A sport kite is also commonly known as a stunt kite.
Developments in multi-line kites in recent years has allowed forms of kite flying to develop into a sport. A kite is a flying tethered object that depends upon the tension of a tethering system Sport is an Activity that is governed by a set of rules or Customs and often engaged in competitively Kite competitions have much in common with figure skating, with competitors being judged on their performance in compulsory figures as well as a "ballet", which involves artistic interpretation of music. Competition is a rivalry between individuals groups nations or animals for territory or resources Figure skating is an athletic Sport in which individuals pairs or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging Ballet is a formalized form of Dance with its origins in the French court further developed in France and Russia as a Concert dance Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. Performances are done as individuals, a pair of pilots, or as a team. Team flying is typically the most spectacular, with up to eight pilots and stacked kites with tails flying within inches of each other and narrowly averting disaster, while performing all manner of figures and formations in the air. Competitions are held nationally and internationally under the auspices of STACK (Sport Team and Competitive Kiting). There is an annual World Championship.
In the United States, the American Kitefliers Association http://www.aka.kite.org/ is the umbrella organization for sport kite contests. Competition winners from the various regions are invited to the annual AKA convention for national championships.
In 1996 the AKA (American kite Associaion) , STACK, and AJSKA (All-Japanese Sport Kite Association) formed the International Rule Book Committee (IRBC) to standardize rules and processes.
The most common configuration for a sports kite is a roughly triangular "delta" shape, with two lines for control. A triangle is one of the basic Shapes of Geometry: a Polygon with three corners or vertices and three sides or edges which are Line These kites are normally constructed from lightweight ripstop nylon or ripstop polyester with spars made from carbon fiber tubing. Rip-stop nylon is a light-weight Nylon fabric with inter-woven ripstop reinforcement threads in a crosshatch pattern Ripstop Polyester is similar to Ripstop nylon but differs in the chemical composition of the fibres used to weave it The strings are made from braided Spectra, which is light, doesn't stretch and stays slippery even when wrapped many times. Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene ( UHMWPE) also known as high-modulus polyethylene ( HMPE) or high-performance polyethylene ( HPPE To control the kite, the pilot pulls on the right hand line to turn right, left line to turn left, and so on. Using combinations of pulls and pushes (to give slack to the lines), complex tricks and patterns can be flown. These range in difficulty from turns, loops and landings, to maneuvers where the kite is flipped and turned end over end, wrapping the lines or floating on its front or back. During diving maneuvers, sport kites may reach a speed of 60mph, while in stall type maneuvers, they can be just about to drop out of the sky.
Sport kites can be designed to fly in a wide range of conditions. Most standard kites fly best in winds from 3-9 miles per hour. High wind kites can be flown in very stong winds of 30MPH or more. There are kites made from the lightest materials that can be flown in the slightest breeze or even indoors.
Some pilots also fly four-line (or "quad-line") kites, which are controlled with a pair of handles, each with two lines attached to the top and bottom and attached to the kite at the top and bottom. To control the kite, the pilot pulls on the lower line to turn the kite in that direction. Skilled use of these handles allows a quad-line kite to perform in ways that are difficult or impossible with a dual-line kite. Unique quadline maneuvers include reverse flight, axis spins, hovers, and side to side flight.
Other aspects of sport kiting include power or traction kites, which can be used to tow wheeled buggies (kite buggying) or surfboards (kite surfing). A power kite or traction kite is a large kite designed to provide significant pull to the user A kite buggy is a light purpose-built Vehicle powered by a traction kite (power kite. Surfboards are elongated platforms used in the sport of Surfing. Kitesurfing, kiteboarding, uses wind power to pull a rider through the water on a small Surfboard or a kiteboard (which is like a Wakeboard)
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