Kitesurf Lexikon

The additional fifth safety line on the bar, which is attached from the safetyleash in the middle of the front tube. The fifth line provides more safety while kitesurfing. As soon as the kite is released with the quick-release, the kite can rest relaxed and almost powerless on the fifth line and blow out. The kite no longer develops any pulling force on the fifth line. In addition, the fifth line facilitates an easy relaunch out of the water.

The left side of a watercraft, or board, as seen in the direction of travel.

Maneuver or jump in which you turn 360° against the direction of travel.

The safety line that runs along the back of the harness.

Steering lines that extend from the outer ends of the bar, which are attached to the trailing edge of the kite. They initiate the steering of the kite.

The "handlebar" of the kite used to steer, brake and accelerate the kite. Pushing back and forth changes the power of the kite, and the steering movement changes the direction of the kite's flight.

Classification of visually perceptible effects of different wind speeds on water or on land. The Beaufort scale of 1 - 12 corresponds to bandwidths of measured wind speed, for example corresponding to 4 Bft 20 - 28 km/h.

Other word for Twin Tip Board, comes from Bi-Directional, so a symmetrically cut board that can ride in both directions, or does not need to be turned to change direction.

Safety line between kiter and kiteboard, usually directional surfboard. Thus, the kitesurfer does not lose the board after falls and it can be pulled back on the leash. The board leash is very controversial because of its risk of injury: In case of a fall, the board can act like an anchor and if the tension of the leash is too high, it can be thrown back to the kitesurfer. This can cause massive injuries, often to the head. Therefore, anyone kitesurfing with a board leash should always wear a helmet and an impact protection vest.

Lying in the water with controlled bar movements to be pulled behind the kite. The bodydrag is a very important exercise in the kitesurfing course for kite control.

Sudden and brief increase in wind.

The attachment points, or connection points for the kite's line system.

A jibe glided through. The jibe is the change of direction away from the wind.

Short rope that is inserted into the tranpe hook underneath the chicken loop to prevent the chicken loop from accidentally falling off/slipping out.

The chicken loop is the part of a bar system that connects the bar to the kiter's harness hook. The chickenloop is a loop-shaped tube that is hooked onto the harness hook and then secured with the so-called chickendick against accidental unhooking. The chicken loop is also the essential part of the safety systems used on the bar system. In an emergency, the chickenloop must open easily even when the lines are pulled hard, so that the kiter can separate from the kite and is then only connected to the kite with the safety line.
The opening mechanisms that open the chickloop differ significantly in the safety systems of different manufacturers. Reassembly after a safety release also varies in complexity. Systems that are easy to release, easy to close again and, above all, insensitive to sand and small stones are ideal.

Reduce the pulling forces of the kite by pulling the adjuster

The depower ramp connects the frontlines with the chicken loop or the adjuster.

The length of the depower ramp is decisive for the degree of depower effect.

Kiteboards that have only one direction of travel and must be turned to change direction. The first kiteboards were directional boards and descended from the wave surfboard. Today directional boards are mainly used in the wave. In light winds, the surfboard is also a good alternative to big twintips and offers a lot of fun and challenge.

Tails that provide directional stability of the kiteboard under water.

The buoyancy bodies on the outside of the bar, which allow the bar to float and not sink. They are also called "floats".

Fabric material (usually Dacron) from which the kite cloth is made. It is very durable and resilient.

Maneuver or jump in which you turn 360° in the direction of travel.

Lines that bifurcate from the center of the bar (centerlines) and are attached to the front tube. They influence the pull (power) of the kite.

Inflatable leading edge, the "spine" of the Tubekite.

The handle in the middle of your board. It serves as a handhold for boardoff jumps where you hold the board in one hand or simply to carry your board on land.

When jumping with grab, you grab your board during the jump.

Sign language for communication in kitesurfing, hand signals and movements that are language-independent and can be understood over greater distances. Here you will find an overview of all hand signs, the language of kitesurfers.

Heading with a course at 90° to the wind, you don't lose altitude, but you don't gain altitude either.

Handlepass is where you pass your bar from one hand to the other behind your back.

The long edge of the kiteboard that your heels face. It is opposite the "toeside", the side your toes face.

The outer limits of your bar. They are also called "winders". They usually have a convenient guide for winding the lines of your bar.

The tube kite is the most common kite system. It consists of a framework of tubes filled with air, the "struts". These give it a certain stability of form. The front tube is the main air chamber. The transverse struts emanate from it at the sides. All struts are inflated with the help of a pump. The valve closes the kite. In some kite systems, the struts are connected internally, so they can be pumped out together - the "one-pump system". Bow kites and delta kites are distinguished by the shape of the tip: Delta Kites run almost pointed, in Bow Kites the front tube runs around to the tip ends in an arrow shape. Both systems have bridle lines that give the kite additional shape stability in the air and distribute the pressure evenly over the front lines. The control lines (backlines) usually differ in color. They grip at the attachment points of the breakaway edge. The center lines, on the other hand, grip at the attachment points of the leading edge.

With the Kiteloop you rotate your kite with almost maximum steering movement. The term "kiteloop" is usually used to describe a jump in which you rotate your kite completely in the air at least once.

With your kite pump, a piston stroke pump, you pump air into the tubes of your kite. It is a piston-stroke pump that pumps air into the chamber of your kite when you pull and push.

The unit of measurement for speed on water. One knot is equal to one nautical mile per hour. This is 1.852 km/h, or 0.541 m/s.

Designation for the direction to the wind in which you kite.

