Windsport

A windsport is any type of sport which involves wind-power, often involving a non-rigid airfoil such as a sail or a power kite.

The activities can be land-based, on snow, on ice or on water:

• Ice boating - using a masted sail attached to a vessel with skates
• Kite boating - sailing a boat in displacement or planing mode using a kite
• Kiteboarding - using a power kite with a wheeled board while standing
• Kite buggy - using a wheeled buggy with seats attached to a power kite
• Kite flying - flight of a small airfoil by a standing ground operator using 1-4 flying lines
• Kite jumping - brief acrobatic flight using a large kite
• Kite skating - as for kite jumping but while using specialized skates
• Kitesurfing - using a surfboard attached to a power kite
• Land sailing - a masted sail attached to a land vehicle see also Land yacht
• Sailing - navigating a boat with sail attached to a mast
• Snowkiting - skiing/snowboarding under the power of a kite
• Windsurfing - sailing using a masted sail attached via gymbal to a surfboard

Windsport activity may be regulated in some countries by aviation/maritime authorities if they are likely to interfere with other activities. Local authorities may also regulate activity in certain areas, especially on crowded beaches and parks.

Note

The following air sports are not classed as windsports because in these the participants actually leave the ground for long periods and many do not use the wind:

• Gliding - use of vertically moving air to keep an aircraft aloft
• Hang gliding - use of vertically moving air to keep aloft an aircraft with a flexible wing
• Microlighting - flying a hang glider with an engine (also see ultralight aircraft)
• Parachuting (skydiving) and base jumping - controlled descent of the operator under a large flexible canopy
• Paragliding - soaring under a parachute canopy
• Parasailing - hanging under a paraglider towed by a vehicle (boat, car, or snowmobile) in order to ascend (usually over water)

External links

• WindSports
• French Powerkite