kite to pull them through the water on a small surfboard or a kite board. The sport is growing fast. In 2006, the number of kite surfers was estimated at 150,000 to 200,000. Riders have developed a number of styles: wake style, wave riding, freestyle, jumping, and cruising. Other variations of using kites for propulsion include kite snowkiting, kite buggying, kite skateboarding, kite jumping, and using kites to propel sea kayaks Getting started can cost up to £1,000 but once you have the kit you have it for a long time The BKSA Freestyle Kitesurfing Championship Round 2 was held in Walney in May 2007. Remember "Home and Away" - the golden beach and the frothy waves crashing onto it? Well, that’s the scene that met me as I padded barefoot onto the sands of Earnse Bay on Walney. The vista, and the tanned toned bods were there, the only difference was Black Combe and the lack of sun. I was barefoot because I was heading out to sea to try my hand at kite surfing, and if you’ve never walked barefoot on a soggy worm-covered beach - try it. It’s fab. The wet suit, harness and helmet however, are not so fab and not so flattering.  Helen trying out body dragging. After I’d learned to keep a small kite in the air and mastered a figure of eight I was allowed into the water with a huge kite (compared to me) with 25 metre ties. Don’t get any bright ideas – your average kite won’t lift you through the waves, this is a special kite with inflatable sections. And as I soon discovered, they’re deceptively powerful. Once the wind takes hold you’re off your feet in a breath, and in my case soon after, face down in the Irish Sea.  Gary's base, complete wth kites. That’s not meant as a negative, because you’re in the water you aren’t scared of falling because it doesn’t hurt. To be honest once you’ve had one face full of sea water you become almost immune to it. After two hours in it you certainly do, and it was warm. Yes I said warm. Kite surfing is high powered, can be high speed and at times highly dangerous. My instructor couldn’t put me on an actual board – for fear of both our lives. I did however try my hand at body dragging, where the kite drags you on your stomach through the sea.  Gary preparing to get on his board. My instructor was Gary Powell from NorthWest KiteSurfing. He made it look easy as he skimmed over the surf with his body and arms elevated out of the water. My effort was a bit more sporadic, and I wasn’t supposed to paddle my feet. But I did pick up what I considered to be a bit of speed, I tugged the kite right and left and it took on enough power to drag me through the Irish Sea and deposit me back onto the sands of Earnse Bay. My performance attracted a crowd of three (granted two were members of Gary’s family so they were more likely to be seeing what he wanted for tea rather than being enthralled by my skill). When I asked them “how did I do?” they replied: “well you’re keen,” - enough said. last updated: 12/06/2008 at 08:27 SEE ALSOYou are in: Cumbria > Places > Features > Making Waves - it beats sitting in a deck chair!
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