The practice kite with which you train flight exercises on land. Here you will find a practice kite for the first flight exercises.

The side away from the wind, or the direction in which the wind blows.

After unrolling the lines from the bar, arrange the lines. You can do this very well by holding and loosening them with one hand and passing them through the four spaces between the fingers of the other hand.

Knife with which you can cut your kite lines in an emergency. You should always carry it with you when kitesurfing.

After unrolling the lines from the bar, arrange the lines. You can do this very well by holding and loosening them with one hand and passing them through the four spaces between the fingers of the other hand.

Besides knots and km/h, the unit of measurement for wind speed.

Centerlines are also called "frontlines". They are the lines that bifurcate from the center of the bar (centerlines) and are attached to the front tube. They influence the pull (power) of the kite.

Offshore wind blows "offshore", that is, from land to sea. When kitesurfing, there is a risk of drifting here.

A tubekite in which the air tubes are connected by a continuous, closed system.

Onshore wind blows "onshore", that is from the sea head-on to the land. When kitesurfing, there is a risk of being pulled onto land by the kite.

The silhouette of a kite or a board.

Another word for footpads, the soft, rubberized pads on your twintip board under the footstraps. Their ergonomic shape gives your feet support and absorbs the shocks, vibrations of the board on moving water.

The flight zone in the wind window model where the kite develops maximum acceleration, or power.

The air tubes (struts), which run like ribs between the front tube and the trailing edge and give the Tubekite its classic profile.

Emergency system to release your kite in emergency situations. With it, you quickly partially separate from your kite. The kite loses pressure for the first time. You are still connected to your kite with the safety leash.

A jump by unhooked in horizontal position stretched.

Direction of travel away from the wind.

During the relaunch, you launch your kite out of the water.

The valves on the tubes of your kite have check valves. These are valves that use a small ball to prevent the air from escaping when you inflate after pulling out the pump nozzle.

The safety line that connects the fifth or virtual fifth line to the safety mechanism on your kite harness.

The buoyancy bodies on the outside of the bar, which allow the bar to float and not sink. They are also called "floaters".

The specific shape, or profile, of the board or kite that significantly determines its riding or flying characteristics.

Wind direction in which the wind blows parallel to the course of the beach shore.

A kite that is not inflated like a tube kite, but consists of two layers of cloth and open air chambers. The air, in the chambers stands or circulates and thus provides dimensional stability of the kite. The opposite is a Tubekite.

The flight zone in the wind window model where the kite develops a moderate pull.

The front part on the harness, which also carries the harness hook and is pleasantly padded for comfortable carrying.

The right side of a watercraft, or board, as seen in the direction of travel.

Lines that are responsible for steering your kite. They extend from the very ends of your bar to the tips of your kite. They are also called "backlines".

The footstraps on your board. They are well padded and help keep your feet on your board.

The cross tubes, which run like ribs between the front tube and the trailing edge and give the Tubekite its classic profile.

If you ride with "Suicide Leash", you attach your Safety Leash directly to the Depower Rope. This bears the risk that after release the kite still has a residual pull.

You ride a maneuver where you turn your board on the surface of the water. You transfer your bar on the back - the surface pass.

In switch riding, you ride with the board turned 180° and the lower body rotated.

The freely twistable connections at the chicken loop and at the transition from the depower ramp to the fork of the front lines. They twisted lines (e.g. after a maneuver like the backroll) can be easily untwisted with it.

Jump with a grip on the tail of your board.

The outermost (left and right) outer tips of your kite.

The long edge of the kiteboard to which your toes point. It is opposite the "heelside", the side your verses face.

Tear-off edge.

A jump where you change your previous direction of travel.

Belt-like support in the abdominal area with trapeze hook, in which you hook the chickenloop of your kite. This distributes the power of the kite over the center of your body. The kite beginner usually starts with the seat harness (shaped like a pair of pants) and changes to the hip harness (shaped more like a belt) as his riding skills progress.

Metal hook on your harness. Here you hook the chicken loop of your kite. This distributes the force of the kite over the trapeze to your body.

Abbreviation for Twintip.

The inflatable tubes, or hoses in your Tubekite.

A kite in which the profile of the cloth is supported by a framework of inflatable tubes (front tube, cross tubes/struts). The opposite is a soft kite.

A bi-directional board, i.e. a symmetrically cut board that can ride in both directions, forward on the same edge as backward, or that does not need to be turned to change direction.

Unhooked means that you are riding the kite or making a jump while unhooked, i.e. you hold the bar in your hands without holding support through your harness.

Thus, an additional function of one of the two frontlines in a four-line bar is called a safety line (5th line), which connects the kite to you after the 2nd safety line is triggered.

Internationally recognized rules (e.g. from VDWS and IKO) that regulate the cooperation and special situations on the water. Here you can find the kitesurf right of way rules.

Direction of travel in the exact direction of the wind (maximum downwind).

Short intermediate lines directly on the kite - the pull of the frontlines is distributed evenly on the kite here.

Area in which the kite flies. The wind window is the quarter of a sphere that represents the zones in which a kite can be controlled. The wind window is divided into the zones wind window edge, soft zone, power zone and zenith.

Takeoff and landing area of the kite in the wind window model.

The speed of the wind is measured in knots, m/sec or km/sec. Data in Beaufort (Bft) can be transferred to the beaufort scale on the basis of the values determined in these units.

Suddenly and briefly strong decreasing wind.

Term for the felt or perceived force of the wind.

The internal division of the chambers of a soft kite.

The flight zone in the wind window model that is vertically above the kitesurfer. This is where the kite has the least pull.