BBC SPORT | GOLF | Kite surfing takes off

The BBC's Simon Alexander previews the World Pro Kite Surfing Championships in Cornwall.

A wind of change is blowing over Britain's newest extreme sport as more than 80 of the world's best kite surfers descend on Cornwall.

The Blackthorn World Pro Kite Surfing Championships is a major coup for a sport which has its roots in windsurfing and wakeboarding.

Watergate Bay, on Cornwall's wild Atlantic coast, provides some of the most challenging conditions in the UK.

Exposed to the elements, the two-mile stretch of golden sands was recently voted in the Top 10 extreme sports beaches in the world.

There is no doubt this is not a fad

Contest organiser Henry Ashworth

It's a venue which will test a strong field which includes current world champion Christophe Tasti, fellow Frenchman Sebastian Cattelan, who recently broke the world record for time spent gliding through the air, and South African Steve Kellner.

Britain has its own home-grown heroes.

Mark Shinn recently kite surfed from Spain to Morocco, Jason Furness is ranked number eight in the world and Chris Calthrop has honed his competition prowess in the waters off Kent.

Contest organiser Henry Ashworth says kite surfing is on the up.

"It's so big now compared to a year ago," he says.

Switching

"There are so many more people doing it.

"The idea of the competition is to give the spectators a real glimpse of what the sport is all about and what they might be able to achieve.

"There is no doubt this is not a fad, so many professional windsurfers and wakeboarders are switching over to the sport," he added.

Cornwall's Drea Wherry took up kite surfing after winning Gladiators
One of them, Drea Wherry, from Newquay, is now one of Britain's top three women in the sport and will give the visiting professionals a run for their money.

The Mellow MarshYellow team rider told BBC sport Online that kite surfing has been a life-changing experience.

"I first got on a kite two years ago and was dragged all over the beach and across some concrete groins but just got hooked," she says.

"For me, by sticking two awesome elements together, the sea and surfing, it provides the ultimate thrill."

Power

Kite surfing is a precise skill which requires balance, stamina and a good head for heights.

A massive kite is used instead of a windsurfing sail to generate the power needed to surf and jump over the waves.

The board is similar to a wake or surfboard and can reach speeds in excess of 30mph.

The kite is attached to the surfer by a harness at the end of a 30 metre line and is controlled by a bar similar to a water-ski handle.

As well as vital world championship points up for grabs in Cornwall, there is a special British qualifying event and a freestyle hang time event where the current British record is one of the targets.

The World Pro Kite Surfing Championships take place at Watergate Bay, Cornwall, from 15-23 September.


	^^ Back to top
	Front Page \| Football \| Cricket \| Rugby Union \| Rugby League \| Tennis \| Golf \| Motorsport \| Boxing \| Athletics \| Other Sports \| Sports Talk \| In Depth \| Photo Galleries \| Audio/Video \| TV & Radio \| BBC Pundits \| Question of Sport \| Funny Old Game ------------------------------------------------------------ BBC News >> \| BBC Weather >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- © MMII\|News Sources\|Privacy