The reason traction kites have taken so long to develop to the state of useability we now expect is because there are so many performance factors that all have to work at the same time. Yes, we need good upwind performance; but we also have to have luff resistance, crash resistance, launchability, packability, buildability, etc., and now, power control—-the list is endless. So much complexity, so many possible ways to do things, at least we can be sure that traction kites will continue to improve in the foreseeable future.

Engineer and kitemaker Peter Lynn established a kitemaking business in Ashburton, New Zealand, in l971 and within a decade was exporting kites around the world. From l987, Peter concentrated his research and development on kite traction- —using kites as sails to propel water skiers, snow skiers, ice skaters, kite buggiers, and kite boarders. His development of the first practical kite buggy in l990 started a new sport and an industry that is now worldwide. By 2004, the British Buggy Club had 4,000 members.

Buy appropriate gear, equipment that is safe and easy to use. Be patient. When you have thoroughly learned the basics, you can move up to extreme gear. Buy from a specialist because he has the professional knowledge. Take lessons. Some elements of riding can only be taught person to person. Mastering flying techniques and thoroughly understanding the kite power “window” prevent accidents. The force of traction kites can be surprising and disconcerting.

If you are interested in the sport of kiteboarding, information is easy to obtain. There are large numbers of websites, some quite elaborate, to consult. A good one to start with is www.kitesurfingschool.org. The sport has its dedicated magazines. Kiteboarding, Kite World, The Kiteboarder, and Kiteboarder (Australia) are English-language titles.

In l978 Mike Waltze, a surfing enthusiast, moved from his native California to Maui. The wind, he had heard, was unbeatable. Waltze set up the first windsurfing shop on the island. At age 18, he was a founding father. Waltze sold boards and other equipment. “First it was one, than three, then ten,” he says. “Before you knew it, I was popping 30 boards a month out of my little factory. I had a real passion for riding the waves. I was at the beach all day every day. Windsurfing was the ultimate free ride.”

An integral element in Maui water sports are boards—–boards for surfing, windsurfing, kiteboarding. Sean Ordonez is one of the many on the island who make their living shaping these boards. It’s a highly creative, demanding, individualistic craft. “It’s a backyard business and always will be,” says Ordonez. “There are a few core small businesses such as mine. They get copied.

Extreme sports have their own language. Being a hybrid, traction kiting has borrowed words from similar sports- —-sailing, surfing, skateboarding, flying. Much of the phraseology is obvious in meaning. Following are some of the more unusual words and phrases. Bay Watch firm. Proper inflation level for the standard inflatable kite: firm to the touch to squeeze. Big air. A good jump. Heights of 60 feet or more have been achieved.

Naish International was the first Maui water sports equipment manufacturer to outsource kite production to China. Starting in the early 1990s, Robby Naish, owner, and Don Montague, designer, sent their kite work to a factory in Chenzhen, near Guangzhou, the former Canton, to take advantage of low cost labor. Some 1,000 young women aged 20 to 24, mostly emigrants to the big city from rural farms, produce not only kites but bags, accessories, and so forth for Naish and numerous other companies.

Following is a partly serious, partly tongue-in-cheek take on kiteboarding perils. It applies particularly to Hawaii. Divers. Free diving with speargun in the early morning to catch fish is to the tropics what picking apples is to Washington state. A visiting Frenchman discovered the guy with the spear has the right of way in Maui when he collided with a free diver whose speargun accidentally speared the visitor’s testicles. The old diver commented laconically, “The more I shoot, the luckier I get.”

Don Montague, of Naish International, in Maui, has a vision for the future: kiteboating. “I’m very involved in developing this new sport. I have the passion. That’s where my heart is. I see the huge potential.”