Windsport

Windsports refers to wind powered recreation, usually including any sporting use of a nonrigid airfoil, such as a power kite or parafoil.

The activities can be airborne:

• Parachuting and base jumping - controlled descent of the operator under a flexible canopy
• Paragliding - soaring with a flexible canopy
• Hang_gliding - soaring with a rigid frame, fabric covered aircraft

...waterborne:

• Kiteboarding - use of a power kite with surfboard underneath (Kitesurfing)
• Windsurfing and Sailing - a masted sail attached to a surfboard or boat, respectively
• Kite boating - kite powered boat in displacement or planing mode
• Parasailing - a paraglider towed by a vehicle in order to ascend (usually over water)

...or landborne:

• Landsailing - a masted sail attached to a land vehicle
• Kite buggy and Mountain board - a kite attached to a wheeled seated or standing (respectively) land vehicle
• Ice boat - a sail attached to a vessel with skates
• Kite flying - flight of an airfoil by a standing ground operator using string(s)

Similar sports that exploit aerodynamics are frequently included in the category:

• Soaring - use of vertically moving air to keep an aircraft aloft
• microlight - a hang glider with a powered prop (also see ultralight aircraft)

Windsport activity may be regulated in some countries by aviation/maritime authority. Local authority may regulate activity in certain areas, especially crowded beaches and parks.