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A little history of Bell Helmets!
Do you know that the company that makes Bell helmets did not start out making helmets? It was a company that sold auto parts -- Bell Auto Parts -- started by George Wight in Bell, California, in 1923. In 1933, Rogy Richter went to work for Wight....
How To Choose a Baseball Pitching Machine
Before we start, let me just add one thought on how I believe ballplayers are made. FIRST… you must learn the proper mechanics! SECOND… you do it over and over and over again! The player that has the privilege of being able to hit just by walking...
Rolling Into The Mainstream
Ask any disabled athlete if they would jump at the chance to compete against able-bodied athletes, and they would probably give you an emphatic "Yes!" Whether it's crossing the finish line in a track meet, or kayaking on the river, having the...
The Best Workout Routine
The best workout routine is actually no routine at all... But
the deliberate and conscious randomization and variation of
training methods, stresses and intensities.
Most people are looking for the best workout routine... they
want...
Why I'd Rather Be A Slugger
Why I'd Rather Be A Slugger During the last NLCS, I asked Brandon Backe of the Astros what the hardest thing was for him in making the conversion from outfielder to pitcher in the minors. He said it was "not playing every day." That is why I would...
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The History of KiteSurfing
KiteSurfing is by far the latest craze in extreme sports. The idea of using a kite to enhance speed and gravity for the surfer seems like a new and exhilarating challenge, yet the art of KiteSurfing dates back to the 13th Century Chinese when it was used as a simple mode of transportation. KiteSailing, as it was known, was a medium that used the wind as an aid to harness its momentum and energy to mobilize their canoes across water. The earliest recorded history of KiteSailing dates back to the early 12th Century.
In the 1800’s George Pocock took the basic kite design to a whole new level by increasing the size of the overall kite and used them as a sail to glide carts on land and ships on the water. The designs of the kites were engineered with 4 lines, the same setup being deployed today. Both carts and boats were able to turn and sail upwind. The wind would generate enough lift underneath the kite to raise it off of the ground and powerful enough to sustain it for a period of time.
These kites have been able to propel a man-made vehicle across the ground, snow, ice and water. These kites are codependent on the wind and its necessary to get
off of the ground or water to get them to fly. However, once the kite is in the air it manufactures its own wind, which is proportionately faster and creates a higher rate of speed for the vehicle.
Yet one issue still remains most of the earlier kites were deployed from the land and off of the flat ground. Not on the water where KiteSurfing takes place. In the 1980’s Wipika, Kiteski, fOne, Concept Air, C-Quad, and Naish Kites marketed water launch kites. These kites could be sailed again after falling short of wind into the water.
In the late 1990’s off of the Hawaiian coast of Maui, Laird Hamilton and Manu displayed the extreme sport opportunities to radical surfers and wake boarders. Its popularity has since skyrocketed as one of the fastest growing water sports in the past two years.
Today there are organizations, competitions, videos and magazines worldwide dedicated to this increasingly popular sport and the thrills associated with it.
About the Author
Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.kitesurfingnow.com. Visit his kitesite for the latest on kitesurfing equipment, kiteboarding lessons, places to surf and much more!
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