200000 kite surfers, this is really taking off.

With the windy season fast approaching, local kite-surfers took to the waters of North Sound to work on their skills.

A kite-surfer stands on a board with foot straps or bindings and uses the power of a large controllable kite to propel them and the board across the water.

However, this simplicity also makes kite-surfing challenging. Your body is the only connection between the kite and the board and you have to control them both at the same time, piloting the kite in the sky and steering the board on the water.

The sport is still in its infancy but is rapidly growing in popularity. In 1998, there were probably less than thirty kite-surfers worldwide. In 2006, the number of kite-surfers has been estimated at around 150,000 to 200,000.

There are reckoned to be in the region of 50 kite-surfers and learner kite-surfers on Grand Cayman, with the number growing steadily. According to local enthusiast Tristan Relly, “Here in the Cayman, kite-surfers, kite-boarders or simply ‘riders’ are in it for love of the sport and being out in nature.