Published in Scotland Magazine Issue 12 on 19/1/2004.

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Pop a few airs

Powerkiting is the latest daredevil beach craze and Scotland is ideal for it. Louise Gilbert gave it a twirl

The initial research for this story throws me into a world of unique vocabulary. Powerkiting equipment has, let’s just say, rather unusual names.

‘Frenzy’, ‘Littledevil’ and ‘Meteor’ are the names of just a few of the kite models available. Kiteboards are no exception, with such colourful titles as ‘Sicko’, ‘Viper’, ‘Skidzo’ and, my all time personal favourite, ‘The Lord of Hellfire’.

I begin to wonder, is Powerkiting really a sport or is it a pseudonym for some kind of nocturnal underworld activity?

Powerkiting is indeed an exhilarating sport and it’s taking off in Scotland. Why? Because, once you’ve learnt to fly a Powerkite, you can use it to power a variety of different kinds of craft.

That means speed and lots of it, with the added bonus of no engines and limited noise. With a Powerkite, you can wakeboard without a boat, snowboard without a ski lift or dune buggy without an engine.

Not only is this sport eco-friendly but it’s accessible to all.

The surf at Balmedie Beach, near Aberdeen, is often alive with kitesurfers zooming along as if they’re running across the waves.

With the help of a Powerkite, surfers skim the ocean’s surface, wind in their hair, sea-spray shooting out from the board, as they carve a path through the water.

The more advanced, might throw in a few somersaults for good measure. Actually, my use of the word ‘somersault’ seems slightly insipid
next to the phrase “popping a few airs,” which is the terminology used by kiting enthusiasts.

For th.....

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By Louise Gilbert

Section : Outdoor Scotland

Page number : 32