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Let’s Go Fly a Kite

Across sand, surf, and snow, power kiters seek adrenaline in harnessing the wind

Humans have been utilizing the power of wind for thousands of years. New kite technology allows people to pull themselves across stretches of flat land to speeds sometimes exceeding fifty miles per hour. Power kiters use a large kite that is hand-held or harnessed to the body to zip across sand, snow, and surf in a variety of new extreme sports. Basic power kiting gear includes a lightweight kite, a control bar or handles, safety equipment, and the wind.

“There is nothing more impressive than the power of Mother Nature. All I’m doing is harnessing the five square feet of wind that is moving past us, and it is extremely impressive, the amount of force that’s moving across the area,” says Doug Rutter, an experienced power kiter and kite buggier from Auburn, California. Rutter takes several-hour road trips multiple times each week to get his kiting fix.

A kite buggy is a three-wheeled vehicle solely powered by the wind and driven across flat stretches of sand. Riders hold the control bar to harness the wind while pushing pedals with their feet to steer.

Kite surfers, who ride boards similar to wakeboards, launch themselves off waves on rivers, lakes, or oceans. Their kites often decorate the Columbia River Gorge, while in the mountains of the Three Sisters Wilderness, kite boarders from Bend Kite Crew turn the snowy passes into their sprawling white playground.

Manufacturers create multiple types of kites. Experienced kiters encourage beginners to use smaller kites that are two- to four-meters wide. Rutter says these allow novice kiters to “get to a point where they can know where the kite is without looking. Beginners have trouble knowing which line to pull.”

“You need to be prepared for any sport like this where you’re dealing with a major force that’s going to do what it’s going to do,” Rutter says. “It’s going to sometimes throw you around, so you got to get the right kind of gear that’s going to protect you in that situation.”